Yesterday I decided to try an experiment with my husband. That was my first mistake of the day. We have closets in our house full of boxes of the dear mans misc. precious items. These are not full of things he uses or reallly treasures...just stuff. The problems is that I have no where to put the things we use everyday because the closets are full. When I try to talk about it he says "What stuff, there can't be that much in there". I decided to give him a life lesson like I try to do with my kids. Second mistake, my husband is not one of my kids.
So I emptied the two main closets into the middle of the living room. I sorted my stuff, threw some away, gave some to charity and neatly put the remains away. I was excited to see my shoes again, I haven't seen most of them for about 6 months. This process left the living room about 1/2 full of piles of boxes. In comes husband.
"Whats this?" he said. "It's your stuff out of the closets" I say. "I was hoping you could sort through it and find a place for the things you want to keep." "No problem" says he. He spent the evening sorting through boxes. Most of the process entailed him moving items from one box to another but in his defence he did throw a big garbage can full away. This left the room 1/3 full of his boxes of stuff.
He then said, "What do I do with it now?" I told him to find a logical place to keep it. He told me there was no room anywhere. BINGO I thought, he finally gets it! It was then decided that a storage unit was the best option. What a minute, so now we are going to pay every month to pile up boxes of things we don't use and won't use because it will be too much trouble to go get it out of storage. Crap.And so...
At 3:00 this morning I got up and put his boxes back in the closets. I thanked God for the wonderful husband, father, and provider he is. Repented for treating him like a child instead the head of our home. Gave thanks that we have closets to put the stuff in and said a sad fairwell to my shoes. Praise God, I can always get to my underwear!
Live and learn and then get Love.
Sheryl
Since I have started my calling to recreate a little house on the prairie life, (I still haven't managed to solve a problem in a one hour episode), my family have had some interesting responses. We are scattered all over America and everything passes from one member to another through the "grapevine". It goes something like this....
Sheryl is making her own laundry detergent.
Are they having money problems?
I don't think so but I'll ask.
Mom says they are not having money problems, she wants to make her own detergent.
Why?
Beats me, what's wrong with Tide?
I hear your making your own laundry soap.
Yes, it's natural, healthier, and costs less.
Does it get your clothes clean?
No, we prefer to have dirty clothes and save money......of course it gets the clothes clean.
And then you hang them on a clothesline? Is your dryer broke?
No, is your clothesline broke?
Why didn't you tells us you needed money?
We don't need money, God always provides for our needs.
If you don't need money why are you making your own laundry soap and hanging clothes out on a CLOTHESLINE?
Because we feel good about it and want to.
I'm going to send you some money anyway. Go buy some Tide.
We don't need Tide but I haven't been to Starbucks for a while. Thanks.
I can't wait til I add the chickens and goat. I will probably start recieving food parcels! Families are the greatest!
Sheryl
I love when people say they are living the simple life. Since I started trying to live the simple life, I am working harder than ever before! It feels great! Everyone thinks I have gone nuts, baking my own bread, making my own laundry soap, planting veggies, etc. but I have never been happier or felt closer to my family and my Lord than I do now. Looking forward to adding a milk goat and chickens soon and building a brick outdoor oven for summer baking. I don't know if I would call it simple but I would call it blessed.
Sheryl
Recently my oldest daughter came home to live. She is 19. She was engaged and living in Florida with her intended until he decided they were not suited for a life together. It is funny how his decision came just a few weeks after they found out they were expecting a little one.
I have cryed out to God on many occasions. Did she not hear anything I tried to teach her over the years? Were all my lessons a waste of breath? My daughter and fiance were attending pre-marital councelling with the Pastor of their local church. Required before he would marry them. He told them that they have nothing in common and were kidding themselves if they thought they could make it work. What happened to I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me? I have no idea how to feel about any of this and once again find myself putting my trust and faith in the Lord. Once again I realise that I can do nothing on my own. Once again I am pushing myself towards joy, peace, and love weather I feel like it or not. Again I am wearing out my knees, what a blessing to know that someone is there listening!
