19 iron burns (yes, surprisingly few & all to the left hand)
58 glue-gun blisters*
1,712 yards of fabric*
10,004 pin pricks*
1 million+ drops of sweat*
& more than a few curses, are-you-kidding-me’s, i-think-I’m-going-to-cry’s later*…
Here it is… the new look of the-little-clothing-business-that-could…
Daffodils-&-Daisies AND... on Facebook (only the business!)
Some days I wonder if it’s all really worth it… then I think about the friends I’ve made along the way… I wouldn’t trade it for all the fabric in China! (or anything else :)
*These are only estimates… actual numbers are probably higher*
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Have you lost your mind?!?!
I remember it like it like it was yesterday… the day we found out our sweet baby was a girl… oh the excitement. I also remember vividly the doctor’s words when she looked at the ultra-sound pictures…
“There it is!” she said with a grin. “See right there? That’s her brain. Some day you will wonder if there’s anything in there, so I’m showing you now… there is.”
It was funny then, but today… oh today… those words came flooding back to me as I said to The Goose…
“Do you know why Mommy & Daddy tell you not to jump on the beds, and not to stand up in chairs, and not to jump on tables(!)?” She shook her head no. “We tell you that because if you fall you will hit your head. And do you know what’s inside your head?” Again, I get a no. “Your brain. And a brain is a very important thing.”
This little anatomy lesson was followed by a serious come-to-Jesus about using our brain and listening to Mommy & Daddy.
Fast-forward two hours… while talking on the phone to Mimi, The Goose (out of nowhere of course) interjects, “Daddy, what’s in your head? … A brain?... Our brains are important.”
Oh yes they are…. VERY important… and sometimes I marvel at how they work… and sometimes I wonder if they work at all…. But thanks to Dr. D, I know it’s in there… somewhere!
“There it is!” she said with a grin. “See right there? That’s her brain. Some day you will wonder if there’s anything in there, so I’m showing you now… there is.”
It was funny then, but today… oh today… those words came flooding back to me as I said to The Goose…
“Do you know why Mommy & Daddy tell you not to jump on the beds, and not to stand up in chairs, and not to jump on tables(!)?” She shook her head no. “We tell you that because if you fall you will hit your head. And do you know what’s inside your head?” Again, I get a no. “Your brain. And a brain is a very important thing.”
This little anatomy lesson was followed by a serious come-to-Jesus about using our brain and listening to Mommy & Daddy.
Fast-forward two hours… while talking on the phone to Mimi, The Goose (out of nowhere of course) interjects, “Daddy, what’s in your head? … A brain?... Our brains are important.”
Oh yes they are…. VERY important… and sometimes I marvel at how they work… and sometimes I wonder if they work at all…. But thanks to Dr. D, I know it’s in there… somewhere!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
How to make a Goose sit still...
... pull out the pink nail polish...
Just a quick rim turned into a full mani-pedi.... I think that's the only time The Goose has actually been awake AND still! She was so proud... too bad the fingers all chipped off in a day :( Oh well! It was fun while it lasted
Just a quick rim turned into a full mani-pedi.... I think that's the only time The Goose has actually been awake AND still! She was so proud... too bad the fingers all chipped off in a day :( Oh well! It was fun while it lasted
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| Nothing like a little pampering to make a girl smile! |
Spiritual Toddler
Today was one of those ridiculously exhausting days… and by ridiculously exhausting I mean it seems ridiculous that I am exhausted. Don’t get me wrong… I accomplished plenty today, but nothing too meaningful. I did my domestic duties… laundry, produce-freezing, dinner-making, toy-picking-up (or rather delegating of toy-picking-up). I even did some sewing & a bit of reading, but only 25 pages in, I found myself “Praying” (which is what I like to say I am doing any time I fall asleep when I am supposed to be awake… I am frequently “praying” when the alarm goes off in the morning… or when studying, which works since it’s seminary, right?)
