Unfolding Moments

New Site (sort-of) Up and Running!

2007-06-18T20:22:00.000-05:00

Last night, Micah and I finally figured out how to load the blog portion of my new website. But then I discovered that the blog template I had already modified within blogger wouldn't work when hosted elsewhere (apparently, all the new automatic template "layout functions" in blogger are only available to blogs actually hosted by blogger! Aack.) So I stayed up late last night editing the html of another template manually. Oh well...good practice, right?:o)

The site's not perfect yet, but it's launched, and I'm ready to get back into blogging! Come visit me: www.simplyhomemaking.com/blog

I'm excited! Updated

2007-05-29T17:24:00.001-05:00

I've been working on my new site, and I'm really happy with it! Can't wait to unveil it in the next day or two. I prefer to stay simple with my website layouts, so it's not anything really fancy...but I MADE IT ALL BY MYSELF(!) so please excuse my amateur enthusiasm:o)

EDT: Well...because of problems setting up the hosting, it may take a couple more days than expected to have it up and running:o( They originally told us it could be as many as ten days, but I'm hoping it won't be that long! *sigh*

Announcement!

2007-05-21T13:44:00.001-05:00

Quoting from a post I made on our other website, Frugal Living Journal...

Sometimes you begin something and realize that it's turned out to be more of a challenge than you expected. At least that's what's happened with Micah and I and our online ventures!

After some discussion over the past couple of days, we've decided that Micah needs to preserve his time for focusing on his income-earning businesses/job. I, on the other hand, need to be able to streamline my online ventures. With all I have to keep me busy at home and other writing projects I want to be able to do, I really don't have the time to spend on multiple online projects right now...at least of the kind that require consistent creativity and originality!

We've decided that I will combine my two websites (this one and my personal blog) into a new website/blog, which will center largely on homemaking and domesticity, with emphases on creativity, beauty and frugality. I'll still share all about our attempts at living frugally and the things we learn doing so, but--considering the other emphases I mentioned--you may find the new site to have a decidedly more feminine approach. (I actually tried to restrain much of that while writing for this site, in an effort to keep things more "gender-neutral";o)

So that's the deal! I've learned that I can't spread myself too thin...better to have one (hopefully) decent site than multiple mediocre ones:o)

Unfolding Moments began two years ago as a sort of personal journal/place to write about my interests. Largely, I think I began it as a way to connect with other ladies who were doing what I wanted to do but couldn't at the time! (Be a full-time homemaker/work from home.) It was almost a survival technique...a way to live vicariously:o)

Now that I can live out my dream, I really want to focus in on doing that well. I want my new site to focus on all the aspects of living out my chosen career (As my site, it will probably very much reflect my own personal "homemaking flavor"! I think there many flavors, so many opportunities for sites to express them!:o) I want to celebrate the opportunities for personal and creative growth that homemaking can provide, as well as the opportunities to give of ourselves to our families and others. I also hope to encourage other women with the same dreams that they can get there too...the same way I was encouraged:o) I know I could probably just keep writing here on Unfolding Moments, but I really think I'd like a fresh start. (However, I do plan to transfer my favorite posts over to the new site:o)

So, the plan is to leave this site open for a bit, while I get the new one going. I'll let you know all the info. when I do!

Well...

2007-05-18T10:35:00.000-05:00

I decided to follow Mrs. B's example and delete my last post. I guess there's too much trash out there to be able to safely google some names (Sorry, Trixie!:o( )

Random Facts About Me

2007-05-17T00:50:00.000-05:00

Mary Ann tagged me for this meme! (Yeah...it was kind of a while ago, but I AM finally getting to it!:op )

Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. I took ballet lessons for about eight years when I was little, but now cannot dance worth anything! (Oh well...at least it was a lot of fun for me then:o)

2. I like bananas, but I cannot eat them (unless they are mashed up like in banana bread, or cut into very small pieces like in a fruit salad). It's something about the texture. It makes me gag. (Lovely, I know!)

3. I remember when I bought my first car, gas only cost about 89-95 CENTS PER GALLON! (It wasn't even THAT long ago!) I really miss those days!

4. My first job (besides babysitting) was as a cashier at a small, local family-owned grocery store when I was 17. The family was proud of their German heritage. Every October, they had "Oktoberfest", when they would discount all the sausage and sauerkraut and play polka music non-stop. They made all the girl employees wear embarrassing (for me at the time:o) frilly German apron costumes, but the guys had it slightly better with just feathered hats!

5. I've taken a tour of the British parliament building, but never been to any of the DC governmental sites. I've been to London several times, but never to NYC. I'm looking forward to touring OUR OWN COUNTRY'S famous landmarks someday!

6. My ancestors first came to America in the 1600s, and some of them fought against the British in the American revolution. I'm a complete European mutt (Scottish, English, Irish, French, Dutch, etc.), with a little bit of Jewish thrown in.

7. My current favorite Starbucks drink is a Green Tea Frappuccino without whip. Just had one tonight! Mmmm.

I know this one has been going around the blogosphere for a while, so I don't know who's already done it! If you haven't yet and you want to...consider yourself tagged! And let me know if you do so I can come read it!:o)

My weekend reading recommendation

2007-04-28T22:23:00.000-05:00

From a new-to-me blog I've been enjoying very much:

Sara does a wonderful job condensing Proverbs 31 into its key points, and then shares practical down-to-earth encouragement for those of us striving to live these verses! This is a long read, but I highly recommend it when you get a few moments.

I think my poor little blog needs a fresh post

2007-04-25T23:18:00.000-05:00

I'm still around, as some of you know who have been following our other site, Frugal Living Journal! I'm just taking to heart the encouragement I received a while back that I shouldn't feel pressed to post something just to be posting. Perhaps a little bit too much to heart! :op

Since only posting every two weeks is kind of ridiculous, I suppose I need to become inspired a bit more often. It's either that or reevaluate continuing to post on this blog at all...but at this point in time I'm not ready to give it up! I enjoy having a place to write about anything I want...something that our topical website doesn't provide. So I hope you'll forgive me for the neglectfulness that unfortunately surfaces from time to time when life becomes busy. Please know that I always appreciate your readership and comments, even when I fail to respond to them in a timely manner! And for my part, I will try to become--at least a little bit--more timely:o)

Lately, I've been dividing much of my time between home projects (cleaning, cooking, organizing, etc.) and "frugal research." Yes...when you publish a frugality website, you must do research! But much of what I'm doing is stuff I would probably be doing anyway, site or no site. I'm researching and seeking to implement new ways to manage our resources better, and getting to share them with others is an added benefit! And yet, there's never enough time to do all I would like to in this area, as in so many others. Is life always this way? Too short and too full to accomplish my never-ending list of aspirations? Again, I marvel at the idea that homemakers could ever be bored.

Discussing this with Micah recently, he asked: "How did we do all this stuff when you were working full time?" I reminded him, "we didn't!" We rarely had home-cooked meals on weeknights, excepting eggs or spaghetti. We spent weekends (partially) cleaning the house and completing other projects and errands, which was frustrating since both of us just wanted to rest and have some fun time together! And forget a simplified, frugal lifestyle, or any type of serious organization. We were doing good just to get bills paid on time!

That was then, and I am so thankful for now...though I'm amazed at the way time just continues to slip through my fingers. Bored? Never! Could I please just get my time to stand still for even one day?

How do you moms do it, adding children into the mix? Despite the fact that mothering is about as time-consuming as you can get, I hope that God sees fit to give me that challenging privilege someday:o)

An Unfortunate Incident from an Easter Past

2007-04-12T11:26:00.000-05:00

Don't ever buy me a chocolate Easter bunny. My mom confesses why. (Except, I don't think she fully expresses the scope of the trauma which accompanied the Easter Bunny Incident. There was wailing. There was tear-soaked chocolate.)

Studying God's Word

2007-04-04T23:21:00.000-05:00

As I wrote about several weeks ago, I'm trying to find the best way (for me; I believe different people have different "best ways") to spend daily focused quiet time with God.

For Bible study, I decided that some in-depth expository commentaries would be very helpful, because:

a) Reading through passages on my own often raises questions that I--with my relatively limited knowledge of biblical language and culture--find perplexing. While I think the most important points in the Bible--namely, those related to the Gospel message--are very clear, I want to make sure that my interpretations of the more minor points are accurate; that I'm understanding contexts correctly, etc.

b) I am weary of "devotional books" that ask lots of surfacey questions, like "Name five times you failed to trust God this week" (Good grief...I wish it were only five!) or "Why do you think God instructs us to forgive?" (Umm, because He-first-forgave-us. Can we get past the sunday school questions now? Thanks :op ) Again, this is just my opinion. I'm not necessarily saying some of these books don't have their place...especially for new Christians or those just beginning to study the Bible. Perhaps the biblically-accurate ones can be a good starting place, but aren't meant to nourish someone who has been a Christian for 20 years.

So, I've borrowed a couple of John MacArthur commentaries from my dad. Right now I'm beginning to work my way through 1&2 Thessalonians, and I think I've found what I wanted! From the preface:

It continues to be a rewarding, divine communion for me to preach expositionally through the New Testament. My goal is always to have deep fellowship with the Lord in the understanding of His Word and out of that experience to explain to His people what a passage means. In the words of Nehemiah 8:8, I strive to "give the sense of" it so they may truly hear God speak and, in so doing, may respond to Him.[...]

This New Testament commentary series reflects this objective of explaining and applying Scripture. Some commentaries are primarily linguistic, others are mostly theological, and some are mainly homiletical. This one is basically explanatory, or expository. It is not linguistically technical, but deals with linguistics when that seems helpful to proper interpretation. It is not theologically expansive but focuses on the major doctrines in each text and how they relate to the whole of Scripture. It is not primarily homiletical, although each unit of thought is generally treated as one chapter, with a clear outline and logical flow of thought. Most truths are illustrated and applied with other Scripture. After establishing the context of a passage, I have tried to follow closely the writer's development and reasoning.

From what I've read so far, I highly recommend MacArthur's commentaries to anyone wanting to study the Bible in-depth. I like how his entire focus is ON THE SCRIPTURE instead of extra-biblical application, because I think the ability to apply God's Word to our daily lives must first grow out of our proper understanding of and internalization of that Word. Life application comes later, when the fruits of hiding God's Word in our hearts spring forth naturally. This cannot be manufactured.

I'd love to hear what helps you in your study of Scripture!

Brag Moment

2007-03-28T14:19:00.000-05:00

I just want to brag on my mom for a minute: she's a great example of how being a homemaker--far from squelching one's potential--can allow for the time and opportunity to use talents and gifts!

My mom is a fabulous photographer. She's always loved taking pictures, but recently has had more opportunities to do it on a larger scale as her gift has become recognized: photographing weddings, bridal portraits, engaged couples, graduation photos, children, and various other people and settings.

It's been neat to witness her gift gradually and naturally develop through the years. It began with taking pictures of family and an interest in geneology and scrapbooking. When I was little, she was a Creative Memories consultant for a time. Recently she has taken classes and apprenticed to professionals to learn even more, and is doing SO well!

The picture above is hers, and you can see other pictures she's posted on her blog here and here. And these are just her day-to-day normal-type pictures. I wish you could see her portfolios!

The Swish and Swipe

2007-03-25T23:14:00.000-05:00

I'm gradually refining my routines. After reading up on FlyLady for inspiration, I've started including the Swish and Swipe in my morning Housework Hour. I used to pretty much only touch the bathroom (beyond picking up the floors) once a week, when I'd have to spend the better part of an hour really scrubbing everything. When the bathroom was becoming "due" for a cleaning, believe me, you could tell! (And it was embarrassing to have unexpected guests at such a time!)

Now only the tub and floors will need a good weekly scrubbing (which is always scheduled to take place after our dog Peaches' bath:o) The more frequently-used sink, countertop, mirror and toilet are a cinch to keep up with on a daily basis! I never dreamed that doing these daily would take ONLY THREE MINUTES (I timed it) of my time!

P.S. I may have read this on FlyLady's site, I can't remember: You know how nice it is to enjoy a spotless bathroom each day during a hotel-stay? Why not give ourselves and our families the same pleasure at home? Now that I know how little time it takes, I hope I never go back to the only-once-a-week cleaning. (Imagine if that was the policy at hotels...ick!)

Happy Birthday to my Love and Best Friend!

2007-03-12T12:23:00.000-05:00

Ten Great Things About Turning 25:

1. Our car insurance is now cheaper:o)

2. When we rent a car, they'll assume we're normal, staid adults, not reckless-driving-deviants and won't charge us extra fees due to age-bias.

3. You're old enough to run for congress.

4. You've now been around for a quarter of a century!

5. You've been my one-and-only for an entire one-fifth of your existence.

6. This is the 6th birthday that I've had the privilege of celebrating with you. I'm hoping for many, many, many more to come!

7. Metal detector. Enough said.

8. You've accomplished much in the past few years, but this year promises even more. Don't be discouraged in going after your dreams, Honey! I'm very proud of you!

9. I love you more and more with each year that passes.

10. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jer 29:11

The latest in my time management saga

2007-03-07T20:46:00.000-06:00

In my efforts to learn how to be a good manager of my time and our home, I've tried many things and failed many times. Are some people just born with this gift? Well, I was not. I'm just too good at ricocheting between hardcore effort and having-fallen-off-the-wagon-melancholy. It's a perfectionist thing.

BUT ALAS! There are a few glimmers of hope on the horizon for one such as I! First off, I have somehow managed to begin early-izing my bedtime and wake-up time. For me, this is quite a feat: to give you an idea...for a while I was having trouble falling asleep any earlier than 3:00 am. I'll leave it to your imagination what that did to my mornings. I'm now regularly retiring around 12:30-1:00 am, with the ultimate goal being to have lights off by midnight. This is surely an act of God.

Secondly, I have recently instituted--and successfully executed for a period exceeding two weeks--my "Housework Hour": This concept is basic enough to you expert time managers, but actually PRACTICING it is a revelatory experience for me. I bought a timer (my old one had broken some time ago). Every morning, after taking my shower and getting dressed for the day, I turn on some music or a radio program, set my timer for an hour, and try to see how much housework I can get done in that amount of time. Here's what I've discovered:

1. This timer method works much better for me than mapping out an hourly schedule (i.e., "9:00-10:00 : Housework"), because I can start it at 8:47 or 9:32 or whenever I'm ready to. This is a huge psychological boon to a perfectionist: All's not lost if I get started "late". I'm in control of my schedule, and it SHALL bow to me when I need it to be flexible:o)

2. Same deal, if I get interrupted by a phone call or something. I just pause the timer and come back to it when I'm ready. If I was on a "9:00-10:00 : Housework" type schedule, interruptions throwing me off track might possibly discourage my productive intentions for the entire rest of the day. Moms...the ability to "pause time" and still come back to finish your hour (or however long) of housework is of especial benefit to you!

3. Limiting myself to an hour forces me to prioritize. My most important housekeeping priorities in the morning are making the bed, making sure the kitchen is spotlessly clean (I hate going in there to make something and finding it messy!), and picking up clutter around the house. My Housework Hour is usually enough to do these and one or two other things, such as sweeping the floors, or starting some laundry. Today, I spent 30 minutes of my hour clearing clutter out of the garage! (Since I have to go out there regularly to do laundry--yes, our washer and dryer are in the garage--the dirt and clutter out there had been bugging me for a while! It's amazing what difference a few concentrated minutes can make!)

My Housework Hour mostly takes care of that daily-maintenance stuff that makes our home livable. I usually spend more time on cooking, cleaning and other various household projects later in the day. But even if I'm gone or extra-busy on something else that day, at least I got the most important stuff done!

Life is busy

2007-02-23T23:22:00.000-06:00

We've been putting lots of time into Frugal Living Journal lately, along with our other various and diverse projects. I just have to laugh that some people think women at home have nothing to do. I can't for the life of me fathom what boredness must feel like!:op

Life hasn't been all work. This is my younger sister, Megan, and I at her celebratory 23rd birthday lunch recently. I bet you couldn't tell we were related until I mentioned it...right?;o)

After lunch, my mom and I indulged Megan by accompanying her on her favorite activity...shopping. I was excited to find a great deal on this khaki-colored corduroy skirt at one of my favorite stores (that I can rarely justify the prices at)...Ann Taylor Loft. The skirt was marked down to $14-something. It was my splurge of the day. (Well, not exactly a splurge, because I need more skirts I can wear in the winter, and I'm sure I'll get some good use out of this one next year!)

My grandparents are in town for the next three weeks, so we'll be spending a lot of time visiting with them. We're also taking a quick jaunt to San Antonio to see Micah's sister while she's there for a conference. (She lives across the country from us, so we have to take advantage of this opportunity to see her!)

Is it weird that I like to read cookbooks cover to cover? I was very excited when my mom donated a stack of her old cookbooks to me! I've started reading through them, trying to glean some helpful info and also find some new recipes that look good enough to try.

I have many other things I've been wanting to blog about lately! Unfortunately, the wee hours of Saturday morning aren't the time to be delving into anything that takes too much thought. Thus the activities run-down. I wish you a wonderful weekend, and I'll try to conjur up some brain cells for my next post!:o)

Introducing...

2007-02-16T16:16:00.000-06:00

Our new website!

Micah and I have been talking about starting this website for months (maybe years), and we've finally got it launched! There may still be a few kinks to work out, and there's A LOT more content to add, but everything's a process:o)

We're especially excited about the blog portion. That's where we'll regularly be sharing all of the frugal/financial/creative income/get-out-of-debt info that we've learned and continue to study. We'll also be sharing more of our own frugal living journey there. I'll still be blogging here about all my normal homemaking and randomy stuff, but Frugal Living Journal will definitely be more of a theme site, and we're planning to take a more business-approach with it. I'm so excited to be working on it as a team with Micah!

One thing we'd love to do with the new site, is to eventually have lots of Frugal Success Stories from other people. I don't know about you...but I LOVE hearing about the successes of others who are doing what we're trying to do! So if you have any successes to share (about becoming debt-free or learning to live more frugally), or you're just interested in these topics, come on over! (The site is still pretty lonely right now, as this is our first announcement about it!:o)

Oh, and we'll be trying to add new content almost everyday!

My Valentine

2007-02-14T15:55:00.000-06:00

I love Micah because:

~He's kind, tender, and unusually patient with me when I don't always deserve it:o)
~We like to be together. I don't get tired of his presence. Quite honestly, I'm miserable when I have to be apart from him for more than a matter of hours!
~I have a sense of security and peace when he's nearby
~He's thoughtful of others' needs and feelings
~He's my best friend

Micah came home with this beautiful gift for me last night:o)

I made this cookie cake for Micah this afternoon:o) Just don't pay too much attention to the icing artistry...I didn't have a real icing bag:op

I respect Micah because:

~He's willing to work everyday doing a job he dislikes in order to take care of us.
~He is working hard toward his dreams and doesn't give up!
~I look around at other guys his age and am amazed at how many of them act like they're still in college (or even high school!). Micah took on the responsibility of marriage at a relatively young age, and has shown a tremendous growth in maturity and responsibility over the past almost-four years. He's the provider for our family, and a wonderful, faithful husband. He's become much more willing to sacrifice to achieve important goals.

In Memory...

2007-02-06T18:55:00.000-06:00

...of two special doggies, Puffin and Muffin, my beloved first pets. They came to live with my family when I was ten years old and lived long and happy lives:

11-09-91 - 02-05-07

It was time to say goodbye, but they will never be forgotten.

Babies, I loved you and will miss you!

Amazing Grace

2007-01-30T15:24:00.000-06:00

The movie Amazing Grace, opening in theatres this February, looks like it's going to be an excellent movie about William Wilberforce and the beginning of the anti-slavery movement in England. The director also hopes to spark some indignation and action concerning the current ongoing slavery problem in much of the world.

Micah and I will definitely be seeing this one! It comes out on February 23rd in theatres nationwide. Check out the website to find a theatre near you.

Evenings at Our Home

2007-01-29T12:53:00.000-06:00

Ready for Our Starbucks Date

2007-01-29T12:38:00.000-06:00

Sunday Afternoon at the Park

2007-01-29T12:28:00.000-06:00

Want to win $1,000,000?

