The Wild, Wild Web!
A Simple Woman's Daybook
I am hearing... the blower on the woodstove, sighs from a napping dog, and boys coming in from chores.
Please stop by to visit Peggy to peek into the lives of other "Simple Women," and to read the guidelines for creating your own Daybook!
Happy Birthday to Richard!!
This Weeks Menu
Crockpot chicken and gravy
Testimony to Answered Prayers
Friends, I am so thankful for all the prayers I received over the last several days; both on the Internet & and in emails!!! Your wonderful prayers have been working! Testimony abounds my friends!
After 15 years of dealing with compounding health issues for me, Thomas and I had both been frustrated of not getting answers, issues not only not getting better, but nothing was ever getting cured. On top of all this, things were getting worse! Each time I would go to the DR I was being labeled with some other health issue. How could this be when I kept following “the plan” and receiving meds? A few months ago, it came to a crossroad that I needed to DO something that was going to make a change! We began seeing that at my age not only should I not be experiencing so many seemingly correctable health issues, but ones that were unable to be corrected with meds. With each new cocktail I was given, it would help cover up symptoms and within three months old issues would creep in and NEW issues would pop-up! I often wondered if I was becoming a hypochondriac! Seriously! Ho wouldn’t when her medical chart was beginning to look like a medical textbook? With all this now, we wondered what my future would look like medically.
some rearranging
I have been busy canning the months beans. I canned 6 pints of baked beans, 8 pints of spicy pintos, and 4 quarts of ranch style beans. Then we canned 7 quarts of spaghetti sauce (yes we still have tomatoes).
After getting the wood stove in all I want to do is look at it. I decided to try to set the living room up to focus on the wood burning fireplace. So here are three different views of the room the new way. I am not sure if I like it, but it seems to feel cleaner and roomier.
The funny thing on the wicker trunk is a warty-gourd. We loved it when we found it among the pumpkins because it was the green we love. Also notice the Dora the Explorer tv game and the Diego tv game that my kids got as gifts but aren't allowed to play. We decided we held on to them enough. Now we can sit in the living room and gaze into the stove. Ohhhh what peace! Also do you see the mini gourds on the table??? we are a bit obsessive if you haven't noticed. Also all of the lanterns everywhere....I could make a run way for an airplane to land I have so many...but a girl has to be prepared.
We are all still pretty sick. It is passing through and most of the little ones have already had it now it is passing through the older ones. We older ones don't handle sickness as well as the little ones. It would help if I laid on the couch with a rag on my head and a cough drop to suck on while I watched a Love Comes Softly movie (off of the Christian novel by Janette Oke). Since I am not laying on the couch I am coughing at the computer or choking while doing laundry...it takes longer to heal this body.
Well it is cold out again tonight. I set the temperature at 65 and it went off a couple of times overnight. We had the fireplaces going until we went to bed, so that helped.
I better get going...Night.
Brenda
Blogging away
http://atthegoodlife.blogspot.com/Salem Ridge Press ... classic wholesome books for the family
I was excited that the TOS Homeschool Crew was going to be reviewing Salem Ridge Press. I was already familiar with this publishing company, since I had won some of their books from blog contests in the past. If you aren't familiar with them, I hope you'll take the time to explore their website, especially their goal of re-publishing out of print books that are wholesome and educational. They only publish books that meet the guidelines of Philippians 4:8 -- "Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." That means none of their books include even one little kiss.
Our family was sent 3 books to review. The first one we already owned: Mary Jane - Her Book. We had given this book, and its sequel (Mary Jane - Her Visit) to our 9 year old daughter for her birthday. I had been worried she might not enjoy them, since she was in a Nancy Drew phase at the time. But she read them both quickly, and she DID enjoy them. They're sweet stories about a 5 year old girl, and her daily life. They're perfect for girls beginning to read longer chapter books themselves, or for reading aloud to younger girls.
We were also given Glaucia, the Greek Slave to review. It is part of the Emma Leslie church history series. I've been reading it, and enjoying the story. Roman and Greek history, and the Early Christian church, are not eras I've studied very well. I have never read an historical fiction book set in that era before, but I'm enjoying it. It helps that new words (especially those pertaining to Greek and Roman culture) are defined at the bottom of the page. I can't wait for us to cycle around to Roman history in Tapestry of Grace again; I'll be assigning this to my junior and senior high students.
My personal favorite of the three books was The American Twins of the Revolution, by Lucy Fitch Perkins. It would be an excellent chapter book to assign to your 3rd and 4th grade readers, or for reading aloud as a family. It is the true story of a colonial family, and how they helped George Washington and his troops during the Revolutionary War. I enjoyed it very much. Although I really enjoyed this book, the speaking style of the family's cook may be hard for children to read and decipher themselves.
I am thankful for the mission that the Mills family of Salem Ridge Press has to republish quality books for Christian families. They've republished 23 books so far, with several more coming soon. Each book is available in hardcover, or softcover. They're bound well, with a print size that is easy to read. You can find a listing of websites that carry their books at THIS LINK.
Would you like a chance to win some of the Salem Ridge Press books? You can! If you fill out a WISHLIST at the Salem Ridge Press website, and email it to one person, you will be entered in a drawing. On December 1st they will choose 5 people to win their wishlists. It's a great chance to win some quality books. I hope you'll stop by their website and enter to win .
