How our homeschool works

Ok, I've shared a few times here and there about our schooling. I am a book junkie. I am a curriculum junkie. I always look over the fences of other homeschoolers and wonder if I am using the best, having some fun with projects, finding the greatest resources, etc.

Vicious cycle that fence-looking is. The grass always looks so much prettier over in someone else's homeschool yard.

Well, as I browsed a bit while paying bills here, I just got caught up in some schooling blogs. Some of them just look like they have so much fun. Now I'm not much of an "unschooler" really -- I'm all about schedules and assignments and some sense of order. You know, Type A in everything.

But, I do tend to wander (alot....and quite aimless most times) with science and history. I like those subjects, I really do, I just get bored very easily with them. That certainly isn't teaching much of an example to the brood here.
But, I think we have stumbled on some fun -- with plenty of learning involved.

Math and all assorted Grammar issues are covered with our 'core' curriculum, or spine. We use Rod & Staff for those areas. But, I want to have some fun -- life can't always be textbooks and copywork, right?

Geography Matters has a great collection of books and such for learning, well, geography. We found a lot of things I'd like to get, and might at some point. Today, however, I contained myself (because I had some Amazon goodies to order!) and we went with the Trail Guide to Us Geography and the CD set for all 3 grade levels to go along with it. Notebooking for History sounds like fun, and gives us some great projects. We're excited. I'd like to check out the Galloping The Globe and Cantering the Country books as well. Of course, I wouldn't mind checking out The Trail Guide to World Geography if the US one works out well, either.

My Amazon order was trying to save a little money. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I don't mind used books at all, but I do prefer hardcover when possible -- just too many hands to go through here to want to fuss with paperback flimsiness.
We ordered:
The American Patriot's Almanac, William J Bennett
The Story of America: The First 500 Years, D. Fran Morely
Country by Country, Millie Miller
State by State, Millie Miller
Smart About The 50 States, Jon Buller

Those last 3 were a package grouping. I like groupings :o)

Now, between these additions and our finally getting around to following a bit more of a scheduled nature study using our Handbook of Nature Study book, we are going to have plenty of fun and goodies to keep the youngers happy and enough textbook and copywork to keep me happy. If you don't already have Anna Botsford Comstock's nature book, GET IT. It is well worth whatever price you find it at, but if worse comes to worse and you simply can't get another book into the budget right now, it's available online here.

Harmony Fine Arts has a great blog based on The Handbook of Nature Study and it is definitely a must-visit. She has all the links for The Outdoor Hour Challenge, which, slow as I am with so many things, we are moving full ahead with. I know -- summer is looming here (hit 104 yesterday with all that humidity! UGH and triple UGH) and now I'm starting outdoor stuff. I'm a bit insane at times as well. Sure you already noticed that.

At any rate, there you go...a bit of a peek at what's on our school desks as we roll into our summer session. Yes, we school year-round. We have to. We tend to break far too often for things....like gardening, canning, and just plain life on the homestead....so we just keep plugging along with no carved-in-stone start and finish dates. As a subject is completed, they simply graduate into the next level. LOL....yes, we do appear to be a bit of a mess around here in areas aside from simply clutter, don't we? It works though -- at least with the schooling!

Wanna join a challenge?

http://myheartisalwayshome.blogspot.com/2009/05/stuff.html

Poor Wendi over at My Heart is Always Home bared her heart this morning and shared a post on STUFF.

Stuff...material things...clutter...or, in my case, plain ol' JUNK.

I am covered up in stuff here. As I told her, I could try to say it's because we used to have a 2 story farmhouse and now I have a double-wide mobile home of only 1400 sq ft. And before that, I had an even larger farmhouse.

Or, we are 11 (well, right this moment in time, with Dewey and Chris gone working we are only 9) people living in that space.

Or we have accumulated materials for the home we will build.

I could probably find several viable excuses really, at least for some of the excess here. But the flat, hard reality of it all isn't any of that.

I just have too much stuff.

Yes, I am a prepper, basically. Yes, I am moving in the direction of more self-reliance from a homestead point-of-view.

But I have too much junk, period. I don't have any of it under control, or even remotely organized, and that's what makes it clutter instead of preps, or storage. I have so much stuff here it hinders a peaceful life. I live under a huge cloud of depression and stress, on edge most times, and it's mainly due to the junk we have accumulated.

Sure, there are mostly useful things in my junk/clutter collection -- I have tons of fabric and assorted sewing items. I have an entire schooling career of books, supplies and extras for 8 children to move from preschool learning right through high school. We have assorted animal needs, some for critters no longer in the homestead rotation here. We have tools galore -- could open my own Harbor Freight or Grainger Supply and still have more than enough for my own use.

Plain truth of it all is it's just too much stuff and it really is a hindrance to good, peaceful living here
:o(

So, the gist of my post (aw, c'mon now, you knew I'd get to a point eventually didn't you?) is this: I need to declutter, purge, clean out, organize, dejunk -- whatever tag you want to use. I wish it were as simple as just organization but I know it's gonna be more involved than that. I need to pare down even the seemingly useful things here. That takes being brutal in my keeping selection. I'm not really good at that. That inability is a big part of how I got to this stage in the first place.

Wanna join me? I know I'm not the only one sitting in life surrounded by just too much *whatever*. Dewey comes home for good in about 3 weeks -- I should probably plan for only 2 weeks, but hey now, Rome wasn't built in a day!

I want...I need...to sort down and remove stuff here. I need to be brutal with a great deal of it in order to get it done once and for all. I cannot just organize and move it around thinking it will make a difference. Good grief, I suppose I should share pictures of the mess and clutter before and after, too, heh? Given my sharings recently you might not know it, but I've got pride :o( another big hindrance, but it's there nonetheless. I don't know about the before pictures. I'll have to pray on those some.

Who wants -- needs -- to join the challenge? It's always easier to walk together.

Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

Wow. Worth Watching

Truth is Truth no matter how you look at it. And all too often in this country, we just don't look at things. We try to break it apart into small bits so we can discern bits of Truth here and there, but you know what -- most things can be taken whole, just as they are. Some things are just plain clearly black and white. No smudges, no shadows, no need for deep discernment. It simply IS what it IS.

Mid Week Chatter

Well, I have sent countless pictures from the phone to my email, but do you think I kept them when I did my batch dumps? Of course not. ugh.

It's raining again. That just isn't "news" anymore. Now to say it wasn't raining, that would be a news flash. We have had so many days of rain, I've lost count. Sure, it hasn't been constant, all-day rain everyday, but it's been raining every day, nonetheless.

And humid.

Mississippi is just plain humid. Not very many folks would argue that at all. But when the weather report makes a special notice that it will be humid....that's bad. Our temps will be running upwards of about 86 they say on one weather blurb, and 84 on another. Hot either way as far as I'm concerned. But the humidity levels are pushing 90% -- it's oppressive out there to this northern girl, let me tell you. And yes...I know if it's raining, technically the humidity level would be 100% -- don't remind me. Let's just say it's hot and it's humid. I don't want to know the particulars of it all beyond that.

Yesterday we were in town pricing shocks and brakes for the van. So much fun. I didn't know what they might cost. I know Dewey had an idea because that's just a man thing, knowing about car parts and such. Me, I didn't have a clue what ballpark the price would land in. I can say that I wasn't figuring on $500, though. Now that is my parts and someone else's labor, but still...isn't that kind of up there? Maybe it's just me. I'm not used to being the one dealing with car parts and repair and the like. With that kind of shock (hee hee...no pun intended...gosh, I crack myself up sometimes...I'm weird, I know...and I digress...), I'd just as soon not have knowledge about car parts and repairs. I like to think they just "get done" and that's it.

Now, granted, I did end up at NAPA instead of AutoZone or O'Reily's Auto Parts. Those are the only folks we have locally outside of a mom & pop place tucked away here or there, or the dealer. I didn't even want to consider the price through a dealer. NAPA is pricey, and I knew that going in, but the other places kept trying to tell me my van specs called for a light-duty shock.

I don't think so. I don't know much, we've made that clear already, but it's a 15 passenger van. I carry 8 bodies plus my own in that thing daily, I drive on some of the worst backroads you can imagine (picture something just this side of a cow trail up a mountain), I haul feed and supplies...and the ocassional farm animal, and if nothing else, it's a 1-ton vehicle. They keep telling me it's listed in their computers as 3/4 -ton. Good for them. It's not, though. In reality I have a 1-ton. Either way, they keep saying light-duty this and that.

