Merrilee's Musings

Change

2011-07-06T08:00:00.003-04:00

Here's a post highly worth ignoring. I haven't posted anything here for so long, it's rather sad to me. I can count on one hand the number of people who might also think this is sad. So I'm not going to shed tears over it. I just thought I'd post something, to prove that I'm still alive to those who don't bother with facebook (where I frequently post more things, highly worth ignoring as well). I often comment on other blogs, and always prefer to see recent things on people's blog links when I click to find out more about where they are coming from.

Just a quick thought this morning about "change." Here are two somewhat common statements about change: Change is difficult, and Some things never change. If some things never change, is that a good thing or a bad thing? It's both, I know, depending on a number of factors. Is change always difficult? No, again it depends on what is being changed. I know that's just an opening, and I'm unable to develop the rest of my thoughts on change, at least for today. But the subject of "change" might be an interesting thing to study in the Bible.

Lastly, before I go to change my almost 3-year-old from his pajamas to his clothes, I thought it would be noteworthy to mention that we are expecting our 5th child on December 28th of this year. So we will be looking forward to more, ahem, changes in the near future! (Probably not many posts, however, unless something else changes in my life.)

Open Doors

2011-04-04T14:06:00.008-04:00

I'm posting the following letter with permission from Joe Mellon, a good friend and missionary who has been serving the Lord in France for many years. Joe does the work of an evangelist. Among the many things he does on the mission field, he actually shares the gospel with people, personally. For that reason, it is always encouraging to read his letters, because I am reminded that I, too, should be doing the work of an evangelist in the location God has placed me. And Joe's faithfulness and boldness encourages me to be the same.

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Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ......
Colossians 4:2-3
Dear Enoch & Merrilee; April 4, 2011
What does an open door look like? How do we know when it is opened? Do we need to push on the door or does it open automatically before us? Have you had any open doors recently? If the door is open and we don’t speak, is that sin?
Having lived in France for 25 years where the topics of God, Christ, Bible and such are treated with mild scorn and continued irrelevance, I constantly pray for God to open a door for me to explain the gospel to lost folks. At times, it is not always easy to determine if God has opened a door or not. But, when He does, it is a magnificent thing to observe and experience.
I have two stories to relate to you about open doors. You ought to be thrilled to read these; after all, this is what you sent us here to do. Read on.....
Open Door #1..... FINALLY!
As you are aware, I have been involved with the American football Club in Chambéry, first as a consultant, and more recently as the Head Coach. The personal goal of my involvement is to talk to the men about Christ, nothing more--nothing less. I also put an enormous amount of effort into coaching football. In this setting, waiting for the open door takes time and in this case, about 19 months. Let me be clear, when I say “talking to folks about Christ”, I don’t mean short conversations on the existence of God or why the catholic church is worthless. Those are frequent, easy and probably useless discussions. I’m talking about presenting the truths of Scripture centered on Jesus Christ with a gospel presentation including the consequences of unbelief.
On Saturday, march 23^rd, we went south to Toulon for a Saturday evening game. The bus trip was about 4 ½ hours. About halfway thru I was absorbed in a book about the raid by the Israeli commandos on Entebbe in July 1976. That was the year that I got saved. The fellow sitting in the aisle next to me tapped me on the shoulder and said “Joe, can I ask you a question”. Of course, I responded. Greg continued, “What’s a Protestant”? (Did you just hear that door swing open?) That launched a half hour conversation with Greg, his girlfriend and Tony who was sitting in front of them. We covered everything, The truth of the Scripture, the person of Christ, evil in the world, the atoning work of Christ and the need to be converted or one goes to hell for eternity.
Then, all of a sudden, the door closed. I could hear it shut. That was it. Game Over. I just reveled in the joy of having seen God’s Hand at work on that doorknob. And I said, “Yes, the 19 months have been worth it”. Do you know how often that happens? But it did. We lost the game that night, 7-3.
Open Door #2.....Captive Audience
I led a camp in August 2010 for 10-14 year old French kids with the goal of teaching them some English. We had a week of simple English lessons, games, Bible stories and crafts. Each staff member had a Bible study group in the evening. I had the older boys cabin that consisted of 5 young men. Our Bible study consisted of me answering any questions they had. We did not lack for topics and I remember covering Creation/Evolution, Cults, Why do I have to go to church, do we have to put up with Arabs in heaven, etc. No matter where the discussion wandered for the evening, I always finished with an explanation of the New Birth and an urging for them to be right with God. One of the young men in my group was Benjamin Orset. Read on.........
On January 22, 2011, 14-year-old Benjamin Orset died after eating two contaminated hamburgers at a Quick Restaurant in Avignon, France. An autopsy report concluded that Benjamin died from food poisoning. Traces of staphylococci were detected in the boy’s body, as well as in five of the eight employees. Quick’s managing director, Jacques-Edouard Charret, has refused to accept responsibility for the death of the boy.
Was there an open door for the gospel? Yes. In fact, it was easier than the door for which I waited to be opened with a few of the football players. At the camp I had a captive audience, and they were wired with questions. Did Ben make a profession of faith at camp? Not to my knowledge. But he heard, that is for certain.
What if I had quit the Football Team because there was no interest? Or I was tired! What if I had not talked to the 5 boys constantly about their souls? Or better yet, I developed a gutless and hell-less theology that allows everyone to enter heaven by his or her own merit. Then I could be a super nice guy, coach football, run camps and watch people slowly slide into a Christ-less eternity. No urgency, no appeal for their eternal souls. No Thanks. I will stick with being the odd man out, holding to a message of forgiveness through the Savior alone.
Jesus said, "Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut....”
Revelation 3:8
Yeah, they were OPEN DOORS for certain. Let us not grow weary of praying for, anticipating and walking through OPEN DOORS with the Gospel message.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will
dine with him, and he with Me”.
Jesus Christ
Pressing on in Chambéry.......
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Check, 1, 2...

2011-03-31T14:46:00.003-04:00

Wow. Even I was shocked when I looked at this blog for the first time in ages and realized how long it's been since I last posted. Well, that's the bad news, and I won't focus on that. Because the good news is doubly good. First, I have been working hard at getting my home under manageable condition and getting some better homemaking habits in place. I'm pleased with the results so far, and am working on getting not just months but years of experience with these new habits so they don't feel new anymore, if that makes sense. I still have a ways to go yet, so I won't claim "Mission Accomplished," but I will pat myself on the back a little. Second, with these new habits forming, I'm thrilled to discover that I have time! It's amazing and wonderful! Sometimes I can actually look at the clock and feel like I've got the freedom to do--whatever--without the guilt for not having done--whatever! Now that's like a blank check to a shopaholic when you're a recovering procrastinator like me, so I have to be very careful about how I choose to spend those newly discovered precious moments, and that's probably the next area of self-discipline that I'll be working on. But in the meantime, that means that I might just have more time to blog to my heart's content!

So this was just a copy & paste job from my other blog (for family and friends, by invitation only), but in the future I hope to post things here with deeper content. We'll see where it goes. In the meantime, it's good to be back, dust off the ol' place, and get the fire started back up again. Hopefully you'll come back to be warmed from time to time.

Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

2010-12-01T13:03:00.004-05:00

I could look at the number of posts I've put up for the year and hang my head in shame.

Or I could look at my pantry shelves and my laundry baskets (which are at very manageable levels), and hold my head high.

Even if I could do a single post every day in December, I'd still be at my lowest number of posts ever for my blog. But I'm not hanging it up. Not yet anyway. This season of my life will pass into another one, and perhaps then...

But thanks for checking in. I haven't forgotten about this place. Really.

Such is Life

2010-11-10T13:35:00.005-05:00

So life does go on. You know, sometimes we take that idea for granted. I have so many thoughts going through my head right now, and putting them into words is sometimes therapeutic for me, and not great reading for others. Oh well. At least you are taking the time to read, and for that I say thank you. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

My parents were just here visiting for two weeks from Oregon. Since 3,000 miles separate us, we only see one another about once a year or whenever I have a baby, whichever. And every time we say goodbye, we know that it could be the last time we see each other alive. Morbid thoughts, I suppose, but they do cross my mind. And usually after every visit, there is a letdown. For lack of a better word, a minor depression takes place. I think it is an adjustment period (for me) to recover from being spoiled by their presence. I've gotten so used to having my Mom wash the dishes, or my Dad to keep the coffee pot going, or my Mom to fold the laundry, or Dad to take us out to dinner--that by the end of their visit, I have a lot of re-training to do!

And aren't we all that way, to some degree? We have our habits. Our routines. We like things to be a certain way, done in a certain order. And when things get off-kilter, we sometimes get off-kilter too. But the strange thing is, that my parents' visit mainly had an influence on my personal routines (and theirs), but the rest of the world continued on with business as usual.

I'm reminded of a briefly dark time in my adolescence, when I was about to take an exam for my Calculus class, and exam for which I was not prepared to take. As I sat at my desk, waiting for the bell to ring to mark the beginning of class, I contemplated ending my life. (I had many other burdens to bear besides the test, but I am just remembering that moment in time.) I looked out into the hallway, and saw the face of a friend passing by, smiling and sharing a friendly conversation with another classmate who was out of my view. And in that moment, I realized that while I was having that rock-bottom emotional experience and wishing that I was dead, others were having a happy-go-lucky kind of day, unaffected by the Calculus exam I was about to take. And I knew that even if I died right there at my desk, next week, that same friend would likely be walking the halls at the same time, talking to the same people as she had before. Life goes on.

That idea is often difficult to see when you are in the position I was. And now in my thirty-some years, I have experienced other situations that were, comparatively, much worse than a Calculus exam, believe me! When you are in the midst of it, you wonder how you will ever survive. You believe your life will come to an end, or that it will be disastrous, whatever. I just heard heartbreaking news that a friend of mine was abandoned by her husband at an amusement park. He left her there with their two young kids, packed up the things back home, and later told her that he wanted a divorce. My head and heart are reeling from the news. I don't know what to say or what to do. I don't know how I would handle such deep disappointment and humiliation. It's painful to think about, and yet my friend is living with it as her reality.

So why am I writing all this? Like I implied earlier, this writing is cathartic for me. Whether this post actually gets published or forever stays in the archives, I just felt the need to get it out. Life does go on. And life is worth living. But the only kind of life worth living is the kind of life that has few regrets--the kind of life that desires to align itself with the Word of God to live in such a way that honors the Lord. The only good reason to be made a fool in the world's eyes is when one chooses to follow in obedience to God, regardless of what the world thinks. There is no dishonor in that.

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit" Psalm 34:18

Starting All Over Again

2010-10-20T13:47:00.002-04:00

I'm only giving myself about fifteen minutes to come up with a post, so I apologize in advance if this one is a disappointment. In fact, I apologize if my lack of posting in general has been a disappointment for any of you who enjoy reading here. I don't really have a good excuse. I suppose my explanation is that my habits have changed. And the results have been unintentional. Not only that, but I am not happy with those results. So now I have to learn again how to develop this habit called blogging. Because I do desire to do it often. And I desire to do it well. But all that desiring is worthless without some actual ACTION on my part. So here I sit, typing this post.