Anyway, I couldn’t figure out why I was so tired. I usually do my best work after 10pm, but not tonight. This is ridiculous. SO… to keep myself awake, I begin to blog-stalk, coming across some blogs that make me cry & some that make me laugh, but all make me wonder how I accomplish so much less every day than everyone else seems to. And not just that… but they seem to accomplish much AND take time to experience & enjoy it all too! (Either that or they are good blog-liars & fake productivity & joy very well!)
So I begin to think back through my day… did I do anything really important? Did I at least spend time with the people that are most important? Did I devote my attention to anything other than mundane tasks? Sadly, the answers… all no. I was around some pretty important people, especially one under four-feet tall. I had the opportunity to talk to someone over 6 feet tall. I could have chosen to spend some quality time at the feet of the Father. But, instead I was consumed with the ordinary. Not that there’s anything wrong with ordinary… it’s just how I handle my ordinary that bothers me.
For instance, today, The Goose was very good, but in her new-found three-year-old passion of finding what grates on Mommy’s nerves and sticking with it, she decided she would ask me the same questions over and over and over, never even listening to my answer… just asking & asking & asking some more. OR… even better… asking, hearing and doing the opposite… over & over & over, even when told to stop, over & over & over, with the occasional grin & eye-glimmer that says, “I know exactly what I’m doing”… Drives me crazy!
But wait… I do the same thing. I feel ridiculously exhausted & ask God why I’m not as productive as other people. Am I doing the right thing? What do YOU want me to do? Will YOU help me be a better mother, wife, housekeeper, student, time manager…??? HELP ME HELP ME HELP ME… I sound like a toddler. Asking the same things over and over again, but not listening. Not giving God time to talk. Probably driving Him crazy.
In First Corinthians, Paul talks about the members of the Corinthian church being spiritual infants, and though I would like to think of myself as a faithful & mature person… the truth is, I am more like a toddler than I would like to admit. I whine… I ask the same annoying questions… I don’t listen very well… & sometimes, I do exactly what I know I shouldn’t. If I’m honest, most days, I know exactly what I am supposed to do, & I also know the attitude I should have while doing the things I do.
No matter how ordinary or simple, they are my tasks & I choose how to handle them – with joy and a servant’s heart or with frustration and jealously at how I am not what someone else is. I choose how to respond to the incessant questions of a three-year-old (who really just wants me to put down the laundry & play)… I choose whether to make time to listen or move on to the next item on my to-do list… I choose to out-grown my toddler spirit or to keep seeking something that perhaps God never intended for me to do or be… at least not yet. Maybe when I am a big girl.
Anyway, I couldn’t figure out why I was so tired. I usually do my best work after 10pm, but not tonight. This is ridiculous. SO… to keep myself awake, I begin to blog-stalk, coming across some blogs that make me cry & some that make me laugh, but all make me wonder how I accomplish so much less every day than everyone else seems to. And not just that… but they seem to accomplish much AND take time to experience & enjoy it all too! (Either that or they are good blog-liars & fake productivity & joy very well!)
So I begin to think back through my day… did I do anything really important? Did I at least spend time with the people that are most important? Did I devote my attention to anything other than mundane tasks? Sadly, the answers… all no. I was around some pretty important people, especially one under four-feet tall. I had the opportunity to talk to someone over 6 feet tall. I could have chosen to spend some quality time at the feet of the Father. But, instead I was consumed with the ordinary. Not that there’s anything wrong with ordinary… it’s just how I handle my ordinary that bothers me.
For instance, today, The Goose was very good, but in her new-found three-year-old passion of finding what grates on Mommy’s nerves and sticking with it, she decided she would ask me the same questions over and over and over, never even listening to my answer… just asking & asking & asking some more. OR… even better… asking, hearing and doing the opposite… over & over & over, even when told to stop, over & over & over, with the occasional grin & eye-glimmer that says, “I know exactly what I’m doing”… Drives me crazy!