Nope. I'll go find someone willing to sell me the high priced, heavy-duty, big truck shocks, thank you. NAPA started saying light-duty was in the specs too -- then the manager walked outside and looked over the van and came back in and said if it was his, he'd go heavy-duty. Yes, that's what I like. The customer is always right kind of service.

So, by Friday, I'll be the proud, financially-stunted, owner of about $300 worth of shocks ad $100 worth of brakes. Then I get to spend about 2 hours Monday morning watching them put them in place for me. And check out my alignment again, balance me all out nicely and I'll be on my way.

The mehanic I use when I have no husband within range to do the work himself is a whiz. Of course, he only deals with tires and their assorted components, such as the brakes and the shocks and the like, but he also does tractor tires. Great for me -- somehow, on my watch here on the homestead, we have a flat front tractor tire :o( I didn't think much of it at first -- slime it, patch it, plug it, whatever and it's fixed, right? Not so, aparently. We finally soaked that tire in enough soapy water and found our leak. It's along the side wall. the side wall. Man, that just isn't what I wanted to know. As I said, I don't know much, but I know a side wall issue tends to equal new tire...which almost always equals pricey.

But, Mr Geno thinks he can fix it for me, just about good as new. He does some kind of patchy thing -- takes 2 portions of rubber from an equivalent tire stock, and then they are patched inside and out and sort of 'melted' and fused together to form a new side wall. Worth a shot, I think. Now the issue will be can I get the tractor jacked up? Then can I block it properly (gotta be careful blocking a tractor around here...Wild Child, you know) and then the fun begins....can I break those lugs free and even get the tire off to carry with me? If it wasn't raining all the time, and it wasn't 18 miles and part of that on busy 2-lane, I might consider being totally hillbilly and just driving it over for him to do.

Don't worry. I'm not going to do that. I'll try it myself -- then I'll go begging up at church for manly help.

Speaking of church, Bro Bud, our preacher, is sitting in the hospital right now and will be most of this week it seems. Nothing life-threatening, but it could have been much worse. He had a wicked infection running up his entire leg. Finally spiked a solid 104 temp Monday and they got him in. Straight to admissions at the hospital from his doctor. While in town yesterday we popped in and gave him a card and a coloring book. It's a small town hospital...and it's just plain small itself. The gift shop isn't as big as my van and all they had was a handful of coloring books and puzzle books. Well, I didn't know if he was a puzzle book kind of man, so I opted for fun instead -- an 8-crayon pack and a coloring book :o) And for a treat -- if he's good and listens to the doctor -- there was a Reese's Peanutbutter Cup tucked in there as well. I also sent a pack of sugar-free candy to counteract that Reese's.

If you think about it, give him an extra lift of prayer on your end.

Well, the day isn't slowing down while I sit here. I need to get some things together for church tonight, keep laundry moving along and get my June dinner menus ready...among about 100 other duties. Haven't had our Bible lessons for the morning yet -- and I know everyone is itching to get to them, mean mommy.

Recent emails still smoking...

Ok, that part about remaining emotionally separated and all....I lied. Or at least, I misrepresented myself somewhat. It's hard to be emotionally separated when it's your family having issues. But, I must have sounded rather flip and off-hand with it all because I've received a couple of rather hot emails over the whole thing.

So, I am not emotionally separated at all.

There. I admit it.

Honestly, you all figured I was lying anyway, right? My few emailers this afternoon did. While I will say I appreciate the where-with-all and presence of mind (and yes, I am sarcastic and that term is being used in the very loosest of sense there...presence of mind my aunt fanny...) concerning my "bare my life" post regarding our current trial and issue here on the homestead being sent directly to my email vs left here as a comment, I would probably have to say that you have quite the audacity (want the dictionary...?) in writing to debate my methods of parenting. Yet, I am the one being judgmental. Yeah, well, my bad.

Did I sound to you as though I was playing a holier-than-thou approach to all of this? I suppose someone with rather shallow thinking, and someone who has no idea what I'm all about, could read that in my post. I am rather quick-mouthed and lacking in tact and grace. You aren't going to find many who would argue that fact at all. On the other hand, if you, dear emailers, did more than simply hit-and-run my blog, you'd know that while yes, I am rather outspoken when it comes to what I think and feel about any given thing, I am also rather 'reserved' when it comes to airing my dirty laundry as it were.

I would much rather everyone here think I am got-it-all-together-and-then-some kind of mom. I'm my children's best friend, the absolute best teacher they could have in the world, giver of extremely profound wisdom and soother of all ills and troubles. I never share a cross moment with my children and a just plain ol' Betty Crocker and Julia Childs with a bit of Curtis Stone thrown in, made over in the flesh. No one can match, let alone surpass, my level of intelligence and spirituality, so don't even try.

And once the hysterical laughter has subsided over reading that paragraph, you all pick yourselves up from the floor, and all the tea, coffee and cokes that were just spit across computer screens everywhere has been cleaned up, I will continue and try to explain myself.

First off, give me a blessed break here. I am running my children off in a rush. I cannot police their every action, their every moment. I am not here to hold their hands through every step of life. By being so cut and dried, I will destroy any future I may have had with my daughter, and certainly place trauma on the younger siblings.

Whhhaaaatttt? I know you were probably being serious because a couple of you actually took the time to send that psycho-babble, New Age garbage to me, but for real -- are you serious?!

I'm just not into that whole worldly I'm Ok, You're Ok psycho analysis mumbo-jumbo. It flat out flies in the face of anything I've ever read in my Bible. Perhaps I need one of those new bibles, like the Psychiatrists Guide to Quoting Scripture? How to be your Child's Best Friend 101? How to Win Friends and Influence People via The King James?

Let me see if I can maintain some level of tact here -- gosh, this is gonna be hard. I'm really gonna struggle with this one. I should probalby just hit delete and chalk it all up to by-gones and all that, but man oh man, I'm just ME folks. I can only maintain grace so long and I just have to voice my opinion (yes, being opinionated was on that list of the characteristics of a fool. I do pay attention to what I write you know). I'm just all over the sarcasm and snippy remarks here. I'm like flies on honey...a dog with a bone...a big mouthed, conservative-thinking Northern girl with this...her own blog. Tact, I'm just not good at that at all. I could just say, they are my children and I'll raise them or mess up their lives as I see fit, thank you very much. But obviously that lacks in tact. I should at least put some effort into being of some tact I suppose. It truly is a rather serious stage I'm walking in right now. Can't make light of it all the time. Not to mention is proves to be a very poor testimony of my Christianity. I need work, I know, but I do have some growth in this Walk. I should try to show it now and again.

I'm running my children off in a rush. Hmmm....well, I suppose 16 years could be considered a rush job there on the end of parenting. I think it takes a lot longer to parent, myself, but that's just me. Throwing them at the world at 10...no wait, public school sucks them out of the home full time around 6 now, don't they?...and unprepared is definitely worse than throwing them there at 16. Still, I think it should wait even longer if at all possible.

I cannot police their every action, their every moment. Yes, actually I can, let me share how. First, we believe in children being children. Danged if I understand it, but some folks want their 16 year olds to be totally independent from the family and they toss them the keys to the family car -- or one of their very own -- and wave goodbye every morning, not really knowing what's going on, where they will be or who they will be with. They come and go as they please. But, that's just good parenting in today's world. I'm kind of hoping for something a bit more long-term -- you know, like Eternity in The Kingdom. I'm not interested in life in this world.

Thowing them the keys at 16, that's not life here in our little patch of the world. My eldest got his driver's license after his 18th birthday, after he finished schooling, and only then because we were moving down here, out of state, and I simply didn't feel like dealing with any potential hassles over his driver's training, his schooling, etc. He wasn't given the option of a license until he graduated, period. We homeschool. There isn't any place he needed to be besides home and at work with the apple orchard about 1/2 mile down the road, and hey, a half-mile is what God gave young folks legs for. In this family, a driver's license is a privilege, not a right of passage.

Second, did I mention that we homeschool? We don't need to be separated during the day, under outside influences for 6-8 hours. We have no where to go, and a long time to get there. Our lives revolve around family, church, this homestead and homeschooling. And I'm the head police officer on the homestead right now. We go where I deem it necessary for us to go, and, well, I am the one doing the driving. But then, I've finished my 'formal education' and have earned the privilege of doing so.