Some things have gone on this year that have caused me to think about those areas of my life that I do well (or at least think that I do well), and those areas that I do not do well at all. Some things in our personal lives we can look at and pinpoint how or why we got to be that way. And knowing that might be helpful to understand ourselves, but it might also be a dangerous way of excusing ourselves from facing our faults. I know that this paragraph is a bit self-analytical, but I have to face the reality of who I am, and no longer blame others or excuse myself, but to take full responsibility for my short-comings. I don't need to feed my ego by reminding myself of what I do well so that I don't wallow in despair. I think it's time for me to own up to those areas of my life that only I can be held accountable for.

So this is not easy to write about. I want to be able to make a nice sermon out of everything. I want others to share in my convictions and see those same faults in themselves. I want to be right all the time. I want others to look to me as the shining good example, rather than the dinged-up bad example. And I care what others think about me. But that's not even the issue I want to ultimately focus on.

And...what do you know? The timer is beeping at me. I have to go pick up the kids from school, and my quiet moment of writing must come to a stop. For now. So consider this an introduction, and let's see where it takes us. In the meantime, think about an area of your life that you have struggled with--call it a weakness, a besetting sin, a shortfall--and think about how it has affected your life. Maybe we'll have a discussion. Or I could be talking to the crickets. Either way, I plan to return.

Book Burnings and Bumper Stickers

2010-09-10T14:09:00.003-04:00

I encourage you to read the post at Biblical Christianity here regarding this subject.

While I was playing UNO with my 3-year-old yesterday, we had the White House press conference playing on the computer in the background. I was mostly interested in hearing what was being said about the issue of the flamboyant man in Florida who was planning to burn a particular religious book on public display, an activity that has received world-wide attention.

As I listened to the reporters ask their questions, I got the eerie feeling that we (the USA) might be headed towards a communist state, at the urging of our own people. You think I'm exaggerating? I heard suggestions that book burning (this particular book) could be considered a "hate crime," which could be determined to be illegal. There were also suggestions that the leader could be "detained indefinitely," basically until they determine what particular laws (that they haven’t come up with yet) has this man actually broken. And there was plenty of talk about various "commanders" and "the Commander in Chief" as people were grappling to figure out who has authority to tell this man what (or what not) to do.

I seriously got the sense that the people asking the questions were trying to help the White House figure out a way to get rid of this man, and make it appear to be legal. And the best things they could come up with were to either dismiss the Constitution, particularly the part ensuring our freedom of religion and freedom of speech, or lock the kook up under phony charges just to keep the peace. The next thing I expect to hear in the “brainstorm” of ideas might require all religious groups to be monitored by some branch of bureaucracy or military, and perhaps forced to take courses in diversity and tolerance and sign statements that denounce their exclusive and narrow-minded beliefs.

I don't consider myself to be particularly outspoken in political matters. But as a Christian, I should be particularly outspoken about religious matters, to some degree. And part of my time spent thinking about this issue had me imagining what would happen if that man went forward with his plan. And it's not a pretty thought, but one worth considering. The world is rapidly changing, as are public opinions. What actions, reactions, events and public pressures could we be facing sooner than we think? It's probably only a matter of time before another fool tries to one-up this one and another opportunity to preach the gospel presents itself.

I don't think American Christians should roll over and surrender their liberties, but we are generally pretty blind to the fact that they have been protected/given to us through the Constitution, and that document will not endure through eternity, nor does it have supreme authority over Christians. And let’s not forget that a large portion of the world's Christians exist/survive without such liberty. We may need to learn from them how to live for the glory of God while being oppressed, because it could be just around the corner. Better yet, we can learn from the early church and how they endured the persecution that came after Christ’s resurrection, by studying it in the Bible.

So Christians, prepare your "official statement." What is the 15-minute version, the 2-minute version, and the bumper-sticker version of the message you are commanded to preach? Why do you preach it? And Who is your commander? Are you prepared to preach it to the world, and suffer for it?

Love, Merrilee

2010-08-19T09:30:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been about a month, so it's time to post again, right? (I kid, I kid.)

I've been thinking lately about the way I sign my name when corresponding with people. You know what I'm talking about:

Dear So-and-so,

Blah blah blah blah blah.

Sincerely, Me.

But of course, if you've ever received such a correspondence from me, you would usually find the words, "Love, Merrilee." (And let's face it, my correspondence would have a LOT more than five words in it!) Not always, but most times, I sign Love. Why? I'm so glad you asked.

I could write a lengthy post explaining the differences between the various meanings of the word love. You know, the four loves (phileo, agapao, storge, and eros)? But since I'm not a Greek scholar but in fact a mother of small children (who need to be attended to, by the way), I'll just keep it simple for ya.

When I sign Love, Merrilee, I'm not thinking "I love you." (Though, some of you: I do love you. You're my family--or adopted family. Or you're my best friends. Or you're my neighbor. Or you're reading this blog. Thank you; I love you!) Usually, if I'm thinking "I love you," I'll write I love you.

No, when I sign Love, Merrilee, I'm usually thinking of love in terms of a verb. Not in the first person indicative, but the imperative. You love. Go do it: love. Be about the business of our Heavenly Father: love.

So what? What's the big deal about it anyway? I don't know, really. I guess I sometimes feel the need to explain myself so that others will understand why I do strange things. I don't usually sign Love, Merrilee to perfect strangers. But I do sign off that way when I'm corresponding with a fellow Christian with whom we share the evangelical commission to go and make disciples. Our little correspondence has been a blessing to me. Now, let's go love. Merrilee.

Worship and God's Word

2010-07-13T12:28:00.003-04:00

Just as a brief glimpse into my world: I've been (since December or so) reading in the book of Matthew for my personal Bible reading. I usually try to daily read 4-5 chapters at a time, over the course of a month or so. While reading the same few chapters over and over, I've also been supplementing my reading by listening to John MacArthur's sermon series on the book of Matthew while I'm doing my household chores. It has been a delight to read and be taught from the word of God. I am so thankful to be part of a local church body that is also faithful to the teaching and preaching of God's word, and it is a wonderful experience to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ in the home as well as in the body of Christ, the church.

All that to say: As I was recently listening to a couple of excellent messages, I was shouting AMEN in my heart when I heard MacArthur say the following:

For those of you who are visiting with us, it is our custom at Grace Church to worship the Lord in the instruction of His Word. Sometimes I’m asked if I feel that teaching is a part of worship. And I guess I constantly answer that I think teaching is the most important part of worship because you can only worship a person that you know and you can only know Him as you understand His Word. And if we are to truly worship God, we are to worship Him as He is understood and as He is known and according to the worship which He demands which, of course, is revealed to us in His holy Word. So, as we come to worship this morning as always we open the Word of God to be instructed by the One we worship and I guess the essence of worship itself would be to listen to the One who is, in fact, the object of our praise.

The above quote is from the message titled Jesus' Personal Invitation, Part 2 (from Matthew 11:27-30). If you click on the quote above, it will take you to the website where you can read the whole message, or even listen to it for free. I was truly blessed by it and I hope you will be, too. May your heart worship the Lord in spirit and in truth!

Rulers or Slaves

2010-07-12T13:11:00.002-04:00

This morning as I spent time in prayer before my kids got up, I was praying that I would be able to instill in them a good work ethic, and an attitude of diligence. There are so many projects and things we'd like to accomplish this summer, and the only way it seems possible is to either 1) get rid of the kids (which is not really an option), or 2) get the kids to help in some meaningful way. And I was praying that I would have the right attitude about this as well. Sometimes I'm reluctant to dive into a project because I think I know how much work must be required, and I just don't feel like I have the resources to do it all at once. (Never mind that I could pace myself and get the job done over time; being a big-picture kind of person, I sometimes can't see the trees for the forest!)

And then at breakfast, we read Proverbs 12. Over and over was a contrast of a diligent person and one who is often referred to as a sluggard elsewhere in Proverbs. And there's a lesson in there for me. I connected these verses together.

verse 11: He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.

verse 14: A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, and the deeds of a man's hands will return to him.

verse 24: The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slack hand will be put to forced labor.

verse 27: A lazy man does not roast his prey, but the precious possession of a man is diligence.

Paying close attention to verse 24, there are two types of people: those who rule, and those who are slaves (put to forced labor). So I made two lists:

The Slave's List:

pursues worthless things
lacks sense
has slack hands
is forced to work
doesn't roast his prey (doesn't make the most of his opportunities)

The Ruler's List:

tills his land
has plenty to eat
uses his words wisely
is satisfied with good
has diligent hands
understands the value of diligence

And of course it's a rhetorical question, but what kind of person would I rather be? What kind of person do I want my children to become? So now, I make a composite list:

To Be THAT Person, One must:

pursue important, valuable, virtuous things
be sensible
be busy with one's hands
work voluntarily
make the most of what one has, improve on what one has
work hard
reap what one sows
plan for the future
enjoy the fruit of one's labor and the blessing of one's actions
keep one's hands from being idle
appreciate hard work

Rather than be the slave to my stuff, I want to be the ruler, how about you? I know this is short and sweet, but I want to now go and practice what I'm preaching! May God bless you in the pursuits that He's given you and the work that He's given you to do today, tomorrow, next week, and all summer long. And I'll end with this passage from Galatians to reflect on, in light of the verses in Proverbs:

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)

No Title Necessary

2010-05-20T09:58:00.004-04:00

This one photo says it all. My house is in a bit of chaos, and I have a very active toddler. This is part of the reason why I haven't posted in so long. That, and I have spent too many precious hours reading about other people's lives on facebook. But no more. I have one week left to prepare for the arrival of Enoch's Mom and sister, to celebrate a particular boy of ours turning seven, and to complete some demo craft projects for our church's upcoming Community Bible School next month. So while I'm supposed to be cleaning the house, I'm also supposed to be making things with glue and Popsicle sticks, while at the same time not neglecting my motherly and wifely responsibilities and keeping everything else running as smoothly as usual. The good thing is that as a born procrastinator (16 days overdue and born on the last minute of the hour), I supposedly work well under pressure. Emphasis on the word work. And so thus I go.

No Greater Joy

2010-04-15T09:19:00.003-04:00

Amid the chaos that is inevitable in a home such as ours, I have much to be thankful for. I have been particularly blessed lately by the conversations that I've been having with my 8-year-old. He is a deep thinker. He really wants to know the truth about God and the Bible and eternal matters. He wants to obey, to please God, to forsake his sin. But he is constantly brought back to a place of being reminded of his sinfulness. And sometimes he seems even tortured by the battle. His passions run high. He is strong-willed and challenges authority. He is a natural-born leader and people-person. And yet he has such a tenderness in his heart to the things of God. He regularly takes his Bible to school and reads it to his classmates. He shares the truth about God's word as he is learning it at home and in church. He is concerned that he might not be telling his friends all the right things. He keeps coming back and asking me, "So what exactly are the things I should be telling my friends that they need to know to get to heaven?"

