Our Own Journey

Tea Time

We've started a new tradition of having a tea party every week, inviting family and friends and sharing good food and of course, tea.  My daughter Hosanna is the host, and it's her job to lay out the tablecloth and set the table, invite everyone in cordially as they arrive and of course demonstrate proper etiquette (we're working on the last one).  It's something she can count on every week and I love the fact that my great-grandmother's tea set is being put to use instead of collecting dust. 

Lovely friends, scrumptious food, and great conversation.  

 

What sort of weekly/monthly traditions are a part of your family?

Thanksgiving Trees and Martinmas

I was inspired the other day by another wonderful blog by a very creative mama. She creates  "Thanksgiving Trees" for her own family and she also sells them in her Etsy shop.  I became very excited about this idea as soon as I saw her post about it.  A couple days ago the kids and I set out to find the perfect "tree".  At first I thought I might need to tie some branches together but then I found a huge dead limb with the perfect branch on it.  I took it home and set it in a jar with some rocks and sand to weight it down. 

We had our family time on Sunday in which we all sat down together and wrote our what we were thankful for.

I found some leaf sillouettes through google and we made a few stencils. Then we cut out leaf shapes out of felt together.   There are any number of ways you can make the leaf.  Carrie  takes fall colored material and canvas and sews them together, with a label bearing the thankful things sewn on as well.  You can make them as beautiful as you like. I wanted to keep it simple since my little ones were crafting too.  We just used single sheets of felt , and wrote with a marker on each leaf one of the things from our compiled lists. 

We have been putting up on or two leaves a day onto the Thanksgiving Tree. By the time Thanksgiving comes they will all be hung and we will read together what we are thankful for at dinnertime.

This idea really isn't new, but I wanted to take it to another level.  To complete my new Thanksgiving Tree tradition we are doing the following:

Once we hang the leaves for the day, we remember those things in our prayers, and give a special blessing over them.

We also are trying to incorporate an activity which exemplifies the things we are thankfulful for.  For example, on the day that we put up the "food" leaf, we plan to gather a box of canned food to give to our local homeless shelter.  On the day we put up "aunts and uncles", we plan to make cards and pictures, write letters to send, and also call the relatives, both mine and my children's. (This way they see that we're participating too, and also why we put up an "aunt's and uncles" leaf as opposed to specific people.)

Our first day we put up the "home" and "family" leaves. (I think it's good to pair together activities whenever possible).  Instead of just doing the normal routine of dinner and bed, I asked my daughter what she would like to do to give thanks for our family.  She wanted to eat our dinner around an outside fire, so that's exactly what we did.

 

 

When I put up our "home" leaf, we all gave thanks for it, but I made a special pact with myself, since I have the homemaker.  If I am truly thankful for my home, then I have to put that into action.  I vowed to do everything I can to leave my home clean and clutter free before bedtime, so that we can all wake up to a fresh and productive day.  I am pleased to say that it's been going well.

Today we gave thanks for "holidays and traditions" and of course....we celebrated Martinmas!  Even though we've been battling some harsh sickness within our family this past week, I was determined to celebrate this special day.  Hosanna's cold only lasted only for a day, so she's been feeling held down and left out lately since the boys are still sick.  She's even tried faking her coughs and telling me she wished she was sick to get more attention!  Today's celebration was really for her.  She enjoyed the evening's activity so much of making a lantern for the lantern walk...

 

And after making cookies....settling down around the wood stove to read the story of Saint Martin and the Poor Man..

I am very excited to continue sharing with you what we do to "give thanks" in the coming weeks.  I also hope that you will have an opportunity to create your own Thanksgiving Tree with your family.  If you do, please share it with me!

God bless you all during this special time and season...

Harvest Fun..

When I was a child I was never allowed to celebrate Halloween.  I grew up in a religious family and this holiday was considered a pagan festival that was forbidden.  I remember sitting at the top of the and watching as the kids would trick or treat at our door.  Honestly, I felt left out.  As I grew older my mom loosened the belt a bit I was allowed to go out trick or treating a few times and boy did I indulge.  I remember running from door to door  with my girl friend trying to cover as much ground as we could in a few hours time. Then the excitement of dumping our pillowcases out on the floor to compare stashes. 

