Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Yeah, that's me! Here I am today... but its anyone's guess when I'll be back! The daylight hours are shortening as the daily activities are increasing.

Lets see, we've been CANNING like CRAZY! In the past I've canned peaches and apples sauce. Maybe the occasional batch of dilly beans. Really, not much more than that! This year we've been dabbling in LOTS of things: Tomatoes, Spaghetti Sauce, Corn, Black Cherry Juice, More Tomatoes, LOTS of Dilly Beans, too many Pickles, Wild Plum Jelly... it has been fun! I'm also experimenting with drying things like green beans, zucchini/summer squash, and lots of leafy things. We're looking forward to making another BIG batch of sauerkraut, hopefully at the end of the month. We've tried lacto fermenting plums (!), tomatoes, cucumber slices, celery, radishes, garlic... I can't think of what else. I'm looking forward to trying turnips!

The kids are riding bikes, and running around outside like wild indians. Today they made fishing poles and bows and arrows; who knows what it will be tomorrow! We're trying to incorporate some steady schooling, but I confess that with all the harvesting the most we do on some days is read together.

And, much to my discouragement and frustration, my nemesis has returned. I had the upper hand for about 2-3 weeks... and then I don't know what happened! Now I'm swamped with two loads on the line (it is 9:00 and they are going to stay there til tomorrow), innumerable loads of dirty laundry lurking in the far corners of the bedrooms, two loads that need to be folded (in addition to the two on the line), and this one basket full of rags washcloths, dish towels and the like that need to be put away downstairs... but the basket keeps walking upstairs!!! (By now you're probably wondering how we can own so much laundry - and still have extras to wear! I wonder that, too!)

In spite of all that lurking laundry, the days have been lovely! Golden sunshine streaming through the trees, their green leaves just beginning to be edged with the colors that Autumn will unveil. We live in wine country and the vines are laden with their fragrant grapes - we are eager to take the kids picking so they can be surrounded by the heady fragrance (and so we can have grape pie!!). The crickets still chirrup at night and the blue birds still dance from tree branch to the ground and back again - one of my favorite sights! And the golden rod, lovely golden rod! I'm so glad I don't have allergies! Smelling a full stalk of golden rod is like inhaling the scent of honey!

We sure are enjoying the last not-so-lazy days of summer!

Prayer

"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words." Matthew 6:7

I have read this verse many, many times and not given it much thought. I read it earlier this week, even. However, as I was cleaning up the kitchen after supper tonight it came to mind. I realized that often a sincere, simple prayer is so much better than lots of fancy, empty words. Don't get me wrong - there sure are times for deep intercession - but the rest of the time I can present my requests to the Lord and believe He has heard me! How simple and lovely!

Kraut in a Krock

Well, we made Sauerkraut in a crock! We've some friends that had a surplus of cabbage and carrots and we made a deal: they give us the carrots and cabbage, we make the kraut and give them 1/2 back! Nice deal!

Here are a few pictures of the process:

Today we decided to put it all into jars... if it was good! You see, I was scared. Really scared. The top was all covered with mold (which I expected) but it STANK. I mean, I was hunting for a year-old dirty diaper it stank so bad. I was hoping, hoping, hoping that beneath the stinky mold the kraut would be clean and lovely and yummy, too! Well, it was! We got 4 gallons of sauerkraut out of 18-20 cabbages.

Hmmm, what did we do? Shredded the carrots, shredded the cabbage. For each head of cabbage added 1 T of coarse Sea Salt. Periodically mashed and smashed and mixed. Tasted it a few times... added a bit more salt. Mashed some more. Then, left it for 4 weeks (or so). Now, since it started to stink, we jarred it!!!

Horray for sauerkraut!

And, for the fun of it, here a few pictures of a bouquet of poppies and other flowers that I had! Enjoy!

The Absent Mind of a 4 Year Old Male

What was that I was saying earlier? Anyway, Phinehas just broke a very nice pyrex dish of mine. He dropped it on the concrete porch. What was he doing? Carrying Tiger Tom inside of it, pretending he (the cat) was dead, and taking him away so people could see him. (I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing as I told him that that was NOT what he should have been doing!)

It continues! After the glass was cleaned up, Phin was outside. He came running in and said to his Papa, "I just stepped on a piece of that broken glass that you missed!" Andrew said, "What did you do with the piece you stepped on." Phin's reply? "I put it back on the concrete!"

And then, later:

Phin came rushing in. "Mama, Mama! Papa is bringing the laundry in for you!"

"Wow!" I said. "He must love me!"

"Yeah, and I do too!"

"You love me?"

"No, I love Papa and Papa loves you!"

The Mind of a Male

I never had brothers. I never saw the crazy things boys build, the crazy things boys do, the confident walk that proves boys think they are invincible. I never saw a baby boy turn into a toddler, turn into a young boy, turn into a mini-man, turn into a young man, and then into a real man; I've only seen what a real man looks like - just look at the Carpenter. But, I didn't see what it took to make him that way. Now, I've heard stories. Lot of them. Stories that make me shake my head, marveling that the Carpenter is even alive today.

And, now I have two boys. They are both as different as night and day, yet as alike as two peas in a pod. And they are both absolutely different from Abigail... and even more different than me!

