Wonderful Saturday, how I love thee!  My day off. . my day to enjoy without reservation the things in life I love most. . . .my family, my home, my friends.   I’m still in my pj’s, I’ve been busy in the house–made breakfast for my family, with Grace’s help, and I’ve puttering around cleaning and putting things away.  For now, I thought I would sit and try to write and share some photos.

Outside the sun is shining. I have all the shades up here in my room so I can see the bright colors.  I can see Jacob marching around with (a toy) gun.  It’s cool outside, in fact, we had our first frost last night.  I woke up this morning and decided that it was time to get out the down comforter.  Even though it’s chilly, I have my window open a crack so I can here the birds and the wind.

The boys, and Rich, all have jeans and sweatshirts on today.  Grace has a pair of jeans on under her dress.

David and Caleb are having fun playing in their room.  Every night we clean the room and every morning they get right up and mess it up again.  Today they have David’s mattress pulled off the bed and Caleb’s crib filled with toys.

For breakfast this morning we had fried eggs, hashbrowns, homemade buttermilk biscuits, sausage, and bacon.

Biscuits  (Jacob had 4 this morning!  We all loved them)

1 cup flour
1 cup cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 in. cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk (you can add a splash of vinegar to regular milk and let it sit for a substitute)

Rack in center oven 400 degrees.
Whisk dry ingredients together.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly with a few pea-sized pieces of butter.  Stir in enough buttermilk to make a soft, sticky dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Quickly knead the dough just until it comes together-do not over-knead.  Pat or roll out until 1/2 in. thick.  Using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits and place 1 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake about 18 minutes.  Yield:  14 biscuits

Victoria Magazine is back!  I received my first issue yesterday in the mail.  I lit a nice-smelling candle and looked through it on my porch when the kids were napping.  Even with two blankets, I was still shivering out there in the fall breeze. 

  Here are some photos of this beautiful, inspiring magazine:

I am a big fan of Tasha Tudor and was delighted to see this article about her antique clothing collection:

What a lovely quote:  

One of my pleasures is to sit down at my kitchen table with my stationary, to write letters.  I found this article about writing to be very inspirational:

This morning, after breakfast, I took these photos.  We’ve been feeling so cozy all morning.  Rich (who was reading at the table with his coffee) said to me as I made breakfast, “I love these times.  You know?  Watching you in the kitchen, cooking, with music playing and having the children around us.”   Yes, I know.  I love them, too.

Country Home, Country Living, Mymeanderings (in the photo album), Beatrix Potter, and Tasha Tudor, all in the same basket!

I found this malted milk jar (from England) this summer, at an antique store in NYS.   I added the metal cookie cutters a few days ago.

Someday I will have a collection of miniature things to put in these cubbies.  For now, they are empty.  Every once in a while, the children add something.  Like dogfood nuggets and acorns, for instance.  There is a mini cobalt fiesta disc pitcher on top, and a “Tis a Gift to be Simple” piece of framed art on the wall from Joanna.

This is a quilted wall hanging that Rich’s Grandma made for us as a wedding gift.  I use it to drape over the printer in our room.

The bookcase in our room.  Books are my friends, *smile here*.  The scrapbook with the flower on top is another gift from Joanna.

I love this figurine Colleen gave to me.  It’s sitting on a jewelry box that used to be my Grandma’s.  And, that is sitting on a pink painted box that Joanna made me.  Inside is decoupaged with some of my baby photos that she printed out from an email that I sent her (not knowing she would use them for that purpose!)  Rich keeps his spare change in the lidded bowl.  Every time the children find one of his golf balls outside, they are allowed to take 25 cents.

I am standing in front of the front door/and the door of the master bedroom as I took these:

Living room

Kitchen

Upstairs landing.  Sister’s room is on the left, bathroom is straight ahead, and the 2 boys bedrooms on the right.  There is enough room on the landing for an area rug, 2 bookcases, and a big comfy chair.