Now that I'm a parent I too have grown to despise Halloween, but not because it was originated by pagans.  I mean really if we held a grudge on that respect we might as well throw Christmas and Easter out the window too.  Maybe I should clarify.  It's not Halloween as a holiday that I despise, what I can't stand is the commercialism and focus on consumption of mass candy.  I took my kids to a "harvest festival" in our neighboring town and it was simply a place to eat junk and pay to play cheap little games and win worthless trinkets that would break in a few minutes. The kids were running around in their Made in China, bought at Walmart (probably picked out by whining,  "I want this one!") costumes, and this is TRADITION? Thankfully I left my checkbook at home so I didn't have to worry about getting manipulated into spending money on junk.  I suppose I abhor Christmas in similar ways in that the focus has changed steadily from giving to getting and who's gift has a higher price tag.

Not wanting to rain on my kids' parade yet at the same time not wanting to get sucked into the usual "celebration" I opted for a different approach.  (Now that my rant is over, on to the good stuff!) I made the children's costumes this year, didn't buy any candy, made hot soup and went over to grandma's for cookies and games.  Our dear friends came over and we had a simple meal and enjoyed each others' company.  We did trick or treat to 3 houses, and at one we were fed apple crisp! We live in a small rural community and many are health conscious here.  It was a great experience.  Hosanna was a flower fairy...

I found a whole bag of Hawaiian leis at the local thrift store and took them apart to decorate some wings we already had in our dress up stash. 

David's been all about Robin Hood since my dad lent us the classic oldie with Errol Flynn.  He can take two of anything and turn it into a bow and arrow.  The final costume was pulled together with a brown felt tunic and brown tights, but those pics are on Grandma's camera.

The weather has been so beautiful lately!  I feel so grateful to be celebrating in such warmth and color.  The cold weather hasn't come full force, so many of the trees are still lit with the fire of autumn.

So lovely...

 

I hope to post again tomorrow.  I have a very lovely Thanksgiving craft that I would like to share with you in time for you to get your own family creating.

Blessings to you all!

Dunes

We took an afternoon jaunt to one of the many state and national parks that surround our home yesterday.  The Coral Pink Sand Dunes are a paradise for people of all ages.  Rolling arcs of salmon colored dunes stretch out over the desert landscape dotted with juniper trees.   It's a very popular spot for campers and atv enthusiasts, but we kept it simple and just enjoyed sticking our toes in the sand!

The wind has been blowing fiercely for the past couple weeks and was evident in the endless maze of patterns in the sand.

The First thing Orion did was dive in and squiggle around on his belly like a snake, bubbling with laughter....

He was in absolute bliss, flipping from his tummy to his back and pushing his feet down into the cool below the surface.

Off to explore!

  Then the sand art began...Russel made this giant peace sign..........

 

then moved on to writing the names of everyone in our family with his feet!

 

This gorgeous dune was our favorite spot for most of the time...

As we dug our hands into the cool sand and began climbing the top layer of the dune would slip down in trickling waves that mesmerized us.

We went up and down and back up again...

 

Some of us leaped into the air.......

 

and landed like hammered stakes into the side of the dune...

 

How many people get to say they've been buried up to their neck?  I'm so pround of my little girl for fighting the urge to escape and letting me take this fun picture..

 

And getting out was even more fun as you can see!

And finally some fun portraits...I told him..."Say cheese!"  and this sort of double salute is what he gave me...I think it's adorable...

 

And my gorgeous daughter against a gorgeous backdrop...

A rare picture of me....

 

Sand dunes are wonderful!  Our beautiful and blessed earth is a miracle at every turn and I thank my Creator for the opportunity to experience it...

Putting food by....

The past week has been very busy around our house.  When we started bottling, drying, and freezing, I had over 400 pounds of boxed produce on my kitchen floor.  Everything from apples to corn, peppers peaches and pears, and even bananas.   We whittled away at the stacks each day and I am pleased to say that it has all been "put by".  I was joined by family and friends as we worked hard to preserve our reserves for the winter. (Boy I've got some good rhymes in there)

My mother came to visit and helped shuck and blanch corn that we froze.  I learned that every strand of corn silk is a life line to each kernel on the cob.  Isn't that interesting?  Hosanna was quite fascinated by it. 

 

We will have fresh tasting sweet corn available any time during the winter. 

 

My good friend came over for a very enjoyable and productive visit.  We bottled over 100 quarts of peaches and pears.  It was hard work, but we enjoyed talking while we took turns washing and blanching, peeling and filling jars with hot fruit and honey syrup.  We were reminded of the generations of women before us who have worked tirelessly each harvest season.  Those that were unable to go to the store and buy anything they wanted as we have become so accustomed to doing.  

