Merry Christmas!

What's in your locket?

Megan stood in front of the mirror, Sunday best on, rare clip in hair, lip gloss shining. I finger combed her mussed-up-by-sleeping but freshly-washed-last-night curls and she held the ends of a necklace up for me to clasp.

"I need to put a picture in this locket. A locket isn't a locket without something in it."

Oh, my heart, child.

Yes, truer words were never spoken.

For what is a heart without anything in it?
What comes of an empty heart?
or one filled with all the wrong things?

photo credit

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Luke 12:34

Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 

Luke 12:29

He purified their hearts by faith. 

Acts 15:9

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love 

into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 

Romans 5:5

He set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, 

guaranteeing what is to come. 

2 Corinthian 1:22

What's in your heart, 

your locket?

Let's get this show on the road already!

A sister calls from Mexico and we chat about guest lists and food and party games. Our youngest sister is getting married in 36 days. We have a shower to plan.

Time marches on with things to do and celebrations and friends, new things and old things, fresh starts and old routines.

And yet I feel the same as I'm sure my engaged sister feels; on a sort of anxious hold, excited to get started already and find out what my new life will look like.

After a rather difficult year, our family prayed, considered priorities, weighed options, researched and one thing led to another (with enough light for each step ahead ) and here we are starting an in-home daycare.

This is not something I dreamed about or ever even really considered until recently, but here we are. God's plans are not ours, but we can take ownership when he makes the way clear. Robb moved his realty office home, and amidst some small amount of friendly scorn and doubtful looks, we have plunged ahead in the process.

My kitchen has never been cleaner!

We consider this a family endeavor.

The kitchen cleaning is Robb's chosen responsibility, however.

We've never spend this much time together as a family, but we are adjusting!

Robb comes to this new venture with years of watching his mom run a successful daycare, and he's excited to come to a whole new understanding of what homeschooling looks like on a day to day basis. My homeschooling experience will now be applied to preschoolers as we create a fun curriculum of crafts, lessons, music and more.

Our license is about to come in the mail, homeschooling routines and detailed schedules are ready, lockers stand in the entry awaiting little coats and boots, and new toys are organized as we await the additions to our home and hearts.

Silence is not always golden.

There is a time when there is so much to say, nothing comes out.
The page remains blank, and no matter how many times you check that blog the same picture remains at the top.

Nothing new,
yet there is.
And,
there isn't.


Like the times you lay in bed next to each other, and you know if you start the flow of words, it will just take too long to sort it through, so you roll over and go to sleep instead.


I've been rolling over and turning my back to you.

It's been easier.

But it hasn't.

I've been busy, achieving boundaries on my time, choosing what is needed and hopefully profitable.
Yet I've neglected this one thing that could benefit us both.
 
Silence is not always golden.

I read this today. Maybe only other bloggers can understand this struggle. The rest just think we are crazy to put our hearts out in black and white anyway. Maybe we are. And yet relationship is born of honesty and communication and people who don't tell the truth about who they are are never really known by each other.

Loneliness is born of pretending, hiding.

To be honest, I've quit this venue and as a result, lost track of His voice. I've plugged my ears, stilled my tapping fingers, and closed up my heart so you can't see what is there, so I don't have to process and make sense of what I am:

An ungrateful mess.

How many times must I read the book, jot out gifts, lead the book club?
How many ways do I need to frame it up in my home, reminding myself, that this is all gift, grace?

I am broken.

But when I come here, I can only be honest.
Could it be that this place is where I best face what and who I am?

If I lose track of the stories, I’ll lose track of part of me. Lose track of His voice in this life. Telling our stories, keeping traces of His graces, even in a venue such as this, may indeed be important, sacred work, because in these stories, God meets us. We listen to our life and hear God. ~Ann Voskamp

I cannot roll over and turn my back anymore.

Thank you for still being here, for not giving up on this mess, even when she has nothing she is willing to say. Thanks for listening as I listen, that together, we might hear God.