Recently he asked me if I had a choice for Jesus to return right now or sometime in the distant future, which would I choose. I thought briefly before answering. And I said, "Right now, of course!" I can remember being his age and tormented by the thought of death and eternity. While I knew the right answer would be to choose heaven rather than stay here on earth, I remember really wanting earth more. I wanted to fall in love and get married and have babies. I had much to look forward to that I didn't want to miss. And I didn't really look forward to dying!

I'd like to think that my answer now is due to the fact that I truly love the Lord so much that I can't wait to be in His presence. In my heart, I think that is my honest motivation. And I wonder if that has something to do with the fact that I have fallen in love, gotten married, and had babies. I have also tasted the bitter parts and felt the pain that comes from living in a sinful, corrupt world. My fair portion, I think, although I can say with confidence that there will be more to come. While on the one hand I still have so much to look forward to in this life, I have been blessed to have reached some of the major milestones that I have always dreamed of. And I would be happy, even thankful to the Lord if He were to bring it all to an abrupt end by returning or calling me to be with Him.

Some might call this musing a little bit morbid. Perhaps it is. But this is my point, I think: I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. (3 John 1:4) I am not only confident that we are leading our children to walk in God's truth, but I am hopeful that they will desire to do so even after we are gone. And whether we go now or 50 years from now, or if Christ returns before then, I have that desire in my heart and it gives me hope and joy to see it begin to show signs of fruit in their lives now.

Divide and Conquor

2010-04-06T06:21:00.003-04:00

Well it seems that ever since I went from one blog to two, my frequency of posting has nearly come to a standstill! I could blame it on a lot of things. Right now my excuse is that we're out of batteries. Every batter-operated thing: toys, TV remote, camera, has run out of juice at the same time. Actually, I took the batteries out of the camera to put into my computer's wireless mouse so it would still function. And now even those batteries are fading. (Sigh.) So that's all. Nothing profound to write today. Just thought I'd update y'all on a little-known fact of our lives today. (Please e-mail me if you know of any good battery coupons or deals going on!)

Train Up A Child

2010-03-18T20:56:00.004-04:00

Tonight I was putting the kids to bed in the usual manner. After praying, we sing some bedtime songs. I limit it to one song requested by each child, usually, and it has to be a soft melody. So tonight, my oldest son picked first: The Lord Is My Shepherd, I'll Walk With Him Always. We recited Psalm 23, and then sang the sweet little tune. It’s an old favorite of ours. Next, his younger brother chose his song: As The Deer, from Psalm 42:1. Another favorite. I just love hearing my own children singing such wonderful songs of commitment to the Lord! Finally, it was my 3-year-old daughter's turn to select the last song. In her little raspy but sweet voice she said in all seriousness, “Um, God Is Great, Beer Is Good, And People are Crazy.” I guess we’ve got a lot more training to do!

Chocolate Mint Brownines

2010-03-17T10:11:00.004-04:00

I love making these brownies on or around St. Patrick's Day, since they have a little green stripe in them in the middle layer of frosting. This recipe is from an old church cookbook, Seasoned With Love, from Evangelical Bible Church in Dallas, Oregon, Morris Press, 2001. Submitted by Andrea Friesen, pg. 309.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

First Layer:

1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 can Hershey's Syrup
1 c. flour

Second Layer:

2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 Tbs. water
1/2 tsp. mint extract
3 drops green food coloring

Third Layer:

6 Tbs. butter or margarine
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. mint extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. In order given, mix the butter, sugar, eggs, syrup and flour to make first layer. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake approximately 30 minutes. Do not over bake. Mix ingredients for second layer and spread on cooled brownies. For third layer, melt ingredients in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Stir until completely melted. Cool until slightly thickened, then spread on top.

Merrilee's additional tips: I've found the most success melting things in the microwave by using the defrost setting. It takes longer, but reduces the risk of burning the chocolate and rendering it impossible to work with. Since there's so much butter in these, you'll want to store them in the fridge if you're not eating them right away. But I think whole thing is best when eaten at room temperature. While I prefer to cook with butter, these taste just as good with margarine. If you just can't make brownies from scratch or with so much butter and eggs, you could try just putting layers two and three on top of your favorite brownie recipe. Happy Green-Minty-Middle-of-March!

Singing and Making Music With Our Hearts

2010-03-08T13:22:00.000-05:00

Ever since my first children were very young, we have always prayed at bedtime, and then ended the day singing songs. When they were really little, we sang baby songs. But the older they have gotten, the better the song selection has gotten. Now we have a broader range of ages to work with, but I love the fact that for years now, we have ended nearly every day singing praises to God.

And my kids keep me humble. Sometimes I think I sound really good (and sometimes I actually do), and sometimes my voice is squeaky and probably pitchy in places (more than I’d like to admit). But they don’t seem to notice from one day to the next whether I’m having a good singing day or a bad one. All that matters to them is that we do it every night.

I know I’m rambling on about this, but I just wanted to capture the thoughts and put them down. Because I love the fact that that is how my children end nearly every day, praising the Lord. And I love the fact that that is how I end nearly every day with my children, even the toughest days: thankful that the day is over and that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceased, His mercies never came to an end; and confident and thankful that they are new every morning.

Last night, I was reminded of a hymn I first heard sung on an old favorite cassette called Treasures by Bonnie Knopf. The original lyrics are by Isaac Watts, but these lyrics are as I remember them (not word-perfect):

I sing the Almighty power of God that made the mountains rise;
That spread the flowing seas abroad and built the lofty skies;

I sing the Goodness that ordained the sun to rule the day;

The moon shines full at His command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, that filled the earth with food;

Who formed the creatures with His word, and then pronounced them good.

Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed wher’ere I turn my eye;

If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze across the sky!

This song really touched my heart as I recalled the lyrics and sang it to my children. I was especially thankful for yet another good song that enforces the truth of God's word, and the fact that He is the creator and sustains the universe. And that is all the musings for today.

Favorite Crock Pot Recipe

2010-02-22T14:24:00.003-05:00

I'm sure my regular readers are wondering whether I was permanently buried under 4 feet of snow. But no. Just trying to prioritize. And so this post might not make any sense. But I posted a link on another blog, and now I've got to post about what I have in my crock pot today. Good, since I actually do have something in the crock pot today! This is a recipe that I originally got from Cooking Light Magazine probably about 6 years ago when I was a subscriber. But this is from memory:

Crock Pot White Beans and Sausage

1. Dump 1 bag of dried white beans into the crock pot. (Discard any yucky looking ones or foreign objects that made their way into the bag)

2. Brown 1-inch sausage pieces in a large skillet, and add to the crock pot. (Amounts of meat varies based on your family's needs. We like spicy Italian sausage, but non-spicy also works well.)

3. While meat is browning (if you didn't mince shallots and garlic ahead of time), mince 6-8 shallots and 1-3 cloves garlic. These will go in the pan after you remove the meat and wipe out excess grease. (If you don't have shallots, use any variety of onion you have on hand, about 1/2 cup or so.)

4. Add the "aromatics" (shallots/garlic) to the pan, but turn off heat. The residual heat will soften these a little before you add them to the crock pot, and will help soak up the tasty brown bits in the pan. You can also add a little water or chicken stock before dumping it into the crock pot.

5. Add thyme, celery seed, and salt and pepper to taste. (Fresh thyme is preferred, but use what you have!)

6. Add enough chicken stock (or water) to cover the meat with about 1 inch liquid over the top of the meat.

7. Turn on crock pot to desired setting and plan to have a lovely meal! Serve in soup bowls with crusty bread and a green salad.

My Little Secret

2010-02-03T15:29:00.000-05:00

Before I could finish my oatmeal, I had to take him upstairs to change a smelly diaper. Then I came across a potato (yes, that's right) in the hallway that he had been playing with like a ball. While I was returning it to it's rightful place, he took all the books off the bookshelf and piled them on the floor. While I was picking up the books, he was in the kitchen pouring dish detergent into the dishwasher and on the floor. While I was sweeping it up, he had found a bowl of popcorn and was throwing it like confetti in the dining room. Before I could finish cleaning that up, he had opened the floor puzzle box, emptied it, and was standing on the lid until it broke. People wonder how a woman with four kids can be as thin as I am. I have a toddler.

Finally

2010-02-02T06:51:00.003-05:00

I wish I had more to write this morning, but I don't. On this rare opportunity that I have to sit and write uninterrupted by my own children, I find that I provide my own mental distraction. And there's nothing I can think of to write that doesn't merit the delete button. Including all that I've written so far.

So instead I finally took down the Christmas tree on my sidebar and changed the blog colors. At least its something. I'd like to take on a whole new look, but that will be my reward for actually writing consistently for a while. (And in case you're wondering, no, I did not just remove the Christmas tree in my home. It's been down for quite some time now.)

This morning I found a new favorite website that I hope to visit often in order to get myself more in the right mindset for writing. It's called Encouraging Words for Writers. I'm thinking about attending a conference this fall where Bonita Lillie will be speaking. Again, it might be a good reward for actually writing consistently for a while, and I already have some money put aside for it, which makes me more excited.

But it's going to take more than just re-arranging the virtual frosting. It's going to require that I wake up earlier, read more, and write more. But that's what I think I want to do. Stay tuned.

Small Changes

2010-01-21T14:40:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone. Wow. It's three weeks into the new year? I feel like I'm just beginning to wake from a long winter's nap!

I've not been very gung-ho about new-year resolutions in recent years. But I certainly am attempting to make small changes. One of them is concerning this blog. As you've noticed, I haven't posted here in a while, and I hope for that to change. But I will be making other changes as well.

One change that any regular reader of this blog should know about is a personal change: I've started another blog! I just started it today, in fact. And it will look much like this one. It's title is also very similar, Merrilee's Amusings. The only difference (so far) is that to access it, you will need a personal invitation from me. If you have not received such an invitation but would like one, please e-mail me at merrilee (dot) stevenson (at) gmail (dot) com. (Or I suppose you could also post a comment here and give me your e-mail address so I can send you an invitation.)

The reason behind this is somewhat complicated, and I only have a minute before I have to wake up the kids and go pick up the other kids from school. But it is for their sakes. I will no longer be posting photos of them here. So if you want to see how the weeds are growing and how wacky we are, you'll just have to get my permission first.

Sorry this is so short. This blog will still remain. I hope to do more writing here in the near future. But I at least had to take care of some business and get the ball going in the right direction first.

An Average Joe?

2009-12-14T09:43:00.005-05:00

As we are in the midst of the Christmas season, we are reminded over and over again of the story of Christ's birth. Usually it's the narrative in Luke that gets the most attention, with the account of Zachariah and Elizabeth and Mary the mother of Jesus. However, I just recently started reading the first seven chapters of Matthew for my daily bible reading, and I have been appreciating some things about Matthew's account of Christ's birth, especially what I have learned about Joseph, the husband of Mary.