2007-01-27T12:35:00.000-06:00

Pillsbury's Bake-Off is going on now!

BTW, for what it's worth, I've tasted the recipe that won the $1,000,000 prize last time. Honestly guys? It wasn't that good. But the winner certainly got brownie points for creativity! (It was a chicken dish, served with stuffing made of pillsbury waffles of all things, and the syrup that came with the waffles was used in the chicken coating. Just a little strange:oP)

So my guess is that the judges are more interested in novelty. Or maybe they'll be more interested in taste this time, just to throw people off...who knows? Good luck to all the chefs out there!:o)

My Decorating Approach

2007-01-27T00:48:00.000-06:00

I don't know if you could tell from all the pictures: I gravitate toward a kind of vintage/cottage/shabby chic decorating style. My colors are blue, sage green, lots of white (though there would be less if I could paint some walls:o), and a little red or pink thrown in here and there to liven things up. I have these same colors throughout the whole house, though different rooms tend to emphasize different combinations.

My home is a work in progress. I buy things as I find them, always looking out for deals at thrift shops, garage sales and discount stores. I like to look for cheap (or free!) things that can be fixed up. Thankfully, this ecclectic approach suits my style...for instance, I don't like things that are matchy-matchy. I mix white and brown furniture, and would be open to throwing some black in there as well. I'm not the type of person to ever buy a furniture "set" of anything:o)

Because I gather things for my home from all over, I coordinate it all by trying to stay within my basic color scheme and general "style". Even if something is offered to me for free, I don't take it if I won't have a practical use for it (or if it's just a decoration, don't have a good place that needs it), or if it won't "fit in" with the rest of the house. So far, I've been very blessed to find very cheap or aquire for free everything we need. I have so many stories of how each need has been filled...even down to God providing me with a free piano through unusual circumstances!

I wouldn't want to decorate my home any other way. How boring it would be to bring in a decorator and have him or her fill my home with impersonal, expensive things. I much prefer having my own story behind everything! I like how so many things in our home have meaning to us or reflect something about us. I love having a "home in progresss", because there's always new little touches to add and the enjoyment of hunting for "that perfect thing" (at a great deal, of course;o)

Thanks for letting me share some of my home! This was a lot of fun for me:o)

Our Home - Creative lighting:o)

2007-01-27T00:17:00.000-06:00

This floor lamp was originally an ugly brassy color. (I prefer metals that are silver, black or white...anything but gold! That's just one of my things:op ) We were able to re-coat it ourselves with this pewter-colored coating very inexpensively. I'm sure that most metals can be re-coated for an updated look!
This "candle holder" is actually a plate. I received a set of four crystal dessert plates as a wedding gift. When one broke, I decided that there probably wouldn't be too many situations when I'd only need three dessert plates...so candle holders they became! There are so many different ways to use things...it's fun to try to think how they might be "re-purposed".

Our Home - Some Bedroom Details

2007-01-26T23:46:00.000-06:00

I don't like impersonal knick-knacks. I like to use special or meaningful things in my decorating. When I look around my home, I want to see things that make me smile, remind me of something meaningful, or uplift me in some way.

Several years ago, I gave Micah this wood box as a gift. (I got a good deal on it at Hobby Lobby, in case anyone's wondering:o) I wrote a personal message to him inside the lid, using a silver paint pen. The purpose of the box was to have a special place for us to "treasure our memories together"...special letters to each other, things like that;o) It's so much fun to go through it now and then and be reminded of our history together.
Just a peek now...;o)
This used to hang in my bedroom when I was little. I now have it hanging on my side of the bed as a comforting reminder.
This hangs on Micah's side of the bed as a reminder for him;o) I believe this is an old wood slat from a fence...I bought it at a flea market and hung it with ribbon. But I'm sure this would be easy to make with any old piece of wood, if you like the "shabby chic" look. You could make it say anything you wanted.

Our Home - Bathroom and Bedroom

2007-01-26T18:47:00.000-06:00

Our one bathroom...again...small! There's hardly any storage space. I use the under-sink area for cleaning and a few other supplies. Extra toilet paper gets stored on the back of the toilet in that little basket. Because the bathroom is so small, I have a special area set up in our bedroom to do my hair and makeup. But you know what...a lot less work to clean!

These double doors lead from our bedroom into the back yard. I'll have a few more pictures of the bedroom after I pick it up a bit later:op

Our Home - Kitchen

2007-01-26T18:24:00.000-06:00

I made these curtains out of an old bed skirt! It was super easy, because the ruffle was already there. I simply hemmed the edges, added ribbon, and sewed the bottom edge up in four places to create the scalloped look.

I also made the swag over the window as a Christmas decoration. I haven't taken it down yet because it brightens the kitchen up so much! What do you think...too Christmasy looking?

This is how I've expanded my kitchen just a bit. I placed this little island next to the counter. It provides a home for my crockpot, my potatoes, and my kitchen towels rolled up in the white bowl:o) The wire hanging baskets free up counter space and house more fruits and vegetables, like garlic and onions.

Thanks to Mrs. B, for this great idea to use a glass oil jar for dishsoap! Looks so much prettier than plastic!

The jars of strawberries on the window sill were made by mom many years ago. One of the jars contains strawberries made of cloth, and the other jar has strawberries made from painted walnut shells. Strawberries happen to be my favorite fruit, so I'm cheered by this little touch of red in my kitchen:o)

I bought this vintagey looking "Good Housekeeping" tin at an antique store. Makes me smile every time I look at it, and reminds me of what I'm striving for!

This is what happens when you don't have a pantry! I have to store a lot of stuff on top of the fridge that won't fit in my cupboards. But I try to keep it somewhat organized in the baskets from Ross:o)

I limit the stuff on my fridge to my shopping list and menu plan for the week.

Our Home - More Views

2007-01-26T18:00:00.000-06:00

You can see our little kitchen on the left

All the walls in the house are white. I'd really love to paint some of them, but we probably won't since we're renting and would have to paint them all back:o(
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The white bookshelf holds cds, cookbooks and part of my collection of boxes. (I collect wood boxes that have meaning to me...like one my grandpa made, one I bought in Mexico, one my dad brought me from Egypt, one a friend bought for me in Italy, etc.) I know that's an eclectic mix of stuff, but in a house this size, we have to fit stuff in where we can!

My china and crystal...currently displayed on this desk. It's not very sturdy, so eventually I'd really like to buy a real china cabinet at an antiques auction. (You can really get some great deals at those!) The box underneath holds my good silverware.

And just let me say...it's a miracle that that plant is still alive:o) I'm getting better at not letting stuff die! Maybe it's time to graduate to an herb garden?

Our Home - Living/Dining Area

2007-01-26T17:41:00.000-06:00

The white table in the corner was my other free find off the side of the road. The coffee table is Simply Shabby Chic brand from Target, bought when they were clearancing it out for $40. We were also blessed to receive the couch and the table/chairs set as handme-downs from my parents when we first got married. That's the furniture I grew up with:o)

During cold spells, we use the fireplace a lot to help heat the living room. We bought the fireplace set at a garage sale for $10. That might seem high for a garage sale, but these are super-solid, heavy iron! I'd been looking for some for a while and had only found much cheaper-made ones for $30 and up.

The jar of dried rose petals sitting on the hearth are all from roses Micah's given me. Yes, I'm sentimental:o) Oh...and sorry to the people who hate carnations (my sister's one of them), but you can't beat the price! I just love having cheery, fresh flowers on my table!

Our Home - Entry

2007-01-26T16:55:00.000-06:00

Mrs. B asked me to post home pictures...and the fact is that I was planning to anyway:o) I know I posted some about a year ago, but we've made some changes since then. I LOVE decorating and trying to make my home into a lovely and comfortable place to be...so it will always be a work in progress. (I guess I partly inherited that from my mom who has never been without some home improvement project going on as long as I've been alive!

My challenge--which I actually really enjoy!--is trying to improve our home and decorate as frugally as I can (without buying really cheapo-plastic type stuff, that is!) I'll try to point out some of my "frugal innovations" in the pictures that follow.

Our home is pretty small...two bedrooms, one bath, and about 950 sq. ft. Here's the entry "nook". The crosses on the wall were all given to us as wedding gifts by different people. I really like them together as a set...each one is different. The one in the middle is inscribed with the love passage from 1 Corinthians 13.
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In order to control paper clutter, I've established specific places for it to go. The file-box hanging on the wall is for incoming mail. (I bought it at Ross...love that place!) Every few days (or at least weekly when I pay bills) I sort the mail, throw out trash, and file everything else.

On this dresser next to the front door, I have a glass bowl for our keys, and another wood file box (also from Ross) for outgoing mail and other important papers we don't want to forget as we head out the door.

This dresser is one of two that we found on the side of the road for free several months ago. I repainted them, but this one still lacks handles. Hope to find those soon! We store dvds and games in the drawers.

The expanded view. Yes...I know I need pictures in those three frames by the door! I want to do some black and white ones, but I haven't decided of what yet.

My piano, to the left, has a big built-in mirror over it.

Just trying out the new camera...

2007-01-25T22:24:00.000-06:00

It works! (Hi Honey! ;o)

It's Here!!!:o)

2007-01-25T16:49:00.001-06:00

My digital camera FINALLY arrived today, after almost a week of sitting at home waiting for FedEx to decide to show up so that I could sign for the darned thing! It's a long story...and I won't get into it now. Suffice it to say, I'm not too excited about FedEx' "I'm-so-sorry-but-we-just-can't-give-you-any-time-frame-for-when-your-package-will-be-delivered" policy!

Anyway...it's finally here, and I'm SO excited about being able to take some pictures!!! It'll be fun to get some new ones up on this blog.

Islam's Vision 2

2007-01-25T15:06:00.000-06:00

(Continuation of Islam's Vision)

I took the following information from the book, Will Islam Be our Future? A Study of Biblical and Islamic Eschatology. I'm only posting the summary, but I encourage you to check out the entire book for specific supporting references and elaboration on this study.

Author Joel Richardson studies Islamic Eschatology, consulting Islamic sacred texts and traditions, Islamic spokespersons and scholars, as well as regular Muslim aquaintances.

Islam teaches that in the Last Day, a leader will arise to complete the work of jihad throughout the entire world. All men will be expected to embrace Islam, under the threat of death if they don't. This looked-for leader will be called The Mahdi.

Islam also teaches that Jesus will return. But the Islamic vision of Jesus is a bit different than the Christian understanding: he is not the son of Allah, but is merely one of many prophets. His job will be to assist The Mahdi in carrying out the spread and enforcement of Islamic belief and practice throughout the entire earth.

Islam also has a Last-day villian: The Dajjal. The Dajjal will gain a great Jewish following and claim to be Jesus Christ and fight against the Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus.

Now consider this point-by-point comparison of the eschatological teachings of the Bible vs. the teachings of Islam:

*Again, all supporting references and further elaboration are contained in the book I linked to above.

Bible: The Antichrist is an unparalleled political, military and religious leader that will that emerge in the last-days.
Islam: The Mahdi is an unparalleled political, military and religious leader that will emerge in the last-days.

Bible: the False Prophet is a secondary prominent figure that will emerge in the last-days who will support the Antichrist.
Islam: the Muslim Jesus is a secondary prominent figure that will emerge in the last-days to support the Mahdi.

Bible: The Antichrist and the False Prophet together will have a powerful army that will do great damage to the earth in an effort to subdue every nation and dominate the World.
Islam: The Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus will have a powerful army that will attempt to control every nation of the earth and dominate the World.

Bible: The False Prophet is described essentially as a dragon in lamb’s clothing. Islam: The Muslim Jesus literally comes bearing the name of the one that the world knows as “The Lamb of God: Jesus Christ.” Yet the Muslim Jesus comes to murder all those who do not submit to Islam.

Bible: The Antichrist and the False Prophet establish a New World Order. Islam: The Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus establish a New World Order.

Bible: The Antichrist and the False Prophet institute new laws for the whole earth.
Islam: The Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus institute Islamic law all over the earth.

Bible: The Antichrist is said to “change the times.”
Islam: It is quite certain that if the Mahdi established Islam all over the earth, he would discontinue the use of Saturday and Sunday as the weekend or days of rest but rather Friday, the holy day of Islam. Also, he would most certainly eliminate the Gregorian calendar (A.D.), and replace it with the Islamic calendar (A. H.) as is used in every Islamic country.

Bible: The Antichrist and the False Prophet will both be powerful religious leaders who will attempt to institute a universal world religion.
Islam: The Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus will institute Islam as the only religion in the earth.

Bible: The Antichrist and the False Prophet will execute anyone who does not submit to their world religion.
Islam: Likewise, the Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus will execute anyone who does not submit to Islam.

Bible: The Antichrist and the False Prophet will specifically use beheading as the primary means of execution for non-conformists.
Islam: The Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus will use the Islamic practice of beheading for executions.

Bible: The Antichrist and the False Prophet will have a specific agenda to kill as many Jews as possible.
Islam: The Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus will kill as many Jews as is possible until only a few are left hiding behind rocks and trees.

Bible: The Antichrist and the False Prophet will attack to conquer and seize Jerusalem.
Islam: The Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus will attack to re-conquer and seize Jerusalem for Islam.

Bible: The Antichrist will set himself up in the Jewish temple as his seat of authority.
Islam: The Mahdi will establish the Islamic Caliphate from Jerusalem.

Bible: The False Prophet is said to do many miracles to deceive as many as possible into supporting the Antichrist.
Islam: The Mahdi himself is said to control the weather and the crops. His face is said to glow. We can also assume that since Jesus is viewed as having been empowered by Allah to work miracles when he was here on earth the first time, he will most likely be expected to continue to do so when he returns.

Bible: The Antichrist is described as riding on a white horse in the Book of Revelation
Islam: The Mahdi is described as riding on a white horse (ironically from the same verse).

Bible: The Antichrist is said to make a peace treaty with Israel for seven years. Islam: The Mahdi is said to make a peace treaty through a Jew (specifically a Levite) for exactly seven years.

Bible: Jesus the Jewish Messiah will return to defend the Jews in Israel from a military attack from a vast coalition of nations led by the Antichrist and the False Prophet.
Islam: The Dajjal, the Islamic Antichrist will gain a great Jewish following and claim to be Jesus Christ and fight against the Mahdi and the Muslim Jesus.

Bible: The antichrist spirit specifically denies the most unique and central doctrines of Christianity, namely the trinity, the incarnation and the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross.
Islam: Islam doctrinally and spiritually specifically denies the most unique and central doctrines of Christianity, namely the trinity, the incarnation and the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross.

Bible: The primary warning of Jesus and the Apostle Paul was to warn Christians of the abundance of deceit and deception in the last-days.
Islam: Islam is perhaps the only religion in the earth that practices deceit as one of its tools to assist its own ascendancy. It actually has a specific doctrine which allows and even calls for deception to be used to achieve its desired end.

Bible: The specific nations pictured in the Bible as being part of the final empire of the Antichrist are all Islamic nations.
Islam: All Muslims are commanded to give their allegiance to The Mahdi as the final Caliph and Imam (leader) of Islam.

Bible: From the Bible and History we learn that the final Antichrist empire will be a revived version of the Empire that succeeds the Roman Empire
Islam: The Empire that succeeded the Roman/Byzantine Empire was the Islamic Ottoman Empire

Bible: When Antichrist emerges, there will already be some form of system in place that will be poised to receive him as a Savior and to give allegiance to him.
Islam: Islam is already the second largest religion and will at present growth rates become the largest religion within a few decades. Islam is awaiting the coming of the Mahdi with a universal anticipation.

I tend to think that the way these belief systems overlap may not be mere coincidence. I have felt for a while now that, yes, Islam will be a MAJOR future player. I don't know when it will happen, but I think it will happen.

Muslims are charged right now with the responsibility of reaching for the goals that they believe the Mahdi will eventually come to fulfull completely. The study of Islam reveals this: Jihad and world domination are not just a mutation of Islam. They are the goal of Islam. Muslims who aren't reaching for these goals aren't really living out what their faith teaches.

I'm really not trying to be depressing here or to incite fear! In a way, my faith is strengthened when I learn these things. If Islam is the vehicle used to fulfill biblical prophecy, then that is just one more proof that God knows what he's talking about. If I can trust Him for a future that sometimes looks scary, I can certainly trust Him for the little things as well.

Let's be watchful. Speak out when we need to stand up for truth, and PRAY. Oh...and let's not forget who eventually wins this battle!

Islam's Vision

2007-01-25T11:11:00.000-06:00

I don't spend a lot of time dwelling on eschatology (study of the end times). Though it can be interesting, I know that we'll never know exactly what will happen until it does. The Bible gives us some clues--things to watch out for--but also reminds us that only God holds complete knowledge of the future.
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That said, I do believe God wants us to stay alert and to be aware of the true nature of the forces at play in our world. In the New Testament, He warns us numerous times to be watchful, be prepared and to be careful of being deceived.
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The fact is: westerners--despite our stated ideals of enlightenment and rationalism--are especially vulnerable to allowing ourselves to become deceived. Political correctness demands that we accept, tolerate, and even encourage everyone's right to self-expression (except for white conservative Christians...but that's a soapbox I won't get on right now!). If (almost) everything becomes sacred, discernment becomes unacceptable. What right do I possess to say you're wrong? To claim that your ideas are harmful? To question your honesty? (Especially if you belong to a cultural minority?)
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It's time for the world to wake up and acknowledge the reality of the socio-political-religious vision of Islam. No...not all Muslims are inclined to commit acts of terrorism. But the system of Islam is based upon jihad, which means "striving". Islam compels its believers to "strive" by any means necessary to make Islam the sole political and religious authority on Earth. Considering that Islam is currently the 2nd largest religion on Earth and will soon surpass Christianity to become THE largest religion (if current birth rate trends continue, possibly within 15-20 years), this is something we need to take very seriously!
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We cannot have a vague vision for the future. Islam doesn't. Their doctrine concerning the "Last Day" is one of the primary tenets of their belief system. According to the Quran, there are five basic things a Muslim must believe in order to be a Muslim:
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It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets…-Surah 2:177 (Pickthall translation)
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Within Islam, the Last Day is not just an interesting, passive footnote. The Islamic Vision of the Last Day demands the action of all Islamic believers. Through jihad, They are responsible to help bring about the Last Day...that is, the ultimate triumph of Islam as the sole world order, and Allah recognized world-wide as the only god.
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My next post will elaborate on what, specifically, Islam anticipates about the future, according to their sacred texts and traditions. I think you might be surprised, and startled, as I was, to see how Islamic belief lines up with what the Bible teaches.

Need Encouragement?

2007-01-23T12:41:00.000-06:00

Barbara Curtis shares pictures from yesterday's March for Life in DC, attended by masses of people despite the horrible weather. Barbara writes:

As a former radical leftist, I attended many demonstrations in Washington, DC. Now having attended the March for Life two years in a row, I'm amazed at how under-reported the March for Life is - and all too aware of how that under-reporting contributes to the rampant stereotyping of pro-lifers as middle-aged white males. I actually saw very few of those today! What I saw were hundreds of thousands of people willing to brave the cold (DC had its first snow of the winter the night before) to affirm that a baby in the womb is not property to be destroyed, but a person that those committed to human rights must defend.

HT: World Magazine Blog

My impatience is killing me!

2007-01-19T12:42:00.000-06:00

We've finally entered the 21st century, and ordered a digital camera with some Christmas money! It was supposed to arrive today, but thanks to the dictates of some unknown force in the shipping world, will now not arrive until next week. I can't wait! For one thing, it will hopefully enliven this blog. I'm kinda sick of getting on here and seeing the same 2 1/2-yr-old picture:op

Frugal Printer Toner

2007-01-19T00:51:00.000-06:00

We go through a lot of printer toner for Micah's work. So...I was very excited to find this website! We'd been paying almost $60 for generic-brand toner at Office Depot, but we can now order refurbished cartridges online for almost half that price (including shipping!). We've already had one very smooth transaction with this e-store purchasing both toner and a new printer drum, and I just made another toner order yesterday. We didn't notice any difference in printing quality. I hope some of you find this useful and have the same good experience!

