giving thanks: herbs

There are many reasons I am thankful for herbs.  Some are good food, while others are good medicine.  Some smell wonderful and some are simply beautiful.  Herbs are any seed producing plant that does not develop persistent woody tissue, but dies down at the end of a growing season.  The word also refers to any plant [...]

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giving thanks: my husband

I love my husband.  I know I have said that before, but it is true, and bears repeating.  There is simply so much for me to be thankful for, when I think of him, but I will only give you the short list.

He loves me. 
He adores his children.
He takes excellent care of us, his family. 
He is [...]

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giving thanks: memories

Driving home through the plains of Idaho this weekend, the tall brown waving grass and the skiffs of snow, reminded me of Thanks Giving, 13 years ago.  It was my first year of college, and I was grateful to be home; I missed my family, more than I cared to admit, even to myself.
The mid [...]

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giving thanks: creativity

I am thankful for the ability to be creative!  To make new things, and to learn from others.  I am grateful that everything I do does not have to be perfect…  I am glad for the wide variety of crafts available, and that more are be discovered, maybe even by me!
Without creativity, we would still be [...]

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giving thanks: helping hearts

I have a new charge!  Her dad came by my house last week, looking for child care.  He had brought a child to me several years ago, when he was helping a homeless friend, by caring for his son, so I was his first thought when he needed help himself.  I am no longer in [...]

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giving thanks: freedom

This weekend we traveled to Idaho, visited friends, and then my husband preached at a little church in Rockland.  He has not done a lot of preaching in the past, even though this is the area of his first degree; however, he was welcomed with open arms, and invited back.  So what does this have to [...]

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reading

It is said that if you read to your children when they are young, they will be better readers when they are of school age.  I am no expert, but my experience is that frequently reading aloud to the children has created a love of books, and a love of learning.  When they ask questions that [...]

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making bread–learning to knead

As the last loaf was being formed, Benjamin picked up all the little pieces of dough that were stuck to the table.  He carefully placed these tiny scraps, a quarter sized ball, in a jar, adding a bit of water and a dash of flour.  He had an idea, that if he added bread ingredients [...]

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sewing for me

Two years ago, I joined Missus Smarty Pants, for a little fashion advice; and while I enjoyed my subscription immensely, I soon discovered that I had all the relevant information for building a timeless wardrobe. Over the past two years, I have used this information repeatedly. It was relevant while I was pregnant with number five, and then [...]

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more learning–making pajamas

Strange things tend to happen this time of year: all the sunshine of summer, and then cool weather, leads to kids everywhere are shooting  out of their new school clothes, or in this case, last years winter pajamas.
Benjamin has been growing like a little weed lately, so I was not surprised when he complained of his [...]

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