Third, we live in the country. No, scratch that. We live in the boondocks. The sticks. The outside edge of nowhere and nothingness. I am the ruler of my own little world here right now, like it or not. I am not a country with a democratic government. I am a privatized government. I determine what time the wake-up call is, I determine when the bedtime bell rings. I plan breakfast, lunch, dinner and whatever might be eaten in-between. While I don't schedule bathroom breaks just yet, who knows what the future holds in that aspect. I have set up the routine here, I have planned out the assignments and the chore lists for each day and who is going to do what, and I get to see that it is all done in a timely, efficient manner. It's not always perfect, but it doesn't have to be. I can make whatever changes I need to without consulting the crew, and without taking a vote. I can, and I do, get the option of policing the crew here, and when there is a blatant show of immaturity and attitude over authority, I can even police the bathroom breaks and free time. Life is just plain good here, I think.

I am not here to hold their hands through every step of life. See, you haven't read the manual yet. I'm still working through it myself, but I am far enough along to know that I can hold their hands through life...and they can be happy and content enough to want and often let me do it. It's called family togetherness. It isn't that they won't stand on their own and remain straight or stumble one day, but for now, they are young, and I am their rock, their hand-railing, even their crutch, as they learn to navigate the garbage spread by folks in this world. At 16 years old, they need a hand to hold. They are not ready to be tossed out on their own. Maybe in your world, but I've seen your world, shoot honey, I grew up in your world -- teen pregnancies, STDs, and more going on every day in every schoolyard and just about every family living large in the world outside. Go ahead and thrust your child into that and just pray them on through it. I'd rather hold their hand and help them avoid the landmines waiting.

My mother had a bit of a lack of rules when I grew up. She was a single mom, worked more jobs and hours than I can count, and that was just how life was. I balked at authority every chance I got, and with her working away from home, I had plenty of chances. Oh sure, I can hear you now....oh (spoken in a condescending tone of pity) well then, that must be why you have gone to the other extreme and placed so many rules.
Yeah, well, who knows. Maybe 'tis and maybe 'tisn't. I only know what I know, and part of that is that children thrive with routine and with rules and direction. Clear rules, coherent rules, consistent rules. And consistent and known consequences.

I know this, but no, I have not always followed that basic tenant of parenting. I tried to do things in the way of the world. If it feels good, let 'em do it. Life is gonna be rough and tumble soon enough, give them soft and fluffy now and worry about them developing truth and honesty later on. Sounds alot like mainstream religion these days and we see how well that's working. Lot's of folks walking in a false sense of Salvation making a bee-line straight to Hell for the lack of serious and strong Truths being spoken from the weak pulpits of today. (Man, don't get me started...take away the soapbox quick!)
Wanna know how that fuzzy, friendship parenting works? Look at the young folks you know living it. It doesn't work. It produces teenagers who feel the world owes them something because they breath air...a car at 16, every game machine and what-not out there, cell phones, even credit cards. It produces 20-somethings who flitter back and forth from one job, one girlfriend/boyfriend to another without the slightest vision for their future, and college kids racking up debt hand over fist as though they are gonna make a million bucks on the lottery tomorrow. Sad part is, it just keeps going on and produces 30-something man-children who have no concept of maturity and responsibility, who play video games all day and night, drink away their paychecks instead of paying bills or saving money, or feeding their babies -- just ask my husband who has been plagued by childish 'grown men' this past year on this jobsite. The predictability of this all happening is astounding. Well, not really. My Bible says you reap what you sow. Should be rather obvious what the future will bring based on what you plant...or what you ignore planting.

I am not destroying a future with my daughter. My other children are far from traumatized by my response to outright lies and deceit. They would be, were I to turn some sort of blind eye and deaf ear and allow the mockery of our family standards to continue on. If "traumatized" at all, it is by the disrespectful actions of their sister, their older sister, whom they look to as one of the leading examples of how to do things and how to deal with life here in this family. Being lied to by your brother or sister leaves a far more lasting impression than a parent standing firm in what you have been taught day to day over your lifetime and your sister's angry emotions at being caught and made an example of for them. Some children like to be the trail-blazers for the younger generation. I'd rather we hack through the brush and over-growth together instead of blazing ill-planned trails.

No, destroying the future would be in allowing my 16 year old daughter to run amok without a care and do as she pleased, not seeing any consequences for her lies, her deceit, her disrespect. Sure, she could have had a 'suffered consequence' had I let it keep on...she could have joined the statistic list of pregnant teens without a future ahead of them (and it's rather high here in Mississippi and The South, in general). If that's the consequence you prefer for your children, one of those deal with it yourself, real-world consequences, you are welcome to it. In my little patch of the world, we prefer to extract more immediate, more lasting family types of consequences...

such as, you have lied (repeatedly and blatantly) to your mother, your father and even your siblings. You have proven your irreverance to our rules and our authority, you have shown a deep disrespect and lack of love to your family by being deceitful and covert. You have laid out your lack of maturity for all to see.
The consequences of those actions follow the same suit. An eye for an eye sort of old world justice. And they are swift and long-term, at least until a serious change of heart is seen clearly. There are no privileges to be had until such time as repentance over the actions occurs, and apologies are made in an honest and sincere manner (I just don't do lip-service very well at all). By 'no privileges', we are talking absolutely zero 'alone time'. Someone, or some group of someone's will accompany dear daughter on every single step of her day for the forseeable future. She can take a shower alone, obviously, but really, that's about it at this point. She wakes with a shadow, she goes through her duties with a shadow, and she heads to bed at night with a shadow. And not only her shadow is to have a cheerful outlook, but there had best be a bit of a shine to her attitude as well. (I also don't do sour moods well). Of course, she doesn't like it one bit and has decided sulky and sullen with a bit of pouty is her approach so far. All I have to say is get over it and stop sharing the sour mood with the rest of us. It's not like this was something destined to happen. It was planned. It was completely premeditated. I didn't do it, I don't need to deal with the sour face all day. Smile your best fake smile and eventually it will soften up and become the real deal.

I don't like using Bible lessons as 'punishment' but I know that's what she's thinking I'm doing. The lesson today on the folly of a fool, the previous ones on lack of wisdom and the company of corrupt friends....they are all lessons from Proverbs and they are all seen as jabs at her young man and his reputation or whatever. (I also don't have time for feigned teenager abuse and all that oh, poor pityful me, no one understands me, you're just so mean, so on and so forth). We are picking on him all the time it seems. No, we really aren't, but goodness, he has no motivation, no job nor the inclination to get one, no vision for his future, his choice in friends aside from our daughter are very questionable but maybe I'm biased on that one, and he showed just as great, if not moreso, lack of respect for authority (ours and his own family) and the known rules of our family here, that there just isn't a future here on this front. He needs to keep stepping along.

Blunt and judgmental as that sounds, I'm sure, it's just the plain cold truth of the matter. If you have no job and aren't even actively seeking one or at least furthering your education, you have no finances to support yourself let alone anyone else, you have seemingly no motivation to acquire either of those, and you aren't saved, or at the very least, walking a right path and attending church with an open heart leading to your Salvation one day, you just don't fit the future plan for this family.

Yes, I'm blunt. Yes, I'm judgmental. I said it out loud and in print. Happy now? You already knew enough to know I lack tact in a great many areas. Man, too many folks live in a fairy tale bubble in this world. This isn't some sitcom where the parents are dweebs and totally out of touch with reality. This isn't some love-struck, teenager vampire/werewolf, love you forever heartbreak Twilight movie (don't get me started on that garbage either...it won't be nice and it won't be pretty) There isn't some scripted out happy future just because you are in love. Love is nice and all, and love comes totally through time spent sharing deeply with one another, but it don't pay the bills, and it don't feed the family. Love is grand and all, but you'd better be looking for a job as well. And you need to be planning your own future before you come sneaking around here thinking you can plan for someone else. I'm terrible, I know, but honestly, the boy has no reason for even talking to my daughter and that's just the fact. He stole the trust he was given, he spit in the face of our rules and direction here, and he doesn't care one whip about any of it. And you think The Lord is all over this? Snap back to reality. Keep to steppin' and let's both just shake the dust off our feet.

What if this young man is the one The Lord has chosen for our daughter?