More frugal ideas at Biblical Womanhood. Thanks, Crystal!

Quiet Times

2007-01-18T23:51:00.000-06:00

Confession: I'm really bad about having regular quiet times. I just don't have them. I wake up, take a shower, get dressed, then go about my day. I read a lot, and much of what I read is spiritually encouraging. I also pray little thoughts here and there throughout my day. I read the Bible...sometimes. Like every once in a while. After all, I already know what it says.

I've been convicted about this recently (if conviction is that uncomfortable feeling...that little voice telling me that my focus is often superficially placed...my attempts to do things in my OWN strength might be failing for a reason...that God doesn't want just our brains--our intellectual agreement with His existence and His principles--He wants our hearts too. He wants a relationship. And I have to spend TIME with someone in order to have a relationship.)

I've always been bad about the quiet time thing, because it seems overly pious..."staged" if you will. When I picture quiet times, I envision someone sitting in a dark (invariably cold!) room at 4:00 in the morning, trying to stay awake and focused. They read the requisite passages, trying to conjure up some nugget of spiritual enlightenment through their sleep-deprived fog. I've tried being that person before, and it always lasted for about 2 days. (Especially because, perfectionist that I am...I had to do it RIGHT and start out at 1 1/2-2 hour quiet times. I suspect such long periods of time take some working up to;o)

But truly, if quiet times are simply about relationship, then I need to remember that waking up at 4:00am and sitting in the cold is not the part God cares about. He simply cares about me giving Him my time...and my focus. He deserves that. And I NEED that. (But maybe not at 4:00am:o)

So...don't mind me...but I may be using this blog as a form of accountability as I start making more regular times in my day to stop and focus on Him. I may occasionally post some verses I read or some thoughts about Him as I try harder to put Him first in my life. After all, I'd like HIM, not me, to be front and center on this blog as well as in my life.

Reflections on a Year at Home

2007-01-18T22:11:00.000-06:00

We returned last week from a six-day trip to Arizona to visit with Micah's parents and sisters. Since then, we've been trying to get back into our routine. (Funny how one week away can throw things off so much!)

Our home business(es) are a major focus right now. After a successful summer with some of our business ventures, we got too comfortable and busy with other things and let a few things slide as Autumn came on. So our New Years resolution was to get back on track and STAY on track this time! It's the only way to achieve what we're seeking...a nice supplementary income, and eventually--hopefully--our full income. As I've written about many times, we HAVE to make as much money as possible so we can get out of of our debt bondage! (a la Dave Ramsey) It's not an option...it needs to happen! So I've been spending a lot of my time trying to help my husband to this end. I'm so thankful that the internet allows me to be able to help make an income from home!!!

I've now (as of Christmas) been working at home for one year and feel so incredibly blessed to be here. It's all the little things that have made my work over the past year so worthwhile: When Micah calls from a job site and needs directions somewhere or other information, I am free to look up whatever he needs and give it to him. When he's home at odd hours (his job has a varied schedule), I'm here to greet him. Many days we get to have lunch together:o)

I love knowing that I'm not under the authority of any man (or woman) other than my husband. No one else is making the first claim on my time and energy! (I cannot serve two masters...) It's a wonderful thing to be free to serve the one person I love the most, and to also be accountable to that one person who loves me the most and has my best interests in mind and at heart. Micah certainly knows who I am, what I'm skilled at, what I love to do, and what I aspire towards better than any boss I've ever had. Over the past year, he's been so willing to support my career and give me room to grow and make mistakes. (I often marvel at his patience with me!) In return, I'm able to do the same for him. Much of my time is spent doing things that support his income-earning endeavors, from working with him on home business stuff, to packing his lunches, to keeping the house running so he doesn't have to worry about having clean socks in the morning.

Other blessings: My dog is not at home by herself all day! (I enjoy having her follow me around as I work:o) I am SO not missing commutes and rush hour traffic. I get to listen to stimulating talk radio shows while I work around the house! (Yes, I'm a talk radio geek. But not the screaming ultra-political sensationalist sort. I really enjoy cultural commentary/philosophical type shows.) I have more time to learn and study things I want or need to know about. I have the time to keep things around here a lot better organized now. (Some of my successes this year have been to develop a system--that has been working GREAT!--to keep track of our personal finances, and I just finished developing one for our business finances as well. I've gotten rid of most of our clutter, including the bane of my existence...paper piles! I worked out a system to organize or get rid of paper clutter and am now better prepared to deal with it before it overtakes our house!) I have more time to prepare homemade meals. The house (generally) stays cleaner than it used to. We spend less money now, because I have more time to be frugal and do more things on my own. I sometimes get to enjoy lunch dates with my mom, or days at her house working on projects together. I'm overall less stressed out and more peaceful. And last but not least, I enjoy my work SO much more now!!!

All this being said, I don't want anyone to get the impression that everything's always peachy keen. There have been MANY times over the past year when I've failed to manage my time wisely. I'm not always in a wonderful mood. Our debt continues to cause financial pressure (though not necessarily more than before!). My relationship with God still isn't everything it should be (I often struggle with trying to do things myself instead of turning to Him) In short, I'm as imperfect as they come, and I'm certainly no domestic superwoman! But still...it's wonderful to be heading in the right direction. I asked my husband if I've seemed happier since being at home, and he said, definitively, "yes." I then asked him if he likes my being at home better than when I was working away, and he said "yes!" That's good enough for me!:o)

Dare read this ONLY if you're a womanly woman interested in the many facets of womanhood. Things like...estrogen levels

2006-12-30T16:11:00.000-06:00

There. I hope I effectively scared off any persons of the guy pursuasion who might have been tempted to view this post. ;op

Ladies, I thought some of you might find helpful some of the women's health resources I've discovered over the past few months. A little background: I've always had irregular monthly cycles. This is somehow related, I believe, to hormonal imbalances that have occured from time to time, causing (mostly mild, but still not fun) bouts of depression, irritability...some of you may know what I'm talking about! I never really did much about it or had many tests done.

For almost the first two years of my marriage, I was on hormonal birth control (the pill), which caused my natural cycle to be replaced with an artificial hormone-induced one. Thank God, I finally became aware of the harmfulness of chemical birth control methods and stopped using it! I've written more on this here.

Once I went off the pill, my cycle returned to it's natural irregularity. I decided I needed to find out if there's something wrong and how it might be corrected. Several months ago, I finally started charting my cycles on a calendar to get more of an idea as to what's really going on. To my surprise, I found that though my cycles ARE irregular, they're not as bad as I thought. Over the past eight cycles they've stayed within 28-39 days, with one exception of a 50-day cycle. (Still have no idea what that one was about!)

I'm now stepping it up a little more by charting my temperatures as well. I purchased a digital basal thermometer from this site. (which also has great prices on pregnancy tests and other women's health items, btw). Charting temperatures not only helps you to know if and when you're ovulating, it gives indicators of other health problems that might be occuring, like thyroid issues. This site gives tons of information on how to chart, how to interpret your chart, how to recognize problems, and offers free online charting software. Though geared towards women trying to conceive, it might be helpful to anyone who has questions or concerns about their cycle or reproductive health. Having detailed records of your cycles, temperatures, etc., would be very helpful to have if you're planning to go to the doctor for any type of women's health issue.

The next thing on my list is to do more research into which vitamins and diets contribute to hormonal balance and healthy cycles. Oh...and I really do need to start exercising more!:op I may also schedule a doctor appointment at some point for some bloodwork or something, but since this isn't an emergency matter (I've lived with it for years!) I want to gather as much information as I can on my own so that I can be as informed as possible.

The more I find out, the more fascinated I am to discover how uniquely and wonderfully we are made! Does anybody else have any helpful websites, articles, etc., to offer dealing specifically with women's health issues? Has anyone experienced problems for which you've found natural solutions? (I'm not against medical solutions, but just prefer to use them as a last resort. I'd rather correct problems and imbalances by correcting lifestyle or diet deficiencies than by taking some pill;o)

What's it all about?

2006-12-18T15:28:00.000-06:00

This is the most excellent explanation I've ever read concerning what the purpose of our blogs as Christian women should be. Written by Mrs. Chancey about her site Ladies Against Feminism (which I recommend), it wonderfully lays out "the background" behind a biblical view of womanhood (including scripture references), allays common misconceptions about that biblical view, and (though perhaps indirectly) provides encouragement to other bloggers and writers as to how to view our mission as witnesses of Christ both online and offline.

As many Christian women have experienced, it can become wearying to be constantly mischaracterized in our beliefs. Thank you, Mrs. Chancey, for giving such an honest and substantive glimpse of what we're really (or should be) all about!

Read here.

Stuff

2006-12-17T22:15:00.000-06:00

Ok, Zan...I'll write something already! But I'm afraid it won't be anything very profound this cloudy-brained evening:op So, stream-of-consciousness post it is.

I just switched over the beta-blogger, so now have to try to figure out how the post labels (categories) work. I'm hoping I'll be able to go back and retroactively label my old posts! But then again...we're talking about 1 1/2 yrs' worth of posts, and some of them aren't exactly worthy of being more easily accessible. We'll see.

Today I'm celebrating because for the first time EVER in my entire life, I've almost entirely finished Christmas shopping AND wrapping with eight days to spare! If you want my secret, here it is: harness the power of internet commerce:o) This was the first year that I bought a large portion of my gifts online. I spent a matter of hours ordering everything, and then these nice people came and just left it all on my front porch. I tried to wrap things as they arrived. No malls (except by choice, because malls happen to be the only place to walk when it's raining outside) and no staying up 'till 4am on Christmas eve trying to affix red plastic "jewels" onto gift tags with a hot-glue gun (half of which, incidentally, fall off without provocation by the time you get them under the tree). Ahem...that was 2004. If I remember correctly, 2005's gifts didn't feature gift tags at all. This year's gift recipients will get to enjoy finely-crafted squares of white cardstock with sensible and easy-to-read writing in black ink.

Though we still bought some gifts and gift supplies at actual brick and mortar stores this year, they were specific items that we went out planning to purchase. I certainly haven't missed the shopping method of years past: Go desperately from store to store searching for something to that "will work" for so-and-so whilst staying within budget. (and of course, finding absolutely NOTHING within budget so resorting to gift-cards...again!) I'm still not domestically perfect enough to hand-make all my gifts, but at least I know improvement is possible;o)

We've seen improvement in another area this week, as well. Micah and I are on a new "schedule" (though quite loose as schedules go) designed to help us stay more focused on some of our priorities. All my previous attempts at more detailed schedules had failed, probably mostly because I tend to be far too one-track-minded. Detailed schedules make me overwhelmed, so that I crash and burn before the day even gets started. So here's the new schedule (my part of it, anyway:o):

8:00 am- wake up. We may make this earlier in the future, but right now this 8:00 am wake-up time is enough of an "improvement!" Have I mentioned I'm not a morning person? So far over the past week we've managed to move our go-to-bed time back from about 2-3am to somewhere in the range of 12-1am.

Morning- shower, dress, house. Right now I'm not even naming specific days to do specific house tasks. I'm just starting with the kitchen every morning, and then moving on to whatever else needs the most attention. I'm also trying to get meals for the day underway (including dinner) before lunchtime. The main rules I've set for myself is that it has to be homemaking/cleaning work (no computer time, because that's too much of a temptation to get side-tracked and waste time:op), and that I have to keep moving. "Just do the next thing" as Elisabeth Elliot says. It's working wonderfully so far! The kitchen's staying (mostly) clean, we have clean laundry, the dog's bathed for the first time in almost a month, the mail is staying sorted, and I even roasted my chickens the day after I bought them instead of letting them go bad and having to throw them away! (I won't mention HOW MANY times I've done this in the past few months!:op)

Afternoon: Business work. Micah and I are recently recommitted and remotivated to expanding and refining our business endeavors. So my responsibility is to sit down after lunch and give it a few good focused hours. Late afternoon, we've been going out for a walk/talk time, and then we come back and get dinner on.

That's it! After a good week, I'm loving it, because it allows for spontoneity within a basic structure (necessary to keep priorities straight). I'm feeling more efficient than I have in a long time.

Well, I'll call it a post for this evening. My apologies to the three readers who are anxiously awaiting a continuation of the series on abortion. I do have one more post on that topic in my head, I just can't find it right now:o) Have a wonderful Monday, all of you!

Abortion Discussion 2

2006-11-21T14:39:00.000-06:00

(See previous post for part 1)

Fetuses are uniquely different from born human beings in major ways, which casts doubt on the claim that they can be classified as human beings. The most fundamental difference is that a fetus is totally dependent on a woman's body to survive. Anti-choicers might argue that born human beings can be entirely dependent on other people too, but the crucial difference is that they are not dependent on one, specific person to the exclusion of all others. Anybody can take care of a newborn infant (or disabled person), but only that pregnant woman can nurture her fetus. She can’t hire someone else to do it.

This point, though it might make for an interesting discussion, does not speak to whether or not the fetus is a human being with rights. In my view, it only speaks to an obvious difference between an unborn person and a born person. Most living things, when reproduction takes place, experience a delicate and immature stage when they must have special protection in order to develop. So it seems odd to suggest that these delicate and immature living things cannot be classified as members of the species that begot them...simply because they are more dependent (naturally) at that stage than older and more mature members.

Another key difference is that a fetus doesn't just depend on a woman's body for survival, it actually resides inside her body. Human beings must, by definition, be separate individuals. They do not gain the status of human being by virtue of living inside the body of another human being—the very thought is inherently ridiculous, even offensive.

I disagree. Human beings must, by definition, be "human beings" regardless of where they live. An unborn child, at seven months along, does not change his personhood status by virtue of whether he is in the womb or outside of it (if he is born premature). He is either a person or he is not.

This essay is too long for me to address every point, but let me jump down to where the author addresses the question: "Is a Fetus a Human Being Physically?"

The normal meaning of human being implies a physical body of a certain size and shape with common attributes (excepting disabilities). Early embryonic forms do not share basic commonalities that define us as human beings. For example, zygotes and blastocysts are barely visible to the naked eye and have no bodies, brains, skeleton, or internal organs. Are they materially substantial enough to count as human beings? Fetuses cannot breath or make sounds, and they cannot see or be seen (except by shadowy ultrasound). They absorb nourishment and expel waste via an umbilical cord and placenta, not via a mouth and anus as do all other human beings. Further, fetuses are not just miniature babies. At various stages, fetuses have eyes on stalks, notochords (instead of spines), fish-like gills, tails, downy fur, distorted torsos, spindly legs, giant heads, and alien-looking faces. In fact, an early human fetus is practically indistinguishable in appearance from a dog or pig fetus.

So, the author's argument here boils down to: The fetus does not look or act like (what I think) a person looks or acts like, therefore it is not a person. Wow. Her view of personhood seems arbitrarily narrow. EVERY born person of every age at one time passed through the preborn phase. Far from being an aberration, the preborn state is the normal (and temporary) passageway from conception to life in this world. So doesn't the burden fall on those who disclaim personhood of the unborn to prove that the fetus is inherently NOT a person until a certain point? (Not to simply opine on what the fetus looks like?)

Finally, the fetal brain is not yet capable of conscious thought and memory (which aren't fully actualized until two or three years after birth). But our complex brains are what set us apart from animals and define us as human beings. The brain is the seat of personhood.

Alright, thank you! Let's examine this more closely. From a secular perspective, I suppose that a more complex brain is the main distinctive that humans hold. From a biblical perspective, people also have a spirit--the TRUE seat of personhood, because it is eternal whereas the brain is not. So on this point, I will disagree with the author, but I will acknowledge that her point makes sense from a secular worldview.

However, let's take this to it's logical conclusion. If the brain is the seat of personhood, then brain-damaged folks are less of persons than the rest of us. The author admits that conscious thought and memory aren't fully actualized until a child reaches two or three years of age. So babies and toddlers (according to her argument) are also lesser human beings. To me, Peter Singer seems to hold an intellectually honest perspective on this point, when he allows that newborns, the elderly and brain-damaged people are not true persons and can be euthanized in certain circumstances, morally speaking. If the brain is the be-all, end-all of personhood, then Singer is right.

Near the end of the essay, the author gives us her philosophy of life: "Life is a Crap Shoot," but she's quick to assure us that this isn't as hopeless and depressing as it sounds:

This is not to say that human life doesn't have value. Of course it does, but only the value that we ourselves bestow on it—in biology, life is cheap, life is wasteful, and death is vital. Nature does not value humans any more than worms, and in all species, vast numbers of eggs and seeds don’t stand a chance of reaching maturity19. Life has been cheap throughout human history too—it's only modern medicine that has allowed us to keep most of our babies alive for the first time. Why shed futile tears over spilt milk and the biological facts of life? Instead, let's focus on protecting the rights and improving the quality of life of born human beings.

Perhaps it is this perspective, moreso than just the inherent personhood of the fetus, that separates the two sides. We can discuss the physical attributes of a human being along every developmental signpost till we're blue in the face: Yes, upon conception, the fetus is a genetically separate and complete being. Throughout gestation, nourishment and time are the only factors added. By eighteen weeks, the fetus can feel pain intensely. These are scientifically proveable facts about the physical nature of personhood.

But then there is the spiritual side of personhood that science cannot touch. This the side where *we* live--regardless of the state of our bodies--where our spirits find meaning. This spiritual knowledge is where the real disconnect lies. And it would seem that our author agrees to some extent:

Because there can be no consensus on the matter, the value accorded to a fetus is a subjective, personal matter. Individuals, not society as a whole, must choose what the status of a fetus should be, based on their personal beliefs, morality, and circumstances. And ultimately, this choice belongs only to pregnant women.

She's right that there cannot be a true 100% consensus about spiritual matters. In my next post, I'd like to expand on the general worldview behind the abortion rights position.

However, I need to point out that societal standards (especially those reinforced by law) rarely (if ever) represent the subjective beliefs of 100% of the people they regulate. We live in a country where the large majority of citizens claim to believe in the Christian God. Many of our foundational laws reflect biblical principles. These laws (such as laws against murder of born humans) are imposed upon ALL citizens, regardless of whether or not they personally support them. This is because we have historically held that these laws and standards are protections that uphold objective truths or essential rights of others. It makes no sense to create a "special class" for the rights of the unborn, and to say that this one class can and should remain individually subjective.

Just because we disagree about the nature of personhood, doesn't mean that we as a country shouldn't pursue an understanding on it and take a position on the side of caution. If there is even a chance that the fetus is a person created in the image of God with inherent worth and dignity (as the majority of us claim to believe about ourselves and other "born" humans)...the intentional death of millions upon millions of them is entirely unforgiveable. And we aren't doing ourselves any favors as a country by deferring the question.

Abortion Discussion 1

2006-11-21T12:29:00.000-06:00

A discussion about abortion at Happy Feminist's blog a couple of weeks ago has prompted me to read and think more on this issue recently. I found it enlightening to be challenged directly by abortion rights advocates (as opposed to indirectly, through reading or observing others' debate), and thought some of my readers (assuming I still have any after my long absences of late:op ) might be interested in what I've been learning.

Though I had to abandon the discussion on HF's blog due to time constraints, I think it's better to share my thoughts here anyway. The blog comments format just isn't conducive to presenting a cohesive argument during a discussion! (Especially when you are the minority opinion: by the time you answer one question, somebody else is posing some other minor detail for consideration, and on and on it goes, with the main points of the argument often being neglected...) So here are some thoughts in one nice large lump:

In general, abortion rights advocates (ARA) don't want to dwell on consideration of whether or not the unborn child (of course, they prefer the term "fetus", so in discussion with them I mostly defer on this point) has "personhood" (i.e., is a member of the human race who has inherent dignity and rights as such). I raised this question multiple times, which I hold is THE foundation of the abortion debate, but it was: a) ignored; b) I was told that it wasn't important; or c) my fellow commenters refused to see it as a non-subjective question. (One notable exception was Happy Feminist, who actually agreed with me that this question was essential. She posed a 2-part question: Is the fetus a person with rights; and if so, to what extent do these rights supercede those of the mother?)

