Homemaking for Me

Aprons - Y/N?

Never. How would I know what I did if it isn’t on my jeans?

Baking - Favorite thing to bake:

My Mom’s buttermilk fluff rolls

Clothesline - Y/N?

Definitely. Nothing is better than putting your clean body, freshly shaved legs into a clean bed of line dried-linens. The smell is fabulous!

Donuts - Have you ever made them?

Absolutely. They are a snow day tradition at home. It takes all day for the dough to raise twice and they are a cholesterol buster but taste wonderful.

Every day - One homemaking thing you do every day:

Make the bed. I hate to get into a bed that isn’t made.

Freezer - Do you have a separate deep freeze?

Yes, we get beef from my cattle raising father-in-law, so it is a necessity. I also believe in filling up my storehouse, when God provides a big harvest, (or a great sale) and then you have it for the lean times.

Garbage Disposal - Y/N?

Sure

Handbook - What is your favorite homemaking resource?

My mom is a great resource for advice, tips. I also read the Everyday Cheapskate for her wonderful ideas.

Ironing - Love it or hate it?

I love to iron since it is a household task I can do while watching TV. I love laundry in general.

Junk drawer - Y/N? Where is it?

I have two, one in the kitchen and one in the family room.

Kitchen: Design & Decorating?
It is roomy and well stocked. It is a homey place and very lived in.

Love: What is your favorite part of homemaking?

I love staying home and taking care of my family. I love to bake and cook. My cleaning skills leave a little to be desired.

Mop - Y/N?

No, I use a hardwood floor cleaner on a special cleaning pad.

Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washing machine?

I wash almost everything in the washing machine. I rarely wear nylons so they go in too.

Oven - Do you use the window, or open the door to check?

I open the door, I don’t trust the window view.

Pizza - What do you put on yours?

My favorite is pork sausage and mushroom and black olives. My family doesn’t like the olives so they are a rare treat.

Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?

I work on my Bible Study, read a book, take a bath, check email.

Recipe card box - Y/N?

Yes for the tried a true. I have cook books and sheets of recipes I am looking for a chance to try.

Style of home -

Split level house with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. I love the living room because it is big and opens to the dining room so nice for entertaining. I wish the family room was bigger and not just off the garage, so it would be warmer in the winter.

Tablecloths and napkins - Y/N?
I use tablecloths for special occasions but I have nice placemats and matching napkins on the dinning room table all the time. I took the cloth napkins off the kitchen table when I had kids.

Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland?

Pretty organized, the cleaners, trash bags and grocery store sacks are pretty neat.

Vacuum - How many times per week?

The kitchen floor gets it almost daily but the rest of the house just about weekly.

Wash - How many loads of laundry do you do a week?

5-8

X's - Do you keep a daily list of things to do and cross them off?

I want to, but it doesn’t happen

Yard - Who does what?

I do the flowers, and decorations, but my husband mows and trims.

Zzz's - What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?

Check on lights and kids.

What does homemaking look like for you? This was a lot of fun to think through!

I think I will hide under the bed Part 2

I was feeling so cocky. Je catches the bugs floating around more easily than Jo and so when Jo stayed healthy a full week after Je got sick I thought she got by without it. Nope. She woke up with a fever and feeling yucky at 11 last night. Now we are in the thick of it. And Jo is not a happy patient. When Je is sick, she lies around, wants to be left alone. She will go lie in her bed and just rest for hours. Jo is not content to suffer in silence. This shouldn't suprise me, she never suffers anything in silence. Maybe I can get her to take a nap somewhere other than my lap.

TADA!!!

Following the blog tradition, for my 100th post:

100 Things About Me
1. I am a Christian

2. I love sports especially volleyball and softball

3. I am an avid K-Stater and alum

4. I love snow

5. I love to read

6. I taught Middle and High School English

7. I was born in Kansas, I was Bred in Kansas and when I (got) married I (was)
wed in Kansas

8. I can list all fifty states in alphabetical order

9. When I did it on a test in 8th grade my teacher accused me of cheating till
I did out loud for her

10. I have been married to my college sweetheart for 10 years

11. He’s the only man I’ve really ever kissed

12. I work for the Menninger Bible Program, a four year course through the Bible that was written over 100 years ago

13. I have a large and close extended family

14. I miss my father everyday of my life

15. My mother drives me crazy but I love her

16. She is one of my closest friends

17. I am five feet 2 inches tall

18. I don’t wish I was taller

19. I am a very picky eater

20. If it swims, I don’t eat it

21. I taught swimming lessons and lifeguarded for spending money in college

22. I cry very easily

23. I am addicted to Coke

24. Chocolate is my friend

25. I drive a 12 year old Jeep Grand Cherokee and I love my car

26. My favorite author is Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander series

27. When we were dating, I was amazed my husband thought I was pretty

28. I have learned that external appearance is only as important as we believe
it to be, in so far as it affects our internal attitudes

29. I am semi obsessive about sets. If a toy or book or anything comes as part
of a set, I need the whole set and I hate to lose any piece of a set.

30. I was very surprised that my daughter has red hair, it never occurred to me
as an option so I was taken aback when they told me they could see her red
hair during delivery.

31. I am glad it has stayed red

32. I didn’t expect curly blond hair for my other daughter but I love it too.

33. I miss the West Wing on TV

34. I watch too much TV

35. I am a sucker for a happy ending

36. I am an eternal optimist.

37. I hate math.

38. I am organizationally challenged.

39. I have trouble saying no.

40. My husband hates that I have trouble saying no.

41. I’ve been known to volunteer him for things because of this.

42. I read at least three books a week.

43. When I was child-free I would read one book a day.

44. I love Star Wars.

45. I love my DVR and satellite dish.

46. I am a mild sort of Trekkie. Never dressed up or been to a convention but I
have seen every episode of the Next Generation and Voyager many times.

47. I hate it when they cancel a TV show I have just gotten into.

48. My parents were married for 26 years before my father died.

49. We had the first wedding in our new church building, and the first funeral.

50. I have a whole lot of fun with my children.

51. I am a born and bred Reformed Presbyterian, but not rabid about it. I think.

52. I had so much fun directing VBS last year that I volunteered to do it again.

53. My dad worked for M&M candy and so we had a lot of access to candy at home.
Hershey is the enemy.

54. I still feel a little guilty when I eat a Kit Kat.

55. I can tell the difference between good chocolate and cheap chocolate easily.

56. I love history.

57. I was very close with my maternal grandparents.

58. It surprises me that my children think I am cool.

59. I am sure that will change but I hope it doesn’t.

60. I thought my parents were great, if not cool.

61. I enjoyed spending time with them, even when it wasn’t cool to do that.

62. My friends hung out with my parents, too.

63. I want to be a parent like they are/were.

64. I am a member of the Dead Dad Club

65. I love Grey’s Anatomy

66. My favorite color was pink.

67. I thought that was a wimpy favorite color in high school and changed to
Navy. Now they are both my favorites.

68. I love singing the Psalms

69. I listen to Country music.

70. I was country when country wasn’t cool ala Barbara Mandrell

71. My favorite food is steak and homemade French fries.

72. I love all things cinnamon.

73. I won’t eat nuts

74. Or salad

75. My mom thinks that’s weird.

76. I am a bit of an airhead.

77. I tutor reading and English.

78. I like Sudoku

79. I do crossword puzzles

80. I love flowers.

81. My husband forgets to get them so I buy them for myself as a treat
occasionally.

82. I am amazed at what a godly man I married.

83. Family is one of my highest priorities.

84. I was an athletic training major in college for two years.

85. I changed my mind because it is a hard career for families.

86. I was the trainer/manager for my high school girls basketball team for three
years.

87. I can tape a mean ankle.

88. I know what RICE means.

89. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

90. I wish my body would tolerate pregnancy better so I could have more children.

91. I think we’d like to adopt someday.

92. I am a conservative republican.

93. I spend a lot of time on the computer

94. I went to Europe for two weeks between junior and senior year in high school.

95. I want to go back, someday.

96. My husband has no wish to see France.

97. I am insanely curious about people. Some might call it nosy.

98. I am very klutzy.

99. I believe in the beg borrow and steal method of teaching ideas.Wherever,
whomever, however, whatever, I find the ideas, I believe in using them to
help my students.

100. I really love to Blog.

I think I will hid under the bed.