Sheryl
Today I planted potatoes, hung clothes on my NEW CLOTHESLINE, scrubbed my kitchen, schooled two kids, etc. etc. A few years ago I would have thought that this was a day of drudgery, boring, tedious. Isn't it amazing how God can turn our hearts around to see the things that are important. What an amazing ministry he has given me! How I love it now, there is nothing I would rather do.
Not all my days are this productive and every now and then I have a poor me day but it soon passes and the Son shines through. I still can't get excited about scrubbing toilets, but I am excited to sit on it after it's been scrubbed!
I am wanting to add some layers to our family. Any thoughts on what kind of hen is best?
|Have a great day!
Sheryl
Today is a cleaning day. I clean everyday but today is one of the deep, down and dirty days. I am reminded of that annoying kids song...
This is the song that never ends,
it just goes on and on my friends. etc.
You know the one. Well I have my own version...
This is the stuff that never ends,
It just goes on and on my friends.
Some people started saving it not knowing what it was
and they'll continue saving it forever just because...
This is the stuff that never ends,
I have stuff everywhere. I'm sure that Satan wants us to have stuff just like he wants us to have unrighteous thoughts. It destracts us from what is important. Yes Lord, I'll do what you want today as soon as I spend 12 hrs dealing with my stuff.
Most of the stuff doesn't have a "home" to be put in because there are no homes left. So it gets put in a box or the ever useful rubbermaid along with many other bits of homeless stuff. Then when you need it, you have no idea which box of homeless stuff it is in and out comes the phrase....Just go buy another one. I'm sure I have spent unnecessary thousands over the years with that one phrase.
Yes, I need help! If any of you have home remedies for "stuffitis" please pass them on....my sanity may depend on it.
P.S Thanks to all for the very warm welcome!
This is the beginning of an adventure. The life of a homestead wannabe. Yes, I am the girl who hung on every episode of Little House on the Prairie and the woman who never misses a new Hallmark pioneer movie. I dream of cows and goats, chickens, and rows of home grown veggies. Unfortunately, I married a man in corporate America and not a homesteader. My home is in suburbia not sitting on the prairie.
This might deter some people but not me. If you can't take the girl to the homestead, take the homestead to the girl. After all, in the world of homesteading there is no problem that can't be solved in a one hour episode, right? I have a septic tank and a well, what more could I need.
My husband is humoring me. You know what I mean, the smile, the nod, the "sounds great dear". Really he is praying that I don't bring a cow home in the back of my suburban. Does he think I have lost my mind, even I know that a goat will fit better in the back of the suburban. Maybe a few chickens to make the trip worth while.
I have started my journey with a herb garden in my bay window. There isn't much I can say about it except it has herbs and it is still alive. If you knew my history with house plants that in it's self would have you going oohh aahh.
Next I moved on to a compost heap. I gather up some wood from one of my husbands "I'll do it soon piles" and began to build a wood and lattace frame for my compost heap. I did not finish it in one episode. It isn't square and is big enough to supply many countries with fresh compost. I am proud of my efforts none the less and particularly proud that I did't cut any fingers off with the skilsaw.
I then had to take a trip to Lowes. Gloves were a must for picking up icky stuff to put in my heap. This took some time. It is never easy to pick the right accessory. New gloves in hand and wheelbarrow rolling and several layers are composting even as we speak. Amazing.
My husband was kind enough to put up a clothesline for me today. I am so excited to try it out tomorrow. I can feel the pennies coming off my electric bill. Of course it will mean more ironing, plenty of time to watch a good pioneer movie for the 100th time.
For my final delve into "the simple life", I baked whole grain bread today. I was worried when it didn't come out white with Wonder printed on the side but was encouaged when my fussy eater came back for seconds.
I can't wait to see what tommorow brings!