Since I failed to get much engagement of my question in the comments section, I asked for articles or websites from the pro-abortion rights side that seriously consider it. One commenter provided me with a link to one essay, and then recommended that I go looking for others (which I did, but ended up finding and getting caught up reading a bunch of good articles written from the pro-life perspective instead!). Here's some analysis of the ARA essay I was given:

At the outset, let me say that from a pro-choice point of view, the status of the fetus is a peripheral issue. Regardless of whether a fetus is a human being or has rights, women will have abortions anyway, even if it means breaking the law or risking their lives. Even women who believe that abortion is murder have chosen to get abortions, and will continue to do so.

OK. So the author is going to address the question "Is a Fetus a Human Being?", but she's letting us know from the outset that she doesn't consider it an essential question. Why? Because women will have abortions regardless. My thought on that is: Yeah...so? I guess we shouldn't have concerned ourselves with whether the Jews were people or not because Hitler would have killed them regardless. Or whether the slaves were people or not because their masters would have used and abused them regardless. I don't really know how to respond to the argument that we shouldn't have certain laws or positions because people will thwart them. That's true of any law or position, is it not?

That's why we should leave the decision up to women’s moral conscience, and make sure that they are provided with safe, legal, accessible abortions. Because ultimately, the status of a fetus is a matter of subjective opinion, and the only opinion that counts is that of the pregnant woman.

Again...why is this matter subjective? Are the rights of any other humans on the planet considered subjective? Try this on for size: "That's why we should leave the decision up to slave-owner’s moral conscience, and make sure that they are provided with safe, legal, accessible slave-buying options. Because ultimately, the status of a slave is a matter of subjective opinion, and the only opinion that counts is that of the slave-owner." Sounds patently ridiculous, does it not? Because these days we understand that slaves ARE people with rights. We didn't come by that conclusion subjectively by considering the feelings and needs of the slave-owners. We had to consider the slaves objectively, separating THEM from the expediency and economic benefits that the institution of slavery provides. In the same way, don't we have to consider the unborn OBJECTIVELY, separate from the expediency of the abortion institution and the yes...even the feelings of the mother?

For example, a happily pregnant woman may feel love for her fetus as a special and unique human being, a welcome and highly anticipated member of her family. She names her fetus, refers to it as a baby, talks to it, and so on. But an unhappily pregnant woman may view her fetus with utter dismay, bordering on revulsion. She cannot bring herself to refer to it as anything other than "it," much less a human being. She is desperate to get rid of this unwelcome invader, and when she does, she feels tremendous relief. Both of these reactions to a fetus, and all reactions in between, are perfectly valid and natural. Both may even occur in the same woman, years apart.

I agree that all of these feelings are natural. Sometimes I feel like driving 100mph in a school zone. Sometimes I get mad and feel like screaming at somebody or kicking my dog. Does that mean my victims deserve that type of treatment? Does "natural" necessarily mean "right?" The flaws of such relativistic thinking are a whole separate discussion.

However, anti-choicers insist not only that a fetus is a human being, but that this status is an objective scientific fact. Unfortunately, they are assuming the very thing that requires proving, thereby committing the logical fallacy of "begging the question."

Assuming the very thing that requires proving. Such as that fetuses are NOT human beings? Yes...please...let us do look at the facts!

Biology, medicine, law, philosophy, and theology have no consensus on the issue, and neither does society as a whole. There will never be a consensus because of the subjective and unscientific nature of the claim, so we must give the benefit of the doubt to women, who are indisputable human beings with rights.

Methinks these assertions that the status of a fetus are subjective and unscientific require proving...

Anti-choicers must claim that fetuses are human beings, of course, or they really have no case against abortion. Since this claim is the cornerstone of their position, it should be critiqued in detail, from philosophical, legal, social, and biological perspectives. Even though it has little relevance for the actual practice of abortion, the assertion that fetuses are human beings has a potentially great impact on the rights of women.

OK. Please commence with your evidence!

(To be continued...)

I Voted!

2006-11-07T17:32:00.000-06:00

Did you?

It will be interesting to watch the results come in this evening. I'm not going to make any predictions...however I'm not really worried (which is unusual for me, unfortunately!). I feel at peace with the outcome. Yes...we live in an imperfect country, with imperfect leaders, and we are truly facing unprecedented dangers from out-of-control, intolerant enemies who seek to kill us and destroy our way of life. But GOD IS IN CONTROL! It's important to keep reminding ourselves of this. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without His knowledge. Not a single event occurs that He does not ultimately use for His glory.

Religion of Peace

2006-11-07T15:47:00.000-06:00

Interesting website here. It keeps a running documentation of all the violent attacks committed in the name of Islam (excluding legitimate combat situations), and also offers straight-shooting analysis of Radical Islam and the unprecedented problems western countries face in opposing it. Lots of sources, articles and links to other informative sites.

Homeschool Humor

2006-11-06T11:20:00.000-06:00

I am now going to admit a potentially provocative fact about my sense of humor. I routinely make fun of my homeschool upbringing.

For instance, if somebody is teasing me about doing or saying something dumb (which does happen every once in a while:o), I'll sometimes jokingly offer "Well, I was homeschooled!" by way of explanation. Amongst ourselves, my sisters and friends and I make fun of the "homeschool uniform". The phrase "denim jumpers and hair-nets" is destined to invoke groans. Even my mom (who used to wear nothing but jumpers and denim skirts back in her early homeschool mom days--no hair-nets) often employs the phrase in a teasing manner.

My sisters and I also pride ourselves in our ability to pick out the homeschoolers in any given situation. The Trevor Masselys in the world aren't hard to spot (you'll probably recognize Trevor--the quintessential "perfect" homeschooler--if you ever received Josh Harris' magazine "New Attitude" many years ago. If you missed him the first time around, you can meet him here--scroll down--and here. :o)

So, yes...I am regularly irreverent of homeschooling. And this despite my view that homeschooling is a superior form of education and my plans to school any future children at home. In fact, I think I can make fun of homeschooling BECAUSE I am intimately familiar with it and know it to provide a wonderful and effective education in most cases. I can play up and enjoy all the stereotypes to humorous effect, either because they don't hit close to home at all (such as homeschooling producing ignorance or a complete lack of social skills--the opposite is usually true) or because homeschoolers DO nurture some quirks (the "uniform") that are quite funny at times. We should be able to laugh at ourselves! And so I do...often:o)

P.S. In serious conversation, I am happy to seriously address any concerns or misconceptions people might have about homeschooling. However, if people are just ignorant of the facts and want to assign various stereotypes to homeschoolers because they don't know what they're talking about, I'd rather be able to have a few snickers at their expense than get up in arms about it. A sense of humor is never out of place when one is a member of a small and often-maligned minority!:op

Poor guys.

2006-11-02T13:03:00.000-06:00

(Edit: *commence sarcasm*) Their sorry educations are all too evident. Hmm...maybe they were even homeschooled. That must be it! (Edit: *end sarcasm*)

Michelle Malkin has had lots of recent posts about the John Kerry controversy if you are in the dark about it! I don't normally post on political topics, but sometimes they're hard to pass up:o)

(ht: Candid Reflections for picture link)

1917 Home Economics

2006-10-31T13:44:00.000-06:00

I love to read old books on family and homelife. These make me feel a connection to history in a way that books full of "important historical dates" and political accounts never do.

I've recently been scanning through this 1917 homemaking guide. The chapter on money management is particularly interesting. Apparently, in 1917, $1040 per year (or $20 per week) was considered "the lowest living income affording any comfort." This income was sufficient to maintain a small home or acceptable apartment in the city for the average family.

The guide gives the example of a basic budget, and lays forth the percentage of income that should be reserved for each expense category. My biggest surprise was the instructions that 43% if the average income should be given to food! That percentage is twice as high as the percentage given for rent, of 20%. In my experience today, we rarely exceed 8-10% of our income used for both food and household necessities, and we could do better (I'm working on it!:o). Just goes to show how much food has decreased in price in the past 90 years. Granted, there are only two of us in this household, so that does make some difference. But I still don't know any families today--even large ones--who spend almost half of their income on food!

So rent and food made up 63% of the 1917 income. What was the remaining 37% spent on?

Fuel and light: 5%
Clothing: 10%
Insurance: 4%
Recreation: 2%
Sundries: 16%

(The guide also mentions that families may want to give a portion of their income away, save and invest money, or may have expenses that vary between families such as "carfare" for the "man in the suburbs".)

What simplicity. I don't see credit card payments, car payments, or any other type of debt mentioned. This was in the days when a mortgage was generally the only personal debt incurred. And the homemaking guide makes it sound as though homeownership was a luxury, whereas it was common for many families to rent.

Many middle class men were content to ride on public cars rather than owning their own vehicle. A mere 2% (40 cents per week for the example income) was to be spent on recreation, so I suppose they got by just fine with simple amusements. No flat-screen televisions, netflix, nice restaurants on a regular basis, etc.!

This quote is telling about perceived standards of living in 1917: "in the [household] of large income, it is possible to buy sufficient food to nourish thoroughly every member of the family; to provide a shelter that gives each person enough room to sleep and eat and live comfortably, to buy clothes enough to keep the body warm; to secure an education for the children beyond the compulsory age of fourteen; and to have enough money for recreation." (emphasis mine)

My great-grandparents started out married life in the late '20s / early '30s in small apartments where kitchens and bathrooms were shared between several families. They felt lucky to have their own place at all, as many young couples during that time had to live in the homes of family members when they were just starting out.

How much we can learn from our ancestors about living simply and contentedly!

Thanks to Ladies Against Feminism for providing me with a link to "The Home and its Management".

What am I?

2006-10-24T10:38:00.000-05:00

Ok...so we bought our doggy "Peaches" last spring out of the back of a truck in the Sam's parking lot. We never thought we would've considered such a thing because you don't know what you're getting that way...but she REALLY wanted to come home with us and we couldn't resist. Besides, the couple selling the puppies seemed very friendly and we trusted them.

Until we got her home and discovered that she had mange (eew!) . And then we never received the paperwork on her that the seller had promised. (It went like this: "Are these puppies certified?" "Oh, yes! We have paperwork on all of them! They are registered full-bred Lhasa Apsos!" And then...after we'd already committed and paid... "Just write your address down here and we'll mail the paperwork..." Uh-huh.) And then when the phone number they'd given us stopped working, well...

So I guess we shouldn't be surprised that after growing up, Peaches doesn't look exactly like a full-bred Lhasa Apso. When my uncle--who has a Lhasa--recently saw pictures of her, he said "I don't know what she is, but she's not pure Lhasa!" Lhasa Apsos have long flowing "hair" that you have to cut. Peaches is about 8 months old and I've never cut her fur...it remains very short around her face and legs. The fur on her body is a bit longer, but nothing like a Lhasa. Also, Lhasas have rather stubby "snouts", unlike Peaches'.

We do think that Peaches is probably part Lhasa, because she has the characteristic coloring, the large black nose, and is close to the right size. She also has some of the personality traits of a Lhasa. Does anybody who knows about dog breeds have any suggestions as to what else she might be???

This is a full-bred Lhasa Apso:

And this is Peaches (these were taken a few months ago, so she's probably grown a bit since then. Her coat is a bit longer...probably a couple of inches on her body, but her face- and leg-fur remains almost this short. She's somewhere in the 15-20lb range.):

On doing without (and making do!)

2006-10-20T12:59:00.000-05:00

What are some things that you have learned to do without in order to be able to stay home? More importantly, how have you made up for the lack of them?

Here are just a few things of the things I've done to help our budget:

Haircuts: Ever since we married I have cut my husband's hair...and it looks professional if I do say so:o) I grew up watching my mom cut my dad's hair, so I guess I picked it up. If your husband is brave enough to let you try this, you could learn by paying very close attention the next couple of times your husband goes to the barber.

More difficult (and I don't necessarily recommend this!), I have actually cut my own hair for the past few years. I was disatisfied with the haircuts I was receiving from the $12-13 place, and I didn't want to pay $40+ to go somewhere nicer. Cutting my own hair takes an hour or two (but then so does visiting a typical salon), however I have somehow managed without too much disaster and have been able to keep my money! I very much need a haircut right now and am trying to decide whether to go to a stylist or not. Guess it depends on how adventuresome I want to continue to be:o)

Doing without a large clothing budget: For many years, I hardly bought any new clothes and shoes. We just didn't have the money! During the past couple of months I have finally been restocking our closets a bit due to necessity (there comes a point where buying clothes actually becomes a NEED rather than a desire if you want to look presentable in society!). But I have been trying to find creative ways to use the least amount of money for the largest impact. Here are a few ideas that have been working for me:

Buy well-made Basics!!! Focus on finding a few good neutral-type bottom pieces that can be worn with all types of tops. I am willing to spend a little bit more on some good bottom pieces that will be worn over and over again. For instance, I recently bought this denim skirt at Ross (originally $90) for $35. Generally, I wouldn't pay $35 at Ross for a skirt! But I loved this one, it was well-made, and I knew I would be wearing it over and over and over again with just about any top. This is the kind of item it makes sense to spend a little more on to get true quality.

Salvage old stuff: I just bought some extra-long tank tops on sale to layer under other tops and sweaters. I am now able to wear some tops again that I had stopped wearing either because they shrunk up a bit too short, or they were too short to begin with. (Remember about five years ago when it was hard to find a top that was long enough? I hate those shirts...you can't sit down or bend over in them! I really love these super-long shirts available now!:o)

Trendiness: I don't often buy trendy clothes...I don't have the money to blow on items that will look hopelessly outdated by next year! However, to update a classic basic wardrobe a bit and throw in just a bit of fun, I've bought a few pieces of inexpensive beaded jewelry, colorful headscarfs, etc. at sales/discount stores that look more "up-to-date". I have fun wearing them...and combined with classic pieces, they don't look cheapy or trashy.

Doing without a car: Our second car broke and wasn't worth the money to fix it, so we are currently doing with one vehicle. I won't say it doesn't bother me. I really do miss having a car always at my disposal! However I have learned that I can survive without one. I'm learning to adjust and be flexible. My husband uses his car during the day, so I don't have the option of dropping him off at the office and using the car while he's at work. However, he is able to set his own schedule to some extent, so I am usually able to get the car for grocery shopping and errands early in the morning if I need it (in that case he will just leave a little later). Also, he is sometimes home for various lengths of time in the afternoon filling out reports or doing computer work, and I am sometimes able to run out then. Creativity and willingness to adjust makes doing without bearable!

Please share!

Also, see more "Frugal Friday" ideas at Biblical Womanhood

Homemade all-purpose cleaner: conquer the vinegar smell!

2006-10-20T11:35:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I wrote about using vinegar and hydrogen peroxide as cleaners. The main downside of vinegar is the unpleasant smell. I have learned to tolerate it for the many other benefits of vinegar, relying on the fact that the smell will dissipate within minutes. (My sister has informed me that I am banned from using my cleaner when she visits!:o)

Well...I now have a solution! Yesterday, I put together the following ingredients on the assurance that the resulting cleaner would smell "beautifully fresh":

All-Purpose Surface Cleaner

2 cups (500 ml) white vinegar
1 cup (250 ml) water
20-30 drops eucalyptus oil

Pour ingredients into spray bottle, then shake well. Spray and wipe like other sprays...there is no need to rinse.

-from "Home Hints & Tips" by Rosamond Richardson

I am very impressed! Vinegar spray smells about 100 times better with the oil added! No need to assault your nose when you clean the natural way:o)

This basic cleaner, according to the book, "removes grease and dirt, smells beautifully fresh, is cheap and nontoxic, and will keep indefinitely. Use it on stainless-steel sinks and draining boards, tiled and wooden surfaces, and plastic finishes." (When cleaning heavily soiled areas, especially kitchen surfaces that have come in contact with contaminants such as raw meat, it would be best to use the vinegar / hydrogen peroxide combo described in my last post.)

A note about eucalyptus oil: This is an essential oil which also has disinfectant properties. It can be found at health food/vitamin stores or websites. I bought a small .5 oz. bottle at a vitamin store for about $4, initially fearing that it wouldn't last me very long. However, after adding 20 drops to my spray, there is still most of the bottle remaining. I believe this little bottle will last me several bottles-worth of spray...still providing a huge cost savings over regular store-bought cleaners. (Eucalytus oil is potent and should be kept out of reach of children in it's undiluted state. )

Cheap and Excellent Non-toxic Cleaners

2006-10-13T01:16:00.000-05:00

Update: This week, Walgreens has 16oz. bottles of hydrogen peroxide at 2 / $1.00. They have some great deals on other things I need too, so I will making a little excursion to the Walgreens across the street from our neighborhood. (I'm spoiled...I have both a Walgreens and a CVS about a 60-second drive away from me...am doing a lot more shopping at these places now that I have become aware of the great deals available at these two stores!:o)

I also wanted to pass on Mrs. B's caution that hydrogen peroxide DOES bleach things out if you're not careful. I've not had any trouble with that so far, but you'll probably want to spot test first before you use it all over your colored countertop, and be careful around your clothes!

Note: This may be old news to many, but it was very helpful information for a relatively new homemaker such as myself:o)

For a long time, I wasn't sure what type of cleaner I should use on kitchen surfaces that would come into contact with food (as in when kneading bread on the counter-top) or that would be safe to use on the floor around pets (or children, for those of you who have them!). I didn't like the idea of harsh or toxic chemicals for these purposes. I also wanted something cheap, because with a dog running around (who has only recently been fully house-trained) I go through cleaner like crazy:op

After doing some research, I discovered the excellence of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide:

The best way to sanitize kitchen food preparation surfaces such as countertops and wood cutting boards is to use the following vinegar and hydrogen peroxide germ-killing combo:

Using a spray bottle, apply undiluted apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to the kitchen surface to be cleaned.

Then immediately spray the same area with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (available in all drugstores) from another spray bottle.

Wipe the area clean or rinse with water. According to Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, it does not matter weather you spray the vinegar before or after the hydrogen peroxide, the effect is the same, it kills virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. Coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food preparation surfaces.

She also found that using both sprays was 10 times more effective than using either spray by itself and more effective than chlorine bleach and all other commercially available kitchen cleaners.

The vinegar / hydrogen peroxide sprays also work well to clean meats, fruits and vegetables of disease-causing germs.

You can buy a huge jug of vinegar at the store for little more than a dollar. Hydrogen peroxide is inexpensive as well. I purchased some nice large spray bottles at Sams (a package containing six bottles was about $5, I believe).

The vinegar/hydrogen peroxide combo is great for when you need strong disinfectant properties, as in the kitchen. For our wood floors, I use just the vinegar, diluted half-and-half with water. I mop with this vinegar solution and it's worked wonderfully! It also works great to clean up doggie messes, because it's very good at eliminating odor.

One other great vinegar feature: When my drinking glasses become spotty (hard water stains), I spray them with my vinegar spray and they clean right up!

Though vinegar doesn't smell particularly nice when first sprayed, the unpleasant smell doesn't last very long. I've learned to tolerate it. How can I not, when it works so well and is so wonderfully inexpensive?

I love deals!

2006-10-12T20:38:00.000-05:00

Recently I've been getting back into organizational mode: not just with the house, but with many other aspects of our life, including budgeting and money management. Crystal has been partially responsible for inspiring me to revisit our shopping budget this past week or two, with her recent Supermarket Savings series!

I'd dipped my toes into couponing several months ago and decided that it didn't work (since I don't buy very many processed/convenience items, which seemed to be the bulk of the coupons); however, I've now considered how many non-food items we buy that might be "coupon-able". Also, I like the ideas Crystal presented of getting deals on things we might not necessarily use, but could give away or sell.

Last weekend I bought a paper, and that's currently the extent of my coupon collection! But I still managed to get a few deals I was excited about, due to some nice sales:

Kohls has been having a bunch of good sales lately for some reason. I found several clothing items Micah and I both needed from %40-%80 off regular prices: $60 Adidas sneakers for $30; $20 long tank tops (for layering under some of my other tops that feel a bit too short) for $4 apiece, pants for Micah at almost half-price, etc.