I've learned that sometimes life just piles on. Je has been sick for several days, with a bad cold/fever. I gave her Tylenol for the fever on Thursday and she threw it up. I gave her a crackers and a different form of Tylenol and she threw up even faster. I stopped the Tylenol and she stopped throwing up. I gave her ibuprofen and it stayed down. She laid around for 5 days. She is not real peppy today. Jo is so far very healthy. I felt a cold coming on last week and started Zicam. Wow. I think it might be worth the effort to get and take the medicine, because I am pretty well over the cold in less than a week, and it never laid me very low, unlike usual when cold last weeks and make me feel like crap. My mom had a bad cold that lasted for three weeks and more and was pretty miserable. She has missed church two straight weeks because of the ick. I missed church because Je was icky. I took her to the Immediate Care Clinic on Sunday because it looked like the eye infection Mom had was getting started in Je. So that is just part of the ick. I was on the way to pick up the girls after tutoring yesterday evening and noticed I had a voice mail. Shan had called to let me know he had injured himself during wrestling practice and was on the way to the emergency room. Hello! I called him to find out what to do next. He thought he had a separated rib, whatever that is and since it happened during practice, he needed to go to the ER to have it covered by the school's policy. With Je not up to snuff, I really hated to go down to the hospital to sit there with a couple whiny hungry, fussy kids when Daddy couldn't help and probably needed me too. I was torn. I ended up calling my uncle to help. He went down to the hospital and got Shan and delivered him home. I stayed home with the kids and put them to bed. Shan had just some painfully torn muscles and so should be on the mend soon. They did give him some good drugs for pain so that is good. They said he could resume regular activities on Wednesday, but he was moving so slow this morning that I don't think he'll be wrestling tomorrow. He went to work as usual this morning so he should be doing okay.

It always happens like that doesn't it. Everything piles on at once.

Huh?!

I took this test and I don't understand my score. I got a 10 out of 11 and when I checked my answers I didn't see the one I missed. I checked them three times so I wonder if there is a glitch. I have taken this kind of test before and gotten hung up because I didn't read or listen closely to the question. It is an interesting way to look at how we listen and what assumptions we make about what people say or what we read. I think doing this test aloud would be harder to do and get the right answers because we jump ahead so much easier when listening. Give it a try and let me know how you did.

I Love This Character!

Anne Shirley
The loveable redhead of "Anne of Green Gables." Anne lives on Prince Edward Island, and never ceases to astonish it's inhabitants. She's a writer, matchmaker, and can generally be found getting into some scrape or the other. Gilbert Blythe, one of her dearest friends, is in love with her, but she refuses to see it for many years.

Which Classic Heroine are You?

Punctuation Problems

I've learned that I really am an English teacher. I never wanted to be that stereotypical English teacher who caused people to be on their guard when writing or speaking for fear that I would pull out the red pen. I do have to complain a little about the grammar and punctuation people use when writing online. I got an email today from an educated adult man who sent it to the wrestling list, parents coaches, coaches wives, wrestling fans etc. I had to read the last sentence twice before I understood what he was saying because for him apparently, capitalization and punctuation in email are optional. I am pretty casual about language. I have comma splice issues, run on sentences, (the same thing really), misplaced modifiers and other grammar issues. I draw the line at capitalization and punctuation. I mean come on, using a period, question mark or exclamation mark is a bare minimum requirement for writing a note or a comment. I have lost track of the number of comments I have read on other sites which lack capital letters and basic sentence ending punctuation. That's all I am asking, start a sentence with a capital letter. End a sentence with punctuation. I can handle misspelled words, although with spell check that seems a bit too easy to avoid, but I have done it so I will forgive that. I need to know where the sentence starts and where the sentence ends. Is it a question? Is it a statement. Maybe throw an apostrophe in on those contractions, is proofreading for the correct spelling of to too much? I will get off the soap box now. Rant over.

Prayer Request

My nephew Blaise has been admitted to the hospital to be treated for pnemonia. He was getting dehydrated and his fever is up and down. He also has asthma so that is a special concern. They think he will be okay but right now he is pretty sick. Please remember him and his family in your prayers.