He was a righteous man. (1:19-20) Although he would have been within his rights to have Mary stoned because she was found to be with child while they were only betrothed, Joseph did not want to disgrace her. He planned to send her away secretly. This shows that he was merciful and not legalistic in his righteousness. While God does use and has used the unrighteous to accomplish His will, His most high and holy will is accomplished through those who willingly yield their lives to Him, as Joseph did.

He was obedient. (1:24) After he received commands from the Lord's angel to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife and to call the baby Jesus, he "awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him." We see Joseph's obedience to the Lord's commands throughout the first and second chapters of Matthew. He took Mary to be his wife (as he was commanded in 1:20). He called His name Jesus (as he was commanded in 1:21). He got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night and left for Egypt (as he was commanded, 2:14). After the infanticide in Bethlehem and the death of Herod, Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel (as he was commanded, 2:20) And finally, we learn that Joseph was warned by God in a dream, and he took his family to the regions of Galilee, namely, Nazareth, which ultimately was God's perfect plan in order to fulfill prophecy about the Messiah. So Joseph did what God told him.

He was a good sleeper. Being righteous and obedient, Joseph had the perfect prescription for a good night's rest. Okay, you can call me hokey if you like, but have you ever given this much thought? Joseph had a lot of major issues going on in his life, and yet he seems to sleep soundly amid all the stress and anxiety. His betrothed is found to be with child. And how does this righteous, obedient man deal with it? He goes to sleep. And God tells him what to do. (And he does it.)

The maji had just left after God had warned them to go a different way, and what does the righteous, obedient Joseph do? Business as usual. Time for a rest. And Joseph is told in another dream to get up and flee to Egypt because Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him. Now you would think, okay, it's time to stress out. The most powerful ruler of the land is after you because he wants to kill your child. But Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. (2:14) Did I mention how obedient this righteous man was?

So Joseph remained there in Egypt, and meanwhile infanticide happens in the Bethlehem vicinity. It would be enough to keep a person on edge, especially knowing that you have the Child that is on the "most wanted" list from that region. But again, Joseph seems to be sleeping well. Because an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and tells him to return with the family to Israel, and Joseph does just that.

He was afraid. Now, verse 22 of Chapter 2 says, "But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there." So Joseph was afraid! Finally, something I can relate to! It's good to see that he was a pretty average Joe, in some ways. And of course we all know by now what to expect: Joseph doesn't lose any sleep. No, he goes right to sleep, and God warns him in a dream, and Joseph goes where God directs him to go, and prophecy is fulfilled.

So, how about it? Was he an average Joe? Am I? If an account of my life were written, would it show that I was righteous and obedient to God's commands, and responsive to His direction even amid the most extreme circumstances? Is God willing to use me because I do not freeze with fear, nor delay in obeying, nor complain about it, but respond straight away with obedience?

This and That

2009-12-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or does it feel like Christmas is next weekend or something? Everything is happening at once, the work week is full full full, and the "mail in time to get there before Christmas" date is fast approaching. (Anyone know what that date is, by the way?) I recently "emptied" out the camera, and came across some long lost moments captured in digital format.

So this post is a hodge-podge of photos--think of them as the missing blog posts from November (and maybe even October)--and I'll just write my comments beside as best I'm able.

Insects and worms

If you look carefully, you'll see a "giant spider," as Rosalind identified it (actually a praying mantis--somewhat common in our neighborhood). I think he was responsible for the "silence of the crickets" that had been populating our herb garden this summer. You might also recognize the over-sized book worm consuming a kid's mystery while sporting a rather casual demeanor. Reading is an after-school competition at our house!

The cat got caught

Our poor indoor cat. He's such an adventuresome and curious creature. There's no doubt in my mind that he would absolutely love to smell and chase and kill things in the great outdoors. But alas, his only thrill (besides chasing the ball with the bell) is to live vicariously through the smells that come from far away places (like grocery bags and packages that come from the great Northwest). You do what you can.

Yes we can!

Well that was a great segue! To the average person, these photos mean nothing. But take note: inside that kettle is a bubbling batch of sweet apple goodness made from most of the 90 lbs of apples we picked this fall. We like to call it love in a jar, but to the rest of you, it's called apple butter. Look at all those jars! (And I had done another smaller batch before this one!) Anyone who gets a jar of apple butter from us this year is dearly loved indeed, as Enoch would barely part with it last year, it was so good.

Bread Head

I think November is probably the best month of the year. Not only is it the month we celebrate our wedding anniversary, but it's also the month we go all out in the kitchen. Enoch especially enjoys making bread whenever he can, and this loaf was one specialty loaf he made that was photo-worthy. (Although it looks like a giant dinosaur claw, it's supposed to be a woven bundle of wheat, in case you're wondering.) We also made a delicious herb-stuffed turkey, with herbs from our own garden, which always makes everything taste better.

Pumpkins and Punkins

Just a couple of snapshots of a pumpkin before we roasted it in preparation for pumpkin butter (more photos of this likely to come). Hopefully we'll get it canned before the postal deadline arrives. (When is it, again?) And finally, the following recent shots of my "Punkins" after they had a little hair taken off the sides to update their look. Also, a braid comparison of Rosalind's braids from last year and this year, since she had nothing taken off.

Changing Seasons

2009-12-03T13:50:00.003-05:00

Today's blog post is just my ramblings, so bear with me...

Some days I feel like a champion: everything works like clockwork, the kids behave and help out, the dinner meal turns out fantastic, and the house is clean by the time we sit down to eat. I could potentially impress people. Other days, I feel like the hamster on the endless wheel: no matter how hard I work at it, I can barely see any visible progress for all the effort I put forth, and the house is a mess and the kids look like they just rolled out of bed, and I even forgot to brush my teeth. It's on those days that I desperately hope that I don't have any unexpected visitors or even worse, the need to call the paramedics. One look around and the professionals might take away my "good mothering card," or worse.

So I walk the balancing act of finding what things I need to change and, by the work of the Holy Spirit, changing them or else going easy on myself because I am in a particular season of life that I know will change in time. It is times like these when I know I need the voice of experience and the encouraging words of moderation and diligence.

For instance, I can vaguely remember when I only had Julien at home, and it was sometimes difficult to get a dinner on the table and get the house clean (or at least presentable). I can remember how it seemed nearly impossible to go grocery shopping with two little ones . And now nearly eight years of experience and additional children have forced me to develop skills that I just didn't have back then. Shopping with two kids now is a breeze, and I find I'm better at it when I have a couple kids along than I am when I go by myself! Cooking has gotten easier as I have a better mind for keeping certain things on hand at all times and even sometimes making a plan and sticking to it. Housework has gotten a little easier as my kids have become more responsible and able to help.

So sometimes I look around and (depending on my energy level) I am tempted to be overwhelmed by the mess. Other times I look at the mess and think, "This is just a little mess that will clean up quickly." Still other times I don't even see the mess (until the doorbell rings unexpectedly or my husband walks through the door).

My hope is that I will continue to hone my skills and continue to improve my personal habits until I reach a point where I can feel content with myself and my home. I'm counting on the fact that one day there won't be crumbs everywhere and there will be fewer "surprise" clean up jobs and toys to trip over and have to pick up. But I also know people who miss this season of life, when the children are small, and they always say, "Enjoy it while you can because they grow up so fast." So I sometimes need to lighten up. While I don't enjoy being messy, it's sometimes a necessary part of enjoying life. And while I sometimes get tired of picking up toys, I don't want to imagine life without them around, either.

So that's the "season" I'm in right now. Christmas brings all kinds of "stuff" out of boxes and all over the counters and windows and doors. I sometimes look at the stuff and want to get rid of it because it feels like more work than seems worth investing. But at the same time, creating something beautiful and fulfilling out of a mess is one of the most rewarding feelings in life.

So now I'm going to roll up my sleeves and get to it.

Ornaments and Wreaths

2009-12-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

The boxes have been pulled out, and the dust is getting stirred up as we begin to deck the halls for Christmas. As we read yesterday's Proverb of the day, I asked the kids to listen for any verses that might have an application for Christmas. I didn't expect to find one, but right there, in verses 8 and 9, it was unmistakable:

Hear, my son, your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching; Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck. (Proverbs 1:8-9)

Certainly, these verses were not written with Christmas in mind! But we had Christmas decorations on our minds, and the thought of draping ornaments and such on ourselves did seem a bit silly. One of my kids made the connection of the wreath that an Olympic athlete would wear after winning an event. And that is a good connection.

Ornaments worn on the head or around the neck were worn as a reward for winning a contest of some significance. Their actual value, as in the case of a wreath, had nothing to do with their material worth, but in the "bragging rights" associated with winning the prize, and the honor that was bestowed upon the winner.

In the case of the above proverb, they (the wreath and ornaments) refer back to the instruction and teaching of a child's parents. And a child whose parents have instructed him in the word of God is indeed blessed, especially if he hears and does not forsake what he has been taught.

There may be times when such a child might feel as though the wreath and ornaments are cumbersome and weighty and make living life a little awkward. But if he hears and does not forsake, he will one day realize the great blessing and prize that such instruction has given him, and be thankful to God for such a heritage.

There is no obvious Christmas connection. But as you pass on your traditions and teach and instruct your children about Christmas, my hope is that it would be the kind of teaching and instruction that will one day grace their lives with truth and the beauty of a life set apart for the glory of God.

He Became Poor

2009-12-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

As I think and reflect upon this time of year with Christmas approaching and with thoughts of buying gifts and spending money, it is tempting to lose sight of the profound reason why Christmas is so special. I am intentionally going to focus my thoughts on Christ during Christmas, and I hope that it will be an encouragement to you as well.

Lately I have been reading through 2 Corinthians, and this verse stood out to me this morning

2 Corinthians 8:9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

This verse, in context, is in reference to giving financially for the sake of others. But with Christ’s example, it also refers to the spiritual riches that we receive because of Christ’s sacrificial gift to us of eternal life. For our sake, He became poor. Because of His grace, we might become spiritually rich. A little further on in this passage we read that “God loves a cheerful giver.”

Even though I am not rich by some standards, the Lord Jesus Christ has made me incredibly wealthy by His grace. And I must not be greedy with the spiritual wealth that He has blessed me with. I must be a cheerful giver. I must look for opportunities to share His wealth with others who are spiritually bankrupt and beggars as I once was. It is my sincere hope that God, by His grace, will allow me opportunities to share His riches with others this Christmas season.

TIN-November 30, 2009

2009-11-30T07:00:00.001-05:00

Day 30: Do you have plants or floral arrangements in your house?

Four cents for each one please.

TIN-November 29, 2009

2009-11-29T07:00:00.002-05:00

Day 29: If you missed any church service in November,

Fine yourself 10 cents for each time.

TIN-November 28, 2009

2009-11-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Day 28: How many dinner plates do you own?

A penny for each plate please.

TIN-November 27, 2009

2009-11-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

Day 27: Were you a guest in someone's home yesterday?