Good question. I do not know the Plans God has for my daughter, or any of my children, so no, i honestly cannot rule that out. Hey, The Lord works in mysterious ways. I just don't know that I see Him sending a 16 year old girl some 17 year old want-nothing-do-nothing young man to grab her heart. To steal pieces of it that rightfully belong to Him and to her future husband. I can see satan doing it. Tempting both of them to give away portions of their hearts so they are incomplete for their future intendeds. If I'm wrong, if this is totally of The Lord, He isn't going to keep it some long drawn out secret. Hearts will be changed, love will be challenged, and futures will be planned with vision beyond chatting at midnight in the barn after hiking 1/2 a mile in secrecy. When and if that happens, hey now, I'm all for it -- get in church and grow some visible good fruit, change that man-of-now into a Godly man-for-life, get a job and make a serious plan for the future. Then come back, in the daylight and not in the shadows, and come to the front door like a true man of valor and morals, and speak to her father about the proper steps for speaking to her on any level of propriety and maturity.

That is my world. That is how life runs here. It shouldn't have strayed, but lack of parenting, which I admitted shamefully enough already, will do that. Give satan an opening big enough for a gnat and he will rip it wide open and walk an elephant straight through. Well, I'm shutting down the elephant farm here as I should have done a long time ago. If those outside this life have issue with that all I can say is you go your way and we'll go ours. Take your elephants with you because my parenting methods are not open for discussion or debate

The ongoing prayers of this simple family

Before I even begin, let me be fairly clear here with at least one area: I am not for one moment in time placing my family's decisions, rules, direction in life or what-have-you, up for debate. If you feel we are wrong in our stand, so be it. Deal with your family issues in whatever manner you see fit, but do not direct your disagreement toward my blog comments or my emails. I have shared little in this matter and yet already it is creating a headache with those who feel the need to chastise our decisions and choices. If time proves my choice of direction to be wrong, you'll get your satisfaction when I come back here to blog about the path of destruction I've walked us down. Until that time, save the comments and smirk to yourself, ok?

I am not sharing any of this by way of shame towards either my daughter or the young man involved. I am honest and open with my feelings and my thoughts here. Anyone who has been visiting for even a small length of time knows this. I am not looking for sympathy, pats on the back, or chastisement. I am sharing only because I need to. I need to be transparent so I can look back later and fully see where I was, what I did and why it did or did not work. Sometimes, being human and being led in sinful nature, being able to look back affords more vision than being able to look ahead ever will.

We are walking through a bit of a trail right now. It's not so much a difficult season for us as it is shame in watching the fruits of our lax parenting come forth yet again :o( I'd like to say we had learned from the mistakes of our past, but obviously we have not. Worse would be to think we had and simply ignore this new season. We let too many things slide and go by with a wink and it's producing worm-filled useless fruits now.

Well, I won't say the fruit is useless. No fruit is completely useless. This particular fruit involves our eldest daughter (16) sneaking around behind our backs to chat with a young man we have done much for and involved in our family. His own family is dysfunctional to an extreme and we have often tried to bring him out of that as we can and offer a sort of view of a family a bit more normal...stable, at least. We have taken him to church for some time now. Vanity perhaps on our part -- as though our family is any less in turmoil at times than anyone else's, but our hearts were in the right place.
Daughter has been sneaking every opportunity to have meetings and conversations with this young man, to the point that his step-mother literally burst through my door a few nights ago around 11:30 pm...literally burst through my door in the dead of night without warning (the children were camping in the barn loft, so our door was left open for them if needed), to scream and rant wanting to know where said-boy was. I didn't have clue one what was or had been going on. He had parked his (her) car about a mile down the road at a neighbors empty house and walked up here to meet up with daughter in the barn and chat for however long. They weren't alone, but still....this is beyond inappropriate and completely against our rules, lax as they have been. The entire fiasco was not pretty, and I certainly could have done without it, especially in the dead of night.

For all intent of purpose here, this family and it's inhabitants are on lock-down. Right or wrong in others' viewpoint, daughter has lost every privilege and level of trust she had previous to this. She has a road ahead of her, rebuilding the trust her father and I had for her. She has used her siblings to sort of cover for her in chores and other duties so she could talk on the phone and such, and I have no doubt this was not the first gathering they have had behind our backs. I take full responsibility for this. I have slacked off over time, and with Dewey being off working, it has gotten worse. As it should have, I suppose without Dad being home where he belongs to head the family and keep the direction right. I should have expected things to fall apart with his being gone, but I truly thought the fallout would be limited somewhat. My folly, I can see now. I had allowed dress codes to change, though not by much, it was still apparently too much, going from the cape dresses or other plain dresses/aprons to skirts and shirts. Seems innocent enough, but it's not what you wear, it's the heart behind wanting to change it. I did the same with music and other influences of the sort. I turned away from the directions we had and those little steps taking in such ease, turned into full bore runs toward attitude and heart changes.

But, no more. My eyes have been opened to my mistakes and while I have struggled to remain very calm and not screech into emotions during this, I have clamped down the law so to speak. There are some very strong, very harsh rulings coming from this incident. As I said, all privileges are gone. Not altered, just plain old taken away period. The cell phone is gone. Maybe a mistake in the first place, but it is gone so a moot point at this stage. The 'fellowship' of this young man is over. He was told by Dewey that even coming down this road and passing our property without being specifically invited by him, Dad, alone will not happen (ours is a dead-end road, so he has no need being here anyway). There will be not one ounce of contact between the two, or the two families, until the emotional issues have cleared and thoughts are back on track. We are not taking said-boy to church with us. Should he choose to continue coming he will transport himself. If he can skulk about in the middle of the night on his own, he can certainly get himself to church if the need and desire is there. Each of the children, though some a bit young to comprehend anything that has happened, have been told we will not be rude, but there will be nothing more than a passing hello when in the company of this other family. To purposely go behind our backs in this way, there is no trust, no respect and no loyalty in place. We will not be rude, but we will not engage in anything beyond the bare-bones 'civility' of casual acquaintances.

We have already received some fallout from these decisions, but hey, that's life I suppose. No one else needs to understand why we have made the choices we have, or why we feel they are steps that need taken at this moment in time. Everyone leads their families in different directions, with differing guidance. This is our chosen direction.

The past several days have seen our Bible lessons come mostly from Proverbs. I liked this comment (among many others) from our reading this morning -- a fool is called by several names in Scripture, but whatever he is called, he is a menace to society, to his friends, his family, and all Christians. He is the most dangerous person under satan's rule because he thinks lightly about everything, things sacred and things concerning sin. "Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom" Proverbs 15:21a.

Some characteristics of the fool: He does not think ahead of his own actions. He lives only for the present joy and pleasure.
He is self-opinionated and acts as his own counsel and instructor, shedding the words and advice of others as preachy or 'bossy'.
He is easily seduced. Flattery and sweet words from the wicked are readily followed while common sense and morals are left to drift aside.
He realizes no need for protection from evil or the wicked.
He is not aware that he is living in a world of profound evil.
He is heedless of satan's countless traps and willingly pulls himself from one only to step directly into another.
He is unreliable and has no sense of direction for his present life or his future.
The fool deliberately causes trouble for others and is quarrelsome.
The fool never admits he is wrong, sincerely, unless the wording of such a 'confession' will enhance his chances to create more strife for others and joy for himself.
He lacks common sense and cannot be trusted.
He brings grief to his parents and his family because he refuses the teachings of those in authority over him, and with life experiences he could learn from. He is rebellious in most, if not all, things and shows little love or respect for others.

The only activity that can be safely undertaken with or for a fool is PRAY. That is where we are. We are not turning our backs on this young man. We are lifting him in prayer, perhaps more than we were before. There is not, at this point in time, any place for this relationship in our family. Of course, daughter is having her rebellion on this and has taken the stand of being sullen and pouty lately. Which has been pointed out to her as simply another sign of her immaturity and lack of responsibility. If she intends to build her trust level, to show she is somehow mature and responsible to begin a relationship with a young man, this is definitely not helping her out. She is acting out of immaturity as far as I can see. All the more reason for rules and constraints to freedoms until we can rebuild things around here.

I have been told that not allowing the young man to church with us is harsh. I don't think so. In the past year of his attending with us there has been little growth you can point a finger at and recognize, and no change to his demeanor or such at all. I'm not saying God isn't working in him, but there is no fruit showing of any good works that I can see, and being party to the sneaking around in secret proves that out all the more I believe. He knows our rules on dating (we don't) and he knows our views on friendships between the sexes and so on. He did not go into this sneaking around with a blind eye, he did it with his eyes closed hoping to get away with it. And in no uncertain terms is our daughter innocent in any of it. She has been raised under the same direction her entire life and has not known different. She is fully aware of our rules and she has her own brain to use. She chose not to heed any of that and go for the instant fun and thrill of sneaking about. There is no set in stone blame here...it is very equally spread around, landing perhaps a bit more in my own lap than anyone else's.