Beyond Opinion by Ravi Zacharias

Author and speaker, Ravi Zacharias gathered a team of apologists to contribute to this book. They aim for a apologetic method focused on winning people, instead of arguing about faith. This book begins by addressing the difficult questions posed to those of faith in Jesus by postmodernism, atheism, youth, Islam, eastern religions, and science, and then discusses "the questions behind the questions" involving controversial apologetics, cultural and philosophical challenges, and the challenges of evil and suffering,

Beyond Opinion is varied in writing style as it is written by many contributors. The book was marketed as one that could by read and understood by the general public, but I think that is a stretch. Though I have a degree from a Bible college and excelled in my Bible and Theology classes, I am slightly embarrassed to admit I struggled through parts of this book.

Regardless of my personal struggles to wade through the content of Beyond Opinion, I found it thorough, thoughtful, and a great resource for anyone being asked or asking intelligent questions about why we still believe and why faith "is a gift, but it is not the gift of stupidity" (p 139).

Ravi Zacharias has said, "The greatest obstacle to the impact of the gospel has not been its inability to provide answers, but the failure on our part to live it out."

The arguments can be won, but the key is winning hearts by living out the love of Christ.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
 

Random hello

Hi!


This picture is to prove that, yes, I am alive and well. Mostly. ha.

I still have a smile on my face.

Writing has taken a back burner to child care (of my own and extras) planning, gardening, paperwork. CPR training. And more paperwork.

With an occasional trip to the local pool thrown in.

Summer is half over. Sob. But it's supposed to reach nearly !00* this week again, and we plan to cram as much summer into summer as we can!

Last night, as I crawled into bed and Robb reached for me, I asked him why he loves me. He sleepily mumbled, "Because you didn't run me over with the boat."

Bahahaha! My laughter burst out into the sleepy quiet of our house. Funny guy. I love him.

There was a day when the boat accident was no laughing matter. It's curious how with enough years, times of pain can become the brunt of jokes, and how one light heart can ease the burdens of another.

Laughter is great stress relief, have you learned it's power?

Psalm 126:2 

Our mouths were filled with laughter, 

our tongues with songs of joy. 

Then it was said among the nations, 

“The LORD has done great things for them.”

Stones, an Altar, an Anniversary

"We've been through a lot together."

My husband lay on his back, the day and sermon running through his head as he waited for slumber to claim him.

Yes. We have.

The sermon had been on Joshua 22.  The eastern tribes returned home, across the boundary of the Jordan that separated them from the Israelites. They built an altar, fearing that the decedents of Israel would one day say,

"What do you have to do with the Lord? The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you! You have no share in the Lord!"


We've been through a lot and some days we fear the same words. We have our own Jordan and we've crossed the boundary between then and now. A marker exists.

Except for Grace, what have we to do with the Lord?

The eastern tribes said, "That is why we said, 'Let us get ready and build an altar...it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, You have no share in the Lord."

Not many build altars now. We remember in different ways. We pile no stones. And yet.

I catch Robb's eye and hold out my left hand, fingering my wedding ring and the glinting circle I received for our tenth anniversary after our Jordan.

I smile gratefulness at his face. "These are my stones."

My altar has the same name: A Witness Between Us that the Lord is God.

These rings are a witness between us in our marriage that when we believe God, not just believe in Him, but believe that He is who He says He is, He is enough, He is big enough, and He can do what he says He can do, nothing is impossible.

Happy Anniversary, Love. 

I love you,

more deeply because of sorrow.

I cherish you,

because you faithfully nurture.

I trust you,

for you trust your heart to me.

I respect you,

for you humbly offer grace.

I want to remember it all

and count it all as joy, 

for He is our God. 

And He has been good 

to give me 

you.

I sit at my computer,
desperately adding hours to my log,
busy, concentrating,

and then
I hear soft whispers,
clinking,
and I wonder.

is there trouble?
are they naughty?

minutes pass
I log time

then two girls enter
dressed for party
or something

and instead of naughty
I find nice

they lead me

through one door
and short hall
eyes closed
we bump ankles
but I open to find

this:

a table decorated by two

like me.

Tonight is pizza night, but I think we'll be eating on better than paper plates.

Tasty Tuesday - Herbed Butter Crackers

"Crackers? Who makes homemade crackers?"

That's what a friend said, when I brought these (minus the herbs) to a potluck on a platter beside venison sausage and cheese.

( I love the herbed ones by themselves, but was unsure how the flavors would mingle with sausage.)

One note on the recipe: I put the powdered milk in with the warm water so it dissolves properly.  