Say thank you with a 50 cent gift.

TIN-November 26, 2009

2009-11-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Day 26: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Say Thank you for at least 10 blessings.

at least 5 cents each.

TIN-November 25, 2009

2009-11-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Day 25: Do you have guests coming to dinner tomorrow?

(Actually, we do! A divorced mom and three kids. The mom is deaf and teaches sign language, so it should make for an interesting time. She's good at reading lips, but I wonder how difficult it must be to read lips when people are eating...)

If so, relax, all others pay 25 cents.

TIN-November 24, 2009

2009-11-24T13:37:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that this time last year, we didn't own a single pet. Then we had a brief encounter with two goldfish. And now we have a fully-furry-purry-one-hundred-percent-pet, Cyrus the orange cat. I'll even post my favorite photos of him here today. He's a great mouser, chases unsuspecting children just to freak them out, and I think he loves me the most, even though I've been known to throw things at him for scratching the furniture. But all that relates to today's Thankfulness in November category:

Do you own a pet?

Please deposit 10 cents for each one.

Isn't he handsome and regal?

When he's not napping or chasing mice or fraidy-cat children, Cyrus enjoys a good game of chase with the ball.

TIN-November 23, 2009

2009-11-23T09:13:00.003-05:00

(I know, I know, I'm getting behind again. I'm fighting a cold that we're sharing with one another around the house, and there's this big four-day weekend and fancy holiday coming up. What in the world will I do when Thankfulness in November is over? That's a good question I've been pondering a bit lately.)

Day 23: How many hours of TV did you watch yesterday?

10 Cents for each hour please.

TIN-November 22, 2009

2009-11-22T09:09:00.001-05:00

Day 22: Have you addressed your Christmas cards?

If not, get started, then fine yourself 25 cents.

TIN-November 21, 2009

2009-11-21T09:06:00.000-05:00

Day 21: If you have grandchildren reward the bank

(It doesn't specify amounts on this one, so be generous.) : )

TIN-November 20, 2009

2009-11-20T09:02:00.000-05:00

Day 20: Did you visit the ill or lonely this month?

We thank you, if not pay 50 cents please.

TIN-November 19, 2009

2009-11-19T09:36:00.004-05:00

Did you have a doctor's appointment this month?

If not, say Thank You with a 35 cent gift.

To participate in Thankfulness in November, you'll need a container to hold the change that you'll be collecting, which will be referred to as the bank. Each day there is something to be thankful for, and a small monetary donation to put into the the bank. At the end of the month, you'll have a heap of change (and a heap of things to be thankful for). Then you can bring your contribution to your church on December 6th, and glorify God for His generous provisions in your life.

I would love to hear from you if you are participating! Please leave a comment below, and even your website if you are going to post about it on your blog. Thanks for your participation!

TIN-November 18, 2009

2009-11-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Day 18: For each of your children

Ten cents.

TIN-November 17, 2009

2009-11-17T07:00:00.002-05:00

Day 17: Fill your bank with pennies;

One penny for each year you have lived.

TIN-November 16, 2009

2009-11-16T14:34:00.003-05:00

Day 16: Do you have living Aunts & Uncles?

Please deposit five cents for each one.

To participate in Thankfulness in November, you'll need a container to hold the change that you'll be collecting, which will be referred to as the bank. Each day there is something to be thankful for, and a small monetary donation to put into the the bank. At the end of the month, you'll have a heap of change (and a heap of things to be thankful for). Then you can bring your contribution to your church on December 6th, and glorify God for His generous provisions in your life. I would love to hear from you if you are participating!

TIN-November 15, 2009

2009-11-15T07:00:00.002-05:00

If you have an official church related responsibility you owe nothing

otherwise 50 cents please.

TIN-November 14, 2009

2009-11-14T07:00:00.002-05:00

If your car is more than 5 years old, save your $$$ today.

(Actually, both of our cars are so old; they are almost old enough to vote or be drafted into the military. Now that's old--for a car.)

Otherwise we need 20 cents.

TIN-November 13, 2009

2009-11-13T07:00:00.002-05:00

How many times did you use your phone yesterday?

A toll fee of five cents for each time.

Finally!

2009-11-12T21:33:00.003-05:00

(Sigh) Well, the month is nearly half over, and I'm finally "caught up" with my Thankfulness in November posts. I'm just shaking my head, because I could go back to last year's posts and I was commenting on every one nearly every day. This time--not so much. But we're going forward, not looking back--except to say that I've "filled in" days 1-8 now, and you can go back to read the days we've missed. I also prepared a few days ahead of time, so I'll hopefully be able to keep up in a more relaxed and mentally-connected state. I hope if you're doing Thankfulness in November with your family, that you are enjoying it so far. And I'm going to think about the future and how I can make Thankfulness in November better next year. But I'll do that later... Right now I have apple butter to can, chicken stock to make, church missions conference activities to attend, and a baby who has been sneezing and acting sick today. Back to work everyone!

TIN-November 12, 2009

2009-11-12T20:35:00.005-05:00

Did you go to a beauty/barber shop last week?

(No, but I could use a makeover!)

If so, 20 cents please.

On This Day Fourteen Years Ago

2009-11-11T13:09:00.003-05:00

Saturday, November 11, 1995

One man, one woman, the two became one flesh.

Surrendering to one another and legally binding themselves to one another until the day death separates them.

Before God and witnesses, to hold us accountable and legitimize the transaction.

The happy couple began their journey of life together as one; blissfully ignorant of life's hardships and blessings, and barely knowing anything at all. By the grace of God, still living happily ever after, and growing more in their love for one another each day!

TIN-November 11, 2009

2009-11-11T12:43:00.007-05:00

Day 11: Did someone compliment you yesterday?

TIN-November 10, 2009

2009-11-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

(I'm making some headway on getting caught up. Thanks for your patience. We'll go back and catch up when we can, but we're better off moving forward.)

Day 10: How many pairs of shoes in your closet? Five cents for each pair please.

To participate in Thankfulness in November, you'll need a container to hold the change that you'll be collecting, which will be referred to as the bank. Each day there is something to be thankful for, and a small monetary donation to put into the the bank. At the end of the month, you'll have a heap of change (and a heap of things to be thankful for). Then you can bring your contribution to your church on December 6th, and glorify God for His generous provisions in your life.

I would love to hear from you if you are going to participate! Please leave a comment below, and even your website if you are going to post about it on your blog. Thanks for your participation!

TIN-November 9, 2009

2009-11-09T13:08:00.006-05:00

(TIN stands for Thankfulness In November, in case you were wondering. Well, I've only allotted a certain number of minutes to get as caught up as possible on blogging, so I'll not waste any more time. Since it's actually November 9th, I'll post today's "assignment," as it were, and I will back-fill days 1-9 after the fact.)

Day 9: Did you get a friendly letter or e-mail this week? Say THANK YOU with 25 cents each one.

To participate in Thankfulness in November, you'll need a container to hold the change that you'll be collecting, which will be referred to as the bank. Each day there is something to be thankful for, and a small monetary donation to put into the the bank. At the end of the month, you'll have a heap of change (and a heap of things to be thankful for). Then you can bring your contribution to your church on December 6th, and glorify God for His generous provisions in your life.

I would love to hear from you if you are going to participate! Please leave a comment below, and even your website if you are going to post about it on your blog. Thanks for your participation!

Tin-November 8, 2009

2009-11-08T13:24:00.002-05:00

Did you go to Sunday School & Church today?

25 cents for each service missed.

TIN-November 7, 2009

2009-11-07T13:26:00.001-05:00

Have any members of your family visited you this past week?

Five cents for each one please.

TIN-November 6, 2009

2009-11-06T13:28:00.001-05:00

Did you sleep in?

A dime for every half hour past 6am.

TIN-November 5, 2009

2009-11-05T13:29:00.001-05:00

Do you have pictures on your walls?

If so, three cents each one please.

TIN-November 4, 2009

2009-11-04T13:30:00.001-05:00

Have you bought any items of clothing this past month?

Five cents per item please.

It's Coming Soon...

2009-11-04T06:33:00.002-05:00

Here I thought I'd be posting every day this month with Thankfulness in November! Well, I'm working on the somewhat low-tech graphics, but my camera's batteries died and I had to buy more. AND I'm trying to make 60 cups of apple puree into apple butter but need to buy another 5-lb bag of sugar. AND I need to make apple jelly with the juice Enoch made. AND we have pumpkin seeds to roast (if they haven't gotten moldy in the fridge). AND I am trying to stay on top of the heaps of laundry that a family of six generates in the fall, as well as keeping them fed 3 times a day. AND we've been up late watching the Phillies defend their World Series Championship status. AND we are looking for an inexpensive upright freezer to store the 100 pounds or so of frozen vegetables that arrive this weekend (while I'm supposed to be at a women's conference). So I appreciate your patience. Thankfully blogger has a neat feature that allows me to post things with an old date, so I hope to get caught up eventually.

TIN-November 3, 2009

2009-11-03T13:34:00.001-05:00

How many cups of coffee/tea/water did you drink yesterday?

Five cents per cup please.

TIN-November 2, 2009

2009-11-02T13:35:00.001-05:00

Have you been out of Pennsylvania in 2009?

25 cents for each time please.

TIN-November 1, 2009

2009-11-01T22:20:00.000-05:00

Did you invite someone to come to church this week?

No! Your fine is 35 cents.

Thankfulness in November 2009

2009-11-01T22:15:00.006-05:00

Aren't you glad November is finally here? I have been looking forward to this month, and I have been looking forward to once again celebrating Thankfulness in November. I hope you are too. If you've never heard of it before, you're in for a treat. Not only will you realize that you have more things to be thankful for than you thought possible, but at the end of the month, you will have a little chunk of change to show for and to give as an offering of thanksgiving, when most people are running out of cash. And it's such a good feeling to give a little extra when the going gets tough, believe me! That's part of the reason why I'm so looking forward to Thankfulness in November.

For those of you who are new to the idea, here's the basic concept:

If you wish to participate, you'll need a container to hold the change that you'll be collecting, which will be referred to as the bank. Each day there is something to be thankful for, and a small monetary donation to put into the the bank. At the end of the month, you'll have a heap of change (and a heap of things to be thankful for). Then you can bring your contribution to your church on December 6th, and glorify God for His generous provisions in your life.

Last year, not only was it fun to bring an envelope packed full of coins to put in the offering plate, but it was fun to see how excited the kids were to do it. I imagine when a whole congregation of people celebrate Thankfulness in November, that first Sunday in December must be a lot of fun and extra work for the offering-collectors!

I would love to hear from you if you are going to participate! Please leave a comment below, and even your website if you are going to post about it on your blog. Thanks for your participation!