That's about it for our update I guess. Prayer would be greatly appreciated. I will be glad to see my husband back on the homestead where he should be.
And yes, I have seen the "irony" in all of this turmoil lately...coming on the heels of that besetting sin post I made last week or so. I thought (one of )my biggest troubles in life was my lack of emotional control at times. yeah, right. Guess I need to rework that little listing, heh?

Homestead Momma: Dinner Rolls

http://homesteadmomma2.blogspot.com

Well, Susan over at HomesteadMama shared another goodie. Wonderful directions for a variety of rolls. I love the 'make-ahead' sort of tips. Works very nice -- we can make up larger batches and pull out some for dinner tonight, frsh, then tomorrow night make another pan or two. Works nicely when in a pinch.

We have also done a sort of 'brown-n-serve' variety and baked them partially to freeze and finish baking later.

Either way here's Susan's great recipes -- go check out her blog and be sure to take a look at her great collection of ebooks for sale!

Dinner Rolls

4-1/4 to 4-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, margarine, or shortening
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs

In a large mixing bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour and the yeast.
In medium saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to dry mixture along with eggs.
Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high-speed 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Make-Ahead Tip: Cover shaped rolls loosely with plastic wrap, leaving room for rolls to rise.
Chill 2 to 24 hours. Uncover; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead in enough remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape the dough into a ball.
Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour).
Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, depending on what shape of roll you wish to make, lightly grease baking sheets or muffin cups.
Shape the dough into desired rolls and place on prepared baking sheets or in muffin cups.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (about 30 minutes).
Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Immediately remove rolls from pans. Cool on wire racks. Makes 24 to 36 rolls.

Butterhorns:
On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of the dough into a 12-inch circle. Brush with melted butter or margarine.
Cut each circle into 12 wedges using a pizza cutter or sharp knife. To shape, begin at the wide end of a wedge and loosely roll toward the point. Place point side down, 2 to 3 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets.

Rosettes:
Divide each dough portion into 16 pieces.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 12-inch-long rope. Tie in a loose knot, leaving 2 long ends. Tuck top end under roll. Bring bottom end up and tuck into center of roll. Place 2 to 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Parker House Rolls:
On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with a floured 2-1/2-inch-round cutter. Brush with melted butter or margarine. Using the dull edge of a table knife, make an off-center crease in each round. Fold each round along crease with large half on top. Press folded edge firmly. Place rolls 2 to 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Cloverleaf Rolls:
Divide each portion of dough into 36 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, pulling edges under to make a smooth top. Place 3 balls in each muffin cup, smooth sides up.
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That Prayer Need I mentioned...

It has evolved somewhat now and while I am calm considering, I am still not much farther along in my heart with it all.

I'm not going to go into the fine details, mainly because I already can hear the beratement from visitors here over it.

To my shame as a parent, this is not something new to come around and I apparently have not learned much better how to avoid it.

I don't understand lax parenting. Not being wholly -- and holy -- serious about the training, the purity of self and family, the right and moral standards that (should) make up a family professing and claiming heartily the Name of Christ over their household.

To what length would you, or should you, go to protect the future of your family? At what point are you no longer able to have that God-given authority to place lines and mark boundaries?

If you have a child with a drinking, or a drug problem, where do you stop and wash your hands of it and follow the worldly thinking of common psychology and just watch and let it all go to divine intervention instead of your parental action and duty?

When did parents lose the authority of The Bible? God has given parents authority and stewardship over children -- they are HIS Children and only on 'loan' as it were to us. Remember the parable of the talents? Think of your children as being your talents, given by God. How are you going to train them up to best glorify Him?

I am certainly among the chief sinners. I am not a single inch of a step farther along some righteous path toward Godliness than the next person. There are inumerable sins in my life and they change positions daily, never seeming to grow weaker in their existence. I have a list of mistakes and poor decisions in my past several miles long -- and let me tell you, right now today, I see the list beginning to spread far and wide in ahead of me as well.

I am watching the sins of lax parenting, of trying to walk both IN and OF the world around me instead of following a Godly pathway of being a stranger in this place, a set apart, peculiar people, come back to roost as a vulture returns to his found kill. I brought these issues home myself by not doing as I knew I should, as I knew I was called upon to do by The Word of God.

I am not saying that I need to remove a splinter from my neighbors eye...I am saying there is one heck of an 8x8 fully blocking my vision and splintering through my entire being.

We will have no freedoms in this home until we have -- each member -- developed the maturity and respect to follow the authority we belong under. There are no 'privileges' deserved by anyone, and that includes myself at the top of the list, not just the children. Any freedom or privilege, no matter how small it may seem, how trivial it it appears to be, how 'splitting of hairs' it might be, nothing will be given or taken without The Word of The Lord backing it completely. That requires study and that's what we need. Perhaps even moreso than the prayers of others.

My previous prayer need is no longer. It has developed into larger things and will be dealt with day to day as we walk the Walk we should have been all along. Maybe I'm a hardcore parent -- I know I used to be, and turmoil like this didn't have the chance to enter in this home. But I slacked off, even in small amounts, and started trying to balance this family's future between this world and God's Kingdom. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot live with one foot in both worlds. Not without visiting sins of the world around you. There really isn't a 'balance' to be had -- it has to be ALL GOD or NO GOD. Gray areas don't exist. Not without problems.

Thank you to everyone who shared in my original prayer request, and even those less-than-nice folks who felt led to share in emails.

Take Time to Remember Our Soldiers

Veterans Day is for every soldier...Memorial Day is for remembering those specifically who have fallen in the line of duty. For those who never came home, or came home bearing a flag over their casket.
No matter what your opinion on this current war or any other, or even the Military in general, you have what you have in this life because of those who stood before you and fought for rights and freedoms. It's not political -- it's respect and remembrance.
Our soldiers deserve our respect, our honor, and most deeply our prayers. It isn't about do I agree with the war or any part of it...it's only about supporting the men and women standing in front of the country they believe in so that we can enjoy what freedoms and privileges we have.

Young Ladies Christian Fellowship shared this and I wanted to pass it along.

Take a moment away from your own pleasure and familt gathering on Moday to offer a prayer of remembrance to those souls who have given their lives for a future you enjoy.

:::It's more than a holiday.

It's more than a day for picnics and parties, for days at the beach.

It is more than barbecues.

It is a day to remember, and to honor those who have given their lives for their country.

It is a day to realize and to understand the cost of war, the price of freedom.

As many have said, freedom- any kind of freedom- isn't free. We must remember this, and thank God that we are still free in this country.

We live in a generation where war has touched nearly every family in one way or another. There are few of us who have not felt the sting of war in our own hearts. It has brought separation, worry and tears, it has made heroes, and it has shown the true characters of others. It has called for bravery and courage in ways that many may never know.

Some of these men- our husbands, brothers, sons, never came home to the family who loved them. They left an aching gap that can never be refilled, yet the memory of who they were will never die in the hearts of those they left behind.

Whether or not we agree with war, whatever may be our speculations as to what the real reason behind it is, it is our duty as fellow countrymen to support those who have gone away, to encourage them, to pray for them and it is our duty to remember those who gave all and the families, the wives and children who they left behind them when they fell. They may need to know that they are not alone. Today, we're all here together as Americans, as fellow countrymen of any nation who has faced war.

Today, it is the beginning of Memorial Day Weekend. On Monday, May 25th, 2009 at 3:00 pm in your local time, it is the Moment of Remembrance. It is a moment of silent reflection, while the taps play, on the heroes and loved ones lost in every war.

Enjoy the weekend, enjoy the sunshine and the beauty that God has surrounded us with.

Treasure the moments with your family, but stop and think of those who are not home, of those who have an empty seat at their family gathering and remember them in prayer to God.

And if you have the ability to bless some of those families in some other way, don't forget them this Memorial Day weekend.

~~ I'll keep my money, my freedom, and my guns, and you can keep the Change ~~

A Quote to Share

This just came through a newsletter I receive. It really stood out to me and I wanted to share it just to ponder what all this means to us as families, homeschoolers, even homesteaders.

:::This is the reality of the environment in which we homeschool. Ronald Reagan once said:
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

~~ I'll keep my money, my freedom, and my guns, and you can keep the Change ~~

Long Weekend...and a prayer need

(the prayer need is below the chit chat...)

A long weekend of work and fellowship, that is.

Memorial Day weekend. Should the rains hold off yet again, we have a busy weekend planned.

Today we are cleaning and finishing needed tasks around the homestead, like laundry, house cleaning, schooling for week and yard/barn duties.