Or if you want, this is my new version, kinda like wheat thins:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 cup white flour
1cup wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
 3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
sea salt for sprinkling

Mix well, knead a bit, and let sit, covered, for 1 hour.

I split the dough in two balls, roll each out on a jelly roll pan with my Baker's Roller, cut with a pizza cutter and poke with a fork.

Bake 400* for 11-13 minutes. They need to be lightly browned to be crisp.

They are nice and thin, crispy, melt in your mouth yummy.

Now you can join the likes of those who make their own crackers!

Tasty Thursday (beacuse I'm delinquent and forgot on Tues: Ginger Cran- Apple Granola

The Flat Belly Diet comes through once again, with a superb recipe. I've experimented with granola recipes in the past and this has great flavor, good crunchy chunks and best of all, makes use of the dried apples from our trees!

Here's what you'll need:

2 c oatmeal

1 and 1/4 c walnuts, chopped 

1/2 c unprocessed bran

1/3 c ground flaxseed

1/3 c apple juice or applesauce

1/2 c maple syrup (I use the real thing.)

1 tsp minced crystallized ginger

1 c dried apples, chopped

1/3 c dried sweetened cranberries

For my daughter I leave out the ginger and cranberries and add a teaspoon of cinnamon. That was a big hit!
For cooking and baking directions, and a parfait recipe, follow this link.

Garden Planning, also, I'm not really a girly girl

This is the pretty part of gardening.
The lists and pretty packages and lovely doodles and neat handwriting.
The flowers plucked from a bed of disarray, brought in, tamed, displayed in glass on doily.

The is the truth of gardening and me:

I'm really not such a girly girl.
I have garden gloves, but rarely wear them.
I wear open toed sandals in the dirt and let my feet feel the earth squish up and around my soles.

It's hard work, of course.

But oh, it feels good.

My list of good things:

 Her and her.

safety in storms
breezy picnics
garage sale with friends
free stuff
deals
finding just what I needed
and a few things I didn't
bikes all the right size
motors that start after sitting idle for a season
asparagus that planted itself, put proper in its row
things reorganized
study guide I don't have to write

Other thoughts of mine on gardening:
Meeting in the Garden
A Warm Healing

sharing this list with others who count....

Rhubarb (Nut) Muffins

I cut the oil in half in this traditional church cookbook recipe and substituted vanilla yogurt. Also, I swapped one cup of whole wheat flour for white to add a bit of fiber.

I left the sugar as it was. There is such a thing as too great a sacrifice. :) The result is fluffy and moist without being too chewy.

I left the nuts out in mine, but shouldn't have, as Megan loudly protested that she would prefer zucchini muffins and I will probably end up eating the majority of these myself. I'm not complaining. Not at all.

Rhubarb (Nut) Muffins

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup milk soured with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely chopped rhubarb
1/2 cups nuts (optional)

Mix wet ingredients together. Add flours, soda, salt and mix. Stir in rhubarb and nuts.

Spoon into greased muffin pan.

Sprinkle tops with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake 15-20 minutes at 325* F.

Good and Perfect

 Just popping in to say, yes, I am counting. 

Amidst last week's raindrops 

and this week's sunny glimmers, 

my list grows, 

seven a day, 

sometimes more.

boy - belting it out

red hair

budget costumes

remade hats

all things vintage

boys in suits

slicked back hair

quiet ticking clock

warm sun spots

guacamole

cotton balls and Vaseline (Minute to Win It church game I played)

a tile, rub-ons and a dry erase marker

weeds that pull easy

first dandelions

freshly tilled garden

new leaves

late sun glimmer on the underside

first sunburn of spring

the good tired and sore of hard work

clip art

neices chubby arms

shunshine

warm toes

lunch at Mom's 

donuts and coffee with Robb

baby kisses

four signed up and at least four more, to read One Thousand Gifts with me. 

things waiting to be counted, unopened gifts for tomorrow

Every Good and perfect gift 

is from above 

coming down from the Father 

of heavenly lights 

who does not change 

like shifting shadows.

 James 1:17

Sharing my list with the Counters of Gifts at Ann's.

Dandelions While We Wait

The sun came out from hiding yesterday, and so did I.