Today I caught a glimpse of what I'm in for. Now, mind you, Phinehas is only four. We took a trip down to the neighbors lovely pond after lunch for a wear-you-out-swim before nap time. Into the back of the Suburban went Abbi's and Phin's bikes. Once we got to the neighbor's l-o-n-g driveway, we stopped, got the kids' bikes out and let them ride. They did wonderfully! Then, after our swim, we told Abbi and Phin to ride back up the driveway. I won't tell you about Abbi's ride, but suffice it to say it was very... girly (emotional, challenging, and pretty slow). Well, Phin on the other hand, took off like a shot. When he got to an incline that was a bit of a challenge he jumped off his bike and, running, pushed i til he reached more level ground. Then on again, and off like a rocket. Well, he kept going (we were following in the Suburban). And he kept going. He passed the neighbor's house and kept going. I was starting to get a little nervous. "I don't think he is going to stop, Andrew! Would he really be so foolish as to try and ride home?" Well, he kept going... and Andrew stepped on the gas and whistled for Phin. Fortunately, Phin heard the whistle and responded because, sure enough! Home is where he was headed.

He had no doubt in his little mind that he could conquer riding down the road to our place. You could see that, in his estimation, he was (is) invincible!

Oh, boy! Hang on, mama! Its going to be a l-o-n-g ride!!

The Yummiest Corn Bread!

I never really liked corn bread. It always was dry, bland, and not too thrilling. Sure, I could choke down a piece with chili, but if there wasn't any I didn't miss it. Well, I have found a recipe that is out of this world! So much so that I try and plan on making chili - or some kind of bean soup - at least once a week... just for an excuse to make this lovely marvel! There are a couple of secrets that make this corn bread oh, so yummy! The first is starting with freshly milled corn meal and flour. The second is a cast iron pan. Here is the recipe:

Mix:

2 c Cornmeal (start with 1 1/4 c (or 1/2#) dried corn. This yields 2 c meal)

3/4 c Whole Wheat Flour (1/2 c Wheat Berries)

1/2 c Rapadura (or Sucanat or Sugar)

1/2 c Salt

1 t Bkng Soda

Add:

1 Egg

1 c Milk

1/2 c Butter, melted

Pour into cast iron pan.

Bake @ 350 for 30-40 min.

Enjoy!!

Preconceived Notions

Golden sunrays on a cool morning… soft mist nestled amongst the hills… bird calls… the song of crickets… quiet. In the early mornings my heart is hopeful and full of expectation; I’m ready to spend the day pouring my life into my children, teaching them, guiding them, learning with them. By 8 o’clock the breakfast dishes are piled up, three little mouths are running non stop so I can’t decipher what any (other than the loudest) is saying, the tasks of the day (so recently appearing small and manageable) loom before my mind demanding my attention, the necessity of schooling – reading, writing, and ‘rithmatic – nags at the back corners of my mind and I find myself futilely grasping for the last strand of hope and expectation that were enveloping me not 2 hours before. What happened to my quiet?! Not the quiet of noiselessness, but the quiet of my soul, my spirit as it waits expectantly for God?

Ah, the struggle of my life – more difficult, more challenging than my nemesis, Laundry (which, by the way, is NOT piled up… at the moment!) - I struggle to keep the right perspective in being a mom. In order to keep the right perspective, I guess I need to first gain it!

Preconceived Notions:

Just like I had completely false notions of what a “Godly Wife” was supposed to be, I am thoroughly aware that I have a very wrong understanding of what a “Godly Mom” is supposed to be. I thought that a Godly Mom would always know what to do, would always know what to say, would be able to accomplish all the things that need to be done during the day… and still not neglect one book reading, one bumped knee, one question of “why?”, one chance to push a kid on the swing, one school lesson. I always thought that a Godly Mom was always filled with unwavering, tangible patience, would always know how to handle each new phase of parenting with confidence, would always be bubbling over with joy… just because she was godly. I’m thinking I was wrong.

Recently I’ve been realizing that being a godly mom isn’t easy. It is easy to give into hormonal shifts, hurt feelings, exasperation at re-re-re-teaching a child how to do something, offense at the tone of voice your child uses (when they themselves don’t know how to handle their own developing emotions.) It is easy to take each offense personally instead of removing my feelings from the situation and viewing the heart of the matter. It is easy to look on the surface of any given situation and try to make things look ‘pretty’ while at the same time neglecting the heart – the heart of the child as well as my own heart (kind of like whited sepulchers).

So, I’m starting to think that being a godly mom has less to do with ease and perfection (duh!) and more to do with the moment by moment choices; choices to NOT give into rising anger, but to put it off and put ON patience and love; choices to pause… and view the entire situation instead of just the visible evidence; choices of what is important today, what can be left to tomorrow, and what just plumb needs to be forgotten; choices to stop the tasks at hand to give quiet, patient instruction (again) rather than a quick, sharp rebuke; choices to remain in the rest, the peace, the hope that Christ gives.

I’m starting to think that the moms I see and admire don’t have it all together like I thought… but have learned to let Christ be strong in their weaknesses, rather than stubbornly pushing ahead and refusing to acknowledge that any weakness exists (yes, I’d have a LOT of experience with that! It ties into the “whited sepulcher effect”). I’m thinking that the moms I see and admire have struggled with sin, resisting it to the point of death – the death of self – rather than just thinking and talking about doing it. I’m thinking that the moms I see and admire are wise, not because they know it all, but because they are able to listen to correction without having their pride hurt (maybe because they have surrendered their pride!)

I’ve been thinking about the passage in Ephesians 5 when it talks about husbands loving their wives as Christ loves the Church. What an amazing thing! For the longest while I was thinking about it as a wife (the Carpenter’s wife, to be exact), but the other day I was lying on my bed with peace, hope, and expectation shattered (it wasn’t even 8:00!), calling out to the Lord when that passage came to mind: “Husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle of any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27) I thought of this and called out to Jesus that He would draw me unto Himself and wash me, sanctify me, cleanse me… that He could present me to Himself clean, holy, unblemished. Therein I found a place of rest that actually lasted throughout the day! The next day, I forgot to go there. Today, I will not.

My children are a treasure. The greatest hindrance to my relationship with them is not them, but rather me. I want to pour my life into those little treasures while I may.

Well… off to begin my day!