Saturday the olders have a gathering for their Sunday School class. Just a day of fellowship at a local park, fishing a bit, enjoying a picnic, etc.
While they are enjoying the day outside, I will be baking for Monday. I'm making chicken salad sandwiches for the Sunday evening meal and am making a pot of baked beans, 2 apple pies, 2 cheesecakes, a couple batches of 7 Sisters sugar cookies and a several batches of peanut butter cookies for Monday's picnic. I suppose I should wait and do the pies Sunday afternoon so they are fresh, huh? Maybe I can par-bake them somehow and finish them up Monday before we leave out? Just found out the picnic is moved from midday to late afternoon now, so I can bake them on Monday and be fine! Perfect ;o)

Maybe I'll do some oatmeal cookies instead of sugar. Or I could do that delicious Peanut Butter Picnic Cake instead of the pies? Maybe some of Becky's yummy Brownies? Or I could just take along the ice cream makers and we could do some fresh ice cream with all this goat's milk....

I love picnics and fellowship :o)

Sunday is church, of course, and Sunday evening is the monthly business meeting and fellowship meal. Not the typical meal this month, however, just finger foods and light snacks as Monday is Memorial Day and we have a church picnic planned.

Monday will be a day of fellowship and good food :o) A fish fry with not only fish, but chicken strips, as well. Guess that makes it a Fish & Chicken Fry, heh? Hushpuppies, slaw, potato salad, lots of desserts to go around. Hopefully the rain will stay off or at least stay light.

Some prayers needed:
I need some prayer. I debated mentioning it at all, but I've been hitting a ceiling in my prayers on my own because, well, because my heart simply isn't where it needs to be in the matter. That's what it boils down to. I'm just not truly letting it all go, and I'm hitting a large ceiling in my prayer life because of it.

Knowing that, knowing I'm not acting as I should, that I'm not opening my heart as I should, it just isn't changing anything in my heart. I guess there is still a lot of ME left inside my heart and I'm not allowing all of the space to be filled with HIM.

I have a certain friend that is a bit troublesome most times. It's a long-going situation and it never gets any better. I have all but cut the ties completely, but there are still some strings that show up now and again. I'm civil, I'm nice...I'm not very Christian in my attitude of it all :o( The idea of spending time with this friend simply gives me a headache. That is a horrible thing to say, but I just need it out there. I need to covet prayers over this big time. It needs to be opened and shared fully so I can find the direction I need to take to at least resolve my part, kwim?

The long and the short of it is she is needy. She is overly needy. She is dysfunctional to an extreme and creates total dysfunction around her and around everyone near her. Her bad attitudes are projected onto everyone -- or maybe it's just me who seems to absorb it all, I don't know. She is interested in connecting some family ties and I'm sorry, horrible and snobby as it may sound, there is no way on God's green earth I'll allow even a small encouragement in that area. No way. Absolutely not. I have flat out laid down the law with each of my children in that respect. No room for discussion of any kind on that score. I'm just mean and terrible.

Can you see how bad my heart attitude is in this situation? It seriously turns my heart to stone just dealing with it all. And I know it does this, so I go out of my way to avoid every instance of connection with this friend. I avoid situations involving any part of that family, I avoid being in places they might be, I will go out of my way to just not have to deal with any of it. It's just making me plain ugly, to myself of course, but moreso to God. I have to find a way to resolve these horrible feelings I have and I'm just not getting anywhere on my own at all.

I'd certainly covet any and all prayers. This has been a long-term issue I've dealt with. The last time I opened up and asked for prayer concerning this issue, I was told the problem is my own prayer life and not something to concern others. And that came from some very Christian friends at an old church. I never did go back there, and eventually we changed churches altogether. But, that is neither here nor there.

I need guidance on how to deal with this situation and my heart in the matter so I can get back where I need to be in fellowship with The Lord.

Is my blog real enough?

http://www.keeperofthehome.org

There is an excellent post about how we 'appear' in blogging over at Keeper of The Home. It's posted today, called How Do I Do it All. Very good reading.

When folks visit here -- or anyone's blog -- they only see a snippet of what we are, how we do things, who we'd like to be. That can be misleading in many ways.

A couple years back, I was blogging elsewhere and was stumbled upon by a troll. We had quite the game of cat and mouse going. LOL...well, that isn't totally how it went. Remember the Tom & Jerry cartoons? That's a bit more realistic to how our game played out. About the only thing anyone saw from the purely childish banter and arguing was that there are layers to everyone. I try to keep my layers real, but I'm sure I've given folks a misleading view as well.

There are some bloggers who seem to do it all, have everything organized well, make the best use of their days and abilities, etc.

That's not me. Boy, that is definitely not me.

My SIL said something the other day about how much I know how to do and all I get done. She thought, from her perspective, that I was a sort of marvel of modern womanhood here on the homestead. I know how to bake and cook from scratch, I garden and can up the harvest, I sew our clothing, I homeschool "all these children" and so forth.

Well, I'd like to agree with her...I mean, in a way, she's right. I do do all those things. But in 'my circles' of reading and chatting, I'm just a babe on the path. I don't fit in well much of anywhere. I certainly don't fit well with the 'real' homesteaders and preppers I visit -- they are MILES ahead of me in knowledge and daily doings.
I don't fit in with the Plain christians I visit because we are still on the other side of the fence with living Plain here. Yet I don't fit with the rest of the world either, because to them I am far too Plain.

You could get rather discouraged following blogs and thinking about how good they look and how together they are. If you could look behind-the-scenes the view might be totally different than what you think. No one can live on a pedastal all the time.

I homeschool 6 children, while 2 wait in the wings for real school work. That could sound pretty misleading. What it doesn't show you is I spent many years being a curriculum-junkie, changing texts and looking for that next best thing and I just plain messed up my olders with the confusion. Sure, there are no deadlines in homeschooling and you can pace school how best it works, but you have to have some sort of visionary end in mind. Right now, I have an older who is way ahead in some areas and dreadfully behind herself in others.

I garden and try to keep our pantry stocked with what we produce ourselves by canning, freezing and drying. What you don't always see is I spend about $200 a month on junk we don't need to have -- I love nachos! I love sweet tea! I would rather drink a glass of Dr Pepper filled with ice than water anyday. I grab a chicken sandwich and a really big Dr Pepper from Sonic everytime I'm in town. Or a Chili Cheese Wrap. It's not that that's a bad thing, but let me tell you (or really I should let Dewey tell you!) It's those little things that add up the quickest.
You also don't see the many jars that didn't seal in the pantry, the several pounds of sausage I *still* haven't gotten canned -- since Thanksgiving!

Yes, I sew our clothes. Just about everything we need short of socks and shoes. All I can say is yes, I have the ability to sew. Yes, we have 4 good sewing machines and my treadle machine here. Yes, I have at least 200 yards or better of material in store here, cottons, cords and various denims. I have all the patterns we will ever need for our clothing.
What you might not see is that I barely get time to sew. That I've paid a dear friend to do the boys' pants for me when the only thing preventing my doing them was sheer laziness. My aprons are so worn I keep more clean without one than with! We are just this side of naked, really.
I go in spurts with sewing (and with a great many things, truth be told) where it's literally ALL we do for a couple of days, then I lose my motivation and just stop -- most usually mid-stream, leaving things in waiting.

There isn't much about me that isn't run of the mill everyday ordinary is all I'm saying. I'm long-winded at saying little to nothing more often than not. The only secret to share that I know of is if you want to know how to do something, read all about it, visit folks who do it and learn what you can...but if you never put that knowledge to practice you haven't done anything.

Don't waste the days checking out the green grass on the otherside of someones fence while allowing weeds to take over your side. They have plenty of weeds themselves, maybe just in other areas you don't see as readily.

No one is perfect at living day to day, and trust me, you can get very depressed blog-hopping and seeing what you think is a got-it-all-together blogger.
Use what information you find that's real, take it with you and get back to your own home to start implementing it. The Bible says you have not because you ask not...practical daily wisdom says you have not because you DO not. All the information in the world is only as useful as your putting into action!
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What do you teach your daughters?

There are 3 great parts to this sharing found at Raising Arrows blog -- Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Definitely worth taking time to read.

Has anyone read the book What He Must Be? by Voddie Baucham?
I am very curious to hear what folks think of the book before I place it in the budget here.