Rows of dead, crisp things lingered in my garden from the early arrival of winter so many months ago, still stubbornly clinging to the soil. I slipped into sandals, stripped off my top layers down to cami, entered my patch of scratched dirt and let the sun kiss my shoulders.

Then, for Mother's Day, I asked Robb to help till my garden.

Some manure may also be in my future.

It strikes me ironic that even poop can be re-purposed. What one could not gain any nutrients from, another can use.

Lord, work the hard places in my heart, 

the settled-down-in-my-own-ways places. 

Use the excrement of my life,

the thing I thought I couldn't use, 

didn't understand. 

Furrow it in, 

till it deep. 

Make me fertile ground 

for your Word to take root, 

grow fruit.

Soon we'll work the hard settled ground, dreaming of days long and baskets full.

But for now, while we wait, we'll rummage around for an appropriate sized vase and notice the beauty of first dandelions on the kitchen table.

Today, I'm sharing When God Seems Late for Elizabeth Ester's Saturday Evening Blog Post. Thank you for your comments, encouragement. God is faithful. And you are faithful friends.

Tasty Tuesday - Hot Fudge Sauce

This recipe has been added to my list of homemade things to keep on hand, because you never know when you're really really really gonna need some good ole hot fudge sauce. I make a double batch and there's always a jar of it in my fridge. YUM!

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sifted cocoa
1/3 cup cream

Put all above ingredients in pan.
Over low heat, melt butter.
Stir continuously.
Turn up heat to medium until boil.
Boil 1 minute.

Add:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup white corn syrup

Drizzle over mint chocolate chip, orange sherbet....or whatever your craving demands.

Quirky fact: When my twin sister requests this recipe from my grandma....she asks for it grainy! If you  like your hot fudge grainy too, (why you would, I don't have know..) don't sift the cocoa. Happy drizzling!

Surfing the Waves

I didn't want to brag, so I've not posted or said a thing (here, at least) about our recent vacation. We've been home a month now, spring has yet to come, and I'm tempted to forget how blessed I am.

We went to Mexico for a week. And we didn't have to pay for it. You'd think the gratefulness would carry me through for a while. 

The waves have come, we're storm tossed, sucked under, sand worn, and I've complained about the waves that pull at my anchor.

I've forgotten that waves are meant to be surfed.

Gratefulness can carry me to shore.

Today's List:

Planning a book club on One Thousand Gifts. I can't wait to share it with my real life community!
Relaxed Sunday
Vintage gloves and shoes
Little girls having tea in gloves and dresses and shoes
YouTube (Do I really need my own channel? I say yes. :) )
Dance recital
Formal wear
Growing up girls
Little girls who worship and pray together
An agreeable committee
Walking with friends
New hobby for Mitchell
Unexpected Bible Quizzing awards (Megan's team got 1st and Mitchell placed 15th individually.)
Gifts we don't deserve
Justice
Hope
And love that never fails.

Linking with friends who count here.

When God Seems Late

I'll admit it.

For the first time in my life, I'm mad at God.

It is unusual to me, strange even, that I would be mad at him now. I've faced worse things in the not so distant past, so why now? Why would the current set of circumstances make me angry at the one I claim to trust?

Why not back then, when what I thought we were crumbled and I had to redefine my life by grace. Why not all the other years I've lived with an uncertain future? Why not when Robb resigned and I was embarrassed, feared church gossip, and was confused about what God was doing in our lives. Why not those times?

Why now?

I'm tired of change and stress. Unknowns. Waiting.

Tired...

....and whiny.

I think I do know the why of now. In the past when we made decisions, I voiced my opinion, and then let my husband decide. I left all the responsibility on his handsome broad shoulders. Then when things went south, or at least happened in a way that made me unhappy, I could blame him.

Lovely, huh? Convenient, certainly. Pleasant? Not so much. I disgust myself.

This time around, in the roller coaster of our work/finances we sought after God's leading more than we ever have in the past. We were eye's open wide to closing doors and an open one. We walked through, full of faith and dependence and trust.

And you know what? I wrongly assumed that just because we made a decision to walk this path, to follow this road of His will, somehow He would magically provide and we'd have a Disney ending.

But it just hasn't been that clean cut, that easy.

I've said that God is never late, but rarely early.