 

We live near a town that is full of large families, and it's not unusual for them to can hundreds if not thousands of pounds of fruit each season.  When you're canning on that sort of scale you can't wait for your traditional boiling water canner to do seven jars at a time.  You need something like this..

 

This is the first year we have bottled on such a large scale (I thank my Creator for such bounty!), but I think it's something we will do every year now that we have this. It's a 50 gallon barrel drum cut in half, with handles cut out on the sides, and a square of plywood with a metal handle on it for the lid.  We used it outside on our outdoor propane cooker, and it can handle 27 quarts or 20 Half gallon jars.  If you're doing any sort of large quantity canning, this is definitely the way to go.

If you haven't already learned about the incredible health benefits of the cayenne pepper, you should look into it.  Among the most important things it is able to do is stop a heart attack when administered in tincture form, and completely stop bleeding when applied to wounds, even serious ones like gunshots.   And they also are like candy to the spice addict like my husband is.  He'll take one or even two down at one meal like it's no big deal.   This year I enjoyed stringing up the peppers to dry while creating a glorious wall hanging.  And don't worry, it only burned my fingers a little. 

I would love to hear about what foods you are preserving during this fall harvest time. 

Have a great weekend!

 

The way things ought to be.....

I know it's been a while....Sometimes every aspect of life seems more important than getting my thoughts out.... I forget how good it feels when I finally sit down to write.

Yesterday we took had an exciting adventure!  Our neighboring community had their annual fair.  What made this event so special is that the idea set forth every year is a focus on using what you have (something I am very much into).  There were no ferris wheels, no booth games with cheap plastic toys for kids to waste their money trying to win, no commercialism.  It was centered around a Pirate themed playground constructed entirely of things people had sitting around. The community spent hardly any money, only time and creative energy, and therefore were able to offer admission at a very low cost: free. 

Here are some of the pictures, and I'll have to say we had the most fun we've ever had at a fair.

Here's the map of the playground (Found on the ship near the captain's wheel)

The pirate ship was the size of a yacht!  It was build from plywood, railroad ties, and other used materials residents had sitting around.  There was a deck above with a dining room, captains wheel, slide and stairs leading to below deck where there was a hoard of treasure (Again, most everything was pooled together by residents, very little was bought new)

Here's where the young pirates boarded...

My little pirate...

The ship's mast...

Orion at the Captain's wheel..(Probably one of the only things they actually purchased)

The Captain of the Ship...

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And some of the other Amazing...totally creative things that they thought of to really make it a perfect place for kids to play and explore..

Here they fenced off an area for the kids to plant a garden all for themselves. 

They provided the tools, plants, and water, and the kids loved it!

The "Little Maiden's Tiki Huts".  These were so cute...

One was filled with cushions to be a living area, and the other was the kitchen that was stocked with pots, pans and utensils.  Of course it didn't take the kids long to figure out they could make an endless variety of dishes with dirt and the plants from the garden..=)

The kids were running this little store selling pirate swords, hats, and other goodies.

The work they put into this was incredible!  This was the entrance...Yes, that's made of stone with a real drawbridge!

This was one of my favorite parts of the whole fair, the Royal Crest.  This was actually HAND KNIT and sewn onto a felt backing, and made into this flag.  Just for this fair and this community.  I was impressed with it....

The kids enjoyed an old fashioned pony ride...and yes, it was also for free....

The thing that I enjoyed most about everything was the down home, old fashioned feel of everything.  There were no police, no security guards. Everything was built by hand.  The kids had so much fun and there wasn't any of the usual I want this or that...I wanna ride on that one..I want cotton candy..I want to play a video game...I want I want...what is usually what fairs these days have become all about.  SO much self gratification and focus on consumption.  It was such a pleasure to watch so many children just play and use their imaginations to transform their world.  I feel blessed that my children can grow up in such a place. 

I hope you all enjoyed sharing in our adventure!

30 Days of Happiness: Overcoming Procrastination

I know...it seems less glamorous than some if the other "Happiness" posts, but what can I say.  There are things I am accomplishing these days that I have been putting off more months...even years!  Today I put my nose to the grindstone and threw myself into one of these activities....cleaning my stairway!  Scrubbing walls....Mr. Clean Erasing things....(those things are awesome)....vacuuming the nooks and crannies. Now when I walk upstairs I no longer feel weighted down and inadequate in my housekeeping.  I feel uplifted!  Isn't amazing how accomplishing even a small portion of what needs to be done can give you the motivation to keep going?

