This Side of Glory

Well, this is starting to be an annual event here to post pictures of my garden.  Hope you don’t mind…

 

Pole beans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the way to pick beans.  Just reach up, not over.

 

 

 

 

 

Nasturtiums with the zucchini

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marigolds with the cabbage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet peas

 

 

 

 

 

I am enjoying planting flowers with my vegetables more and more.  I also planted morning glories next to my corn.  They are so much fun to see.  I just didn’t get a good picture of them yet.  As far as the garden goes, I am busy putting up green beans, peas and zucchini.  I also have lots of swiss chard, onions, and carrots.  The tomatoes are coming along too.  All are blessings from the Giver of all things. 

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Today my son was doing his reading for me.  On the page was a picture with the Golden Rule written on it.  We’ve been doing Scripture memorization around here, so my children are aware that each verse has a reference of where to find it in the Bible.  So here is this verse, or paraphrase of a verse, without a reference.  Of course he asked me, “Mom, what is the reference for that verse?”

I replied, “I don’t know what it is off the top of my head.”

There was a short pause and then he asked, “Do you know it on the bottom?”

It took me a minute.

 

*For the record, there’s two places: Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31.*

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Lately, I have felt a bit overwhelmed.  Things were going well with school and juggling the other things that we need and want to do.  Then the garden started bringing forth its fruit.  It sounds crazy, but I enjoy planting and the initial weeding, watching the plants go.  But by the time harvesting comes around, I’m tired.  I’ve had some back pain the last 8 months that has worn me out.  Pain has a way of doing that.  I have felt that I’m nearing the end of my rope at times.

Then we had another responsibility added to our life here.   One more thing to put into the mix.

At church this morning someone asked me how things have been going.  I gave a weak smile.  She wisely said,

“This reminds me of an old proverb. 

“There was a man walking down the road with a heavy load that he was carrying on his back.  He was exhausted and thought that he just couldn’t do any more. 

“…so, he knelt down and picked up a rock and added it to his load. 

“He walked along again until finally, he couldn’t take another step.  He then took the rock out of his pack.

“The load feeling so light now, he could keep on walking.”

Just when I think I can’t take another step, God seems to add another rock to my load.  When that rock is removed, things seem so much easier than before the rock was there. 

I’m looking forward to that lightness of step again.  For now, I cling to Him for strength to keep walking, even if the load is heavier.

I have had this song running through my head lately.  It is as though Jesus is asking me:

Would you be poured out like wine upon the altar for Me?
Would you be broken as bread to feed the hungry?
Would you be so one with Me that you would do just as I would
To learn to love and love to learn My perfect will?

My flesh has been fighting it.  “I don’t want to be crushed like grapes being made into wine.  I don’t want to sacrifice everything.”  Yet, I know that I must.  It is God’s way.  As John the Baptist said regarding Jesus, “He must increase.  I must decrease.” 

By God’s grace I will allow God to crush that which is in me that is not of Him and offer my life on His altar.  By God’s grace.

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We finally have a homeschool schedule that we’ve been using for the last few weeks.  Monday through Thursday.  That way, if we have a goal of 180 annual school days, we still have 6-7 weeks that we can take off during the year.  Before we were just trying to get 3-4 days in per week….whenever it worked out.  What ended up happening is that every day that we didn’t do school, I felt guilty and was then grouchy.  Not a good combination.  Each morning I would try to make the determination whether we needed to do school or some other project like weeding the garden.  If I reasoned that I needed to weed the garden because I couldn’t find my vegetable plants, I weeded with a guilty conscience. 

Our new schedule seems to be working out very well overall.  the children know what to expect and they look forward to Friday.  I can do other projects on Fridays without guilt.  Everyone is happier.  This is a good thing.

Yet, there is still the normal issues of self-motivation, curbing negative attitudes and keeping the 3 1/2 year old and 18 month old occupied in activities other than screaming and running down the hallway. 

And then there are story problems.  I was listening/correcting my daughter while she did her reading.  My son came over wanting help with his math.  It’s nearly impossible for one child to keep reading while I’m helping the other, no matter how quietly I try to do it.  All I can think of is that this was yet another interruption that will require much self control on my part as I try to redirect them back onto task.  But I don’t have another strategy up my sleeve yet.  So I tried to read fast to minimize the time loss.  I read, “Alaina walked 3 miles and rode her bike 3 miles. How many miles did she travel in all?”  Simple enough right?  Wrong.

“How old was she?!”  he demanded.  I look at him surprised and a bit annoyed.

“I don’t know.  Come one, how many miles did she travel in all?”

He quite easily figured out the correct answer,but he wasn’t satisfied with that.

“She must be really old because 3 miles is really far.  I can only walk 1 mile.”

Yes, it took awhile to get everyone back on task, but at least I can say that my son is starting to have a concept of distance.  That’s school too.