But wait… I do the same thing. I feel ridiculously exhausted & ask God why I’m not as productive as other people. Am I doing the right thing? What do YOU want me to do? Will YOU help me be a better mother, wife, housekeeper, student, time manager…??? HELP ME HELP ME HELP ME… I sound like a toddler. Asking the same things over and over again, but not listening. Not giving God time to talk. Probably driving Him crazy.
In First Corinthians, Paul talks about the members of the Corinthian church being spiritual infants, and though I would like to think of myself as a faithful & mature person… the truth is, I am more like a toddler than I would like to admit. I whine… I ask the same annoying questions… I don’t listen very well… & sometimes, I do exactly what I know I shouldn’t. If I’m honest, most days, I know exactly what I am supposed to do, & I also know the attitude I should have while doing the things I do.
No matter how ordinary or simple, they are my tasks & I choose how to handle them – with joy and a servant’s heart or with frustration and jealously at how I am not what someone else is. I choose how to respond to the incessant questions of a three-year-old (who really just wants me to put down the laundry & play)… I choose whether to make time to listen or move on to the next item on my to-do list… I choose to out-grown my toddler spirit or to keep seeking something that perhaps God never intended for me to do or be… at least not yet. Maybe when I am a big girl.
“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him,
and to which God has called him.” ~1 Corinthians 7:17
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tiny Evangelist… Tales from the Target Cart
We used to joke that The Goose was a tiny evangelist because she liked (and still does on occasion) to burst into choruses of “Jesus Loves Me” (which is always followed by “Deep & Wide”) when riding in the cart through the aisles of Target. And to make it even better, she would pause mid-song to correct me for my silence: “Sing it with me Mommy!” Well what can you say to that? “No honey, that might make people look at us funny.”? Or “You sing it, Mommy’s too big to sing in Target”? Clearly not! So… here we go… singing down the aisles, getting a few looks, mostly nice, and one very vocal “AMEN!”
You see, she already knows how to be an Evangelical… probably better than most adults I know. So when do we lose our ability to share our faith? Or, maybe it’s not lost, but when did we gain this major evangelical-inhibition? And when did “Evangelical” become such a “bad” word? It seems now if you profess to be an Evangelical, people get nervous. I feel the nagging need to correct people who refer to someone as an “Evangelical Christian,” for all Christians are by nature (IF we are doing our job right) Evangelical. So isn’t the “term” or “label” a bit redundant? Or maybe we need to be redundant. Maybe all Christians need to refer to themselves and other believers as “Evangelical Christians” so that we remember that key part of what it means to BE a Christian.
“Share the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words”… (a famous quote from St. Francis of Assisi)… to which I add, “or songs from a shopping cart, whatever works for you.”
Pretty funny, how we think we have to work so hard to teach our children how to love God, when they are really pretty good at showing us how to love Him even better… Sing it loud, Sing it proud!
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? […] How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ~Romans 10: 14-15
You see, she already knows how to be an Evangelical… probably better than most adults I know. So when do we lose our ability to share our faith? Or, maybe it’s not lost, but when did we gain this major evangelical-inhibition? And when did “Evangelical” become such a “bad” word? It seems now if you profess to be an Evangelical, people get nervous. I feel the nagging need to correct people who refer to someone as an “Evangelical Christian,” for all Christians are by nature (IF we are doing our job right) Evangelical. So isn’t the “term” or “label” a bit redundant? Or maybe we need to be redundant. Maybe all Christians need to refer to themselves and other believers as “Evangelical Christians” so that we remember that key part of what it means to BE a Christian.
“Share the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words”… (a famous quote from St. Francis of Assisi)… to which I add, “or songs from a shopping cart, whatever works for you.”
Pretty funny, how we think we have to work so hard to teach our children how to love God, when they are really pretty good at showing us how to love Him even better… Sing it loud, Sing it proud!
“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? […] How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ~Romans 10: 14-15
Saturday, July 24, 2010
I Just Don't Get It...