Another Great Halloween Costume

2009-10-31T21:14:00.000-04:00

Boo-Humbug. We aren't big into Halloween. I hate parting with hard-earned dollars to pay for senseless costumes to celebrate a "holiday" that represents things I detest. But it is a big deal in our community and at the kids' school, where they spend half of the day in class, and half of the day parading in their costumes and partying. So I try to think of some creative do-it-yourself-with-what-you-have-on-hand costumes. Each year it seems to get harder, as each time it's a little more creative. Last year, I dressed the boys up as "Joe the Plumber," since he was so popular this time last year. This year, I had so much going on in my life personally, Halloween costumes were at the bottom of my list of concerns. But I'm really pleased with the outcome.

I found a cardboard box and cut off the flaps and colored them and laced them together with twine for a very last-minute butterfly costume for Rosalind. (The boys even liked that one!)

For Julien and Tristan, I found long-sleeved shirts from Enoch's dresser, and made them tuck the shirts into their sweat pants. I blew up an assortment of balloons of differing sizes (leftover from Rosalind's birthday festivities). We put smaller ones in the arms, but large at the top, and then all along their backs to represent "bulging muscles." Then I used a marker and some freezer paper to draw up letters and numbers that look like team uniforms, with the name of their P.E. teacher in big letters to tape to their backs. (I wish I had better tape to attach these; they came off too easily.)

The proud teacher, showing off his A students.

The result was a HIT! All the teachers thought it was so funny; especially the P.E. teacher, who seems to have no lack of self-esteem, and a great sense of humor. I kidded with him that we expect the boys to get straight A's in P.E. class now--and I'm pretty sure they will.

Tristan, getting quite used to the muscle-man look, flexes for the camera. Below, Rosalind loved dancing with Julien's classmates in a game of "freeze dancing."

(SIGH!) Now what will we have to do to top that next year?

Birthday Girl

2009-10-31T14:33:00.007-04:00

It's hard to believe that three years ago we were blessed with the pinkest little blessing we've ever received.

Now our little girl isn't so little anymore. She fits right in with her brother's classes at school (with only an occasional social faux-pas). If I can get my act together and start doing some "home-school pre-school" as we like to call it, I am convinced she could be reading soon; she's so bright.

Here she is wearing her most-favored pink "sparkle-y dress"

Unfortunately, she's also VERY LOUD. Well, you have to be when you want to be heard in our house. Talking is a competition it seems, and everyone wants to be the first to be heard and the one to have the last word.

But I digress. This post is about our beautiful, smart, and lively little girl, and her birthday. Well, nothing can express the joy of the celebration quite like pictures. So here we go:

Getting ready for the "Strawberry Snake Cakes"

"R" "heart" "3"

Up close, you can see how they look like snakes. (The cakes, not the people.)

The birthday girl is having a blast playing with her new toys, wearing new birthday clothes.

Future homemaker in the making!

Up Days, Down Days, and Birthdays

2009-10-29T14:45:00.002-04:00

It's been an interesting couple of weeks. During the same weekend that I recently miscarried, Enoch was sick with the flu, and Tristan had some sort of viral infection that included a trip to Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia on Sunday. (He's fine by the way.) Monday I had blood work done, Tuesday Tristan saw his doctor, Wednesday I cut my thumb with a bread knife and had to get three stitches. Thursday I did more blood work, and Friday saw my doctor to check out my thumb. Then by Saturday Rosalind and Brendan were getting fevers and sniffles, and Tuesday was Rosalind's third birthday. Wednesday I finally got caught up folding all the laundry. Now it's Thursday, and I got my stitches out, and got caught up on my dishes. Hopefully I'll get photos from Rosalind's birthday posted soon; I just wanted to give the overall view of the last two weeks, roughly. And I mean roughly. We're hanging in there. The Lord is good and gracious, and ever-sustaining us. Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement and your prayers.

Unexpected News

2009-10-22T06:43:00.006-04:00

We were hoping to share happy and exciting news around Christmas time; news of our expectation of another baby due in early June. But instead we have the sad news of announcing a miscarriage, and the expectation to one day meet the child we never knew who is safe in the arms of our sovereign Lord. Lately, this passage from Psalms has been a comfort to me, and I'll share it with you.

Psalm 139 (New American Standard Bible)

God's Omnipresence and Omniscience.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

¹O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
²You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
³You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
⁴Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, You know it all.
⁵You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
⁷Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
⁹If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
¹⁰Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
¹¹If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,"
¹²Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day
Darkness and light are alike to You.
¹³For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother's womb.
¹⁴I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
¹⁶Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
¹⁷How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand
When I awake, I am still with You.
¹⁹O that You would slay the wicked, O God;
Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
²⁰For they speak against You wickedly,
And Your enemies take Your name in vain.
²¹Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
²²I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
²⁴And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Columbus Day Hay Ride

2009-10-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Here's some more fun photos of our fun day at the farm in New Jersey. The kids were off from school, but Enoch wasn't. So we went back for more fun: a hayride to a pee-wee sized pumpkin patch, and a cider donut and apple cider to drink at the end. We had a great time, and next year the kids hope to get to go through the corn maze as well.

Apple Picking Day

2009-10-20T20:44:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we went to our new favorite farm in New Jersey to pick apples and pumpkins and have another fun family outing. The weather was breezy but warm, and the apples were ripe for the picking. A good time was had by all. We had so much fun in fact, that the kids convinced us to come back on Monday for the Columbus Day holiday to enjoy a pumpkin hayride and perhaps a corn maze. That's for the next post. Now on to pictures.

(Who needs a ladder when you have one of these?)

Sweet faces enjoying sweet apples

This one was loaded! More fruit than tree almost!

This one doesn't look as impressive, but it was also abundant with apples.

Showing off the bounty.

Pumpkin Patch Pictures:

Even though it's a homely gourd, Rosalind loved it enough to bring it home.

Afterwards, while Daddy weighed and paid, we played in the hay!

Brief Update

2009-10-13T11:10:00.002-04:00

I was hoping to update the blog with photos of our long weekend. We went apple and pumpkin picking in New Jersey on Saturday, and then I went back with the kids on Columbus Day and we went on a hayride and got more pumpkins and apples. Today I was planning to go to my Tuesday morning ladies' Bible study, but after taking the older kids to school, we weren't home five minutes when Brendan started to vomit. So those plans are scratched, along with a couple of others. But stay tuned for new photos hopefully soon, and pray we don't all get whatever the baby's got. Thanks!

Big Shoes to Fill

2009-10-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

I snapped these two photos just the other day as we were getting ready to eat breakfast. I just couldn't resist.

Double Take

2009-10-06T06:00:00.001-04:00

From the archives, here's some photos of Tristan when he had his first hair cut at around 13 months of age, right beside photos of Brendan who just recently had his first haircut. I'll try to make them small enough to fit side-by-side on the page.

They do look like one another a bit, don't they?

Fourth Baby's First Haircut

2009-10-05T06:00:00.001-04:00

Here he is, folks: Number Four. (See on his shirt?) Brendan is thirteen months old, is walking all the time now, and likes to feed himself. And his hair kept sticking to his face at breakfast, poor guy. So Daddy (who hasn't seen the shears himself in many months now) decided to give him his first haircut.

He is such a sweet boy. After the initial nervous crying, he settled down and seemed almost to be enjoying the feeling of the clippers on the scalp. (He does like to have his head scratched.)

And when the deed was done, Rosalind noticed how much he looks like his big brother Tristan. (I'll see if I can dig up an old photo from the archives to show.)

Isn't he handsome?

The Best Cabbage Recipe Ever

2009-10-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

I love this time of year. I love wearing long-sleeved shirts and warm layers. I love the chill in the air and the change in the leaves. I love turning the oven on and not the air conditioner. Which is why I want to share with you the best cabbage casserole recipe I have ever tasted.

Now I would not categorize myself as a fan of cabbage. When I think of cabbage, I usually think of coleslaw. If my Mom or a friend served it, I would eat coleslaw as a compliment to the chef, but I never buy it from the store or make it at home. It never sounds appealing to me. I like cabbage in a tomato-based vegetable soup once in a while, or in a church potluck casserole, but it has never been a regular item on my shopping list.

But every now and then, my 80-something neighbor will bring me half a head of cabbage because it is just too much for her and her brother to eat. And since I hate wasting food and since we have lots of mouths to feed, I decided to find something to do with all this cabbage we keep getting. So I found this recipe online. I don't know how I found the website, and I'm not a regular reader of it, but I like to give credit where credit is due. I have cooked it numerous times with different alterations to the recipe, and every time I make it I get compliments galore and kids asking for extra helpings. While I will post the recipe as it written, at the end I will leave my remarks for what I did to tweak it to our preferences.

This recipe was found on 12/11/08 at www.willowmanor.blogspot.com

Blackstreet's Cabbage Roll Casserole

3 cups chopped cabbage (I used coarsely shredded with carrots)
1/2 cup brown rice (I used 2 cups cooked rice)
2 onions chopped
1 lb ground meat (I used ground turkey)
1 large leek chopped (optional)
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 cup of chicken broth
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. Italian blend seasoning
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
a good pinch freshly ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Saute onions (and leek) in a bit of oil until translucent, remove
from pan and put aside. Brown meat in the same pan, add brown
sugar and spices. Stir until sugar melts, add tomatoes, raw cabbage
and raw rice, onions and leeks. Stir until everything is mixed well
and pile into a large casserole.* Pour chicken broth into all the
nooks and crannies. Cover tightly and bake in a 350 oven for 30 to
40 minutes until bubbly and cabbage is tender, but not mushy.

*(I layered the ingredients in the pan in this order: meat, onions
and leeks, rice, tomatoes and cabbage. A doubled recipe fills a
13 x 9 inch pan.)

Merrilee’s recipe tips:

I prefer to cook the rice separately on the stove and spoon the casserole over it on the plate when serving. (I’ve never had great success cooking rice in the oven.)
Because I don’t bake the rice in the casserole, the cup of broth can be eliminated. However, if you use a lot of cabbage, the extra liquid might help it cook without drying out, so use your best judgment and experiment with it.
The recipe calls for ground meat. I have used ground turkey, diced ham, and even a can of black beans for the meat, and each time we loved it. (The secret is in the brown sugar and spices, I think!)
I never measure anything for this recipe; it’s all to-taste and whatever is on hand.

Enjoy the season!

Up To My Knees in Everything

2009-09-29T09:00:00.002-04:00

Can you believe September is almost over? It's like we went right from August to October in about two weeks' time. Life has yet to slow down. Two weeks ago, we went to Lancaster County (near the Amish) with some friends who took us to visit his parents, who live in a place called Mount Joy.

Lancaster is known not only for the Amish, but for shopping in general. There are outlet malls here like North westerners have never seen. There are family general stores and handmade furniture stores, quilt stores, country "stuff" stores, antique stores, and junk/yard sales all over the place. There is a museum of farm equipment, an amusement park called Dutch Wonderland, as well as a made-to-scale version of the Old Testament tabernacle, to name a few tourist sites. There are lots of retirement centers, lots of hotels, and lots of tourists, which is why we tend to avoid it like we tend to avoid the Jersey Shore in the summer time. Big crowds are not a big reason to go someplace, in our estimation.