There is nothing like staying at home

for real comfort.  ~Jane Austen

I love this quote and totally agree with it.  However, I am hoping that Rich will take me for a fall drive later today.  Maybe we’ll stop and get apple cider someplace or go to an antique store.  What are you doing today?  Whatever it is, I hope you have a wonderful day!

I took these pictures of my determined son the other day. . .and am sharing them just to make you smile.

Patches was such a good kitty, she didn’t fight against this treatment at all, she just kind of “limped” herself and patiently waited for the chance to be free. 

In the end, I was the one who rescued her. 

They look almost. . . . . related (with those squinty eyes) in this shot:

“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can”

“I need to stop for a moment and . . .adjust. . ..” 

“THERE we go, UP!  UP!. . .oh, Patches!  Get your ear out of my mouth, yuck!”

“Almost there, Patches!”

(She got away at this point. . . .but wasn’t safe for very long)

“*Whew*  I got away, now, back to my bath”–Patches

“Here that boy is again, I’ll groom his arm.”  ~Patches

“Woops!  Off we go again!”  ~Patches

(This one reminds me of a pairs figure-skating position.)

“Come on Patches, Mom’s starting to yell!”

“My shoulder feels funny, it’s a good thing I’m flexible!” ~Patches

“What are you doing?  I wish you would use those back legs!”

“Ooph, you’re heavy.  But, we’re almost there.” 

“Stay with me, Patches!”

This is where I intervened, concerned about poor Patches’ joints.

Patches got away and the little guy went off to do something else.

I eventually let him play with the hose, but that’s another story.

Faith and Love

In my meditations lately, I have been thinking about FAITH and LOVE.  And how confusing it is for me to make a request of God (and see others make requests of God), with faith that He WILL answer. ..and yet, the answer we look for doesn’t come.  In other words, I’ve learned that having faith isn’t an “end all” to my prayers, it needs to be there, but it doesn’t guarantee the outcome that we want. 

“Faith to move mountains, mountain moving faith” IS A GOOD THING.  However, the Bible says, “Faith abides, but the greatest is LOVE”.  When my mind made that connection, I was amazed. 

“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains (!!), and have not love, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.”

Those are pretty radical things–giving all to the poor, having all knowledge, having enough faith to move a mountain, giving my body to be burned!  As Christians, we are encouraged to do “radical things for Christ” all the time, at least I am–in sermons, in the books I read, in my own thinking, and yet—–these radical things, although they SOUND so sacrificial, will profit me NOTHING if I do it without love. (we need to be aware of our motives)

Verses on LOVE:

“Biblical love has God as its object, true motivator, and source.  Love is a fruit of the spirit.  The ultimate example of God’s love is the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, ‘I give you a new commandment:  that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another.'”  John 13:34  (this is something I wrote in my journal from some book, I don’t remember which one)

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  Galatians 5:14

“For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou SHALT LOVE thy neighbor as thyself.  LOVE worketh no ill to his neighbor.  Therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law.”  Romans 13:8b-10

“For IN JESUS CHRIST neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision:  but FAITH WHICH WORKETH BY LOVE.”  Galatians 5:6

“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  On these two commandments HANG ALL THE LAW and the prophets.”  Matthew 22:36-40

I can’t do away with my faith and my good works for love’s sake.  Instead, because of my love, I will work and I will have faith in my precious Lord.  Works and faith, and every fruit of the Spirit, the profiting kind, because of LOVE—and, remember, we love BECAUSE of Him. (not by our own efforts or “goodness”)  In my mind, in my thinking, love should always come first. 

Beautiful.  God’s way is the best, most wonderful, and most gratitude-provoking way to live.

*********************************

Look who got to finally use his new umbrella!  (bought with birthday money)

I am sure it is a great mistake always to know

enough to go in when it rains. 