Now, the sharing:

HAVE I BEEN EDUCATED?
by Carolyn Caines

If I learn my ABCs, can read 600 words per minute, and can write with perfect penmanship, but have not been shown how to communicate with the Designer of all language .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can deliver an eloquent speech and persuade you with my stunning logic, but have not been instructed in God's wisdom.... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I read Shakespeare and John Locke and can discuss their writings with keen insight, but have not read the greatest of all books -- the Bible -- and have no knowledge of its personal importance... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I have memorized addition facts, multiplication tables, and chemical formulas, but have never been disciplined to hide God's Word in my heart .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can explain the law of gravity and Einstein's theory of relativity, but have never been instructed in the unchangeable laws of the One Who orders our universe .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can classify animals by their family, genus and species, and can write a lengthy scientific paper that wins an award, but have not been introduced to the Maker's purpose for all creation, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can recite the Gettyburg Address and the Preamble to the Constitution, but have not been informed of the hand of God in the history of our country .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can play the piano, the violin, six other instruments, and can write music that moves men to tears, but have not been taught to listen to the Director of the universe and worship Him, ... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can run cross-country races, star in basketball and do 100 push-ups without stopping, but have never been shown how to bend my spirit to do God's will, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can identify a Picasso, describe the style of da Vinci, and even paint a portrait that earns an A+, but have not learned that all harmony and beauty comes from a relationship with God, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I were to graduate with a perfect 4.0 and am accepted at the best university with a full scholarship, but have not been guided into a career of God's choosing for me, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I become a good citizen, voting at each election and fighting for what is moral and right, but have not been told of (or believe) the sinfulness of man and his hopelessness without Christ,... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

However, if one day I see the world as God sees it, and come to know Him, Whom to know is life eternal, and glorify God by fulfilling His purpose for me, THEN I HAVE BEEN EDUCATED!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, back to the basics. The list I am about to give you is MY list. It is what I believe to be the basics according to a Biblical worldview. Your list may look much different, but truly consider why you put certain things on your list as basics before you move forward with calling them basics.

So, here is my list:

BASICS FOR MY DAUGHTERS

1) TEACH HER TO FEAR THE LORD.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Prov 9:10a

Doesn't get much clearer than that. THIS is the beginning point. Teach your daughters about our Lord. Immerse them in the Word. Show them just how important the Scriptures are to you and your family. Everything you do and say should start here. Disciple, disciple, disciple.

2) TEACH A LOVE FOR LEARNING

Learn to take advantage of those sparks of interest you see in her. Help her figure out how to glean the information she needs to move forward with projects. Teach her to use her Bible to understand how the things she is interested in can glorify Him. Have lots of good books, encyclopedias, concordances, etc. available to her and make sure she knows how to use them. Also, let her see you digging deeper for information.

3) TEACH HER TO READ

She has to be able to read God's Word for herself. A good grasp of vocabulary and the English language are important to understanding and expressing ideas. A good way to show the importance of this is, as with everything, to model it yourself. If you are reading and talking about books and Scripture, then she will more than likely follow suit.

4) TEACH HER THE FUNDAMENTALS OF OTHER SUBJECTS

Math, Spelling, History, Science, etc. All of it; however, should be done in a manner that brings it full circle back to God...remember #1! Much of this type of learning can be done in every day life as well. You don't necessarily have to drill textbooks to instill this kind of information...see #2 and #3!

All of these build off each other with the foundation being the ONE TRUE GOD. Once again, if you do nothing else, teach your daughters to fear the Lord, to honor Him, to glorify Him with all their being. You can't get any more basic than this.

From My Blessed Home

This is another favorite blog visit of mine. Candy, a.k.a. My Blessed Home, has some wonderful reading and sharing. This is one of my favorites from her site (and it's hard to choose ONE favorite...I have TONS of bookmarks there! (There is a great list for Godly Women below this post...)
Here is her great sharing on making your own toothpaste and deodorant at home. How practical :o) We'll be trying these to see how they work for us.

How to Make Toothpaste

What you Need

- 4 tablespoons of baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

- 1/8 teaspoon (or a pinch) of crushed mint leaves

- some water

How to Make it

1. Mix together the baking soda, sea salt, and crushed mint leaves.

2. Add a little bit of water, and mix. Keep mixing in very small amounts of water, until the mixture turns into a thick paste.

3. Store this homemade toothpaste in a small, sealed container.

Mouthwash

I suggest you just rinse with water, but you may consider rinsing with 1/2 hydrogen peroxide and 1/2 water a few times a month.

However, if you really want a breath-freshening mouthwash, then try the following:

What you Need

- 2 and 1/2 cups water

- 1 teaspoon of chopped mint leaves

- 1 teaspoon of rosemary

- 1 teaspoon anise seeds

How to Make it

1.- Mix all of the above ingredients in a small pot or pan on the stove top, then turn on the heat, and bring the mixture to a boil.

2. Once boiling, turn the heat off, and leave the mixture alone for a few hours, to cool to room temperature.

3. Strain the mixture, using some clean flour sack, or a double layer of cheese cloth. Keep the liquid, and throw out the mint, rosemary, and anise.

4. The liquid is your homemade mouthwash. Store it in a sealed container.

How to Make Deoderant

This stuff is natural, simple, very low cost, and really works. Here's how to make your own deodorant...

What You Need

- 1/4 cup corn starch

- 1/4 cup baking soda

- a few tablespoons of coconut oil

- an empty deodorant container



How to Make it

1. In a bowl, mix together the corn starch and baking soda.



2. Then, add in a few tablespoons of coconut oil, and mix. Add more coconut oil, if needed. You want it to form into the consistency similar to that of the store bought deodorants.



3. Grab the mixture with your hands, and stuff it into your empty deodorant dispenser, and then you're all done. :-)

A Woman's Rules to Live by

Rules for the Wife at Home

1.- Overlook husband’s faults, and instead focus on his better side.
2.- Never nag, or try to manipulate your husband into doing things your way.
3.- Trust God, and trust your husband. Pray for him daily.
4.- God first, husband second, children third, house fourth.
5.- Submit to your husband’s authority, and allow errors in his judgment.
6.- Allow him to provide for the family, and appreciate the money he brings in, and the provisions he provides for his family, no matter how little or how much.
7.- Spend your husband’s hard earned money wisely, and be frugal. Never sneak expenses behind his back.
8.- Do not wound his masculine pride. Instead, compliment him on his manly accomplishments, and show your appreciation of him every day.
9.- A modest, feminine appearance is important. As is feminine manner, nature, softness, gentleness, and a spirit of sweet submission and dependency on the husband.
10.- You have a God-given career that can bless you abundantly. That career is in the home.
11.- Cook delicious healthy meals, keep the home clean, and take wonderful, loving care of your children.
12.- Your duty is to be a “homemaker,” hence, your job is to make your house a home.
13.- Above all, the wife at home is to exude an attitude of happiness and joy. Rejoice in the Lord for the wonderful family He has provided for you, and never take your family for granted.

Rules for the Mother at Home in Training Her Children

Many of these rules were taken from my notes from reading The Mother at Home.

1.- Obedience is absolutely essential to proper family government.
2.- Never give a command which you do not intend shall be obeyed.
3.- Never punish when the child has not intentionally done wrong.
4.- Never think that your child is too young to obey.
5.- Guard against too much severity. By pursuing a steady course of efficient government, severity will very seldom be found necessary. If, when punishment is inflicted, it is done with composure and with solemnity, then occasions for punishment will be very infrequent.
6.- One great obstacle is the want of self-control on the part of the parents. If you don’t have self-control, then your children won’t either.
7.- Be firm then in doing your duty invariably. Never refrain from governing your child because it is painful to maternal feelings.
8.- Do not talk about children in their presence.
9.- Do not make exhibitions of your children’s attainments.
10.- Do not deceive children.
11.- Do not be continually finding fault.
12.- Parents must make the Christian training of their children their own personal duty.
13.- Parents must have deep Christian devotional feelings within themselves.
14.-Present Christianity in a pleasant aspect.
15.- Utilize appropriate occasions for teaching the children about Christ, through the day, each day.
16.- Avoid introducing Christian lessons upon inappropriate occasions, such as when the child is angry, or right after they’ve done wrong. Christian lessons are best presented when the child is calm and in their normal routine.
17.- Make the Bible your text book in the Christian instructions of your children.
18.- In teaching children from the Scriptures, aim at interesting them in the moral truths and sentiments which the narratives convey.
19.- It is our privilege and duty to describe heaven to our children, as God has described it to us in His Word.
20.- Next to the Bible, as a means of Christian influence, we must place the careful culture of our own hearts.
21.- Dwell particularly upon the Saviour, in the Christian instruction of children.
22.- Pray with your children.
23.- Teach your children to pray themselves.
24.- Expect that your child will become a Christian.
25.- Do not speak to others of the piety of your child.
26.- Mother to have a devotional spirit.
27.- Mother to be cheerful.
28.- Mother to be kind.
29.- Mother to be polite.
30.- Mother to have the daily effort of pleasing God in the performance of every duty, small and great.
31.- Mother to guard her tongue and spirit.
32.- Teach your children to cultivate purity of mind.
33.- Teach your children to observe truth.
34.- Teach your children to forgive others.
35.- Cultivate in your children a taste for pure and noble pleasures, instead of a love of worldly gaiety.
36.- Know that mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations as all other earthly causes combined.
37.- The subject of education must be attended to with persevering study.