Not to harp on the same subject, but check out this week's "Faith & Values" section cartoon, from the funnies, not the articles, but it could go along with last week's theme... I'm not sure, because I just don't get it... maybe you can help??? Seriously, I am at a loss.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Real Bedtime Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
Mommy prays I’ll stay in bed, but I think I would like to play instead.
I’ll try to get out of this night-time routine, as I cannot stand this resting thing.
Out of bed at least 14 times, with tears, and pleas and an occasional whine.
So let the bargaining begin! I think I know who will win.
First I’ll sneak in one, or maybe two… who are we kidding, only FIVE will do!
And if I cannot sleep tonight, I’ll play until the morning light.
Mommy prays I’ll stay in bed, but I think I would like to play instead.
I’ll try to get out of this night-time routine, as I cannot stand this resting thing.
Out of bed at least 14 times, with tears, and pleas and an occasional whine.
So let the bargaining begin! I think I know who will win.
First I’ll sneak in one, or maybe two… who are we kidding, only FIVE will do!
And if I cannot sleep tonight, I’ll play until the morning light.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Oldies but Goodies
This weekend was a real treat for me… my first friend (from first grade :) is getting married in ALASKA, so she & her soon-to-be-husband came back home for a fabulous party. Wedding parties are great fun, of course, but catching up with friends you haven’t seen in YEARS is even better! Oh the memories… things I haven’t thought of since… well, I really can’t remember when I remembered them last, but it’s been a while. All weekend long, two quotes keep filling my mind & my heart…
“Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver & the other gold”
& from Proverbs… “A Friend Loves at All Times”
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the best friend when it comes to staying in touch. I am still stubbornly standing my ground in my refusal to join Facebook, though the Facebook sirens lure me with their connectedness…. But let’s be honest, if I can’t find the time to keep up with the 5 actual friends I have, how in the world can I make time for the 100 half-way-friends-but-really-more-acquaintances????
Still, I know I need to do better…. To make a conscious effort to have some form of meaningful correspondence with these people who have such a special place in my life… people who share some of my greatest childhood, teenhood, collegehood memories. Which brings me back to the quotes…. For the truest friends in life are surely those who stand the test of time and space… Friends who you can pick up with right where you left off (even if you can’t remember exactly where that was!) … Friends who know your faults probably more than you even know your own , yet they still love you, for who you are & aren’t. New or Old, Silver or Gold…. Those friends that love you at all times… Those are the best… the truest…. They know my face, like a book… & I theirs. And to see those same goofy smiles that look just like they did in the first grade, well… that’s better than any status update I can think of. There are just some things that can’t replace face-to-face friends.
“Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver & the other gold”
& from Proverbs… “A Friend Loves at All Times”
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the best friend when it comes to staying in touch. I am still stubbornly standing my ground in my refusal to join Facebook, though the Facebook sirens lure me with their connectedness…. But let’s be honest, if I can’t find the time to keep up with the 5 actual friends I have, how in the world can I make time for the 100 half-way-friends-but-really-more-acquaintances????
Still, I know I need to do better…. To make a conscious effort to have some form of meaningful correspondence with these people who have such a special place in my life… people who share some of my greatest childhood, teenhood, collegehood memories. Which brings me back to the quotes…. For the truest friends in life are surely those who stand the test of time and space… Friends who you can pick up with right where you left off (even if you can’t remember exactly where that was!) … Friends who know your faults probably more than you even know your own , yet they still love you, for who you are & aren’t. New or Old, Silver or Gold…. Those friends that love you at all times… Those are the best… the truest…. They know my face, like a book… & I theirs. And to see those same goofy smiles that look just like they did in the first grade, well… that’s better than any status update I can think of. There are just some things that can’t replace face-to-face friends.
Funnies, Values & No Faith
Saturday. Paper Reading Day. One thing I look forward to in the Saturday paper is the “Faith & Values” section. Call me crazy, but I enjoy reading inspirational accounts of people’s unique faith journeys. I even find the articles regarding divisions, developments & decisions within the church interesting. But lately, I find less interesting and more disheartening in this section.