 Photo credit: Astronomical Clock (Souvenir) (Anthony Dodd) / CC BY-NC 3.0

It feels like he's late.

You know, there's danger in claiming God's leading. Because when things don't pan out the way we thought  and it doesn't look all nice and tidy, we need to be prepared for God to take the blame, or else we need to admit we were wrong. Neither option is easy, especially when we're just as committed to God's reputation as our own.

I'm just being gut honest here. This is hard. Of course I still trust him. He says he'll provide everything we need. It's just that what I think I need and what he thinks I need may look very different.

Somewhere in the Word,* it says that God is not slow in keeping his promises, as some think. He is patient. He has something in mind. He's not on my timetable.

Lyrics to a song come to mind.
"There's a time to be angry and a time to let it go...He is with you." ~Mandisa's With You

With me. I've been waiting for God to show up big.

But he's already here.

So he's not late after all.

Photo Credit: Astronomical Clock (Anthony Dodd) / CC BY-NC 3.0

Time makes no difference to him because he is the God to whom a thousand years is like a day, who calls what isn't into existence, who knows the beginning from the end, who redeems years. And yet His timing is perfect, precise.

It's time to let it go. It being my plan, my expectations, my right to feel sorry for myself, my silly anger at a God whose plans are always better than mine.  I'd better quit whining, learn to be patient like He is patient, get with His program.

He is with me. And He is all I really need.

*2 Peter 3:9

Tasty Tuesday - Waldorf Salad Pita

Waldorf Salad Pita

Mmmmm. Summer's a-comin' and my taste buds are ready!

This is what you'll need:

Apple
Walnuts
Celery
Lettuce
2 Laughing Cow Cheese wedges in Swiss Light
Whole Wheat pita

Dice a nice amount of apple, walnuts and celery.
I can't be bothered with precise measurements. Your guess is as good as mine. :)
Spread cheese on pita, insert lettuce, stuff with chopped yumminess.

Didn't guess accurately with the quantity of apples, etc? Store in fridge for a craving later.
You'll have one. Believe me!

His wounds have paid my ransom...

The blog me...the real me.

"I love the blog you."

He says it and I struggle. I know he loves the regular old me too, I just don't like the two being differentiated.

Because the blog me is me.

No, I don't really talk flowery, metaphorically and spiritual all the time. Of course I don't. Out of no ones mouth, except perhaps Anne of Green Gables or another fictitious character, can such witty or sappy or spiritual words flow so easily. I use a thesaurus when my brain freezes and I can't remember a word, or I just want variety in my paragraph. My thoughts are encumbered by what I sometimes consider a sluggish intellect.

No, I'm not always rational and calm and faith filled. I strive to be, greatly desire to move toward wisdom. But I yell, and fuss and fume. I do. I don't like that I do. But I do. It's ironic.. I'm most likely the "blog me" when facing a large crisis than dealing with the everyday.

I've given much thought to this. The blog me and the real-life me, are we really that different? Am I pretending to be something I'm not, more spiritual, more of something I only wish to be?

I think on this and after a while I just quit writing.

I ask myself why I keep coming here, talking to myself, and to anyone listening.

A month passes and as we lay in bed one night, he shares with me a verse he's read. It's in the context of a verse I've claimed for a long time. "Do not be anxious...with thanksgiving....peace that passes understanding...."(Philippians 4:6-7) I know these phrases, and he's learned what I noticed once but since forgot: what follows.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

He's thoughtful when he says, "This verse. It's the blog you."

I think he's right. I process, press keys, and as I do, I filter my life through a lens of truth. God's truth. Life only makes sense when seen through that lens.

As I empty my heart on a bright screen, cursor blinking in wait as I thoughtfully consider my life, I pass on what I have learned or received or heard or seen...in Him.

I begin to put it into practice.

And every blog post diminishes the cyberspace between the blog me and the real life me.

So, love me in real life, or love me here, it's all me. But I think the blog me, the thoughtful me that pauses and considers and remembers, is what God intended for me to be.

I think the blog me is the real me.


Where are you the real you, the best you God intends you to be?

sharing at Hyacynth's today for The Bigger Picture....

With everything....hope.

I am weak today, tired, and feel not-quite-right, but can't put my finger on why. The day looms ahead with its chores, checklists, all of which I need to motivate self and children to fulfill.