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This weekend we had an absolutely wonderful time camping in a national forest campground.  Here is the view from our campsite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playing croquet…

 

 

 

 

 

 

cooking over the campfire…

 

 

 

 

 

 

pumping water…

 

 

 

 

 

 

pumping water teamwork…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keith and I were given a ceramic heart for our wedding that says,

“Making memories with you is one of my favorite things to do.” 

That’s what we did and it was so much fun.

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I found this craft awhile ago.  It just looked so fun!  Of course I can’t find the exact link for the directions that I followed right now, but the above one is very similar.  It was easy and not too time-consuming.  I painted their names on it when it was done for a keepsake.  You will notice in the pictures that I used two pots to add height since my flower plants are quite tall where I was going to put it.

Materials

• One or more terra cotta pots. If you are using more than one, use two or three different sizes -12″, 14″ or 16″
• One terra cotta saucer. It should extend over the pots by at least 3″-4″
• Paint, several colors of your choosing. (Acrylic paints. Also, patio paints work very well and don’t need to be sealed.)
• Paint brushes
• Stencils (optional)
• Paper or plastic to cover your work surface
• Clear acrylic spray
• Liquid Nails

Instructions

Wash the pots and saucer and allow them to dry thoroughly.

Paint the outside of the saucer and pots and allow to dry completely.

If only using one pot for the base, decorate the outside as desired. If using 2 or more pots, place the largest pot upside down on the ground. Next, invert the larger pot on top of the first pot.

You can use Liquid Nails to glue one pot to the other, but this is optional. Once the pots are arranged, decorate them with paints and stencils (optional).

Use Liquid Nails to adhere the saucer to the last pot.

When the paint is dry, spray the pots and saucer with acrylic sealant.

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It seems that there is never a dull moment around here, especially when you mix a home-based business into it all.  There always seems to be a need to run here or there.  The children are getting used to us saying, “Change your clothes, get on shoes and socks, and GO TO THE BATHROOM.  Then get in the van.  Quickly!  We have to go right now!”  They still don’t seem to get the “quickly” part of it.  There’s a disconnect somewhere. 

Last night was no exception to the hoopla that goes on.   Keith was working on a project here and my son comes in the house.  “Dad cut himself really bad.  There’s blood everywhere.”   (Both of my sons kept saying that.  The “blood everywhere” part.)

Great.

There really was blood everywhere.  On his left wrist no less.  Now, being an occupational therapist, I envision lots of horrible things…like cut tendons. 

“Can you move your fingers?”

“Yes.”

Praise the Lord!

We applied pressure and then made a tourniquet to stop the profuse bleeding, but it was obvious that he needed stitches.  So, once again,  we are saying, “Change your clothes.  Get on shoes and socks.  Do you have to go to the bathroom?  Well, TRY to go anyway.  Hurry and get in the van!  We have to bring Daddy to the doctor right now!”  Blank faces and a delay of action.  I even tried bending down and looking at them eye to eye with about 12″ between us.  There’s a lot of distance between the ears and the brain apparently.

Somehow we got everyone in the van and I even remembered books to read to the children while we would be waiting.  Adrenaline works wonders.

Keith ended up with 5 stitches.  It wasn’t as bad as it looked apparently, but he is pretty sore this morning.  He only has a transmission to put in today and an engine that needs to be installed sooner than later.  Nothing big at all.  (Sigh) 

BUT, we are so thankful that it was not deep and that it was his left wrist. 

God indeed is merciful to us.

Ps 59:17
Unto You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my Defense, my Fortress, and High Tower, the God Who shows me mercy and steadfast love.
AMP

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Here is a fun thing to try.  It is in my daughter’s cookbook.  I tried to find it online, without success.

Lollipops
2 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. food coloring
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Put sugar, corn syrup, and water in saucepan.  Cook without stirring until a thermometer shows 305 degrees.  Cool a little bit and then add food coloring and peppermint.  Mix well.  Place 4 dozen sucker sticks on a greased cookie sheet.  Do not put them too close together.  Drop candy syrup on each stick, about as large around as an egg.  Leave t hem for an hour, then chill.

*I used cherry flavor extract.  For the sucker sticks, I just used a wire cutter and cut kabob skewers in thirds.  We also cut this recipe to 1/4 the amount and it makes about 8 suckers.

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I have lots of things I could write, but I’m on a cleaning rampage here.  The last few weeks have been busy.  After we recovered from the chicken pox, we went into high gear with church campout and then last weekend we went to visit Keith’s parents while I took a continuing education course for occupational therapy to maintain my license.  This one provided some valuable information for homeschooling as well.  It was on handwriting using the Handwriting Without Tears program.  It was really good and I have a lot of new ideas to incorporate with my children. 

This week is recovery week and then we have VBS next week.

Hopefully, I’ll have something more to share soon.  Hope you are all doing well.

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