One may keep snug and dry by such knowledge,

but one misses a world of loveliness.  ~Adeline Knapp

Anyone who says sunshine

brings happiness has never

danced in the rain.  ~Author Unknown

I just got done drawing the name!  It was so much fun for me, thanks to everyone who asked to be included.  I put all the names in my big cobalt mixing bowl and went outside on the porch.  The kids were all around me, very excited to see what Mama was doing.  My 10-yr-old was the official photographer.

I just want all of you to know, that as I carefully cut all your names out into strips, I prayed for you.  That the Lord would bless you and keep you. . .that you would do His will and find true contentment and joy in the life He has given you.  I still have all the little papers with your names on them. . .all my friends here on xanga.  You are all so very special.

The winner is MoyaMommy! 

To the rest of you:  If you are interested in owning the book, you can easily order it off Amazon.com. 

Have a lovely day!  And thanks again for participating.  I’m still smiling. . . .

Late this afternoon, while Rich was in town picking up a few things, David was watching a movie and I was on the phone with my Mom upstairs.  The other kids were all playing.  Things were calm, but not for long.  All of a sudden, I heard David start screaming (and it was not a scary movie!)— I got off the phone quick, ran downstairs, and found David standing up and holding his finger out, which was dripping blood into the carpet. 

He had been playing with one of those cheap metal keychains–he liked it because it was a baseball one.  Somehow he got it apart, though, and I saw that it was in half on the floor, in front of the tv, where he was sitting.  It was so sharp that it cut his finger–across the inside middle knuckle.

He was screaming, and I quickly put a towel around it and grabbed the phone to call Rich.  Picture me in the kitchen, holding a screaming 5 year old, trying to keep the towel on his finger, and holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder.  The phone rang and rang.  Then, to my utter relief, Rich walked right in the house through the front door.

I told him what happened and he took David from me and looked at his finger (I still hadn’t looked at it, I couldn’t bring myself to) and said, “Yep, he’s got to get that taken care of”. 

It all happened in about 5 minutes.

Hours later they came back from the emergency room.  David was sedated heavily while they worked on his finger.  Thankfully, the tendon was fine, but he did cut through the artery.  He only needed a couple of stitches. 

Boy, did he act drugged when he got home!  Rich and I thought he was very amusing, although we felt sorry for him, too.  He talked nonstop, more than I have ever heard him talk.  His voice would go up and down with excitement.  At the hospital, they gave him a new stuffed bear named Pecan, which he could not remember–so, every once in a while he’d ask, “MOM?  What’s my bear’s name?”  “Pecan”, I would say.  “OH, Pecan, PEEECAAAN” he’d yell.

He got up off the chair to go somewhere, and walked in the opposite direction of where he was intending to go.

I gave him a piece of bread and he tried biting his bandaged finger two times, by mistake, thinking it was his bread. . talking and laughing all the while.

“Mom?  Did you know they tied a KNOT in my finger?”

The bandage has completely confused him, he can’t imagine WHY it looks like that, how they got it on, and how we’re going to get it off.

To settle him down, I held him on the couch, in the dark, for a long time, stroking his face and rubbing his hair.  The chatter finally slowed down. 

He is, at this moment, sound asleep in his bed.

The last thing he said, as his Daddy carried him upstairs, was “I love you, Mama!”  (which, of course, melted my heart)

Here’s hoping he’s more mellow when he wakes up tomorrow morning!

Okay, so I’m reading a great book right now.  I’m only on chapter 8 but I’ve already decided to share some quotes with you and to give this book away to one lucky commenter.  Yep, you heard me!  I’ve fallen for the delight of doing a giveaway!

Anyway, after reading the first 7 chapters of this book I was so inspired that I got Jacob, Ethan, and David up out of their beds (they have rest time every day when they read or draw while I have quiet time) and sent them outside to get as dirty as they wish.  It’s that good.

The title of the book is:

Created for WORK, Practical Insights for Young Men

By Bob Schultz

Here are some quotes from my favorite chapter (so far) titled, “Dirt”:

“If we weren’t digging in the woods, we dug by the river.  We made canals, little waterfalls, and small lakes from rocks and mud.  I can’t imagine life without digging!’