I don't have it in me.

I press on anyway, and as is usual, they press back.

Sigh... Why is this so hard?

I answer my own question: Because we do not live in a void. There will always be resistance when we seek to live contrary to the prowling prince of this world.

I face off in the bathroom with one child who hates me and hates school and sit there on the only seat in the room, finally calm, yet sadly listening to lies.This is my reality for the moment, but it's not the only reality. A heart spewing is not the end of the story. I will not let angry words deafen me to truth.

The words of a song unexpectedly interrupt the barrage in my ears.

Let hope rise, and darkness tremble in your holy light,
that every eye will see, Jesus our God,
great and mighty to be praised. 

God of all days, glorious in all of your ways,
your majesty, the wonder and grace,
In the light of your name...with everything,
we will shout for your glory....your praise....

Hope...the knowledge that the Light of truth reaches through the darkest anger, His word hidden in my heart overcomes self-deception, and His power is great enough to change the thoughts and attitudes of an angry child or my own. His ways are glorious, though the way is sometimes wrought with struggle, his grace is wonderful, though the pain of sin is still remembered. I hope....knowing that He loves us too much to leave us the same.

Hope. It changes everything.

There are days I will sit in the bathroom hearing words that grieve my heart, but I must remember, his work is not yet complete. He is at work. In my children. In me.

With everything, in hope, and for his glory and praise, I list gratitude.

subtraction with seashells we picked off the beach
"beautiful beyond beautiful dresses" for a beautiful price
treats and compliments "You're the best Mrs. S!"
combed hair
freshly showered boy
early bedtime for a sleepover
relaxed evening
skype
spring snow that melts by noon
the smell of ground thawing
a made bed
a husband who knows what my heart needs
A God who knows even better

Wednesday tip: Free Classic Audiobooks for Android, itunes, or 'puter

Once upon a time there was a mom who liked the idea of reading books to her kids. She read and read, her voice ragged with winter cold,  until she wondered if there was a free source for books in audio so she could rest her scratchy throat.

She looked and typed and browsed the various apps and options on her phone and computer and one day happened upon an place which enchanted her. Old books, classic books, long lost books, all read by volunteers, some with interesting accents, but most completely understandable and easy for listening, every last one free in the public domain.

This was too good to be true! A whole new world opened up to her. Foxes Book of Martyrs became her kitchen companion, as she listened and worked. A voice read The Story of the World to her kids as they colored and she tidied. The Book of Art for Young People rounded out her homeschool curriculum, as well as Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare. She found Elsie Dinsmore, all the works of Louisa May Alcott, Margaret Gatty's Parables from Nature(in progress), The Bobbsey Twins, Anne of Green Gables, and these only a few from the 549 books in the Children's Genre.

As far as I can tell, there are almost 8000 English titles in the library, all free with no rights reserved!

Download the app Traveling Classics (It's free.) to your Android phone or go to Librivox.org and load any book you wish to your itunes account. Or download to your computer. Browse by Genre or search for your favorite classic by name.

Hours of listening await you!

I was not paid for this so called endorsement in any way, nor am I being compensated in even the smallest amount. I may or may not agree with the content of all the books that they offer, nor do I claim to understand German or Russian or Latin or French, just a few of the languages many books are offered. I do remember three Russian words, one from each month I spent there, but that is irrelevant.

Librivox is completely free and is so great a find that I just HAD to share this source of great classics in audio. Please don't tell me if you've known about this forever. I'd be so embarrassed that I just found out. Thank you. Or alternately, you are so welcome!

FB Friday

Soooo, I've been MIA here, but you're getting used to that, right?

Here's a recap pf what I've been doing in my real life straight from Facebook:


Is afraid. I packed my retreat bag while on the phone.
A couple weekend ago, our church had a ladies retreat, so, not one to turn down a social event, I went. Thankfully I didn't forget anything important! It was great. Speaker great. Company super. Conversation meaningful. Food not so nice. I said some rather rude things about the grub. And then at the end of our time there I found out that the cook was brand new. Sigh. When will I ever learn to show a little compassion, grace? Even for bad camp cooks.

Best LRC retreat yet. Even with the individual cups of canned peaches.