I figured I wouldn't bore you all with pictures of my stairs...as nice as they look, but here are some shots from the past couple days that made me joyful.  

Oh...and blogs this next week may be scarce.  The camera I was borrowing had to be returned, and until we get a new one, well, you know...no pictures. 

Breakfast is always better when I have little helpers...

 

One of the biggest joys I have as a parent is when I see my children teaching each other...

 

And sharing together.....

 

Creative Face Painting...Hosanna decided to be an Indian..

 

And soar with the wind...She loves to put on my orange and yellow tie die sarong and call herself "Golden Fire Eagle"

 

Until next time, dear friends!

30 Days of Happiness: Using what you have and Little Souls...

Yesterday was a day I started out dreading.  A friend of mine asked me to watch her kids for the day, they are 4 and 2. When you put them all together my brood was 1,2,3,4, and 5.  I thought it would be insanity!  Of course we always build things up in our heads.  The day turned out great.  The little ones played together so nicely, aside from my little boy being a bit of a demon....=). They looked out for each other, taught each other, created art together, supported each other in eating all their food.   It was so interesting seeing them interact, especially David and her little boy.  David is generally silent and just watches the other kids, but yesterday he actually was having conversations with them!  It was a blessing to care for them, and we made it through the day!

I even brought out the dusty food processor and got it to work!  You know how frustrating they can be.  There are all these locks and latches to make sure no one chops their fingers off.  I usually just end up losing it and stuffing it back in the cupboard.  This time I actually looked over it long enough to figure out how it worked.  Those are handy little things!  I made an excellent casserole in hardly any time at all (recipes and photos to follow) I threw in everything from my garden that needed to be used up, some eggs, flour, spaghetti sauce and cheese, and voila!  

Little Friends creating together...

 

Launching trains...

 

Orion even drew his first picture!

So my casserole was inspired by my wonderful mother-in-law.   You take whatever raw garden vegetables you have, yellow squash and zucchini are my faves, chop it up fine in a processor (or grating it works too) add chopped onion, peppers if you want, garlic, in whatever proportions you dig.. This was my giant bowl of veggies ready for the other ingredients..

 

Add a bunch of eggs...The more the merrier!  I put in about 6 to make 2 pans but I could have easily used 10.  It just makes it more quiche like...Throw in a couple handfuls of flour, salt, pepper, and whatever seasonings float your boat.  Oil a casserole dish and spread it out over the bottom, try not to fill it more than half full or the end result will be too mushy..

Pop it in the oven at 350 and let it bake a good 45 minutes or so, until it's brown and crusty on the edges...like..this...

 

Top it with some spaghetti sauce and cheese (or one or the other whatever you prefer) and pop it back in until it's bubbly like this....Yummmm

 

And just for fun here's David....My handsome love..."I eat it all gone Mommy..."

Until tomorrow!

30 Days of Happiness

So I've finally buckled down and started a blog.  I decided to start it with an idea from a friend of mine, to spend 30 days intent on finding happiness in each day.  I know it seems somewhat silly, but with the hum drum of the usual chores and activities the days begin to meld into each other.  When we seek out the beauty, newness, and well, happiness of each day, each moment seems a little more worthwhile. 

Today was easy. Things started off with a bon voyage party for a friend and neighbor.  There was superb food, much of it prepared from fresh fruits and vegetables from local gardeners, and good vibes abounded.  After resting a bit, we headed over to Grandma's for a sign language lesson.  No Grandma wasn't teaching, but learning too.  It was a video designed especially for kids by a mother who's little girl is deaf.  We settled in to learn while the summer rain drizzled outside. 

Which brought me to the moments which seemed to bring this day of happiness together perfectly.

 

What is it about summer rainstorms that makes us feel so heavenly? And rainbows of course always top it off....

 

Eating ripe, juicy white grapes off the vine... 

Somebody else discovered the grapes...

 

Cutting some fresh wheat grass to juice in the morning....What a blessing!!

 

And this was from yesterday but I couldn't resist including it....Hosanna and David were being my biggest helpers...They unloaded the dryer (we fluff, then air dry) and both worked together to carry the basket all the way outside.  I thought they would just wait for me but they both decided to team up and hang up the laundry together.  "Here sissy..." David passes the clothes to her while she stands on the slide..PRICELESS!