::: creating a place for repentance :::

Have you read anything by Ann Voskamp? Have you read her beautiful blog, seen her beautiful pictures? If you haven't, you really must. If you have, be sure to read today's entry, When a Family Needs a Fresh Start. Ann's words are art. Her photographs, likewise.

Our family definitely needs a place for repentence and forgiveness these days. Thank you, Ann, for the tactile approach.

::: a craft that even *i* can do :::

Let's get one thing straight. I am not crafty or handy. The idea of making anything using popsicle sticks and Elmer's glu makes me feel a bit queasy. Building something out of wood? Nope. Not gonna happen. I get nervous about hanging pictures on the wall.

But every once in a while, I see a do-it-yourself project that makes me go "Ooooooh!" This little beauty from Heather Bullard's website is one of them. I can certainly take this on, and I have a TON of mason jars that I would just love to use! I can see a whole host of jars containing everything from soap to shampoo to lotion to...well, what do YOU see?

::: a giveaway :::

Hannah makes cookies.
Hannah makes cakes.
Hannah makes beautiful pictures.
Hannah made my blog header photo.
Hannah made a giveaway on her blog.
Go see Hannah!

::: everybody's got the fever :::

Tonia at Study in Brown has a great post on the family medicine chest here. Lots of great suggestions that I already use, and lots that are new to me. So many people I know have the flu/swine flu right now. Tonia's post is so highly appropriate and full of truth, both practical and beautiful. Thanks, Tonia!

::: i found my thrill on chili hill :::

Every year, around the third week in October, our friends Steve and Sara host a chili supper at their home and invite all of their friends (and a few people they don't even know!) to enjoy it with them. A big pot of wood-fire cooked chili, a couple of hayrides, some hot cider, and lots of friendly faces make for a delicious event that our whole family looks forward.

This year, I baked a batch of Brown Butter Toffee Blondies from a recipe I saw on one of my favorite food blogs, honey & jam. I happened to have a big bag of toffee bits that Bo had brought home from the chocolate factory and had been wondering what to do with them, so when I saw the blondie recipe that Hannah had posted, I knew that's what I'd take to Chili Hill.

This year, Steve and Sara's eldest daughter, Laura, is a senior. Because this might be the last Chili Hill Laura, who has been accepted to West Point, will attend for a while, I wanted to get lots of photos. And that I did. :-)

::: oh, the lord's been good to me, and so i thank the lord :::

On Thursday morning, I stomped loudly into the girls' newly painted bedroom, stopped for a second to admire my work (again) and then hollered, "It's time to get up!"

And you know what? They did it.

Because the night before, I had threatened them with the gravest of punishments. I would attempt to wake them once. Just. Once. And if they failed to haul their fannies from their beds, I would let them sleep.

Harsh, huh?

Well, yeah, there's a little more to the story.

See, they'd been looking forward to meeting a new friend. We were going to spend the day making applesauce with Jill and her almost-ten-year-old daughter Miss-E, and we were to meet them at early-o'clock in the morning. And that required going to sleep instead of giggling. And that required serious threats. If they didn't tumble out of bed on my first attempt, they would sleep, and they would miss going to the orchard to meet with Jill and Miss-E.

So when I hollered, they responded. The Baby hopped up like a Pop Tart out of a toaster, and I only had to tell her to change clothes twice, given that it was 33 degrees and she was wearing shorts and sandals.

The drive was gorgeous, with a heavy fog filling all of the nooks and crannies of this sleepy 8,000 horse town.

It was delightful to spend the day with Jill, sharing lifestories like we were long-lost sisters, listening to the contented silence of little girls engrossed in Polly Pocket play. It was such a different and pleasant experience to spend the day in the kitchen with another woman, one who was competent and self-motivated, who was not shy to dive in and do what needed done. It was forever surprising to turn from a task only to turn back and see Jill finishing it, having picked up where I left off. When it came time for us to kick it into high gear so I could get to the evening's parent/teacher conference, I was sorry that the day was ending. I wish I could have someone like Jill around to keep me company in the kitchen every day.