Now, in a section with FAITH first in its title, there is but ONE article on faith of any kind. The “Values” portion of this section consist of various “Dear Abby” type questions & responses. And then, there’s the real meat of the section… the FUNNIES. That’s right, you find the comics in the “Faith & Values” section (along with the horoscopes, of course). And not only that… but the FUNNIES compose TWICE as much print-space as the ONE faith-related article.
If that trend weren’t bad enough, today’s article left me saddened, and… I don’t exactly know what else… You see, today’s “FAITH” article is about atheists who wrote a book about ministers who have lost their faith…. Making it a double no-faith article no less. And if you aren’t sad yet, get this… these “faithless” ministers still preach & haven’t admitted their drastic faith-loss even to their spouses. I find that very sad, in and of itself, but what left me really disturbed by the article is that the self-proclaimed atheists argue that churches looking for pastors do not really care about the faith of their pastoral candidates.
Well, let me just say… I CARE… about the faith of my minister… my congregation… my spouse… my child… my family & friends… & even that of strangers. I, being the crazy person I am, would want to know if my minister was having doubts, NOT to interrogate that person as to their fitness to be leading BUT to be able to pray for them. And I would like think that more Christians would want to see their pastor seek spiritual help & guidance to RESTORE their faith, rather than turn a blind eye to a problem far deeper than any social embarrassment or financial difficulty that could arise as a result of their honesty.
I CARE about the faith of others… because the faith of others I know & others I’ve never even met affects my faith. I believe in Christ because someone showed me their belief & His Love. I follow because they taught me how to follow. I own my faith because others owned theirs. And I, crazy person that I am, want to read about FAITH in the FAITH & VALUES section.
I can’t think of a week that passes that I don’t encounter some real-life account of great faith AND the power that faith has in the lives of so many… stories of endurance, healing, restoration... in spite of pain & suffering, death & grief. I hear the stories. I see the faith. I see the awesome God at work in EVERYTHING that we open our eyes to. Can’t you? Can’t they? Those are the stories I want to read. Those stories… could fill volumes… not just one forth of a page. Maybe they won’t put the faith back in front of the funnies, but I think we can…. Guess we’ll just have to show them how to fill a page with real FAITH. Faith like a child… Teeny, Tiny mustard seed faith… that moves mountains… and doubters… and even atheists. Move over Charlie Brown! We’re taking this page back!
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
~ Hebrews 11:1
Now, in a section with FAITH first in its title, there is but ONE article on faith of any kind. The “Values” portion of this section consist of various “Dear Abby” type questions & responses. And then, there’s the real meat of the section… the FUNNIES. That’s right, you find the comics in the “Faith & Values” section (along with the horoscopes, of course). And not only that… but the FUNNIES compose TWICE as much print-space as the ONE faith-related article.
If that trend weren’t bad enough, today’s article left me saddened, and… I don’t exactly know what else… You see, today’s “FAITH” article is about atheists who wrote a book about ministers who have lost their faith…. Making it a double no-faith article no less. And if you aren’t sad yet, get this… these “faithless” ministers still preach & haven’t admitted their drastic faith-loss even to their spouses. I find that very sad, in and of itself, but what left me really disturbed by the article is that the self-proclaimed atheists argue that churches looking for pastors do not really care about the faith of their pastoral candidates.
Well, let me just say… I CARE… about the faith of my minister… my congregation… my spouse… my child… my family & friends… & even that of strangers. I, being the crazy person I am, would want to know if my minister was having doubts, NOT to interrogate that person as to their fitness to be leading BUT to be able to pray for them. And I would like think that more Christians would want to see their pastor seek spiritual help & guidance to RESTORE their faith, rather than turn a blind eye to a problem far deeper than any social embarrassment or financial difficulty that could arise as a result of their honesty.