Children’s Rules

1.- Eating between meals is not allowed.
2.- They are to eat the food put before them, or miss the meal.
3.- As children, they are to be in bed by 8pm.
4.- They are to do their chores with a good attitude of diligence.
5.- They are to subdue their self-will so that they might be open to God’s salvation.
6.- Teach a child to pray as soon as he can speak.
7.- Require all to be still during Family Worship and Bible study times.
8.- Give them nothing they cry for, and only that which they ask for politely.
9.- To prevent lying: punish no fault, which is first confessed and repented.
10.- Never allow a sinful act to go unpunished.
11.- Never punish a child twice for the same offence.
12.- Never punish in anger.
13.- Commend and reward good behavior. (But never bribe.)
14.- Any attempt to please, even if poorly performed should be commended.
15.- Preserve property rights, even in smallest matters.
16.- Strictly observe all promises.
17.- Teach children to reverence God.

Love this poem...

My ministry is in this home
I'm keeper here; I need not roam.

My hands are busy washing pots.
I'm ironing clothes and scrubbing spots.

My service to the ones I love
Flows from the heart of God above.

Through me, His vessel in this house,
He loves my kids, He loves my spouse.

My love is glue that holds us tight.
The nest's secure both day and night.

I'm always here to dry a tear.
To rub a back or calm a fear.

My "house band" makes an iron band
Around our hearts, our house, our land.

Secure, surrounded with His care.
We frolick in the love we share.

And in this circle I'm the heart.
I pump the blood to every part.

God's love flows out from me to each.
Then rebounds back from every reach.

Let others go their dreams to build.
My place is here; I am fulfilled.

I'm loved and praised;
my heart is set.

By giving, all my needs are met.

(Written by Mrs. June Boisseleier)

©ccheedie 2001

Looking for a pickup truck for the homestead? You should be.

Alabama Prepper's Network

If you are a prepper, farmer, homesteader or whatever and don't yet have a pickup truck for whatever reason, I suggest you start looking for one now, preferably an older one of the type that was simpler and built to last indefinitely. I predict that the prices for such trucks are going to rise substantially when people begin to realize the true impact of Obama's latest declaration.

For several years now, city-dwelling leftist-greenies who neither know nor care about the realities of the world beyond their immediate view have been demanding that the automakers either build pickup trucks that get the same fuel mileage as their tiny little Prius, or preferably, stop building them altogether.

The reason this didn't happen is that, as a private business (Oh horrors, there's that nasty capitalism!), the automakers had to build what their customers needed and wanted. Sorry, but a truck that can haul cattle to the sale, or haul bales of hay across muddy pastures to feed those cattle, for a couple of examples, doesn't get 30 MPG. That is just a fact of life.

Now that the automakers are being nationalized, however, this no longer matters. Pickup trucks will get 30 MPG, or they won't be built; it's as simple as that. The result is that pickup trucks will no longer be capable of performing the chores so many farmers, small business owners, etc. have come to expect from them (and will cost substantially more, to boot).

It is democracy at its worst: you and I are in the minority, so our voice is drowned out by the majority who don't understand the need for a fullsize pickup truck, especially a 3/4 or 1 ton.

Of course, it's not going to work. The government knows that, and they don't care. Big government has been doing its worst to eliminate the small family farmer for years; do you think they are concerned that this is going to further that cause? In their view, it's a good thing.

So what I predict will happen is that existing pickups will become unobtanium.That is why I recommend that you get one now, and get one that will last.

A good way to do that is to look for one that has a good old all-cast-iron engine, a carburetor, and a distributor. You want a 350 small-block Chevy, Dodge 318 or something like that, not a 4.6 liter computerized, fuel injected whizbang motor with aluminum heads. Yeah, it may go 300,000 highway miles. But let the aluminum radiator build up a little internal corrosion, then get it stuck in a muddy field in July, and chances are, you will be up for a $5000 rebuild, if you don't have to replace those aluminum heads (they can't be milled like the old iron ones could).

But that's okay because by that time, the c-clip rear axle that is in lots of even 3/4 ton trucks these days will also be ready for replacement, along with lots of other things that were only designed to last until the warranty ran out.OTOH, that 1971 3/4 ton Chevy, even if it does need a rebuilt engine, is only gonna cost you about $1000-$1500 for a fresh 350, and it can be rebuilt 3 or 4 times instead of the zero to 1 time a modern engine can be rebuilt.

And the tranny, whether manual or automatic, can be rebuilt for around $500 as opposed to hitting you for $3000 like the newer ones are likely to do. And the newer ones are more likely to fail in the first place, too.

Also, the rearend, if you service it regularly, will probably last a lifetime: yours, that is, not the 5-year lifetime automakers build new trucks for.

Of course, in my opinion (based upon experience) you as a prepper should be looking for this kind of truck anyway, even without all the current socialistic shenanigans. But the point is, before long a lot of people will be looking for such a truck. Probably most people who need a pickup will initially choose something only a couple of years old. But 5 years down the road, when most of those trucks are starting to need expensive work to keep them going, those truck owners are probably going to be wishing they had bought older.I already got a jump on the demand.

Perhaps you should consider doing the same.
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Tennessee Preppers Network: Don't Ignore H1N1 Yet

There is a newsheader over in the left sidebar to keep on top of the alerts, information, and news from one of the Prepper sites I visit. From all the various sites for that sort of thing I've visited, the Tennessee site often shreas the most follow-up and links to the better inforamed sites than any other I've found so far.

Keeping on top of the "swine flu" as it begins to really show signs of mutating is something I am interested in. This is summer here and the "flu" isn't such a big deal, but in a few months, as winter moves in, it will be back on the front pages again. It hasn't weakened, it hasn't slowed it's progression any. It is growing and it is mutating into several different strains, some proving to be drug-resistant.

Just be prepared for some serious issues with the flu this coming season. The news isn't going to keep you on top of thing; you need to take your family's health and every other aspect of survival into your own hands.

The latest:
Don't Ignore H1N1 Yet
Most of the mainstream media has dropped much following on the H1N1 (swine) flu, but you need to know that researchers, the CDC and the WHO haven't dropped their following of it.

This virus, while not showing itself to be particularly severe here in the US - at least not yet- is still one that demands our attention and respect. Here are a few updates you should be aware of:
from BBC News/UK: Warning over new threat from MRSA - antibiotic resistant pneumonia
from Recombinomics: Suspect Swine H1N1 in Toddler Death in New York Raises Concerns - this one you should definitely read - here's a partial quote:

The evolution of the H1N1 is being closely monitored by sequencing labs across the world, and most isolates to date are closely related. However, the presence of avian PB2 raises concerns that the frequency of cases will not decline in the summer in the northern hemisphere, because the avian PB2 is optimal at 41 C, which would lead to efficient transmission in the summer.
Moreover, the seasonal flu has the mammalian version of PB2, which has optimal activity at 34 C.
However, the swine H1N1 transmitting in the southern hemisphere may acquire E627K, leading to a virus efficiently transmitting in the winter also.
Similarly, swine H1N1 in the southern hemisphere may acquire H274Y, leading to Tamflu resistance, which could complicate treatment of the more severe cases, which may involve previously healthy young adults.

from Fox 2 Now: St. Louis Man with Swine Flu Dies
from eKantipur.com - One with Suspected Swine Flu Dies in Thailand
from Fox News: CDC: 100,000 Americans Likely Infected with H1N1 - now think - if each of those 100,000 infect 2-4 others, then they infect 2-4 others - do the math and see why pandemics spread so quickly.

Continue to pay attention, keep your hands washed, stay at home if you or any family members are ill, and have items on hand to make yourself and your family more comfortable if you become ill.

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