At CVS pharmacy, I took advantage of buy-0ne-get-0ne free deals for laundry detergent and loreal lipstick, for which I also had a coupon for $2.oo off (so I got $16-worth of lipstick for $6). I'd like to start buying items at CVS that generate Extra Care Bucks. You can read about this in Crystal's recent posts (She has about nine different posts in the series), or find general information on the CVS website.

As usual, I tried to base my weekly menu largely on the sale items listed on my grocery store flyer, but without many coupons to use, I didn't spend much less than usual there this week. I'm still working on some good ways to bring grocery expenditures down, without sacrificing health and quality.

I LOVE getting deals! Anybody have any recent deal successes to share?

Book Suggestions?

2006-10-01T01:26:00.000-05:00

My mom, Diane, is looking for advice regarding good womens' Bible Study materials:

A dear neighbor and I were talking yesterday about the privilege of being homemakers and the blessing of having husbands that enthusiastically support our efforts at home. Also, how society in general does little to encourage women who have chosen mothering and homemaking as their full-time career. My friend expressed an interest in pursuing further study on the spiritual / Biblical growth of women in such a position. Although I've read some great books on the topic in the past, I haven't perused the bookshelves recently to see what is available...

I would love to hear from you any input on what you consider the very best book for encouraging women in their role as: believer, wife, mother, friend...all from a strong / solid Biblical world view. (Preferably using alot of scripture throughout the book-or a Bible study that focuses on women) Thanks so much!!

If any of you have suggestions, she would love to hear them. (As would I and many others, I'm sure!) Thanks so much!

More pictures...

2006-09-22T18:48:00.000-05:00

In attempts to offset my teenaged picture below, I couldn't resist posting these cuties...

My favorite picture of my husband Micah when he was little, dressed like a shepherd. (He must have been part of a manger scene or something.) I hope our future children inherit his beautiful eyes:o)

My doggy eats fingers...

...she also smokes rawhides. We've done all we can, but alas...

(Somewhat embarassing) Flashbacks

2006-09-22T18:12:00.000-05:00

My mom, moved to nostalgia by my last post, decided that I needed to post the evidence of my encounter with the Doles and (then Governor) President George W. In fact, she practically dared me to. I have accepted her challenge. (You shall see what I mean when you view the remnants of my very un-photogenic teen years below. And this is one of the better pictures. There are a few you couldn't pay me to reveal. Mom, don't get ANY ideas! Click to enlarge...thankfully for me, they're a bit blurry due to scanning!;o)

Mr. George W. Bush with Mr. and Mrs. Dole

Mr. Dole's groupies

My mom, sisters and I (we're standing in the parking garage afterwards)

Brushes with Well-known People

2006-09-21T14:36:00.000-05:00

Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, has been garnering a lot of public attention lately, thanks to his speech to the U.N. General Assembly accusing President Bush of being "El Diablo" (The Devil). Hugo Chavez also has the sole distinction of being the one international public figure my husband has laid eyes upon in person.

Micah grew up in Venezuela, where Chavez finally achieved the presidency in 1998 (after agitating and even attempting a coup for years before that), shortly before Micah's family moved back to the US. Just like all good dictators, Chavez knows that he has to try to keep the masses subdued in order to retain power, so he makes sure that he throws them a few bones now and then. Soon after becoming president, Chavez decided to kick up his public relations efforts by gracing "the commoners" with his presence. He took car rides all over the Venezuelan countryside, to every little village and town, to let his subjects gaze upon their new Emperor...er, um President. And so he came to Micah's village and drove down Micah's street, and Micah watched him pass by in all his glory.

It's a good thing Micah's family left Venezuela in 2000, because it has deteriorated rapidly since Chavez took control. Crime and anti-American hatred run rampant. Though Micah was born and grew up there, it has become too unsafe for us to make a return visit, and probably will continue to be for most Americans (except for, perhaps, Cindy Sheehan) until Chavez is replaced by someone less--may I say?--"demonic"...and preferably someone who isn't best buddies with Fidel Castro.

Micah and I were talking about all this the other day after we somehow got on the subject of famous or well-known people we've either seen or met. Just for fun, here are mine:

Presidential hopeful, Bob Dole: My family attended one of his rallies and heard him speak during his candidacy. It was part of my education...to witness American politics first hand. I've also been to a few national conventions where my dad was a delegate. (I bet you can't guess for which party!)

President George W Bush: He was our governor at the time, and on the stage with Mr. Dole at his rally.

Chelsea Clinton: I lived down the street from her when we were both at Oxford. I probably saw her about 4-5 times walking around with her boyfriend and secret service person. One time, when I was sitting on the steps of my flat, a strange guy (a stalker? a member of the paparazzi?) came up and started asking me a bunch of questions about where Chelsea lived...I told him I didn't know and ducked back inside as quickly as possible.

Michael Moore: I went to hear him speak at the Oxford Union, knowing nothing about him except that he had recently released a documentary called "Bowling for Columbine" (which I hadn't seen). He arrived an hour late, dressed in jeans, t-shirt, and ball-cap, and began his speech with no apology or reference to his lateness whatsoever. (At this point, I was thinking WHO is this guy?) He proceeded to give a very eloquent (seriously...he is impressive with words) speech about how evil and "war-mongering" President Bush is, how clueless many Americans are, and how the British and Europeans in general were the world's hope for avoiding war (it hadn't officially started at this point) and maintaining sanity. Now realize, Mr. Moore was speaking in Great Britain. Ah, how wonderful it is when our citizens go abroad spreading their love for our country! After his speech, adoring fans lined up for a booksigning. I waited in line with a friend, but when we reached Mr. Moore and he looked expectantly at me, I ignored him and averted my eyes. That's right, I snubbed him. Subtle and probably totally inneffective, but I hope it at least caused a flicker of confusion in his mind:o)

It's funny that the well-known people Micah and I have seen are all political figures. What about you? Any anecdotes to share?

Updates

2006-09-20T15:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I've finally updated my "blogs that link here" blogroll. If I missed you, let me know! Also, if you are on my list and DON'T want to be, let me know that too:op I should once again have an email address up very soon.

One newcomer I'm especially excited to welcome to the blogosphere is my mom, Diane. She's been a wonderful helpmeet to my dad for almost 30 years, has raised three daughters, and accumulated about 17 years of experience being a homeschool teacher during our growing up years. She would protest if I portrayed her as an expert in any of these things, as she feels that she's still learning and always will be...but I believe that she has a lot of wisdom and experience to share. I look forward to drawing from it more and more if/when God blesses Micah and I with our own children to raise. (Oh...and I have to put in a plug for the cookie recipe she recently posted. It is a FANTASTIC treat for fall!)

On Choosing My Battles

2006-09-19T11:05:00.000-05:00

The world is full of frays for saber-wavers to jump right into...and so is the blogosphere. Every now and then, when I find myself fired up about an issue and ready to blast off a post so that I can feel like I've done something, I have to restrain myself and ask the question...is this--and should this be--my battle? As my mom used to say, "Is this the hill you want to die on?"

One battle I usually stay out of is The Battle of Boycotts. If a company, service-provider, or other public entity takes a blatant war stance against values I hold dear, I am very likely to avoid doing business with them if at all possible. But the roster of Simply Misguided Companies in a world like ours is too long for me to keep track of. If I tried to make it my mission to boycott each and every one of those, I'd have a new full-time job. I think I'm better off making it my focus to patronize companies whose values I appreciate whenever I can, and leaving the rest to sort itself out. (Although, in some cases if a large and influential company that I patronize frequently makes a misguided move, I may make an extra effort to let them know I think so.)

I believe in equality, rights and respect for women, as I do for all people. However, I cannot align myself with the feminist movement because I either disagree with or don't sense the larger importance of many of their battles. Humane treatment of women in countries like Iraq, initiatives to stop the war against girls in China...these are things I can definitely get behind. But I believe in acknowledging and respecting--even celebrating--gender differences, not blurring them or discrediting them, as many or most of the current western feminist battles seem to be fighting for.

In a societal and political sense, battles range from global warming to illegal immigration to gay marriage. Some battles seem outright worthless; some seem nice but not top priority; still others seem top priority, although they jostle with other top priorities for my attention. I don't have enough time in my life to do full justice to both the Sanctity of Life and the Importance of Preserving Family.

Within Christian conservative circles, there are many battles available, as tends to happen when a group's values largely conflict with the tide of the society in which they live. Unlike the pilgrims, we can't just go get on a boat and find another continent to live on, so we are left with the perplexing mission of deciding how to pick our battles. Should I be spending my time trying to have certain magazines banned from grocery stores? Writing blog posts about how everyone should adopt certain practices regarding dress or blasting off against people who interpret the Bible differently than I do? I think not, if for no other reason than there are more important things to spend my time on...things that will bear more fruit in the long run.

What are those fruitful things? It's a question I ask myself often. I don't always accomplish my goal of seeking for and fighting for the best, in my life, or in the blogworld...that's a cold hard fact. But I want to.

I'll leave you with just these thoughts, for now. I'd love to read any insights you might have on this.

Pass on the spinach!

2006-09-15T11:38:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't heard...a nationwide alert has been issued to avoid fresh bagged spinach! Apparently, it's recently caused outbreaks of E.Coli in eight states and at least one death has been attributed to that outbreak. Read more here.

I have a bag of spinach in my refrigerator right now that I bought a few days ago and haven't yet opened. I ALMOST opened it last night, but my husband requested a lettuce salad instead. Good thing! Guess that spinach will be visiting my trash can :o(

A change of heart

2006-09-11T23:21:00.000-05:00

As governor of California, Ronald Reagan signed into law a bill legalizing abortions in his state. What caused him, along with many other former abortion supporters, to later become fervently prolife?

Working through the shock and pain

2006-09-11T12:58:00.001-05:00

How did you process 9/11?

I remember gettting online and reading pages and pages of messages people from other countries had written expressing condolences and solidarity with America. I was very moved to see so much support.

I clipped pictures and quotes and made a patriotic "remembrance poster" that hung in my dorm room for most of that year. I now have that poster in my scrapbook.

I'm NOT a poet, but I was nevertheless inspired to write one a few weeks after 9/11, expressing the faith I have in America's spirit and resiliance, bolstered by the faith many of us have in God. It says in part:

Buildings may burn
Crumble and plunge
But the steel inside you
Isn't easy to touch

The sorrow still hurts you
Deep down inside
The pain sinks in deeper
As time passes by

But this shows the world
That you're strong enough to feel
Strong enough to love
To mourn and to heal

I'm STILL processing 9/11. About a month ago, Micah and went to see the movie "World Trade Center". I cried through most of it because the relationships, the pain and human struggle, and also the bravery and strength of 9/11's heroes were so movingly portrayed. I recommend the movie (though not for young children), as a vivid reminder of that day we should never forget.

Susan and family

2006-09-11T03:09:00.000-05:00

Please be praying for Susan and family. Their story and a prayer chain started on their behalf can be found here.

September 2001

2006-09-10T23:43:00.000-05:00

September 2001 brought with it two major turning points in my life. The first one should be pretty obvious, since most of us shared the life-changing experience of September 11th. (I have been wanting to write my September 11th story, and now Crystal has provided an extra dose of motivation!)

On break from college, I spent the summer of 2001 working at my dad's company. My job necessitated waking up at 4:45 am, leaving the house at about 5:45am and driving with my dad 1 hour and 15 minutes into downtown Houston to arrive at the office by 7:00am. (It's no secret to anyone that I'm NOT naturally an early morning person, so this didn't prove to be my most favorite job!)

I went through that entire summer in a sort of fog. Yes...quite literally, due to those early mornings! But also mentally and emotionally. I missed my friends and studies at college. At the same time, I was anxious about the next school year because I wasn't sure where I was headed by being there. (I had changed my major twice the previous year, and was contemplating making a third change when I returned.) Looking back now, I always knew what I wanted: to learn, to grow, to serve, to develop my writing, to travel and experience new things. And I was also secretly hoping that God might just send me a wonderful man (and soon!), because what I MOST wanted was to be a wife and a mother. But confusion had set in over the past school year when I allowed myself to indulge in worry. How could I continue the education I desired without digging myself a major financial hole? (I now wish I had been more proactive on that question instead of just sitting around worrying about it!) How could I major in my first love, English and writing, when that was NOT exactly a lucrative field? Should I pursue a lucrative field so that I could pay off the debt I was (most unfortunately!) aquiring? How could I reconcile all of this with my desire to marry and have a career inside of my home? What if that godly guy I was praying for didn't show up? Where would I be then? My fears were debilitating me, so I turned to numbness and apathy as my refuge. But I knew something needed to change.

When September 11th arrived, I was four days away from returning to school. My summer job had ended just a couple days before, and I was relishing the opportunity to sleep in before the busyness of college life absorbed me. Pulling me out of a weird, dreamy, groggy state I saw my mom's face hovering over me. She was urgently telling me I had to get up RIGHT NOW, because there was something huge happening. The world was going mad. What was she talking about? Nothing huge EVER happens. Maybe in other times and other places and in the movies, but not in Erin's life.

I stumbled downstairs and joined my mom in front of the television. I saw two skyscrapers on fire, reporters blabbering loudly in a panic, a huge gaping hole in the Pentagon. I had barely ascertained the situation when the unthinkable happened: One of the skyscrapers simply plummeted to the ground before my very eyes. My only thought was that this couldn't really be happening, because there must be people inside that building. No. No...I couldn't have just witnessed the death of thousands of people. This doesn't happen in America. It couldn't be happening.

My dad arrived home from work about noon. His building (one of the taller skyscrapers in Houston) had been evacuated. My sisters returned home early from the classes they'd been attending. We all sat in front of the television and soaked in the horror of that day until we couldn't take it anymore. Things I had never even considered were my new reality. You mean to tell me there were people called Terrorists who wanted to destroy America? Who would actually perform such a heinous massacre of our people, forfeiting their own lives in the process? Was there really such evil outside of the history books? As ignorant as it now sounds, I had NO conception of these things existing in my little world before that day.

On September 15th, I had to get on an airplane and fly back to school. My mom traveled with me, because she couldn't let me get on that plane alone. Boarding, the passengers were unusually polite and subdued. The flight attendents tried to ease our tension by greeting us as cheerfully as they could. During the entire flight: almost complete silence. But when the plane landed and eased to a stop at the gate, the entire cabin broke into loud and sustained applause.

Back at school, there was a sober air that is pretty unusual for a college environment. For days after classes begun, students who had been stranded in one place or another trickled back to campus. On the evening President Bush addressed the nation, we all gathered in the theatre to watch his speech. Current events dominated class discussions and even chapel services.

Somehow, in all this turmoil, my fog faded away. Oh sure, there were unanswered questions in my life and I'm not going to say that I didn't continue to entertain fears and confusion and to deal with my struggles and imperfections. But in an odd way, the events of September 11th served to illuminate the things in life that really matter. In one startling day, my focus was jerked away from myself and my little problems, and I was forced to look out at the angry and hurting and dying world around me. Instead of adding to my fears, September 11th resolidified my trust in God. Living in such a crazy world, who else can we turn to but Him? What other hope do we have, besides seeking Him in everything we do? After all...just LOOK at what is wrought by the world who denies the power and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Oh, that they ALL could find and know Him. I knew which side I wanted to be on. I knew Where I had to go for comfort and strength, and He didn't disappoint. He showed me that the answer was--and always is--outside of myself. It's in His hands, and His alone.

At the end of September, that month's second life-changing event took place: I met my future husband for the first time.

What NOT to do when you're on a budget...

2006-08-31T11:18:00.000-05:00

Micah and I were recently given an Outback Steakhouse gift card that was also valid at four or five other restaurants. One of which: a place we'd never been to called The Bonefish Grill. "I think there's one of those in [a part of town where we often go to walk around and hang out at Barnes and Noble]," Micah told me. I agreed..."Oh, yeah...I think you're right!" Adventuresome people that we are, we decided to give The Bonefish Grill a try.

So, we arrived at the restaurant that evening for dinner. We each ordered a separate entree (which is rare, because we often share), and a drink. My shrimp dish was fine, but Micah was disappointed with his fish tacos (they did taste strange), so we pretty much ended up sharing my meal anyway. We both felt that the meals were overpriced for the dining experience, and that we probably wouldn't return to this restaurant. Oh well, better to be disappointed when you're "not paying," right?

I was about to hand the waiter my gift card, when I realized something. My gift card was valid at The BONEfish Grill. Then why did the logo on our bill say "The ROCKfish Grill...?" Wait a...!

In our defense, the restaurant logos looked almost identical, and both included the insignia of a fish. (although The Bonefish Grill's picture could be more accurately described as a fish skeleton. Eww.)

Budgeting Commandment #597: When thou plannest to usest a restaurant gift card, make certain that YOU GO TO THE RIGHT PLACE! Unlike a gift card for say, Target, you cannot return the food you've eaten to the shelf after you realize your mistake!

So in conclusion: we had to redirect the money from my shoe fund to pay for a big dinner at a subpar restaurant. Instead of black leather heels...I get a lingering feeling of sheepish stupidity:op

Ya'll are awesome!

2006-08-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

There...my southern charm shining through;o) I just wanted to say thanks for your responses to my last question. Your encouragement means so much, and your suggestions are helping me to refocus my vision of what this blog should be about. I think...dare I hope...that I am actually feeling remotivated to continue blogging!

Here are some more questions in my getting to know you series. I specially selected these, because I think they will help define us and reach the heart of what's REALLY important in our lives. Besides that, I like being nosy and I'd seriously love to know. Answer all of these, or just pick one or two. I'm digging deep here, so are you ready? Can you handle this? Here we go:

1. Dog, cat, other or none? Why?
2. Love or hate the movie "Napolean Dynamite"?
3. Favorite delusion about yourself?
4. Decadent chocolate brownie smothered in chocolate or fresh strawberries with whipped cream?
5. For the wives, what was your first impression of that guy you married? What was your husband's first impression of you?

My answers:

1. Dog. (No, REALLY?;o) I think dogs are the most relational with people (Cat people will vehemently deny this, I'm sure), and I want a pet that loves my company. In fact...I want to be my pet's ENTIRE world. I want her to live for sitting at my feet and wagging her little tail every time I look at her. Rather narcissistic, but true.

2. This is painful to admit, but I have probably seen this film at a least dozen times. (I'll blame that on my husband, since it's one of his favorite movies ever and he simply HAD to receive the DVD for his birthday!) Yes. I will confess to liking the movie. I will confess to more than one instance of uttering the words: "YESSSSSSSSS." and "Whatever I want...GOSSSHHH!"

3. When I was in college, I used to like to think of myself as one of those girls in movies who sit at sidewalk cafes drinking hot tea whilst reading books that will expand their horizons and render them brilliant and sophisticated. When enlightenment strikes, they pull out their leather journals and dreamily pen their bits of found wisdom. Then they gaze into the distance...[scene shifts to dusky street scene, probably in some quaint European village]...

4. I like chocolate. But I LOVVVE strawberries and would probably pick them (assuming freshness and seasonality) in all instances except for perhaps "that time" of the month.

5. He was quiet. His eyes were amazing. He was the guy who said "hi" to me for two months in passing, causing significant anxiety for me who was trying to remember his name without having to ask him again. Unfortunately for my narcissism, my husband doesn't even remember our first meeting. But he must have liked me pretty well, because at least he remembered MY name thereafter;o)

Getting to know you...

2006-08-23T14:02:00.000-05:00

Aha! I've thought of something that piques my interest...getting to know who my readers are!

I hope you don't mind, but I'd love to pose a few questions and get a better sense of what I write/have written/can write in the future that is of interest to others. Obviously, I won't write about something unless it interests me! But if I'm the only interested party, I might as well keep it to myself and spare you all.

So here's the first question, with more to follow (The more who answer, the better blog-refining ideas we can ALL gain!;o)...

What are your all-time favorite topics to read about? What types of discussions would you love to see more of in the blogosphere? What do you find encouraging / thought-provoking?

This question is meant to be open-ended, but in case you detest open-endedness, I'll provide a narrower question:

Out of the following, what do you consider fascinating/encouraging, and what bores you to death?