But thankfully, our friends' parents live far enough away from the "circus" that is Lancaster that we spent a lovely and enjoyable day with them seeing why people love to live in that area. They treated us to a delicious lunch, showed us their favorite places to buy bulk foods and fresh eggs, and we admired their lovely home and beautiful vegetable garden out in the peaceful countryside. And we came home with five-dozen eggs ($.80/dozen), 50 lbs. of whole wheat flour, 100 lbs. of high-gluten bread flour, and a few other snacks and goodies too wonderful to pass up. While all the flour is resting in our box freezer for a couple of weeks, we are preparing to make room for 1/2 of a pig which is due to be delivered to us (already frozen) on Saturday.

On top of all that, yesterday while Enoch was off from school because of a Jewish holiday, he harvested all of my thyme, basil, and mint from the front garden, pulled out all of the tomato plants from the back garden, and most of the beets. And to top it all off, three of my four children are at varying stages of a sinus cold (everyone but Tristan); the baby seems to get croup when he gets sick, just like Tristan used to, so he's not sleeping real well either.

So suffice it to say, I'm up to my knees in everything, including my usual laundry and dishes and housework. And we hope to go apple picking and pumpkin picking this weekend, weather permitting and depending on when the awaited pork arrives. I love this time of year, don't you?

The Seatbelt Law, and Grace

2009-09-17T14:04:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, I was driving two of my kids to the pediatrician's office for a check up. While coming up to a stop light, I noticed the car beside me. What immediately caught my attention was the baby, close to my own baby's age, sitting on the lap of the person riding in the front passenger's seat. Immediately I was shot full of adrenaline, and my mouth popped open. "I can't believe it!" I said out loud in my own car. "What are they doing?" I was angry. I was scornful in my heart. I considered saying something to them when we came to a stop. I began looking for a police car in the area, and saying, "Lord, I hope they get pulled over. I hope they get caught."

I looked more carefully at the car. Should I call 911 and follow them? My own baby has a doctor's appointment; I can't do that. I noticed the license plate was different. It said something about a disabled veteran on it. "So they feel entitled!" I began to mutter. "Some people!" I looked into the car more carefully, and counted heads. The baby was the sixth passenger in a five passenger vehicle. I could offer them a car seat, but where would they put it? They were turning left (in the direction of a hospital known for its trauma center), I turned right.

For the next 10 minutes as I drove down the highway, I was talking to God about the situation. I was grumbling at first, but then began to think about some things. I didn't know them, nor did I know their circumstances. But my immediate reaction was to cry for justice. I wanted them to be punished for breaking the law. And they deserved it, right? Regardless of their circumstances, if they had been pulled over by police, they would be found guilty for breaking the law, plain and simple. And what would the outcome be? An expensive ticket. Possible arrests. The car could be impounded. The child could be taken and placed in protective custody. But how horrible if I wished that on them and they were on their way to the hospital to visit a dying relative or some other heart-breaking story! But that baby was in someone's lap in the front seat, wearing no seat belt.

So my mind wondered: what would mercy look like? Mercy would be, well, you get pulled over, but the police gives you permission to go free--to have a second chance. Well that hardly seems fair, but certainly seems much kinder. But would that stop them from doing it again? And then my mind went to the ultimate extreme: what would grace look like? Well, grace would be something like this: they get pulled over, but then I willingly come along and pay the fine, have my own car impounded and my own children taken into custody, and they get to go free--in my 7-passenger van (with a car seat).

Not only would this hypothetical act of grace satisfy the requirements of the law (a fine must be paid, a car impounded, etc.), but it would supply the law-breakers with everything necessary to continue in their circumstances but without continuing to break the law (because they would have my van to ride in).

I was ashamed at my own initial reaction to cry for justice and to be merciless. As I realized my unwillingness (or inability) to offer grace to them, I realized what an amazing God I serve, who offered grace to me. He satisfied the requirements of the Law that I broke when I sinned against Him. He paid the price with His Son's blood, and gives me new life to live in the power of His Spirit. I hope that in the future, when I have an opportunity to offer His grace to others, or to demonstrate it in practical ways, I would be humble enough to do it because of what He did for me.

First Day of School Photos

2009-09-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

The end of Summer 2009

2009-09-14T22:11:00.001-04:00

Composed on August 29th...

Well our busy summer has quickly come to an end. The last week of August was more eventful than I can even record here, and it came and went so quickly! Enoch's Dad and brother Cyril came for a short visit. So short in fact, that I didn't get a picture! (I'll have to get copies from them...) In anticipation of their visit, I decided what better to do than schedule a Tomboy Tools party in my home as a favor to a friend, to force myself to clean it as best as possible? So we scrubbed and shampooed, wiped walls, and even cleaned behind the refrigerator.

Looking its best

And I sent out my invitations. I even called some people. As more and more people declined, I began to send out general invitations on facebook, for the brave and spontaneous people out there who live within driving range of my home. Apparently, only one such person exists. I won't expose her identity here online, but she knows who she is, and I am very grateful that she came on such short notice. And we did have fun, even though she was the only one to show. Maybe in another two years I'll try throwing a party again. I'm sure I'll need to clean behind the refrigerator by then.

Although this has been (yet another) humiliating experience, it has also been a good learning one. One thing I learned is to have my guest list prepared before picking the party date. It takes time to fill out invitation cards and address them, especially when you know you have outdated addresses for nearly half of your people! By the time I got all that done and the invites sent, it was maybe a week's notice at best. People out here tend to need at least two weeks notice to do just about anything, it seems. I also learned something I already knew about myself: I like having people over. I don't need a party as an excuse to entice people. I can entice them with my willingness to cook for them! And having people over is a good motivator to keeping my house clean. So if you haven't been for a visit and want to come, let me know and we'll schedule your visit soon!

It's Not Over Til It's Over

2009-09-14T20:56:00.009-04:00

I am very much aware of the fact that it's been nearly two weeks since I last posted something on my blog. I tend to take a while to adjust to major changes. Going back to school is a big adjustment. Now I'm home all day long with a nearly-three-year-old and a newly-one-year-old. WHO IS WALKING NOW, BY THE WAY!! (That just happened...um...four days ago, so it's still new news.)

It's not that I don't have things I could write about. I do. But I try to limit my blogging during times when the kids are sleeping--so that's before they wake up, nap time, or after they go to bed. But now I have lunches to make every day, and that happens in the morning, which cuts into my computer time. I've noticed that when lunches get made before I have to nurse the baby and before the others get out of bed, I have a much more relaxing approach to that hour and a half daily routine. And if anyone decides that they want to rebel and need my loving discipline during that time, it's best if I don't have to stress myself out about getting lunch made. So those are my excuses for not blogging lately.

Now I should just post pictures.

Pictures from our day trip to the Benjamin Franklin Institute--like a giant kids science museum and adult science museum in one.

Lunch in the cafeteria was interesting. The folks on the right side of the picture were visiting the Star Trek exhibit. Or maybe they worked for the museum and were on their lunch break. Don't know and didn't ask.

Julien pulled out his front tooth by tying one end a string to his tooth and the other to a shoe, and dropping the shoe over the stair railing.

It worked!

One last little hike in the woods before the first day of school.

Miscellaneous Fun With Daddy

2009-08-27T07:33:00.003-04:00

Miscellaneous Solution to Fruit Flies

2009-08-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

a squirt or two of pear-flavored dish soap

The trick to getting rid of your fruit flies completely, of course, is to get rid of the things that brought them on to begin with. So to start, clean out the fruit basket, throw away the items attracting the flies, and empty the garbage can.

a glug or two of red wine vinegar

Next, set your sights to kill them. Mix together equal amounts of fruity-flavored dish soap and sweet vinegar in a shallow dish or saucer.

mix together and think happy thoughts

Apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar works best. You can cover it with plastic and poke holes in the top, which is optional. That's mainly to prevent accidental spills and slow down the evaporation process. I thought the plastic trapped the flies so they couldn't get back out, but I was wrong. Once I tried it without the plastic, and they just couldn't resist my deadly fruity concoction, and they drown in it. Leaving it uncovered also, in my opinion, attracted them more easily, since the smells weren't blocked by the plastic.

no photos of dead fruit flies--you'll just have to trust me!

Miscellaneous Beach Alternative

2009-08-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks to a certain someone having a recent birthday, the kids got to enjoy one of his presents, a "Whack and Splash." It's pretty simple: you attach the hose, the water squirts all over the place, and the silly heads fill with water. When you whack them, more water squirts out.

We all enjoy getting wet on a hot and humid August day. Especially when it's not raining. (We have had an unusually rainy summer in these parts!)

It was one of those days when I decided not to even bother with swim suits.

It was a lot of silly fun.

(the end.)

Miscellaneous Beach Day

2009-08-24T06:24:00.005-04:00

Some friends of ours invited us to join them for a day at the beach. Since Enoch's not a big fan of the sand and the waves and burning in the hot sun, he was happy to have to be at work.

Between the two of us, my friend and I have ten kids. Thankfully there were two grandmas to help watch babies play in nearby holes or hold them as they napped, so we could actually get in the water.

Lots of gear for lots of kids!

We had a great time. Julien quickly decided he enjoys wave jumping and swimming with the oldest two girls, although he has all of the confidence and none of the skill. (We're way overdue for swimming lessons.) Tristan, being less adventurous, stayed where the water reached just slightly past his ankles, and enjoyed himself immensely with the "waves" that reached him.

Rosalind was excited to go to the water, but once she got there, she was all screams and panics. She stayed a safe distance from the shore, and opted to play in a hole with water. Brendan was a little nervous around the waves, stayed close to the hole in the sand, but ventured onto other people's blankets by the end of the day.

Thankfully the weather was so nice, that we spent nearly the whole time on the beach, and didn't venture far on the boardwalk, except to the 99-cent store and to DQ for a dilly bar. But we left a little early when we discovered that I had a very VERY red back, even though I wanted to keep playing in the water. We had a great time, and are very thankful for our friends.

Miscellaneous Birthday "Party"

2009-08-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I was able to condense down a week's worth of activity into one entry. But in the midst of it all, Brendan had a birthday. A week ago.

I told Enoch, "In the future, let's remember not to go peach picking on the weekend of Brendan's birthday." While he was pretty much clueless, his siblings were expecting something big. But they were let down a little.

Because, our kitchen looked something like this.

And baking a birthday cake and having people over was just not gonna happen. (Although Julien was all ready with a pirate theme idea and wanting to help plan everything.)

And we did manage to buy Brendan some cup cakes and balloons and party favors, which he seemed to enjoy.

We had to party in the basement because our kitchen and dining room were invaded by peaches and canning supplies. But we were able to take a brief video of the all-important song, and we'll share it here:

Miscellaneous Deja Vu

2009-08-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Peach picking--take two!

(Some of these photos might look like things you've seen before. But they are new.)

Since our first trip to the Garden State to pick fruit was an immeasurable success, we decided to do it again.