I CARE about the faith of others… because the faith of others I know & others I’ve never even met affects my faith. I believe in Christ because someone showed me their belief & His Love. I follow because they taught me how to follow. I own my faith because others owned theirs. And I, crazy person that I am, want to read about FAITH in the FAITH & VALUES section.
I can’t think of a week that passes that I don’t encounter some real-life account of great faith AND the power that faith has in the lives of so many… stories of endurance, healing, restoration... in spite of pain & suffering, death & grief. I hear the stories. I see the faith. I see the awesome God at work in EVERYTHING that we open our eyes to. Can’t you? Can’t they? Those are the stories I want to read. Those stories… could fill volumes… not just one forth of a page. Maybe they won’t put the faith back in front of the funnies, but I think we can…. Guess we’ll just have to show them how to fill a page with real FAITH. Faith like a child… Teeny, Tiny mustard seed faith… that moves mountains… and doubters… and even atheists. Move over Charlie Brown! We’re taking this page back!
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
~ Hebrews 11:1
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Thumbs-down to Thumbs-up…
So after the jam saga, The Goose & I attempted to make a thumbs-up out of a bit of a thumbs-down. One suggestion, for “taffy jelly” was to use it in Thumbprint Cookies. Having never heard of such, I googled my way to a delicious & simple recipe & off we went on our Thumbprint adventure.
The Goose was so excited to make cookies and “put my thumb in it like this” that it was hard to explain letting butter & eggs reach room temperature (luckily an oh-so-rare-nap helped with the waiting). I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story…
So proud...
carefully patting each one...
this takes lots of concentration...
put your thumb into it...
"wait! I have to smell it first!"...
see... i TOLD you it was taffy!
(& note... if you want to make these... this is NOT how they are supposed to look, but this "jam" is a bit hard to control! We had "extra-jammy thumbprint cookies")
"Look at my hands!"... followed quickly by...
"uhhh... I need to wash them!"
"uhhh... I need to wash them!"
Messy Bessy? Yes! But… it turned my frown upside down… & my thumb too :) The jam actually tastes GREAT in cookie form & the goose had fun too…. Making AND eating. Guess that’s two thumbs-up out of a few thumbs-down.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Jam It!
I’m not sure how they did it… It must have taken the patience of Job! Preserving and canning… & CLEANING up the ridiculous mess! Well… odds are they (Granny, etc.) did it better… much better than me.
I have no problem with the vegetables, but the fruits… they make me curse. After spending HOURS cooking, juicing, cooking, jarring, sealing & cleaning… my blackberry jam… well it didn’t… jam. It was still juice. JAM IT! (#1)
So… I google my way to a seemingly simple solution… recook it. Ok, easy enough. (& the goose is eager to “help”) so here we go again! An hour and a half, 17 jars & 1 messy kitchen (again) later… we have… well… what do we have???? It seems that 4 of the jars (in pot A) are super-jammed & the other 13 (from pot B) are well… sort of jammed???? WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!!!! I even used a thermometer this time and they were both at the exact same temperature… this is crazy! Can a blue pot somehow produce inferior jam to that of a silver pot???? clearly I know there is some more logical & technical cooking solution, but… JAM IT! (#2)
Well what can you do now? I take one super-jammed jar & one not-so-much-jammed jar, open them up (which was ok since these two rascally jars didn’t seal anyway!) and take a taste… well… they are edible… but they don’t taste or look like granny’s or mama’s or the smuckers I currently have in the fridge…. JAM IT! (#3)
I give up! What is a girl to do? I have it! Give it as gifts! No one will know! They will think that’s what homemade is supposed to taste/look like! So MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone… this Jam’s for you! Do with it what you will… if you cover it with enough peanut butter, maybe you can pawn it off on your kids… or your dog… maybe that’s how I can get the rascally pug to quit barking!