On the Bright Side

I read several blogs on the net. I realize that blogs are only a slice of a person but I think over time, you can get some insight into the person's overall outlook. For instance, you get a sense of where they fall on the political continuum by the things they say. You also can get a sense of whether they are a half full/half empty kind of person. I stopped regular reading of one blog because the woman who wrote it seemed to whine a lot about the troubles in her life. They seemed a little over blown from my perspective, even in my relatively trouble reduced life. I still check in on her about once a month to read what she's up to, and I am not sure why. I still check in with this other woman's blogs, even though she seems to wallow in the negative side. Today, her post was about being reminded recently to look at the progress not the distance left to go. It got me to thinking. I hope those who know me or read this blog see me as a half full kind of girl. I probably wallowed a little in yesterday's post, but bear in mind, January is the hardest month for me. I could wallow some more in excusing myself, but I won't. I just want to say how much more our lives would be if we focused on what is right with the world, or our part of it than the other.

A preacher I know, not mine, has filled our pulpit a few times, and I dread it each time. He is a very nice man, a sincere Christian, and a godly man. He also is a little shell shocked by 21st century American culture. He spent over 50 years as a foreign missionary and so America seems a far different place than when he left, in the 1950's. He often preaches on the abdication of Christians in culture and the downward spiral society is on. The attack on Christianity. I don't dipute his premise, but I do see lots of room for positive thinking. Good things are happening in our country. I read OneNewsNow formerly AgapePress and know that Christians are under siege, but are not quietly going down, but fighting and winning battles across the country.

All this is to say that we should be half full people, look for the positive side of things, not wallow in our disadvantage. Shannon hasn't been home all week because of wrestling and a deacon meeting, and more wrestling tonight and tomorrow, but instead of complaining about that, I will be thankful that my mom and sister are available to help distract the girls on those long days.

I Couldn't Have Said it Better

I cry a lot. Sad TV, an emotional thought, conversation, a touching moment, anger, frustration, etc. So I wasn't surprised to find myself crying tonight at Grey's Anatomy. It was a beautiful scene,

"I don't know how to exist in a world where my dad doesn't."

" Yeah, that doesn't ever really change"

That is exactly the way I've felt for 10 years. There is this gaping hole that no one can fill. I remember thinking that my life would never be as good as before, when my father died at 47. I was 23. I still feel that way a bit. I hate that I do. I want to have my first best life back. Does that sound like a lack of faith? Maybe it is a little. I originally intended to post about the new study I started on Wednesday, and I will later, but the episode of GA tonight poleaxed me. I love my husband and kids, and I am thankful that I have the life that I do, because it is only by the grace of God that I have a life at all. I just miss the life I would/could of had if I had a father still. The life my kids could have had. I should be thankful for the little things: my husband and my in laws knew my father and in a small way share in my grief. My sisters' husbands came to our family after Daddy's death. I have a big extended family who grieve with us, and my church family still remembers my dad and shares their caring with us. I had twenty three years with my dad, he walked me down the aisle. He saw me graduate HS and go off to college, and I was in my last semester so he could know I would graduate. My own father lost his father when Daddy was only six. I had a long time with my dad comparatively. Still. I should be thankful, I should not whine about what I lost, but think about what I've been given. I still am not sure how to live in a world without my dad in it. I guess I just keep trying.

That's A Daddy

I saw an interesting contrast recently, and it got me to thinking. First, I saw a man walking with his young daughter. He was walking slightly ahead of her, seeming to pay no attention to her skipping along down the hall. I wasn't close enough to hear if they were talking, but he didn't seem engaged. I didn't think to much about it until later. I saw another man walking down the same hall with his daughter. He had his arm around her shoulder, was leaning over slightly to hear her talk as they walked. He guided her protectively as they left the building. I began reflecting over the difference in the two families. I don't know either family well. I just saw two fathers, one was a daddy the other didn't seem to be.

On the tenth anniversary of my Daddy's death it seems like it would be a good opportunity to reflect on what a Daddy is.

Daddy's are involved, in their kids lives.
They coach softball,
they take special daddy-kid only times.
They are silly,
they play,
they listen, they talk,
they correct,
discipline,
yell,
love,
defend,
protect,
comiserate,
assign chores,
dance with,
crawl on the floor as the horsey,
build a playhouse,
teach how to drive with the admonition, "do as I say not as I do",
give money to,
treat to lunch,
worry over,
send to school,
drive them to school when it's icy, instead of letting them drive themselves
take them to church
lead family worship,
go shopping with their kids even when shopping isn't their thing
maintain their cars,
give them away.