This time, we came with boxes and berry containers, ready to fill them up!

Same place.

Same fruit.

But lots more to can and preserve!

The weather was perfect.

The kids were all well-behaved. And in the course of two short hours, we were able to bring home 60 pounds of peaches, and 16 pounds of blackberries!

With it, we made blackberry jam,

a peach-blackberry breakfast pie,

we canned eight quarts of sliced peaches,

made peach butter and peach jelly, and froze 15 pounds of peaches and 4-5 pounds of blackberries.

The kids ate peaches any time they asked for a snack, to the point where their poop started turning green. Okay, now I've used an abundance of words! (No photos of that, thankfully!)

Miscellaneous Face Painting

2009-08-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

At the end of their six-week Summer Learning Club program at school, there were hot dogs and sodas and Popsicles for everyone, and the school hired a face painter for the kids.

Instead of painting their faces, my kids wanted their designs on their arms. They were very pleased with the results, and the woman did a fine job with the kids. There was a long line of kids waiting for their free face painting.

An hour later, the face painter drove off in her Mercedez, and a couple of teachers commented to me about what a concept her business was.

For $100 an hour, and not much in overhead, they began to wonder if they shouldn't take up face painting as a summer job!

Now there's a bright idea!

A Day At The Zoo

2009-08-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

This was a long lost post about Tristan's kindergarten trip to the Philadelphia Zoo. I never got around to writing anything. But since I've been in the habit of posting pictures with not much writing, and I'm trying to get ahead of the game and prepare posts a day or two in advance, and since we're going to the shore all day today (another future post, hopefully), here's the photos in all their glory. One little note of interest. The day we went to the zoo was one of the hottest days of the year on record. Not only that, but it was the hottest day of the year until only recently in August. I haven't been watching the news, but we may have only had one or two days that have come close. In fact, we haven't had a day over 95 I think. But we have had an uncommon number of days with lots of rain. An good year to build a water barrel for the garden, no? Ah well, these things ebb and floe.

Miscellaneous Strawberries

2009-08-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Mmmmm. Mmmmmm. Strawberries! We bought so many, we made two big batches of freezer jam, and one batch of cooked jam. I didn't photograph the cooking process, but have photos of the final product. They are so pretty to look at. And they taste even better!

Miscellaneous Culinary Love

2009-08-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

I love my husband.

The summer we met and fell in love, he was learning to bake bread, and cooking through James Beard's Theory and Practice of Good Cooking. (Or was it the other James Beard cookbook? I don't know.)

But I fondly remember tasting fresh tomato soup with cream when I made a surprise visit to his home one day. Another time, we attempted to make apple pie at my place. He showed up wearing a purple T-shirt; I was wearing a purple T-shirt. That must have thrown me off. I attempted to make pie crust from a mix in a store-bought pouch. (I was a rookie then.) All I needed to do was add four Tablespoons of cold water, but I accidentally added a whole cup! He had to run to the store to buy flour, and we ended up making elephant ears out of that dough-flop. I was so embarrassed, and so twitterpated. And I didn't live that measuring mistake down for a couple of years after we were married. Oh, what memories! But before we were engaged, I bought him Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads and a 14"x17" baking stone for Christmas. Now if that's not an indication of long-term love...but he got the hint, and seven months later popped the question.

Well, you've seen the results. That baking stone has stayed with us through the years, through the 3,000-mile move to Pennsylvania, and 5 more after that. It's gotten seasoned, and so have we.

Making breadsticks with the kids.

French baguettes.

Pizza every Saturday night.

Olive loaf.

We've certainly made our fair share of mistakes and big messes, not only in the kitchen. But we help one another clean them up as well. Our shared love for culinary creativity has grown considerably through the 15 years we have known each other. We have become a team. Just last night as we were cleaning up after canning peaches (future blog post), he had washed most of the dishes while I dried an put them away, but then I finished the job just as he was running out of steam. I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

I love this man!

Miscellaneous Canning of Jalapenos

2009-08-17T07:00:00.003-04:00

Miscellaneous Brendan

2009-08-16T13:51:00.000-04:00

A year ago, I looked like this:

And this:

But then I did this:

While Enoch did this:

And God did this:

And we got this!

Brendan Joel Stevenson

And our lives have been more blessed than ever before. Here are some favorite photos:

My, how time flies! Happy Birthday, baby!

And Happy 90th Birthday to Great Grandpa Stevenson in California!

Miscellaneous Trip to DC (part 2)

2009-08-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

On the steps of the Supreme Court.

From the front steps of the Supreme Court, behind us was this view of the capital building.

Library of Congress

The above picture is blurry, I know. They all turned out this way. But I liked this one the best, and I think it looks a little impressionistic. Below, Brendan enjoyed crawling on the shiny mosaic floor.

Smithsonian National Space and Air Museum

Below: awaiting the arrival of our metro train; ready to go home.

Miscellaneous Trip to DC (part 1)

2009-08-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we took a day trip to DC with the family. We drove to New Carrolton, and took the metro in from there. Because it was Saturday, parking was free! We had a wonderful time: no one needed spankings, no one wet their pants. And the kids were well behaved too! Here's the first half of the day (the second half will be my next post):

To start us off, we went straight to the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural Science. What a neat place! We enjoyed seeing so many things, like dinosaur bones and all sorts of underwater creatures. If it weren't for the fact that everywhere we turned we read about "millions and millions of years," I think I would have enjoyed it so much more. Thankfully, we didn't stay and read every little thing we looked at, since the place was very crowded and our children kept us moving right along.

We also enjoyed watching a 3-D moving in the IMAX theater about underwater sea creatures.

The next places we wanted to go were a little distance to walk. As we entered the mall area, we got some big flag stickers from a local fund-raiser. The weather was not too warm, and somewhat overcast, which was very nice. We had some warm sunshine early, but then the clouds increased in the afternoon.

We walked up to Union Station, near to the capital building, and there we stopped for lunch.

Miscellaneous Peach Butter

2009-08-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

After last year's successful culinary attempts at apple butter and pumpkin butter, I was looking forward to trying my hand at making peach butter. After looking over a few recipes online, I got a feel for what is involved in the process. I came across a recipe involving cardamom, and I thought it sounded interesting. But we didn't have any cardamom. I have, in the past, made a simple spiced fruit with peaches, pears, pineapples, and apricots, simmered in a stick of butter and a teaspoon of curry powder. So I decided curry powder would give it just enough of an unusual flavor to make it intriguing. Mmmmm. I was right. We're eating this batch ourselves, and we'll hopefully can some from our next excursion to the orchard.

Step one: Simmer fruit in lemon juice until soft.

Step two: Puree fruit in blender until smooth.

Step three: add sugar and spices, and simmer on stove until desired consistency.

The final product: Looks like baby food; tastes like happiness.

Miscellaneous Peach Pie Pictures

2009-08-12T07:00:00.002-04:00

I made 3 different "pies" at different times. The first one, is technically called a galette. I used 2-3 medium peaches with a little glaze of Enoch's homemade ginger marmalade, arranged in the center of a simple butter pie/tart crust. I folded the edges up, which is supposed to help keep the juices in, but as you can see, my little crust had a little hole which made for a big black puddle of caramelized sweetness. No surprise, I didn't hear anyone complain. We gobbled it up for a family dessert night, topped with dollops of honey-sweetened homemade yogurt.

Peach pie #1. This was the first real peach pie of the season, made from the recipe in Joy of Cooking. Since it was made so late at night, we had no choice but to eat it for breakfast the next day. The kids were excited to have peach pie for breakfast, and they weren't disappointed.

Peach pie #2. Same recipe as above. This time I used more peaches, and brushed the top crust with cream and sprinkled with sugar. Overall, I think it made a better looking pie crust, although a bit too dark in spots. We took this one to share at a party. I was so peached out by that time, I opted for the yummy yummy chocolate brownies. But we had a couple of slices leftover that I enjoyed with coffee the next morning before the kids woke up.

Miscellaneous Blackberry Picking

2009-08-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

After picking peaches and pick-nicking and petting pretend animals, we picked a petite portion of (premature) blackberries. But our picking was put to and end when our precious princess needed a port-a-potty. We plan to return promptly, presumably when the picking will be perfectly prime!

Miscellaneous Picking Day Petting Zoo

2009-08-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Miscellaneous Picking Day Pick Nick

2009-08-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

Miscellaneous Peach Picking

2009-08-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

We went to New Jersey to pick peaches and blackberries. There's enough photos to spread over a few days, so enjoy.

Getting started with the peaches.

Sneaking around in the peach trees.

Pleased as punch with the pick of the peaches.

Miscellaneous Pool Alternative

2009-08-05T07:00:00.002-04:00

Miscellaneous Sandwich Bread

2009-08-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

Miscellaneous Garden Flowers

2009-08-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

A Month of Miscellaneous

2009-08-02T19:28:00.007-04:00

Due to a little encouragement, I'm returning to blogging. But I'm really rusty, and still busy as ever working on all sorts of things (besides organizing my home). So I'm declaring August a month of miscellaneous. I'll most likely just be posting pictures, and I'll do a brief explanation in the comments. If any readers have questions about what they see, post it in the comments section and I'll explain it there.

A Life Update

2009-07-10T21:58:00.007-04:00

I'll try to post this as quickly as I can. These pictures are already getting stale. (I even looked and found an unposted-post about a zoo trip from April that I forgot about--perhaps I'll post it--post-dated of course--post-haste.) In any case, for those of you who rarely see us, barely hear from us, and nearly forgot what we look like--I'll throw you a "bone." And I'll even try to comment. But I'll keep it short. At least that's what I'll aim for.

Above: Pictures of Enoch and his birthday cake. It's hard to read because it's in Latin, but it's Exodus 12:14. Go look it up. I know you're curious what it says.
Below: The kids enjoying and sharing all the candy from the birthday celebration.

Below: Brendan gesturing and expressing how excited he is that his birthday will be here before we know it!

One thing leads to another: Enoch made Cyrus the cat a great climbing tree/scratching post, and he needed carpet with which to cover over it. I was ready for a change (and tired of my ugly carpet), so I told him, "Let's rip up the purple carpet in the hallway and on the stairs." Here's the before and after shots:

And here's the happy cat, who loves being so high off the ground, out of the little ones' reach. The purple carpet still doesn't go well with my interior (especially that orange wall, you're probably surmising.) But my interior is a work in process. (That sounds like a cheezy greeting card, doesn't it?)

And finally, I was going to do a separate post on our garden, but I figured if I get around to doing it, fine, but meanwhile, here's the herbs that are growing splendidly out front: thyme, basil, basil, basil, basil, mint, parsley, parsley. That sounds like poetry, doesn't it? Oh, yeah, and rosemary in a pot, nine days old.

S'all for now. I don't have anything about Enoch's trip to Italy and Greece. He returned safely and we survived and even did a good job keeping the housework up while he was gone. So we re-adjust again to the new summer schedule, and keep ourselves busy until fall.