Click the banner to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
And since we've no place to go...
We were expecting rain with a few snowflakes mixed in, but as it is now, we have a "white out" and the grass is quickly disappearing! I try to make Saturday morning my baking/cooking for the week day. I made pancakes until I lost count, sausage biscuits and breakfast burritos.There's also a loaf of pumpkin chip bread in the oven (that probably won't make it to lunch time) and a pot of beef stew on the stove. The fire is keeping us toasty warm and even the beautiful giant snowflakes can't coax me out of its warmth. Not so for the boys, who have already come in from making snowballs for some hot cocoa. Now it's really difficult not to be in the Christmas spirit! I think I just might start working on some gifts this evening for our old fashioned Christmas. Honestly, last year was one of the nicest, warmest, Christmas celebrations we've ever had. I'm excited that it has become a tradition.
Youngest Son went with Grandma today to pick out gifts for Operation Christmas Child and they spent the afternoon wrapping things up. We brought the venison home this morning and it's tucked away in the freezer. I'm still working on our Thanksgiving menu and I have a new dessert in mind, but it will need a "test run" before we decide to serve it on such a big day. I'll be sure to share the recipe. For now, I'm going to sit by the window and enjoy the snowflakes as they fall peacefully. Each season has so much to appreciate.
It's a Boy!
Our sweet baby was born Fri evening. "Little" boy weighed 9 pounds 4 oz and 22 inches long. He's a happy little chubb lol. His big sisters are so excited over their little brother!Pics soon :-)
Time is flying ... just do the next thing
Time is just flying past. This weekend, Baby G will be 2 months old. How did that happen? He's so big: holding his head up, and looking all around when I'm carrying him. He's outgrown his 0-3 month clothes already. He had his baby shower at church this past Sunday. It was a blessing, and we are so thankful to our church family for how they've embraced us, and rejoiced over Baby G's birth.
Christmas is just 42 days away. Yikes! I have so much to do still. This is the closest we've ever had a baby to Christmas. And the last time we had a baby in the latter half of the year, she was our first. There was less to do back then, for some reason.
Steve's Dad's illness and death has been the focus for so long. It's hard to switch gears, and feels surreal to be doing so. We are grieving, yet life continues, and we must move ahead. There is work to be done, and life to be lived. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be hard for Steve and his family, coming so soon after his father's death. I keep praying that God will help me be sensitive to what Steve needs as he navigates the grieving process.
We have resumed school. The last two weeks were taken off for their Grandpa's final days, and his funeral. The curriculum we're testing is taking more of my time than our regular curriculum. The spelling and handwriting both require my direct involvement. In order to really be able to give a quality review, we are doing the spelling more often than we usually tackle the subject. I'm also having to supervise the kids testing several websites, and making sure everyone gets their chance.
After a day of not being able to reach me by email due to that, Steve finally set up the kids computer with internet access yesterday ... which he'd been promising to do for a year. They are thrilled, and now we have to figure out how to limit and control their web access again. In the past, we've used Noah's Net, and we will likely do so again. I need to update the list of websites they're allowed to access via the Noah's Net internet browser.
We have Christmas music playing, and have been watching Christmas movies. I'm not sure when we'll set up our Christmas tree, though. I asked Steve last night, and he didn't sound very excited about it. I think his natural love of Christmas (and decorating for Christmas) will win out over his grief, however.
The kids are still battling sickness. I wish we recovered more quickly from illnesses. They seem to knock us out of public life for so long, with lingering coughs and such. I'm not sure if others recover more quickly, or if they just go out in public sooner. It feels like we are the only ones to be sick for so long, though. Maybe God just uses it to slow us down and help us "circle the wagons" at home. We're already fairly "home centered" already. 11 yo R always feels so deprived of social interaction when we get sick. She loves going out, even just to the store, and hates when she has to miss church or homeschool group.
And that is an update on our life and homeschool. We're trying to "just do the next thing" each day, as Elizabeth Elliott always says. That is what she told herself repeatedly after the death of her husband, missionary Jim Elliott. And it applies to every day life, not just times of grief or illness. Just do the next thing, and trust God. I needed that reminder this morning, as it is easy to become overwhelmed with the length of my "to do" list. The best I can do is just keep doing the next thing, and trusting God with the rest. So, that will be my plan for this week, and the following weeks.
Trusting in Him,
April
{ Last Page } { Page 3 of 5 } { Next Page }
About Me
My Profile
Archives
Friends
My Photo Album
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
Links
Categories
Recent Entries
BloggingFriends
tnschaffer
Dalyn
GoodNeighbors
belovedlamb
quiverfull
DandelionSeeds
NewHarvestHomestead
quiverfullacres
kayinpa
TheGoodLife
KimMC
SimpleGuy
ElCloud
Tracy
tioga12
ByFaith
Boltbabe
glenda
MyThreeDaughters
wannabehs
marmieto12
PuritanMama
jenna
MamaMiller
FairHillsFarm
mamaof2andtwins
ZookeeperCat
oldpathsfamilyfarm
tamntom
clairebear
shekinah
CandyFoote
deedee06
teapots66
Hisirishgem
HarvestMom
10KristieK
Brenda
tnmountaingirly
puritanmother
stitchnchick
HeMarriedMedusa
Alaina
BlueApple
Billyhomesteader
naughtydebbers
myhomesteadjourney
myfive