We stopped long enough to harvest some basil, which Jill vigilantly plucked, washed, spun and stuffed into freezer bags and to enjoy a lunch of romaine salad, fettuccine with Alfredo sauce and fresh-pressed cider from the orchard.

When all was said and done, we had thirty-tree and a half quarts of cortland/grimes golden applesauce standing proudly on the wooden butcher block. When each one popped, Jill would say, "thank you!", a trick she'd passed on from the generation before her to her own children.

You know how they say that chopping wood warms you twice? Well, the same can be said for canning with a friend; first from the steaming heat of the water-bath canner, and the second time when you enjoy that yummy food and remember the day you shared with your canning buddy.

::: you are the apple of my eye; forever you'll stay in my heart :::

Yesterday morning, I met with blogfriend Jill at a wonderful orchard in our county. This orchard has the best apple cider ever, fresh pressed and unpasteurized. Jill and I were to meet at the orchard market between 8 and 8:30 to buy apples for applesauce which we were going to make together in my kitchen! I was so excited to finally formally meet Jill and her daughter E and spend some time together. Sweetheart, The Baby and I piled into the van and drove through the foggy backroads to the orchard. Of course, I had to stop and capture a few beautiful scenes along the way, and then a few more when we got to the colorful orchard market.

And then we headed home to fill the house with chattering and the smell of fresh applesauce. I'll write about that tomorrow. For now, Monet, Sweetheart, The Baby and I are heading to the local college to see a performance of Romeo and Juliet.

::: honey & jam :::

The talented Hannah at honey & jam will wow you with her beautiful photos. Hannah is a 19-year-old homeschool graduate who mashed her loves of photography and baking together to create a scrumdiliumciosis blog. If you go and visit her now, you'll find that she's hosting a generous giveaway--a $40 gift card to King Arthur Flour. Even though I'm minimizing MY chances of scoring that card by sharing this little tidbit with you, I'm doing it anyway because I think you'll like her that much, and how can I keep something so great all to myself?

Go visit her blog and enter that contest. I'll be here when you get back.

*Photo by Hannah.

::: pros and cons of homeschooling :::

For those who have questions regarding the pros and cons of homeschooling, and don't we all, I would like to point you to a post by one of my favorite bloggers, Ann Voskamp of Holy Experience. In this post, Ann speaks so much of what I would say here were I as eloquent and articulate as she. My favorite part of the post, the one to which I say, "Amen!", is this:

Ultimately, for us, a quality education focuses on commitment, of both the learner and the teacher. A commitment by both parties to authenticity, joy, curiosity, and consistency. These elements of an education then translate into necessary, future life-skills.

For us that means living:

Authentically.
Live your life. Invite your children to join you! Read together. Pray together. Sing together. Work, bake, garden, chore, clean, sew, fix, build together. Don't fabricate artificial demarcation lines between schooling and living. Live a one-piece life. Live holistically.

Joyfully.
Explore! Be awed by His World! Restore Wonder! Be a creative, thinking, exuberant person who spills with the joy of learning. Your zest for learning and life will be contagious--the children will catch it!

Curiously.
Read, read, read. Fill the house with library books. Play classical music. Post the art of the masters about the house. Go for walks in the woods. Learn a new language, a new culture, a new poem. Everyday set out to discover again, and again, and again. The whole earth is full of His glory! Go seek His face...

Consistently.
Consistently pray. Consistently read. Consistently keep the routine. Consistently live an everyday liturgy.

Children thrive in routine. So do households. Have hardstops: times that you fully stop to pray, to read, to write. Regardless of what isn't done, what isn't finished. Make a full stop, do the needful thing, then return to meals, laundry, household management.
Consistently be consistent.

That's all. The curriculum doesn't really matter, so much. Use what works for you, how He leads you.

Just make it part of your real life, make it a joy, make it a discovery, and prayerfully make it consistent.

~Ann Voskamp

There are many more great words there on Ann's site, as well as some delicious photographs.

::: ann voskamp :::

If you've not visited Ann Voskamp's blog, Holy Experience, who offers "just a bit of listening, laundry, liturgy... life," you really must. Her word pictures are touching and poetic, and her pictures, worth so much more than a thousand words, are an elegant and beautiful compliment to her craft. Today's post is so touching, I had to read it twice.