I have no problem with the vegetables, but the fruits… they make me curse. After spending HOURS cooking, juicing, cooking, jarring, sealing & cleaning… my blackberry jam… well it didn’t… jam. It was still juice. JAM IT! (#1)
So… I google my way to a seemingly simple solution… recook it. Ok, easy enough. (& the goose is eager to “help”) so here we go again! An hour and a half, 17 jars & 1 messy kitchen (again) later… we have… well… what do we have???? It seems that 4 of the jars (in pot A) are super-jammed & the other 13 (from pot B) are well… sort of jammed???? WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!!!! I even used a thermometer this time and they were both at the exact same temperature… this is crazy! Can a blue pot somehow produce inferior jam to that of a silver pot???? clearly I know there is some more logical & technical cooking solution, but… JAM IT! (#2)
Well what can you do now? I take one super-jammed jar & one not-so-much-jammed jar, open them up (which was ok since these two rascally jars didn’t seal anyway!) and take a taste… well… they are edible… but they don’t taste or look like granny’s or mama’s or the smuckers I currently have in the fridge…. JAM IT! (#3)
I give up! What is a girl to do? I have it! Give it as gifts! No one will know! They will think that’s what homemade is supposed to taste/look like! So MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone… this Jam’s for you! Do with it what you will… if you cover it with enough peanut butter, maybe you can pawn it off on your kids… or your dog… maybe that’s how I can get the rascally pug to quit barking!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Broken Shells...
We’ve all done it… combed the beach for shells… searching for the illusive conch… settling for a non-oyster shell still in one piece and bigger than a quarter. Well, while on our annual family beach trek, the goose & I head to the sand, buckets in hand, ready to find those fragile treasures. I was disappointed… evidentially it’s not shell season at LB… I’m talking NOTHING. Bummer, right?
Not for the goose. She RUNS as fast as she can, squealing “look mommy look!” at every little piece of shell she can see. Kind of crazy… to get so excited over a misshaped, dull-colored, broken shell…. Maybe not.
It reminds me of God… how he gets so excited over every messed-up, broken, boring sinner… like me… like you. How He must SQUEAL with three-year-old delight at every person who washes up on His shores, thirsty for His love… aching just to be picked up… to be noticed… like a broken shell… treasured by a toddler. God chooses us, the dull, boring, chipped, messed up things we are, washes all our sand off & places us gently in His bucket.
Who needs a conch anyway? The goose got it right… she showed me… Him… again.
Not for the goose. She RUNS as fast as she can, squealing “look mommy look!” at every little piece of shell she can see. Kind of crazy… to get so excited over a misshaped, dull-colored, broken shell…. Maybe not.
It reminds me of God… how he gets so excited over every messed-up, broken, boring sinner… like me… like you. How He must SQUEAL with three-year-old delight at every person who washes up on His shores, thirsty for His love… aching just to be picked up… to be noticed… like a broken shell… treasured by a toddler. God chooses us, the dull, boring, chipped, messed up things we are, washes all our sand off & places us gently in His bucket.
Who needs a conch anyway? The goose got it right… she showed me… Him… again.
There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents ... Luke 15:7
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Radical Homemaking…
Saturday is newspaper reading day. Yes, it would be nice to read it more than once a week, but… one is better than none, right? Anyway, there was one especially interesting article describing a trend toward “Radical Homemaking”…
“radical homemakers, women and men who are reclaiming the traditional role of the homemaker as part of their desire for a less materialistic life. It's a social movement that's drawing a small but growing number of people - many in their 20s and 30s - who measure their lives not in terms of money, but in such aspects as relationships, ecological sustainability and happiness.”
Finally, a job description I love! From now on, when someone inquires as to my “profession,” my answer will enthusiastically be, “I am a radical homemaker.” You see, for the past few years, I have had a hard time finding an appropriate label for my occupation… When unable to avoid the “what do you do?” question, I reluctantly ramble about being a mom, and my “side business” making children’s clothes, and then there’s my part time hobby of seminary… so… I… kind of… do a lot of stuff… but don’t really “do” anything.