This is just the tip of the iceberg on my Daddy. Everyday I miss him. I see him in my children and niece and nephews. It breaks my heart, to know that they will not know him. I remember driving home one night when I was pregnant and realizing that my father would never see my children, and just sobbing.
I have two sisters, so it was a very girl household. He never seemed to be upset by that, and whenever anyone asked if he wished for a son, he always said he thought daughters were better. Now, that was always when we were in earshot, but I sincerely believe, he was content with the family God gave him.

I know he would adore my two girls. They would have been as much a part of his daily life as they are for my mother. I really think he would have been crazy over my nephews though. Little boys were a special treat to play with at family gatherings. I have a picture of him with my cousin at about 2 that is so cute.

One of the gifts that came from his death was a visit from a man we had never met. Apparently, Daddy knew him through work, and as they were both Christians and fathers they connected. The day before the funeral, he dropped by because he wanted to share with us how often Daddy had spoken of us to him and how proud Daddy was of his family. A few days later I was in class at K-State, and that came back to me. It was "Interpersonal Relations", one of those short courses they make you take your student teaching semester. The professor said that the number one reason people are in therapy is because they have unresolved issues with their parents. They don't know if their parents were proud of them, approve of them, love them. I knew. If I hadn't, that man's visit would have told me. My father often said, "Shel, your alright, no matter what your mother says about you." It was a joke but his approval was clear.

May I use my father's example with my own children, and others.

May God be with my family this week.

DTP 8/4/47 - 1/12/97

Simple

I have pared all of my goals down to one simple idea.

Live a disciplined life.

I will endeavor to do today rather than put off to tomorrow. I will eat healthily, exercise, pick up regularly, keep a schedule, spend time in study and prayer. In short, discipline my life.

I actually started some of these in December, with a massive purge of closets and storage spaces, drawers and toy boxes. Three pick up bed fulls of stuff has been delivered to Goodwill. Closets have been organized. I am still working through some of the clutter out in the open, and throwing it away or filing it, and I have one closet left, the guest room closet. That one has become the home for things I am saving for later, presents bought on clearance for future occasions, the Halloween goodies I got at 75% off for next year's party, (all non edible treats) and the wrapping paper, boxes, and bags, ribbons and bows, labels etcetera needed to give the gifts. The closet is a huge mess right now and the gift selection is pretty low since we just celebrated Christmas. Wrapping paper is up however because, last year I bought enough on clearance for three Christmases. I have this never ending supply of bows because Shan doesn't like to use bows on presents, since you can't stack them and transport them easily with bows. I find that he discourages their use, and since he does all the transporting, I try not to try his patience. This year, he did a lot of the wrapping too, so they really didn't get used. Some of them should be purged because they are so flattened from years in the container that they can not be used.

So that is it. I will discipline myself to

*pick up my house everyday
*cook healthy meals at least five days a week
*exercise at least four times a week for at least 30 minutes
*clean out that last closet and the storage room.
*don't put off till tomorrow that which I should do today

Those are goals I can work with and I have a pretty good chance of meeting them. Success in the small things will lead me to bigger things.

How about you?

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2007 everyone! Are you working on goals for your year? I don't like the idea of New Year's Resolutions, mostly because they have become a joke, and we take bets on when we will break them. Instead, we should set goals for ourselves and pray for the wisdom, strength, and perserverence to meet the goals we set for ourselves. We should pray for that wisdom in setting reasonable, appropriate goals for us to actually meet. Instead of saying I will lose 20 lbs, we should set a goal of exercising for 30 minutes a day, or drinking one fewer coke per day. Something that is less discouraging and that we can see sign posts along the way. I really like those new commercials airing here about changing one thing, for healthy living. It can be something simple like parking 50 yards from the store rather than in the spot right next to the door.

I think I will take some time this week and set some goals for myself and my family. IE: picking up our toys each night. The girls are still young enough that they will participate through me, this year. I will spend some time talking with them about it, let them suggest a few ideas and then we can work on it together.

What are your goals for 2007? I'll post mine in a few days. I will also post about our ill-fated trip to western Kansas in a blizzard. Fun Fun! I saw snow.