Oh my goodness and praise Jesus! I think I finally fixed my computer! I played a video and did not get the blue screen of death! Yay! Yes, I fixed it. At least that problem, I did. Then my beloved machine began freezing every time I used MS Office. Tired of computer problems. One problem solved, another springs up. My eyes are crossing. Off to bed. Sigh.

Praying for a friend who's having kidney cancer surgery today. The report is that his lymph nodes were negative, and my friend's dad is doing great! A great answer to prayer!

Battle of wills with Madison over school today. I won. The end. Seriously, this girl is showing her baby of the family colors, and I need to gear up every morning and remind myself that sometimes family peace needs to be sacrificed temporarily for some character development. It's not pretty presently, but I trust it shall end beautifully.

Madison's sick, but she's quiet and sweet, so it's not all bad. Today, school shall be, in large part, documentaries. Again, not bad. This was a lovely break from the aforementioned debacle.

Irreducible complexity. What Mitchell learned in school today. The result of documentaries about the evidence that supports creation. Yes, there is evidence. But you can research that yourself.

Incubating yogurt tonight. Yes, I did. I still need to work on my methods, but hope to perfect my process. Yum. 21 comments on this status, so I have lots of advisers!

Sometimes you just have to make a spreadsheet of all the homeschool stuff you've done so far in the year. Yes, I do. And now I feel better, thank you for asking.


Was crabby til I talked to my sister. She's pregnant & has a 1 yr old. So my life's not so bad. :) What ensued was a conversation about my mother's bedrest when Sara and I were teens and whether or not we were helpful in any way to her. I stated that was when I learned to cook Sara maintains we were not good helpers. I insist that is only because she did not change any diapers. Love you sis. Even if I had to change all  our sisters' diapers (and by all I mean mostly all when we were babysitting)!

The other day we had a couple friends over and En-Gedi held only twins. We could interrupt, finish each others sentences and talk over each other and no one thought we were rude. :) 1.If I ever interrupt you, now you know why. 2.I don't understand singly born people. 3.Talking over each other is so much more effective. 4.More can be said in a shorter amount of time. 5.It's a really good thing I married a twin.


Huh. My husband just joined foursquare. That's the first social media site that he's joined before me. Way to be a leader, honey! Robb went to a social media class for Realtors and this is what happened. This could be dangerous.


Forcing myself to get on the elliptical. And I did. Am I skinny yet? Yes, yes. I am skinnyish already. But I don't want to be like that ad with the supermodel on the red carpet that dies of a heart attack, you know?

My baby of the family showing her true colors needs to be put to bed. Again.
So. I. Must. Go.
See that face? It speaks for itself.

Forget editing this post.
For the love of all children with good character!

Happy weekend!

Never Wait for Caramel Popcorn Again, plus an upper body workout

This recipe came from my neighbor, Gerry, who lived next door to my parents. Gerry died of cancer when I was a teen and soon the house was sold. To my Grandparents! My grandma lives there now, probably using the same microwave Gerry used for this recipe.


This is for the impatient cook who doesn't want to wait an hour for the standard oven variety of caramel popcorn. Who wants to babysit the oven when you have another option? Not me!

Start by air popping 2 quarts of popcorn and putting it in a paper grocery sack.

Then you'll need:

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda

Mix sugar, syrup, butter and salt in a microwave safe bowl. Bring to boil in the microwave. Boil for two minutes. This will take approximately 5 minutes on HI, but watch it to make sure it does not boil for over two minutes.

Mix in soda. Stir until foaming. Nice and foamy? Good. Now,
Pour over popcorn and shake the bag.

Shake it. Shake it. That's right.

Roll down the bag and smoosh it so it will still turn in the microwave.
Microwave on HI for 1 minute.

Take bag out and shake vigorously.
Everybody, move your body.
Up, down.
To the right. To the left.
Leave no two kernels together!

Microwave again for 1 minute.

Shake again. Even more vigorously. Put your whole body into it.
Shake it up.
Shake it down.
Shake it all around.

But don't hug it. It's a rather greasy dance partner.

Microwave for one more minute. It's smokin' hot by now, so,
pour out on cookie sheet to cool.

You've now had your upper body workout for the day. Or at least you've burned off the calories you're about to eat, so put your feet up and enjoy!