Enjoy.

Today's Project: Basil Bread

When the basil comes in, the eatin' gets good. Today's basil project was Genovese Basil Bread. Hop on over to my food blog, Time to Cook, for the recipe and pictures of my helpers. :-)

I'm also working on the No-Knead Bread from the New York Times. You can check out that recipe and an article about it here, but I won't post it on my food blog until I see how it comes out.

If you want to see some *real* food blogs, check out Simply Recipes and Farmgirl Fare. Good stuff, I tell ya!

::: fun stuff for cat lovers :::

I found this video over at Anderson Adventures and it gave me a good giggle. Take a moment to giggle, too. It's good for you!

Guilt-Free Homeschooling Homeschool Blog

Guilt-Free Homeschooling Homeschool Blog: "Guilt-Free Homeschooling is achieved by
1) Doing what God has asked you to do, not what all of your friends or relatives are doing or may expect you to do.
2) Spending some time reflecting on all your reasons for educating your children at home and writing those reasons down so you can look back over them whenever you need a reminder.
3) Looking after your own family's needs first and only extending your efforts to others as you have the time, energy, and resources to do so. (Your own family should not suffer because you are taking care of others' needs instead of theirs.)
4) Reserving time occasionally for your family to interact with other homeschooling families (Moms, Dads, and children) for educational activities, for fellowship, for support, or just for fun."

I just finished reading this portion of Guilt-Free Homeschooling, and it makes so much sense. I think I need some time to reflect on this...

::: home eating a threat to public kitchens? :::

Homeschool Position Papers Page: Home Eating a Threat to Public Kitchens? by Angela Paul

Home Eating a Threat to Public Kitchens?

State Allows Growing Trend of Eating at Home
A Parody by Angela Paul

April 13, 2099

Reunited Press


After much heated debate on the house floor, legislation was passed today to allow a growing number of families to cook meals for their families in their homes. The children must have annual physical examinations to assure proper growth and weight gain. Attempts to require weekly meal plans and monthly kitchen inspections were voted down.



A spokesperson from the National Association of Nutritionists (NANs) condemns this decision. "These children are being denied the rich socialization and diversity that is an essential part of the eating process. Without the proper nutritional background, it is impossible for the average person to feed their own children. We, as child advocates, see this as a step backwards and speak out for the sake of the children who cannot speak for themselves."


Homecooking parents say the benefits of eating at home include increased family unity and the ability to tailor a diet to a particular need. Elizabeth Crocker, a home cook, states, "We started cooking and eating at home when we realized that my son had a severe allergy to eggs. The public kitchens required him to take numerous medications that had serious side effects in order to counteract his allergy. We found that eliminating eggs was a simpler method and our son has thrived since we began doing so."


After this experience, the Crockers decided to home cook for all of their children, and converted their media room into a kitchen. Elizabeth says, "We have experienced so much closeness as we have explored recipes and spent time cooking together and eating together. We have a dining circle with other families where we sometimes share ideas and meals together."


The Crocker children have done well physically under their mother's care, weighing in at optimum weights for their ages and having health records far above average. It should be noted that Mrs. Crocker, while not a professional nutritionist, has a family history rich with nutritionists and home economists. "Surely the success of the Crocker children is due to the background of their mother," responded the spokesman from NANs. "The results they have achieved should not be viewed as normative." Mrs. Crocker counters that her background was actually a hindrance to the nutritional principles she follows. "Our paternal great-grandmother was a home economist, but she prepared most meal from pre-made mixes. In our homecooking we try not to duplicate public-kitchen meals, but to tailor our meals to the needs and preferences of our children."


In a related issue, legislation is in committee that would provide oversight for the emerging homecooking movement. Says the Home Eating Legal Defense Association (HELDA): "We want to provide umbrella kitchens to aid parents in the complicated tasks of feeding their children. Many families lack the expertise of the Crocker family, yet desire to eat at home. As we have seen, the umbrella kitchens meet the needs of all concerned. We are happy to provide this service."

Copyright © Angela Paul, 1999 - 2008. Used with permission.