1. Discussion about current events/social issues/the "great issues" of life
2. Stories about day-to-day life ("Today I went shopping and then my dog puked a lot...so on and so-forth...")
3. Household tips, recipes, "works for me" type stuff (Although, I'll just mention...I'm more likely to ask my readers for this type of advice than share it myself!)
4. Pieces that lay bare the soul, share struggles and personal victories, attempt to encourage spiritually or otherwise
5. Other
6. An eclectic smattering of all of the above

Blogger's Block...

2006-08-23T01:53:00.000-05:00

...I've got it bad. Lately I've been wondering if, after more than a year of blogging, I've run out of things to say! (Can it be possible?;o) Or maybe I've got things to say, I just don't know if anyone will be interested in them. Or maybe I've got interesting things to say, I just don't have the motivation or mental willpower to sit down and write them out. Whatever the cause, I'm well aware that my blogging stinks lately:op

I'm in awe of these women who efficiently crank out daily blog posts without fail. For me, writing can be a joy...but boy, is it an agonizing, hard-won satisfaction. I can usually only conjure up a half-decent piece after much mulling and musing and revising and cliche-plucking. And let's not forget the weeping and knashing of teeth. Aahh...the Perfectionist at work. (Oh, and please don't go looking for those cliches, because I have no doubt you will find them!) In order to go through all of that, a topic or idea has to grab my brain and not let go until I have been dragged through the gauntlet. Perhaps now you know why writers have often been described as "tortured"...they were perfectionists!

Ok, enough rambling! I'm tired and must go to bed now...I just wanted to let you know where I'm at. I'm here, just waiting on some inspiration to take hold. And in the meantime, trying to focus on the earthy, homey, wifey type things that help keep me grounded and give my mind a rest.

P.S. Along with being a bad blogger, I have been a bad comment-responder. I'm truly sorry, and will try to get back with it very soon!

P.S.S. Thanks for your sweet concern about Peaches. After being on medicine, she seems to be fine now...we hope! The weekend she was in the doggy hospital she had been throwing up non-stop and was on the verge of becoming dehydrated. We never really figured out what was wrong with her, but hypotheses have ranged from tonsillitis to swallowing a hairball. Yes...our dog likes to eat weird things. Don't ask me where she found the hairball!

Just to say "hi"...

2006-08-14T15:04:00.000-05:00

Our doggie was in the "hospital" all weekend...we still don't know exactly what she had/has :o(

I'm now trying to get caught up on business and house stuff before Micah gets home and we leave to go spend the evening with visiting relatives. Hopefully soon, I will have the chance to do a real post!:op

Until then, hope your Monday is wonderful!

Motivation Builders

2006-08-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I admitted that I sometimes have trouble motivating myself to do things, especially if I know that I won't be able to do them "perfectly". Though I wish that I could just snap myself out of that self-defeating attitude, I usually need a bit of help! What do you do, when you're feeling unmotivated, to get yourself going?

Here are some motivation builders I have had success with in the past (when I bothered to make the effort!)

~Turn on energetic music. Preferably loud, if it won't be a bother to others!

~Prepare a favorite stimulating drink to sip on while you work. If you need to sit at a computer, how about hot tea? Or a nice iced tea or lemonade if you'll be doing an active task?

~Make your work area as bright as possible. Open the blinds, or even the windows. Bright light will make you feel more awake!

~Dress for Success. I find that the sloppier my appearance, the easier it is for me to approach my day in a sloppy manner. Other homemakers have mentioned how the simple act of putting on a pretty apron before baking or cleaning is motivating. I don't even own an apron, but hearing this makes me want to buy one!:o)

~Stimulate your senses with scent. I like to burn a fresh-smelling candle in the room in which I'm working.

~Take a moment to think through your goals and set priorities. It helps me to have them written down.

~Refocus your thoughts. This is a biggie for me! So often, I want to continue to dwell on past failures, which will only cultivate a self-defeating attitude. Pray, sing, whatever it takes to refocus your thoughts on the the tasks at hand. Refuse to dwell on failure. Lord, help me with this one!

~Start where you're at! Get going!:o)

...And I'm off to do the above!

Start where I'm at

2006-08-03T19:14:00.000-05:00

Today: There were bills to be paid, dishes to be washed, an entire house in need of freshening, two chickens to be prepared for roasting, business research to be conducted and countless other "little tasks" that have a way of building up into what seems like a mountain. But instead of busily setting to work, I found myself in a funk. The day didn't start out on schedule, so it seemed like a lost cause. In between puttering, I allowed myself to get distracted reading (helpful, informative material, but nonetheless!). Before I knew it, it was 4pm, and I no longer had time for the chicken to finish before dinner. So the chicken is even now still in the oven, and we have just finished dining on takeout. Yes, takeout. It was one of those days! But in this case, it didn't have to be.

I've confessed before on this blog, that as a perfectionist, I often struggle with feeling unmotivated to do things that I don't think can be done "just right". If I can't do it perfectly right now, I'll put it off until I can. Unfortunately, this is not a good way to run a home! Homemaking requires flexibility, and the willingness to make the most of the time and resources I've been given.

So failures occur. Imperfections surface. That's what I get for being human;o) But what am I going to do about it? If I'm thinking wisely (and I like to hope that every once in a while, I do:o), I'm not just going to sit here beating myself up over this evidence of my immutable humanity. I'm going to start where I'm at, that's what! This very moment is all I hold in my hands. This moment is God's gift to me, to be used for His glory.

Shortly after 4pm, I walked myself to the kitchen. I turned on music (loud!) and started in on the dishes. I got the chicken into the oven. Micah and I ate our "lovely" takeout meal together. After I finish writing this post, I'm going to join my husband for our evening walk/talk, and then maybe get some more housekeeping done before it's time to think about bed. This day WON'T be a waste. Better I determine that later than never!

The Biblical Portrait of Women

2006-08-02T18:19:00.000-05:00

I just read this excellent piece by John MacArthur on the biblical status of women. I really appreciate how Dr. MacArthur references so many scriptures to back up his assertions. It begins...

The Bible is, and has always been, a revolutionary book. It stands like a coastal rock cliff to resist the surging, crashing waves of cultural change. And there may be no clearer demonstration of the Bible’s immutable word than what it teaches about genuine femininity.

The Bible rightly exalts women against cultures that distort, degrade, and debase them. Many in our society tout the sexual and reproductive liberation of women against the supposed oppressive, outmoded strictures of the Bible. I have to ask, “In what way are women truly free? In what way does our culture honor them?” Sure they can vote; sure they have opportunities to compete in the marketplace. But are they really free? Is their dignity and honor intact?

Dr. MacArthur goes on to describe how Biblical Christianity has historically uplifted women, in contrast to the world, which has always enslaved and debased women in various ways. As one with some experience being a Christian woman, I concur wholeheartedly with his analysis. I thank God that he made me a woman, and for the joy and freedom that I find in being one!

A Homemaker's Resume

2006-07-31T21:04:00.000-05:00

I'll be honest. If I were going to compile my homemaking "credentials" into a resume, I wouldn't want to give someone the impression that my life's work is defined by the following:

-Excellent toilet-scrubber. Is especially accomplished in the finer points of outer-toilet detailing.

-Experienced in doggy-maintenance. Has handled upwards of 300 "doggy-breach-of-hygiene-code" critical cases.

-Almost twenty years' experience in sock-folding. For the past fifteen years, has consistently maintained a 97.5% rate of accuracy in sock-matching.

-Three years' experience in maintaining husband's distinguished tie collection [Here's where I slyly omit that he only owns about two ties...wink, wink;o)]

-Has managed Christmas letter creation and distribution for three years. Recipients have generally reported "extremely high satisfaction" with the festive report's combination of news, humor and an appropriate level of self-deprecation.

-Has mastered such cost-cutting skills as:
1. Cutting one's own hair [This is an art, let me assure you! Mirror-placement and backward-arm-bendage are especially complicated.]
2. Spotting the store-brand green beans in less than three seconds.
3. Saving dryer lint to maximize throw-pillow plumpness [I could do this. I don't...but there's no need to mention that!]

No...I may be prideful, but I'd like to think that my existence on earth will account for more than the above accomplishments, impressive though they may be. I happen to believe that homemaking is a calling higher than any repetitive manual task. Successful homemaking requires creativity well beyond reusing dryer lint, far more intellectual power than necessary for sock-matching, and a wealth of skills beyond scrubbing toilets. It is one of the most diverse positions available.

Sure, homemaking entails repetitive manual tasks. So does just about every other job on earth. I don't generally mind these tasks, as it gives my brain a "resting period" to think or pray or simply listen to the radio while my hands are busy. Not to mention that it's nice to have the exercise. I remember the feeling of sitting plastered to an office chair for nearly eight hours straight. I used to relish my trips to the bathroom, providing for just the barest amount of physical activity!

But homemaking entails much more than keeping the house clean. I am discovering new growth opportunities within the field of homemaking every day. In fact, were I to work 24/7, I don't think I could expand my horizons far enough to exhaust all the possibilities! The days just fly too fast to allow for more than merely scratching the surface.

As a woman, a wife, a [future, Lord willing] mother and a worker, I would like to look back at the end of my life and see these accomplishments on my resume:

-Loved her Lord and spent time getting to know His Infinite heart. Allowed Him to transform her character to be more like His.

-Loved and honored her husband. Never made him doubt his place in her heart, second only to God. Always sought little and big ways to demonstrate her love for him.

-Nurtured her children, prayed for them, and placed them in her Father's loving hands.

-Made her home--Not a showcase for expensive, impersonal relics--but a place pulsing with life, love, and industry. A place of welcoming hospitality. A place where, when night arrived, she rested peacefully with that comforting sense of having her loved ones gathered in nearby.

-Read A LOT. Was always learning and developing her mind.

-Wrote things that helped and encouraged people.

-Assisted and engaged in her husband's industry and calling. Found creative ways to make him (and by default, them) more successful. Helped, wherever possible, and by whatever skills she possessed, to earn and manage their family's income.

-Pursued and developed the following skills and interests (including but not limited to):
Cooking fabulous and nutritious meals for family and friends
Gardening
Frugality, so that excess money could be put to good use
Financial investment
The art of encouragement
Creative teaching of children
Writing skills
Cultivating beauty in the little aspects of life
Musical talent as a pianist
Photography and scrapbooking
Refurbishing old homes and old furniture
Sewing, especially beautiful skirts and things for the home such as pillows and curtains
Historical interest
Opportunities to travel
Hospitality
Service to others

-Served others in her family and community, as their needs arose, and learned to do it with a loving and gentle spirit.

-Learned to be faithful and trusting in God through the trials that arose, and to be resilient.

Looking at this "future resume" is overwhelming. I have SO far to go. I hope I will get to spend my whole life attempting to rise to this challenge, because I know that's how long it will take! Thank God that HE will be there to help me. I could never do this without Him.

Still here!

2006-07-25T13:37:00.000-05:00

I've been spending most of my free computer time the past couple of days working on creating / adapting forms for and compiling my Homekeeping Journal (aka Home Management Binder). I've decided that, for me, more detailed schedules and record keeping will be beneficial. I'm just the type of person who operates more efficiently within a well-detailed framework! So I'm upping the "structure factor". The only thing is, I HAVE to remember to view my to-do list as many baby steps, and not allow myself to get overwhelmed by worrying about completing the entire list. Schedules and routines and to-do lists are wonderful if they are used as tools or guides, but I only get discouraged if I view them as the be-all / end-all taskmaster of my existence:op

It's happened already a few times this week. I started worrying about all the things I felt I needed to do, and then told Micah that I was feeling overwhelmed. Wonderful husband that he is, he helped me isolate my highest priorities, and I focused on those. What relief I felt at the end of the day, when I realized that all the most important tasks had been completed in good time!

OK, so here's a question for you organized and structured types: How do you schedule your Quiet/Devotional times into the day without making it feel like just another "task" to cross off the list? I've found that if I don't "plan" for a quiet time, it rarely happens. And yet, I'm not sure how to still my mind and rest in the moment when I'm on a schedule and have many other things to "get to". I'm really wanting to find that balance between structure and efficiency, and taking moments for restful thought, prayer, enjoying life, and spontaneity. I'd love to know what has worked for some of you!

Day-in-my-life #1

2006-07-17T23:47:00.000-05:00

Becky recently suggested that I do some "Day-in-the-life" posts, sharing how I schedule my days and manage my time. I think that sounds fun! But more than that, I believe it will provide me with some motivation and accountability as I work at becoming more disciplined and organized with my time. If I know I'm going to have to post my day for everybody to see, it might help me to stay on track! So here's the first installment...

I don't have a minute-by-minute or even hour-by-hour schedule. I've tried that and found it very hard to stick with. Micah's work schedule is variable, so mine is too:o) Instead, I am trying to follow a general outline of regular duties that need to be accomplished.

I'm also trying to take a moment every day to write out a to-do list of all of those ever-changing little details that need to be attended to. I try to prioritize these details as I fit them into the bigger picture of my day. It's nice to be able to check things off and see my accomplishments!

Here's my outline (As a general rule, I try to do #1 and #2 first thing in that order. #3 and #4 are always flip-flopping around:op) :

1. Wake up, shower and dress for the day. Since I've been working from home, I've tried to make a point of continuing to dress nicely everyday (makeup, hair, the whole thing...though I usually don't bother with June Cleaver's pearls and high heels;o), even if I'm not going to leave the house. Yes...I'm sure I would save some time if I didn't worry so much about it. But I don't want to let myself slack in this area! My husband deserves my efforts to look nice for him. And I feel more fresh, more energetic, and more focused when I've outwardly prepared for the day.

2. Tidy house. This includes making the bed, straightening each room, and making sure that the kitchen (especially dishes and counters) is clean.

3. Business duties. This takes a variable amount of time each day, and the duties are often different. My prioritized "to-do" list comes in here.

4. Homemaking tasks. Same as with "Business duties"...different things everyday. There may be errands to run, cooking or baking to do, laundry, a room or closet to organize, or in-depth cleaning projects. I figure out what needs to be done each day as I make my to-do list. Currently, I'm not following a weekly schedule, such as: Mon-grocery shopping, Tues-clean the bathroom, etc...although I may eventually try to adopt a more regularized approach. We'll see. First things first!

OK...so here was today:

9am- I woke up, dressed, and talked with Micah for a bit (That sounds horribly lazy...I know! But we did go to bed about 2am last night. Like I've mentioned before, our schedule is flexible, so we tend towards being night-owls as is our nature:op )

At about 10am, we ran out to the hardware store to buy some paint for the dressers I'm working on refurbishing. I pushed off #2 on my general outline, so that I could start painting before the heat of the day caught up with me. We got home, Micah left to go do some jobs away from home (his work responsibilities involve outside jobs, as well as working at home to prepare and file reports), and I painted. I finished about 12:30pm.

Micah was home for lunch, so I made us some salads with a side of baked brie and crackers.

After lunch, I did some of the tidying (#2) that I had neglected earlier. Then I sat down at the table and made some "business" calls, wrote some emails, and did a few business tasks. I also found myself blog-surfing a bit, but I tried not to get carried away:op

Late afternoon, I took a shower to wash off the dried paint on my skin. Then I responded to a letter from a friend (snail-mail! Yes...I have a friend which I actually hand-write letters to on a regular basis. We've always done it that way and just never stopped!)

I prepared a dinner of leftovers, and Micah and I ate together. About 8am, we took our evening walk together.

For the rest of the evening, Micah's been working on the computer, so I've been on the computer myself doing some reading and blogging. I also took a break to talk to a friend on the phone. But now that it's 12:45 am, I'm going to sign off and start thinking about going to bed. Maybe tomorrow can be an earlier start?:o)

Notes to self: This evening, I neglected cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. That will mean waking up to a messy kitchen in the morning...not fun! I need to really work on cleaning the kitchen immediately after we finish eating (For some reason...dinner seems to be the hardest for me!).

If anybody else wants to take the Day-in-the-life challenge, I would love to read about how you manage your time! I'm sure I have a lot to learn from more experienced homemakers. Please comment and let me know if you post on this subject!

Stretching those dollars

2006-07-17T23:10:00.000-05:00

The Dollar Stretcher: Another website with TONS of articles dedicated to frugality and helping the one-income family. I haven't had time to sift through all of these yet, but many of them look quite interesting! They discuss everything from home businesses, to stay-at-home-moms, to stay-at-home-wives without children, to single moms wanting to be home with the kids.

And if you want advice or inspiration (like I do!) on how to be a better manager of your resources, check out Dollar Stretcher's topical index. This site is a wealth of information!

Miserly Moms (and SAHWs, too)

2006-07-15T17:26:00.000-05:00

Even women without children can find encouragement at the Miserly Moms website on learrning to live on one income! Check out the Successful Coming Home Stories--women's experiences in leaving the workplace to work at home for their families. Also, the Work-At-Home Stories are interesting. Since I'm currently working on being better organized and disciplined, I am especially motivated by what this woman shares (long, but good, so I just posted the whole thing!):

Work-At-Home Story #6
Occupation Homemaker

Many SAHM (stay-at-home-moms) fall into a rut and feel bored, lonely, and/or insignificant. Sometimes the fear of these things even keeps women from staying at home in the first place. Often, the secular world paints a picture of a mom at home as very quaint; not glamorous like a city job, or rewarding like a passionate career, or entertaining like a hustle-bustle working lifestyle; only simplistic and cute. It doesn’t usually sound very attractive to young women. If it isn’t these things that deter a family from having mom at home then it’s the lie that they can’t afford life on one income alone.

-
I personally experienced some confusion when I first got married and began my life at home. I had the house organized and just as clean as any other house and yet I still felt bored a lot of the time and was somewhat discontented. It didn’t make sense to me. I had been an excellent student and an exemplary worker. Yet, here at home, I was continuously bored which led to feeling lonely. I kept wondering why I felt that way.

It wasn’t that I didn’t have enough to do. I had two children with one on the way, I was beginning to teach my 4 year old, I helped my husband run his carpentry business from home, I sang on the worship team, taught Children’s church, cooked and cleaned, etc. So I had plenty to do.

It also wasn’t that I was just unhappy at home, because I wasn’t. I was thrilled to be able to be at home with my kids when so many others I knew felt that they had to work to support their families. I was grateful for the time and opportunity to homeschool my kids and really be a helper to my husband.

One day, my mother finally pointed out to me that when I had been in school I was very regimented with my time. I kept an organized calendar/journal in which I planned and pre-planned the timing of assignments and events and all they entailed. Then, each day I would see what was in store and complete everything efficiently and often beforehand. When I worked, I had a clear and concise position and had the mind-set of being good at my job. I always completed tasks in a timely fashion and with a cheerful demeanor.

It was then that I realized that my attitude towards being at home wasn’t right. I was being too relaxed. I was treating my time at home everyday like I had previously done on the weekends when in school or at work. I decided to treat my life at home with the kids as my new career; with the kids as my subordinates and my husband as my boss.

I immediately got planning. I got out a new calendar/journal and allotted time for everything I sought to accomplish each day, week, month, etc. I scheduled everything: Housework, errands, cooking, schooling the children, special projects, paperwork, shopping.... I even put reminders to give the kids their baths and change the bed sheets and the fish’s water. I PLANNED EVERYTHING!

Now every morning I wake up with an agenda. I have the drive of being able to cross off the things on my list each day. That helps me conquer the feelings of unimportance because I can see on paper that I am getting so much done.

I don’t get terribly stringent on WHEN things get accomplished in the day. I know that life with small children doesn’t necessarily fit into strict time slots. And the purpose of the schedule was not to stress me out or rush us all day. It is a guideline to keep me on track.

I have discovered that I actually have a lot of time to do almost anything I want. Being at home with the kids is no longer the reason I can’t do the things I desire to do, (read my Bible, pray, exercise, write, etc.) rather, it’s what enables me to do them. I had completely eliminated the dull gaps in my day where I would just sit and think about how I had “nothing to do”.