“To gain my respect, a boy doesn’t have to look like a pig returning from the wallowing pit.  I take my hat off to any boy who can dress formally without squirming and complaining.  However, he also ought to be content while covered with slime if a task requires it, like the respectable fellow who pumped out our septic tank last spring.”

“A man needs the internal grit to stick his face into the dusty winds of adversity that blow through life.  He also needs the determination to stick his hands into grease and mud to accomplish the assignments given him.”

“The man who stays close to the dirt tends to stay close to reality.  There’s something in farming, logging, or ditch digging that keeps his thoughts down to earth.”

“It’s not that you have to live in good old farm soil to grow healthy.  The point is, don’t be too proud to get dirty and never let dirt stop you from accomplishing your tasks.  Refusing a job because you’ll soil your hands is the mark of a man who hides from life instead of one who dives in and conquers it.”

“If you are one of the millions of boys and men who enjoy dirt, remember that it doesn’t belong everywhere.  It’s extremely thoughtless to walk onto a freshly mopped kitchen floor with muddy hunting boots. . .a good man considers the property of others.  Therefore, he’ll try to keep his dirt to himself.”

“There are two things you never want to get dirty regardless of the job.  One is your heart and the other is your mind.  We tend to get things mixed up.  There is a tendency for men to stay away from the dirt of hard work and then pollute their minds with pictures and imaginations.”

“God’s man desires to keep his soul clean.”

“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”  Genesis 3:19

The boys in my life:  my precious Brothers: David, Nathan, and Isaac.  my wonderful Sons: Jacob, Ethan, David, Caleb

There is a lot more to this book than DIRT.  It’s about developing a manly and godly work ethic.  It would make a great read-aloud book for a Father and Son(s). Leave a comment and tell me if you want your name in the drawing.  On Monday, October 8th, I will draw one name out of a “hat” (or, whatever’s handy).  Winner receives a brand-new copy of the book.

“As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”  John 15:4

Cowardly, wayward, and weak,
I change with the changing sky,
Today so eager and strong,
Tomorrow not caring to try.
But He never gives in,
And we two shall win,

Jesus and I.

-Corrie Ten Boom

I’m drinking hot tea from my favorite Alaskan mug.

Thanks for the comments on my earlier post. Thankfully, I was able to sleep this afternoon on the couch.  After putting my youngest and the older kids to bed, I turned the fan up to full-blast, cuddled up with a quilt and a feather pillow—and put my 5-yr-old on the other couch with strict orders not to make a peep!  And, somehow an hour went by.

It was very relaxing.

It is so gorgeous outside today.  There is a gentle breeze making my wind-chimes chime and the leaves rustle.  It is bright and sunny, yet quite cool.  

 I took my 2 yr. old and the dog down to one of the ponds earlier and my son was so cute.  I sat on a big rock and watched him throw rocks repeatedly.  The dog chewed things and ran around like his feet were on fire.  I want to make sure he gets LOTS of running time today!

Along with schooling, the kids and I “made the porch pretty” again.  We swept and cleaned it, rearranged the rockers (they had made a tent on the porch yesterday), and picked little bouquets of my garden flowers.  One bouquet is in an old, chipped tea-cup and the other is in an old creamer/pitcher (made by Homer Laughlin China Co.–remember, I love fiestaware, and the HLC co. makes Fiesta, too)  We have pink roses left, and bright dark yellow mums, pansies, and others.  They cheer me up.

Of course, my husband is at work today, but on SATURDAY all of us went for a walk together.  Won’t you come along?

We are thinking about having a garage built, possibly next year. My husband and the boys pounded in some stakes to get an idea of how big it should be.

In these next two photos, 10-yr-old is fighting a war.  He attacks bushes and trees like they are the enemy.  He didn’t know I was watching him from the other side of the pond.

Sister, watching her brothers.  Wonder what she’s thinking?

Walking hand in hand.  Helping little brother.  One’s got bare feet–and the shoes were left behind on the trail, to pick up later.