For some crazy reason, I seem to have trouble admitting that I am, above all, a homemaker. Maybe that’s because I feel like an inferior homemaker… My floors seem to be dirty more than they are clean, the laundry piles up in the chairs (but at least its clean!), dinner often consists of the oh-so-delicious (and easy) frozen pizza, and the play room looks like a small herd of very playful animals passed through.
But now, I feel I have a renewed sense of purpose. I feel somehow validated by this radical trend… this crazy idea that being “employed” is overrated… that living a happy and fulfilling life does not depend on the title I have or the amount of money I make. But is it really even radical? Didn’t our grandmothers and great-grandmothers understand this… They weren’t radical. They were just doing their job.
Of course it’s not like I didn’t already know that jobs, money and things aren’t at all what matter in life, but let’s be honest… in our society, it takes a bit of humility and a lot of courage to break the norm and be a radical… HOMEMAKER. That’s right… I’m a radical. Maybe this will be the push I needed to get that (clean) laundry out of the chair & into the closet… maybe
“radical homemakers, women and men who are reclaiming the traditional role of the homemaker as part of their desire for a less materialistic life. It's a social movement that's drawing a small but growing number of people - many in their 20s and 30s - who measure their lives not in terms of money, but in such aspects as relationships, ecological sustainability and happiness.”
Finally, a job description I love! From now on, when someone inquires as to my “profession,” my answer will enthusiastically be, “I am a radical homemaker.” You see, for the past few years, I have had a hard time finding an appropriate label for my occupation… When unable to avoid the “what do you do?” question, I reluctantly ramble about being a mom, and my “side business” making children’s clothes, and then there’s my part time hobby of seminary… so… I… kind of… do a lot of stuff… but don’t really “do” anything.
For some crazy reason, I seem to have trouble admitting that I am, above all, a homemaker. Maybe that’s because I feel like an inferior homemaker… My floors seem to be dirty more than they are clean, the laundry piles up in the chairs (but at least its clean!), dinner often consists of the oh-so-delicious (and easy) frozen pizza, and the play room looks like a small herd of very playful animals passed through.
But now, I feel I have a renewed sense of purpose. I feel somehow validated by this radical trend… this crazy idea that being “employed” is overrated… that living a happy and fulfilling life does not depend on the title I have or the amount of money I make. But is it really even radical? Didn’t our grandmothers and great-grandmothers understand this… They weren’t radical. They were just doing their job.
Of course it’s not like I didn’t already know that jobs, money and things aren’t at all what matter in life, but let’s be honest… in our society, it takes a bit of humility and a lot of courage to break the norm and be a radical… HOMEMAKER. That’s right… I’m a radical. Maybe this will be the push I needed to get that (clean) laundry out of the chair & into the closet… maybe
Blog envy…
So… I must admit, I am a jealous person… when it comes to bloggin’. I have long longed to chronicle our family’s days in words and photos for all the world to enjoy (because clearly we are that exciting. Well… maybe not.) But still, I have envied those Momma’s who faithfully update the rest of us blog-stalkers on all their milestones and memories, with the occasional insight on the greater meanings and mysteries in life.
After several years of procrastination, I have decided to take the bloggin’ plunge and find the ever-elusive time to write and reflect on motherhood, wifedom, craftiness, and life in-general as a child of God. Perhaps no one will follow, and that is ok, but for those of you who have found an abundance of “spare time” (whatever that is!) OR… if you just need some help in putting off something else, sit back, relax and join me in the land of procrastination!
After several years of procrastination, I have decided to take the bloggin’ plunge and find the ever-elusive time to write and reflect on motherhood, wifedom, craftiness, and life in-general as a child of God. Perhaps no one will follow, and that is ok, but for those of you who have found an abundance of “spare time” (whatever that is!) OR… if you just need some help in putting off something else, sit back, relax and join me in the land of procrastination!
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