This was such a refreshing change that I decided to carry the concept over to other areas of my life. For example: I have a calendar on the wall on which I write out all the suppers that I’m going to fix. I spend one afternoon going through my recipe books and cook books and I plan all the suppers out ahead of time. This way I know in advance that on the nights we go to church we’ll have something quick and easy to fix, and on the nights we have company we’ll have a larger meal, and on Sundays we’ll have a meal in the crock pot so it’s ready when we get home, etc. As I write out the meals I also begin to make my weekly grocery lists (while I have the recipes handy). That way I’m sure to have all the ingredients handy for each meal. Then, before I go shopping, all I have to do is add the items I need for breakfast and lunch throughout the week and whatever baking necessities I’ve run out of. I even coordinate them with my grocer’s weekly flyers so that I can save us the most money. (For one of several references regarding this topic, please see Matt. 25:21.)

Doing it this way may sound like an awful lot of work but it actually saves a lot of time and frustration. I never have to fret over what to fix for supper and I know we’re eating healthy and cost-effectively. Besides, I really enjoy the planning part. I like to go through my cookbooks and try new things.

I have found that having this well-organized approach to things helps me do my job with ease and efficiency making it easier to be content and cheerful. It also helps me get the kids involved. They work with me each day. In the morning, when they ask what we’re going to do that day all I have to do is check the book and say “Well, it’s dusting day and then we’ll vacuum and clean the basement”, or something to that effect. We know what we need to do so we’re able to do it with gladness. And we always make sure to leave plenty of time for romping, reading, catching frogs, and feeding bugs to the chickens, etc (all things three small boys love to do).

So that’s my secret of being a SAHM. I take my “job” seriously. With all my time and effort I take care of my home. My “boss” (husband) knows that his best worker (me) is capable and motivated to do the best job each day. Now, when I fill out forms that ask for occupation I always smile as I proudly pen my title: Homemaker – for references please see Titus 2:1-5.

By: Amanda

Frugal and Versatile: Roast Chicken

2006-07-14T16:39:00.000-05:00

I've now successfully roasted three chickens, so I feel I can safely recommend this recipe to you!

Here's the great thing about roasting whole chickens:

1. Whole fryer chickens are comparatively cheap! I buy them for between 0.70- 0.90/lb. Now granted...about half of the weight is bone. But it still comes out to be a lot cheaper than your ordinary package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, if you don't mind having some dark meat (I like the dark!).

2. My chickens have been coming out SO tender! Leaving the skin on the chicken while it cooks slowly at a medium temperature keeps it very moist.

3. The following recipe has proven to be very versatile. Last night we had roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy...it was SO good! In the past, I've made sandwiches out of the leftovers and also frozen part of the chicken to use later in recipes like quesadillas and eggrolls. It would also be great in soup, casserole, or just about any recipe calling for cooked chicken! If your roasting pan fits two chickens at once as mine does, it works great to make extra for later use.

4. Preparation time is very minimal. The oven does most of the work:o)

Roast Chicken

(Recipe originally found on www.recipezaar.com; has been slightly adapted)

1 whole chicken
1 stalk celery (optional...I don't always use this)
1 sweet apple, cored
2-4 cloves garlic (I use 3-4)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary
Sage
(Amts. of spice used will vary to your own taste.)

1. Prepare, wash and dry chicken. (I try to buy chickens with the neck and giblets already removed.)

2. Pour olive oil onto one hand and coat the chicken.

3. Rub freshly-cracked pepper, rosemary and sage onto the chicken. Season with salt.

4. Place in roaster.

5. Cut celery into half-inch chunks and apples into eighths.

6. Slice garlic into slivers (or mince)

7. Combine the celery, apple and garlic with more rosemary and sage. Place half of the mixture into chicken cavity. Place other half around chicken in roaster.

8. Roast in oven at 325-350 degrees (Note: I've been roasting at 350, but I just read that 325 is the ideal temperature!), basting every half hour or so. Depending on the size of the chicken, roasting time will be 1 1/2 - 3 hours. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach at least 180 degrees. My chickens usually roast for almost three hours, because my husband likes them falling-apart done!

9. Remove meat from bones and enjoy!!!

I'm honored!

2006-07-14T12:44:00.000-05:00

Becky nominated me for a Blogs of Beauty Awards category...frugality! Oh no...now I'll really have to work harder at living up to that nomination! ;o) Well, even though I wasn't a finalist, it was exciting to be nominated. (I truly mean that, because I wasn't expecting a nomination at all!) Thanks, Becky!

Our computer's here!

2006-07-13T10:43:00.000-05:00

That means more writing time for Erin! (Hopefully! :o)

A year ago today...

2006-07-12T11:53:00.000-05:00

...I posted my first entry on this blog:o)

I hope you don't mind if I celebrate my "blogiversary" by recounting what God has done in Micah's and my life together in the past year. He has been so good to us...despite us!

A year ago, Micah and I were just beginning to come out of a very difficult period in our lives. Several months before, we had moved away from our friends, church and apartment in Dallas because Micah couldn't find a job that paid enough there, we were deeply in debt (mostly school loans...one moral of this story is: do NOT finance your education with loans!), and we weren't really making it financially. We had no specific prospects for work here, either, but my parents offered to let us stay with them while we searched and tried to get settled. I absolutely love my parents! But when what was supposed to be a matter of weeks turned into six, seven, eight months...I was beginning to despair.

We felt like such failures. Friends and aquaintances of ours were graduating from college and smoothly transitioning straight into great jobs, buying homes, doing well financially, and then there was us: we were living with my parents, Micah was working at a hardware store while he searched for a "real job", and I was working odd jobs to try to help out. I was also feeling depressed. All I wanted was to not to have to worry about money anymore, and to make a home for my husband and me. Yet I felt obligated to find some job I didn't want to do to help get us out of this mess we were in. I felt very sorry for myself. I kept thinking: I've always been the "responsible one", the one who did well in school, the one who succeeded at most of what I tried to do. So why me? Why am I in this situation? Why do Micah and I have to be the losers that everyone else pities and looks down upon?

In April of last year, God sent us a connection for a better job for Micah: a friend and neighbor of my parent's told us that his company was looking for more people. Micah has always been interested in construction and real estate, and this job was in that field. The pay potential was greater than Micah had expected to find! The downside, however, was that Micah would be working as a private contractor for the company, and it would take a while to accumulate the needed certifications and training to have a regular work-load. As a contractor, Micah would not be paid a salary, but only for the work he accomplished. We knew it would be difficult to make it through the training/certification period. But, we also felt that this job would be a big step in the right direction. Micah went on his interview, while I waited nervously in the car. In my pity-party mood, I fully expected to be disappointed, so I almost couldn't believe it when Micah came out and told me that he had the job!

Fast-forward to one year ago: now that Micah had his new job, we were seriously looking for an apartment or a home to rent and trying to get back on our feet. I was substituting at a preschool/daycare, and looking for a full-time position. But I was feeling very discouraged. My heart was at home, and I REALLY wanted to work at and from home. I had already done the whole office-job thing many times over. It's difficult to go to job interviews and act enthusiastic about a position you don't really want! I tried, but I'm not sure how successful I was;o) My heart just wasn't there, and I just didn't care for having a career away from my home and little family.

I had recently discovered the "Homemaker's blogosphere" ;o) It was a refreshing escape from my reality. These women had the lives I wanted, and I suppose I enjoyed living vicariously. When I began reading blogs, I never intended to start my own! But I soon began wanting a connection to this world of home-centered women. I needed an outlet where I could write (a sort of compulsion with me!) about the things I truly cared about. So my life wasn't perfect. I had to get a job in an office and spend my days doing work I didn't truly care about. But my blog would reflect what I did care about. Maybe someday my life could come to reflect that as well.

So I got my little office job. I didn't really think I had any other choice! With Micah and I both working our new jobs, we were able to sign a lease on a rental home. Though it wasn't funny at the time, it kind-of is now: we had our home for almost a month before we could afford to turn on the electricity, gas and water and actually move in! But finally, we did!

Life went on. Micah worked on his certifications and training, and I sat in my office and in the car (for my 2-3 hr. commutes every day!) and dreamed about working at home. Blogging and reading others' blogs continued to be a source of inspiration and motivation for me. Though on some discouraging days, reading about other women loving their jobs at home just made me feel worse about my situation, more often it planted seeds of hope that maybe I could get there too.

In December, we lost our little puppy. Though I could never compare it to losing a human child, it was still one of the hardest losses I have ever had. Since we had no human children, she was our baby. We had her since the very first months of our marriage. Through all the rough times in her two years with us, she was a faithful and cheerful little companion. She could always make us laugh with her antics:o)

Also in December, we made the decision for me to quit my job. We had been talking about and trying to plan toward this for a couple of months, but to be honest, we were still not exactly sure if it would really work out! If a financially-minded person looked at our budget and at Micah's job situation, they would have probably told us not to do it. But we both felt that if we were going to make the leap for me to be at home, there would never be a "perfect" time. We just had to do it and trust that God would work out the details.

Well, I'm not sure how much I actually trusted! In fact, I'm fairly certain that there was a large amount of doubt and anxiety on my part! But God truly DID work out the details. He is faithful, even when I am faithless. For the first couple of months, I LOVED BEING HOME (!), but we still didn't know how or if things would work out. Somehow, we squeaked by through the early part of this year without missing rent or getting our utilities cut off. We didn't go hungry. Though some people thought we were being crazy and irresponsible, we forged ahead with our crazy and irresponsible scheme to have a home business:o)

Now it's July. Our business is still in the start-up stage, but through God's grace it's already way more productive than I ever expected! At this point, we're better off financially than when I was working full-time away from home. Oh...and we have a new little puppy friend:o) Life isn't perfect...it won't ever be outside of Heaven. We still have all that crazy debt to pay off. Something could happen tomorrow, causing another another crisis, financial or otherwise, for us to fight through. I don't know. But I do know that God has poured His blessings out on us, even through difficult times, throughout the past year and throughout our lives. He is in control. All He asks is that Micah and I let Him be our Guide forward. I can't wait to see what I'll have to reflect back on a year from today!

My first post, a year ago, was a poem. I think I'll post another poem today...it can be a yearly tradition!:o) This is one our pastor read in church on Sunday. It was written by William Cowper in 1774:

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings on your head.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain.

Work, blogging, togetherness, etc.

2006-07-10T12:40:00.000-05:00

I find that it's usually better for me to write in the evening, rather than during the day. Evenings are better suited to relaxing and reflective activities such as reading and writing, whereas when I try to do those things during my daytime hours, other important "active" tasks can be easily neglected.

Lately, I have been trying to focus on my homemaking and home business jobs during the day when Micah is away for his job, and postponing blogging and other writing. But since my husband needs to spend a lot of his evening time on the computer (work/business-related), and the rest of the evening we spend together, my access has been limited.

Not for long!:o) This weekend, our business was able to pay cash for a second computer, which should arrive in the next couple of days! Now Micah and I will be able to work "together" on our business, or be together when we are both doing computer-y things! I am so excited! We both use a computer for so much of what we do (Micah's job, our business, my writing, etc.), and have always had to take turns working alone. Now we will be able to work "together", even when we're each focusing on separate projects. I think that's what I'm most happy about. I like being close to my hubby and spending time with him, even when we've got work to do:o)

P.S. Oh...and no, we don't work ALL the time! We just have a weird, flexible, often-late schedule. Many times we do most of our work during the late mornings/afternoons/part-of-the-evenings. We also stay up way too late most nights. I keep thinking that we should get on an earlier schedule (it just seems like "the thing to do"), but we're both naturally night-owls and it's SO HARD!!! *sheepish grin* :op

Our Business

2006-07-04T00:26:00.000-05:00

Several people wanted to know more about our business. Let's just say, it's not in it's final form yet, and we're excited to see where it will eventually end up! But we're thrilled with the fact that it's becoming productive for us!

When I quit my away-from-home job at the end of last year, we didn't know how God would provide the money to start the home business we dreamed of having. We had no start-up capital at all, and are committed to not taking on any more debt. So we started "scheming", and decided to try to find some bargains to sell on Ebay for start-up money. After a few weeks of garage-sale hunting and trying to sell our finds, we realized that this was a very hit-and-miss endeavor. We sold some items for quite a profit, but our good fortune was essentially canceled out by all the not-so-great deals we ended up with. Plus, we were spending a lot of time to find just a few items to sell. I think some people have been successful selling used collectibles and things, but Micah and I don't know nearly enough about which items will be losers and which will be winners. You have to have an eye for it, I guess!

I was discouraged, and wanted to give up on Ebay, but Micah decided that we should try selling new items rather than used. I was rather skeptical, to say the least! But my smart hubby obtained a business tax ID for us and did his market research to find some good products and product distributors we could work with. (The companies he found provide direct-shipping to our customers, so that we don't have to keep very much inventory. So we were able to start with almost no money--we purchase most items as customers order them--and build our capital through our sales.)

I wish I could tell you which companies we are working with, but Micah took great care to find some market areas that weren't overly saturated. He did a fantastic job selecting our distributors! They have been wonderful about shipping out items quickly, and have given us excellent customer service. In return, we receive positive customer feedback:o)

There are a lot of "scammy" type drop-shipping companies out there selling junk from overseas, but then there are reputable distributors of quality goods who just "happen" to offer drop-shipping as one of their services. These are the ones to look for!

We are still in the process of deciding what to do with the capital we are earning. Right now, as much as possible, we are trying not to draw out our profits. We plan to re-invest as much of it as we can to hone and grow our business. We want to take it slow and steady. No debt at all! Eventually, we hope to start a website and all of that good stuff, and try to focus on one niche market. We would like to be able to stock our own inventory and arrange for our own shipping, so that we can be in control of those aspects of customer service. We'll see what God has in store.

Right now, I'm just SO happy to be making money from home! I find so much CONTENTMENT here, which the office never afforded. And I'm thankful for Micah, who worked hard to set up this income-producing project for us. Maybe, someday, we will actually be able to get out of debt completely! It seems like a far-off dream, but so did making money from home just six months ago! God is certainly good to us.

I've been tagged...

2006-07-03T23:39:00.000-05:00

...by Rachel!

5 Things in my Refrigerator:
1. Sweet and sour sauce, left over from trying Mrs. R's Eggroll recipe (Good, btw!)
2. Half a watermelon
3. A dozen eggs to make Deviled Eggs tomorrow
4. A whole chicken to roast
5. Apricot preserves that I use in my Baked Brie recipe

5 Things in my Closet:
1. My wedding dress
2. About 4 suitcases
3. 2 cases of bottled water (It's a hurricane season thing:op )
4. A box of inventory for our business
5. A Hawaiian lei

5 Things in my Purse:
1. A receipt from our first official business purchase today! Two 2-drawer filing cabinets! (Maybe that sounds boring to you, but I am super-excited to have them and finally organize the piles of papers lying around my house!
2. "Extra" spearmint chewing gum
3. Cherry ChapStick - I'm addicted to it and literally cannot be without it.
4. Junk
5. More junk. Purse needs cleaning!

5 Things in my Car:
1. A bag of clothes in the trunk that have needed to be taken to the thrift store for the past month!
2. Pine needles stuck in the carpet in the trunk since last Christmas (Yes, I have tried brushing and vacuuming!)
3. An umbrella
4. There is still random litter in the car from a week and a half ago when we took a weekend road-trip with our friends to stay in a relative's cabin :op Car desperately needs cleaning too.
5. A shocking lack of technology! (Yes, somehow I survive without a built-in cd player or even a car-charger for my cell phone;o)

5 People I am tagging:
Absolutely whoever wants to do this! (Let us know if you do!)

God provides!

2006-06-30T10:52:00.000-05:00

Micah and I were thrilled last night, when we realized that our at-home side business income has already replaced my old full-time job income! (Not that my salary was huge or anything, since I worked at a non-profit;o) The absolute best part is that I used to spend 50-60 hours per week at work and commuting. Now I only spend a couple hours a day and the rest of my time is free to be a wife and homemaker! Six months ago, when we made the leap for me to be at home, I would have hardly believed this. Even when things seem to be impossible, God does provide!

May I Sacrifice

2006-06-29T12:11:00.000-05:00

The Linda Hirshman debacle has already been covered on several other blogs (As Linda so graciously enlightens us, "full time mothers, who are overwhelmingly represented among female bloggers, don’t like being told they had chosen inferior lives.") and I don't have an overwhelming desire to rehash old news. I'm not going to try to correct Linda's opinions about homemakers. Her mind is obviously made up. But I do have a few related thoughts to share. In other words, I've been ruminating and this is a good outlet!;o)

I believe that Ms. Hirshman comes from a worldview so foreign to mine, that argument with her is pointless. She will never comprehend (short of God changing her heart) why what I and many other women desire to do (put investing in our families and others FIRST before seeking public honor and success) has great eternal significance. She probably doesn't have a relationship with our Heavenly Father or give much consideration to the afterlife. Therefore she can only see significance in the here and now. Looking around, we see that success in the "here and now" seems fueled by money, power and having as large of a public impact with that money and power as possible. It's no wonder she feels that full-time wives and mothers and homemakers are wasting our lives. We are deliberately (or according to Ms. Hirshman, under the duress of public expectation) "limiting our influence". In fact, if we follow her logic from its underlying presuppositions, it makes perfect sense.

Where does Ms. Hirshman place her faith? Can't say. But my guess is, herself. She suscribes to a doctrine of autonomy:
(a) If I can reject the societal constraints that seek to hinder me, I can live my individual life to its fullest. (or, independence=good; dependence=bad)
(b) Living an autonomous life will not have detrimental effects on my personal relationships.

Props for Ms. Hirshman's idealism (or is it delusionism?). However, I am daily reminded that we do live in an imperfect world with imperfect people. I am one of them! None of us can find within ourselves the means to flourish independently of God and one another. I am not self-sufficient. And my choices can hurt others, even myself. I am a dependent being, and I have dependent beings relying on me, and no amount of "women's liberation" is going to change that.

1. If I choose to put a career above my personal relationships, I may have many colleagues. I may have clients. But I will be lonely, because I am using my waterbucket to tend many scruffy weeds with shallow roots, rather than watering the deep, permanent roots of my trees. Trees whose arms could provide shelter when it rains and refreshing shade from the heat.

2. If I have children, and pay someone else to raise them, they will miss out on the love and constancy and example that my care could give. And I will miss out on a deep and special relationship with them.

3. If I have a family, and refuse to make any sacrifices for them, they may be loathe to make any sacrifices for me. My children will not learn from me to make sacrifices for others.

4. If I am married, but view myself as independent from my husband, he may start envisioning his life independent of me.

5. If I have a house but consider all the work of taking care of it beneath my dignity and intelligence, I will not have a home. Visitors to my house will see only brick and mortar. They will not see life and personality spilling from every nook and cranny. They will not enjoy a sense of homeyness and hospitality when they step inside my door.

6. If my name is well-known by many, but my heart is well-known by none, then my greatest power to influence and impact others lies wasted.

7. If I am not willing to live my life as a sacrifice of love and service poured out to others, than I am not following in the example of Jesus Christ. He did not come to earth as a king. He did not seek fanfare or power or wealth. He came as a servant. One despised and scoffed at by men. He "wasted" his time on the "least of these". He wanted to show us that His love, for us and through us, is ultimately the only currency that will last forever.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Independence (aka loneliness)

2006-06-27T16:31:00.000-05:00

Americans are more socially isolated than they were 20 years ago, separated by work, commuting and the single life, researchers reported on Friday. [...]

People were not asked why they had fewer intimate ties, but Smith-Lovin said that part of the cause could be that Americans are working more, marrying later, having fewer children, and commuting longer distances.

Who wants to jump on the independence bandwagon??? As for me, no thanks...I'll keep "sacrificing myself" in order to maintain my "risky", interdependent familial and friendship relationships;o)

They didn't want to know me

2006-06-27T16:15:00.000-05:00

One further point on the topic of daycare. As a worker, I could hardly believe the number of parents who would barely greet me during drop-off or pick-up. They didn't know my name. They didn't try to find out anything about me whatsoever. And here I was, caring for their children for the majority of their waking hours! Could it be that they didn't want to know me, because that would hinder their pretending that I didn't exist as the major influence in their child's life? Was it a form of denial?

Don't just listen to me...

2006-06-27T16:08:00.000-05:00

Want to read what other current or former daycare workers have to say?

After reading some of these descriptions, I feel that my personal experiences were relatively good!

My Daycare Experience

2006-06-27T12:16:00.000-05:00

Note: The following is long, but I wanted to give a detailed picture!

I was never enrolled in a daycare facility as a child. However, I have worked in two of them, and so have had the opportunity observe this method of raising children firsthand. For those who have never spent a full day in a center as an adult, I thought this might prove enlightening. With this piece, I am focusing primarily on the preschool ages.

Daycares are highly regulated, so much of the director's and workers' days are spent making sure that the center is in compliance. This website gives the regulations for the state of Texas. Of particular interest are the state minimum requirements for child/worker ratios:

Maximum number of children assigned to one caregiver in each specified age group:
0 - 11 months: 4
12 - 17 months: 5
18 - 23 months: 9
2 years: 11
3 years: 15
4 years: 18
5 years: 22
6-8 years: 26
9 - 12 years: 26

Maximum number of children assigned to two caregivers in each specified age group:
0 - 11 months: 10
12 - 17 months: 13
18 - 23 months: 18
2 years (24 months): 22
3 years: 30
4 years: 35
5 years: 35
6 - 8 years: 35
9 - 12 years: 35

It's worth noting that almost no daycare center is going to reach above these minimum standards. In most daycares, the existing workers are already being paid very low wages, and the owner is not going to add more employees to the payroll than are determined necessary by the state.

The workers must meet the basic care requirements for each child. These include feeding at regular intervals (every 2-3 hours), diapering or toileting as needed (for a room with ten babies, this likely means upwards of 50 diaper changes a day to be handled by two workers), and providing care and supervision during regularly scheduled playtimes and naptimes. Throughout the day, the workers must maintain a sanitary environment. The children and the room(s) must be kept clean. For instance, the diaper-changing table is supposed to be wiped and sanitized after EVERY changing (again, often 50+ times).

In addition to caregiving, the workers are responsible for keeping records for each child detailing (but not limited to) the following information:

(1) Times the child slept;
(2) Times and amount of food consumed;
(3) Times of diaper changes (for babies and toddlers)
(4) Child's general mood for the day; and
(5) A brief summary of the activities in which the child participated.
(6) Minor accident reports (ie, minor scratches or bites from other children)

The Texas regulations require that the caregivers give individual attention (ie, talk with, play with, hold babies and toddlers) to each child to the extent possible. However, in my experience, the above duties often precede and leave very little room for this "less essential" care.

What my mother personally encountered as a daycare observer:

Daycare Center #1: This was probably a low-mid scale chain type center. My sisters' and my ballet teacher rented one of the rooms for a period of time while her studio was being constructed. So my mother had a few hours every week while she waited for us during our lessons to become oriented to the daycare scene. She told me that if the parents could see what she regularly saw, they would be shocked. The children were essentially caged in rooms with screaming and bellowing workers. When the parents arrived, however, the workers become as sweet as honey. My mom could not believe the level of play-acting. These women would have had a career in theatre if they ever decided to leave childcare.

What I personally encountered as a daycare worker:

Daycare Center #2:

My employee status: Summer job as a college student. I worked primarily with toddlers.

This was a mid-scale center. The family demographic was middle to upper-middle class. The worker demographic was mostly low-income, high-school/GED educated, although a few other employees besides me were in the process of attaining their degrees. Thankfully, there was little screaming or bellowing (from the workers. The children screamed and bellowed frequently). Each room had a camera, so that the parent could watch their child on video from his or her desk. However, the camera was often the source of frustration for the worker trying to restrain a child from hitting or biting another child. If we so much as laid a hand on a child, even to protect his classmates, we could be sure that the director would come sailing into the room demanding that we be more careful. "The parent could be watching!"

Also because of the cameras, the director wanted to make sure that the room appeared tidy at all times. Therefore, each room was severely deficient in toys and activities, and we spent an inordinate amount of time scooping up each plaything as soon as a child dropped it. I cannot tell you how incredibly BORED those poor children were. It's no wonder that the more assertive ones in the bunch resorted to territorial aggresion, biting and kicking and pushing the other kids, to keep them away from their favored toys. There just weren't enough interesting things to go around.

The entire focus at this center was how things would appear to the childrens' parents. So we had pointless "craft activities" everyday with our 18 mo. olds, which consisted of them watching me and the other worker cut out shapes and glue them on paper. We simply did not have time to help each child accomplish the project themselves.

This center dealt with the workers' lack-of-time issue with Mr. Roving TV and Barney Video. We got our turn with the TV right before lunch, and this was the workers' chance to frantically try to catch up with diaper changes and the childrens' daily reports.

I won't even get into how disgusting the childrens' food was. But I guess it must have met with the Texas State Nutrition and Food Service Guidelines!

In our room, we had the meanest little 18-mo old boy imaginable mixed with some sweet-tempered, sensitive children. He was always trying to bully them. We did the best we could to keep him away from the other children, but that usually meant sticking him in the corner with most of the toys to himself while we tried to entertain the others with the leftovers. Watching him was nearly a full-time job in itself. I felt really bad the few times that he managed to hurt others before we could intervene. One time he bit a little girl so hard that she started to bleed profusely. To our dismay, a couple of our "sweet boys" began to imitate Mean Boy and push the other children around. So much for positive socialization!

Towards late afternoon, many of our children became grouchy and whiny. They were tired of being bored and they were tired of being "socialized." (How do we adults feel if we NEVER get a moment of downtime to ourselves?) About this time, some of the children would always try to go pull their pillows and blankets out of their cubbies and curl up by themselves in a corner. But we were not allowed to let them do this. We had to try to keep them actively involved with the group. How would it look to the parents if we didn't?

Daycare Center#3:

Employee Status: Substitute preschool teacher. I worked with babies-4 year olds.

This was more of a high-scale center. It cost well over $1,000 /mo. per child, so our parents were generally well-off professionals. The center advertised that it's teachers possessed at least a BA degree, however this was not true of the baby and toddler teachers. The focus of this center, as described on their website, is education:

All children are born geniuses. The challenge is to keep them that way through stimulating and challenging intellectual activities with the main emphasis on fun. The brain grows and develops more in the first six years of life than at any other time, our aim is to capture this motivation and develop it for the future.

In order to accomplish this goal, the center had the children (except for the babies) rotate from classroom to classroom throughout the day, each room having a different educational focus. There was the Physical Education / Active Playroom which doubled as the nap room, the computer room, the "Home Room" (with dolls and toy dishes and other "playing house" type toys), the music room (with toy instruments), the craft room, the eating room, etc. Sounds good in theory. However, we did spend a TON of time transporting groups of children from room to room every 30-45 minutes and there were significant issues with crowd control. At least it helped the boredom problem, although it did not exactly foster long attention spans.

Since this center focused on education, the full-time "teachers" were supposed to prepare lessons and activities for the sessions in each room. The poor women did their best. However, lack of time, the rigors of crowd control, and the necessities of their other duties often interefered.

As in the other center, we had a large "time" problem. As workers, we did not have enough time to give to each child, especially the less demanding ones. Demanding, misbehaving children or children needing attention to their physical needs took the bulk of our time.

To their credit, this facility did not use a TV to babysit the children. They also took pride in the fact that children were being exposed to quality culture, such as classical music during naptimes.

Interestingly, even a nice center such as this one could not afford to pay cushy salaries. The baby workers were paid less than the other teachers. As a result, they were less educated. The workers in the babies' room did not even fully speak English. I often wondered how the babies were expected to learn to understand and speak excellent English when their full-time caregivers did not.

During the days I spent at this center, I never understood how we were expected to effectively discipline misbehaving children. Most of the teachers just bumped the problem child to another room for a few minutes. Sometimes this helped, sometimes it didn't.

Each daycare shared one glaring problem: In spite of our best efforts (or lack thereof in the case of some), we were not mom (or dad, for that matter!). We had records of each child's food allergies and medical conditions, and eventually we learned about their different personalities. But we did not have an intimate knowledge of the child. We cared about them all, but we did not have a burning passion for each one's individual welfare. How could we? We were so busy with regulations and parents and crowd control and the necessities of basic care. We could not say to a child: "You are mine, and I love you!" Because, perhaps the very next week or month, that child would be traded to another teacher who would not know him from the next. And then another. And another (Turnover in daycare centers is very high!).

I remember looking at a baby's smile and thinking, "how could a parent bear missing this?" This, meaning their child's entire life, except for a couple of hours every evening. Hours when both parent and child have already been exausted and spent from the day, and are not quite themselves. I remember a little girl who used to call me "Mommy." Baby, I'm not your mommy. I wish you could know what it's like to have a mommy who has time to bake cookies with you and take you grocery shopping and let you help dust the furniture and who will laugh when you want to put seventeen ribbons in her hair.

Real life. That's another thing these babies miss out on. They live artificial lives, with parental simulations standing in for Mom and Dad, who have real lives and values to consistently model over a period of years; real care to give based on what the child truly needs at the moment rather than state regulations; hugs spilling from true love.

It is not my intention to bash parents who have their children in daycare. But I do want to provide a clear picture of what daycare is. I honestly believe that if you are a half-decent parent, your child will benefit from any measures you can take to limit the time he has to spend in the daycare environment. Even the most well-intentioned institution cannot replace you in your child's life.

I thought nobody was visiting me anymore...

2006-06-22T16:13:00.000-05:00

...but then I remembered that I had turned on my comment moderation last week when my internet crisis prompted an involuntary blog-fast:op I am relieved to know that my rather frequent absences of late have not run people off...everybody, anyway... ;o) Thanks, ya'll (or "you guys", for the benefit of my midwestern and northern readers), for sticking around!

That reminds me (*Warning: lengthy random musings to follow*) ...Micah and I were having a discussion yesterday about accents. I asked him if he thought I have a midwestern accent (thanks to being raised by parents from Ohio), or if any of the "southern belle" speech patterns you'll encounter with all these poofy-haired women down here who wear titanic pieces of jewelry and Mary Kay makeup have rubbed off on me. (Yes. I'm stereotyping. And it is accurate. Just visit a tearoom in Texas for lunch, or go to a ladies function at a church...preferably a Baptist one.) Micah answered me: "I think you have a small tinge of southern. You say 'y'all'!" I contended that my use of "y'all" is not exclusive. I also say "you guys" on a regular basis.

After a bit of consideration, I determined that "y'all" becomes most dominant in my speech when I am talking to the Southern Belle types, but "you guys" generally takes over when I am around members of either of our families (except for my sisters, who are similiarly or more southern-ified than I am). What do you know. Environment matters.

A few other ways in which growing up in Texas has corrupted me: I was raised to refer to coke and similiar fizzy drinks as "pop". That lasted until high school, when I worked at the afore-mentioned tearoom. Then I had to learn to say "soda" or those poor big-haired ladies wouldn't know what I was talking about. But that was better than referring to ALL types of soda as "coke", as many Texans do, for no good reason that I can think of. I guess it doesn't really matter anyway, since I don't drink the stuff anymore;o)

Texas habits almost caused me to die in an Ohio grocery store parking lot. You see...in Texas, when there's a crossing area designated by yellow lines for the purpose of ushering people from the car section of the parking lot to the building, you can safely assume that people will slow down or stop for you if they see you starting across (considering that you have given them adequate space and time to do so). In other states it don't work that way! I discovered this when I almost got run over (more than once) by Buckeye State drivers who appeared to speed up when they saw me crossing ahead of them. I guess that up north, it is the pedestrian's duty to yield to the driver. Because, after all, the pedestrian already HAS his or her parking spot...it is the unfortunate driver who is still unsure that they will be so lucky. A little hot-rodding is understandable in a delicate situation like that!

Also, elsewhere, talking to strangers in stores is often seen as...well...strange--perhaps even suspicious. Not here! I went grocery shopping yesterday, and at least 4 fellow shoppers engaged me in conversation. I am still getting used to this again, after living in "less-talkative" places for a number of years. It's taking some time to lose the whole "lower-your-eyes-and-act-like-you-don't-see-the-person-beside-you" stance.

No: I don't wear cowgirl hats or boots or giant belt buckles. I couldn't really care less about football. I only listen to country music when I'm in a certain mood (and Micah's not around...he can't stand the stuff!). There are no cacti or tumbleweeds or oil wells in my front yard (for those of you who may have been misinformed by this impression previously). Not all Texans have guns. And I would say that the big-haired ladies are a minority. But it's still a unique experience to live in a place where spirit and courtesy run high, the barbeque and Mexican cuisine are FANTASTIC, and Christian and conservative societal influences haven't yet been completely eradicated. So, though I may be accused of that abominable Texas pride...I have to say that I'm glad to live in the greatest state (in my humble opinion) in our wonderful nation! Fireants and hurricanes and sweltering heat notwithstanding.

***I'm not trying to knock Ohio--I was born there, much of my family lives there, and I met my wonderful husband there--or any other state. But my partiality towards Texas is rather undeniable. I can only admit it and hope that you will pardon my prejudice:op

I'm about to die!!!

2006-06-14T13:16:00.000-05:00

Ok...so that statement might be just a wee bit melodramatic:op But I am seriously considering having a good screeching fit.

Due to a mistake on our internet company's part, we have been moved back in the que to get our high-speed back on Friday (instead of yesterday, when we were originally told we would have it). I realize that I am probably acting like a spoiled brat to be complaining about having to use dial-up service, however, our current side-business is highly dependent on the internet. Tasks that take me 45 min-1 hr with high-speed have been taking me entire mornings and afternoons this week with dial-up. It just feels like such a waste of time! And it leaves me a lot less time (and inclination) to do things like read and ponder issues and write and post blog entries...not to mention keep up with the house and cooking and grocery shop and chase after the dog. In short, the well-being of our entire household depends partially on the speed of our technology. Wow, that sounds so nerdy...and pathetic:op

Alright, fine. Enough venting. Stiff upper lip. I'm sure the blogging world can survive without me for a couple more days, and I hope to return soon with the new appreciation for my blessings that deprivation for a period confers:o)

Have a great weekend!

2006-06-09T14:58:00.000-05:00

Well, between internet problems and blogger problems, my attempts to post recently have been a major production! We're temporarily on a (veeerrrryyy slooooowwww) dial-up connection until our high-speed gets up again on Tuesday. I probably won't try to post anything more until then. I still have a lot to write about and comments to respond to. Thanks to my readers, once again, for taking your valuable time to read and share your thoughts! I hope that everyone has a WONDERFUL weekend! (Good luck to me and anyone else in the south, trying to find fun things to do that don't require much 1000-degree-outside exposure:o)

"It won't hurt you..." (Oh really?)

2006-06-09T13:50:00.000-05:00

The redefinition of marriage is not a simple issue. It's not a matter of, "c'mon...let homosexuals 'participate' in marriage...it won't affect you!" Consider the following, from a news article in World Magazine:

Marc Stern, general counsel for the American Jewish Congress and a go-to guy for liberals grappling with civil rights, said legal same-sex marriage would set church and state on "a collision course," triggering "a sea change in American law . . . [that] will reverberate across the legal and religious landscape in some ways that are totally unpredictable." George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley termed the clash "a coming storm."

Among other scholars weighing in: Georgetown University law professor and gay-rights activist Chai Feldblum, University of Maryland law professor Robin Wilson, and Douglas Kmiec, a professor of constitutional law at Pepperdine University. Messrs. Turley and Stern, as well as Ms. Feldblum, support gay marriage. Ms. Wilson is undecided and Mr. Kmiec is opposed.

Thus, the Becket Fund's panel could hardly be said to have an anti-gay-marriage bias. And yet its findings on the questions at hand showed same-sex marriage sharply curtailing, and in some cases wiping out, the religious freedom of its opponents in spheres ranging from taxation, charitable giving, housing, public accommodation, and employment to licensure, professional practice, education, and equal access.

That's because the term marriage and its legal emanations echo throughout the canons of American law, Mr. Picarello said. "Once you change the definition of marriage, you don't change one law, you change thousands of laws."

The following segment from the same article outlines the ways in which the redefinition of marriage would negate the rights of people who are opposed because of religious reasons:

The broad legalization of same-sex marriage would place local, state, and federal governments on a collision course with religious institutions that adhere to a Judeo-Christian ethic. A group of First Amendment scholars—several of whom support, or are at least neutral on, the issue of gay marriage—predicts a hail of religious liberty litigation in four broad categories.

Licensing

After Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage, Boston Catholic Charities exited the adoption business rather than cede to state demands that it place children with same-sex couples. If same-sex marriage is legalized, professional licenses might also be denied to psychological clinics, social workers, marriage and family counselors, and others who believe same-sex relationships are "objectively disordered."

Tax Exemption and Government Benefits

Religious groups could find themselves suffering along with the Boy Scouts, as access to public facilities is stripped away. Gay-rights litigators will likely challenge groups' federal tax-exempt status, charging that such an exemption "subsidizes discrimination."

Conflicts Between Civil Rights Law and Religious Freedom

Among the possibilities: Religious employers who refuse to hire or retain employees in same-sex marriages can expect to be sued on the basis of "marital status discrimination." Religious colleges that refuse admission to same-sex couples could face civil lawsuits and loss of accreditation. In Massachusetts, Catholic colleges already are examining whether they must provide married student housing to legally married gay couples.

Freedom of Speech

Principles used by courts in deciding workplace sexual harassment cases will likely migrate to suppress an expression of anti-same-sex-marriage views by religious groups and people. The attorney general of New Jersey recently backed officials at William Patterson University after a non-faculty employee objected to receiving a mass e-mail inviting people to see gay-themed movies. The school disciplined the employee for having engaged in harassment because of her use of a single word, "perversions," to describe the content of the films.

—Source: The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty —

I believe it's been almost a year since I've posted anything on this topic, which is becoming more relevant than ever. In light of the recent vote in the Senate, the issue has been on my mind again. My position remains the same as what I wrote in July of 2005:

Legal Marriage: It's Not About Your "Special Relationship"
Why traditional Marriage Matters

Single Home-owning Gals Revisted

2006-06-02T14:11:00.000-05:00

Candice Z. Watter's article "Single Female Seeking Homeownership" sparked a lot of controversy in women's circles. Apparently, Mrs. Watters is fully aware of the fray that resulted from her piece, because she's written a follow-up article. While I'm not sure if I agree with every bit of her theology, I think her points are very interesting and worthy of consideration. I definitely see a contradiction between the stated desires and decisions made by many women my age. This disconnect was especially evident within my girl's circle at college. More on that later! For now, here's a particularly insightful thought from Watters:

Marriage is not something you acquire; like a degree, or a job, or even a home. It's something you enter, with great humility and self-sacrifice. It requires selflessness, interdependence and the ultimate commitment. How do you prepare for such a thing? You don't do it by becoming as independent as possible. Still that seems to be the mantra of many Christian single women today.

Popping on...

2006-06-02T12:25:00.000-05:00

...to say: I have really enjoyed reading your responses on my last couple of posts! I hope to respond to some of the comments in more detail soon. I also have TONS of posts floating around in my head, percolating until I get a chance to sit down and type them out! Funny thing. When it rains, it pours. Sometimes I just can't think of a thing I feel like writing about. But on days like today, I would be writing for the next five hours if I could.

Right now I am working off of a to-do list, trying to see how much of it I can get done before the weekend officially starts. Writing out a to-do list for myself is REALLY helping me to stay focused and motivated. It also gives me an opportunity to show Micah what I'm working on, and to ask him what he would like me to do for him. It's helping me keep my priorities in order. I used to make lists all the time, and for some reason had gotten out of the habit. But I'm back now, baby, with new and improved productivity!;o)

Lurkers?

2006-05-30T13:19:00.000-05:00

I've never done this before, but I'd love to "meet" those of you who visit my little home on the web and have never commented! If you're a "lurker"...don't be shy...please introduce yourself! Also, if you have your own blog that you would like me to consider linking to, let me know!

Come on, now... :o)

Wonderful!

2006-05-30T13:05:00.000-05:00

I only "know" Kristen in that I read her blog. But I was super-excited to read her news today! How wonderful when God gives the gift that we most hope for, yet least expect!