handmade (day 1)

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Shanda

Since childhood, I’ve been surrounded by creativity, by “makers”. Grandparents, aunts, and mom especially. It seemed as though every visit with family involved an informal show and tell, and every Christmas or Birthday involved a handmade gift or two. As I think back on those days I realize how much those times influenced me, even when I was little and focusing more on play than on what the grown ups were doing.

Consequently, I have grown up into a profound respect and appreciation for a variety handmade items and find that the things made by individual people move me in ways no factory made item could. For example, if you take an item purchased from Target and place it by the side of the same type of item made by your friend or neighbor, the handmade wins every time. It oozes with an aura of thoughtfulness, love, personality, giving of time and energy, and warmth.

There is a spiritual element to the handmade, too. One of the names for God is Maker.

On Saturday, we had a nice day-long visit with my parents, beginning with the unwrapping of gifts.

The first thing I opened was a beautiful wooden box that Dad constructed and Mom beautified. It was so meaningful that they made it together.

They used a seashell for the top that matches the color and grain of the wood.

I wondered as I opened it why it was so heavy.

Gently lifting the lid, I discovered fiesta coasters to match my collection of dishes! There were nine of them, one for each member of the my family.

Underneath the coasters was another thoughtful touch. The bottom was lined with an old map of my hometown, including the location of Rich’s and my first house.

This simple wooden box is a priceless gift and one that I am honored to have received from my parents. I will happily use it to beautiful my home, and hold coasters.

“Everyone who has any talent at all in sketching, painting, sculpturing or carving, should have the opportunity to use that talent. The expression is important for the person, and can tremendously enrich the lives of other people. What can you do?” Edith Schaeffer

the one and only E

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Shanda

Grace is recovering from the flu and we are on the couch together watching The Well-Diggars Daughter. If you have not watched this golden French film….it’s perfect and lovely…heart warming. David and Seth are also home recovering from the flu. For the last week, I have been Nurse Mother. There is a huge pot of chicken noodle soup on the simmer in the kitchen, along with various medicines, tissues, drinks, and tender loving care, ready and waiting to meet their every need.

One son in the family has remained healthy, the one and only Ethan. He is thankful that he didn’t spend his birthday, which was yesterday, sick like the rest of his siblings.

He requested a Boston Creme Pie and an Apple Pie for his birthday dessert. With the extra work I had as Nurse, I decided to order the pies from a bakery half an hour away. Grace was home from school so she graciously watched Sarah (and, Finding Neverland) while I was gone. I picked up Ethan and Jacob from school. With coffees from Dunkin Donuts, we went on our little road trip to the Bakery and then ate Ethan’s choice for lunch; chinese buffet.

The waitress asked them if they were twins. They are only a year and two months apart, so almost irish twins. They act like twins, though, since the day Ethan was born they’ve been the best of friends. For example, I had originally asked Ethan to go with me alone for lunch, but he asked if Jacob could go because “it would be more fun that way.” He wasn’t being cruel, he was only being honest. I love these brothers. They are good for each other. Ethan’s the only one in the family who doesn’t treat Jacob with respect for being the firstborn. LOL

Ethan had 20 dollars Grandma and Grandpa, and with an extra six dug from my purse,he and Jacob went into GameStop (a used game store).

We arrived back home with a game for Ethan, a calligraphy pen for Jacob, and birthday pies.

After so much Chinese food for lunch, he decided on pizza for dinner. Rich brought it home from Ethan’s favorite place, Frank Pepe.

He loves the clam pizza but their supplier is having bad luck, so we ate shrimp instead. With lots and lots of garlic yumminess. There was a meat pizza for the others. As I gaze at the photo, I am tempted to go get a cold leftover piece from the fridge.

At first, he seemed more interested in playing his games than opening his gift. But it wasn’t true.

One of my favorite parts of being a mom of many, one of the beautiful little things I didn’t expect, is the joy in seeing the siblings get in each other’s way to watch a brother or sister open the birthday gifts. All so very excited.

I had made Ethan wait until later on in the day to open his gift, because Rich was the one who took care of everything, although Sarah and I wrapped it. Look at those faces!

A smile for his Dad, a smile that says “thank you, I love them”.

The smell of leather.

For the rest of the night there was a sound of cowboy boots on all the wooden floors.

A much cherished gift.

I, for one, became over-stuffed with pie. Look at that cream in the middle! And it’s real! Not cool-whip or frosting, but real lightly sweetened whipped cream. The cake (Boston Creme Pie, rather) was entirely delicious.

Apple pie was good, too.

Seth missed out on the birthday song and pie because he fell asleep on the couch. David missed it because he was feeling sick with the flu. There are leftovers for them.

After a while, I left Emily, Ethan, Jacob, and Grace playing a video game together with their Dad watching over them. I got into bed with a grateful heart, all tired out from a day of happiness, celebrating my beloved son Ethan’s 17 birthday.

All those years ago I tucked him into my arms, a perfect fit, with so much love.

seth, breakfast, cats

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Shanda

GUESS who got his wrestling metals back after giving them away to a kid on the bus?

Seth and Caleb knew just where the boy lived so Rich went with them for a quick visit. They don’t live on our street exactly, but just a few minutes and simple turns away from us. The dad answered the door and once the situation became clear, he let his wife deal with it while he promptly disappeared for the rest of the visit. The mom was friendly and apologetic and confessed that they have also had some problems with their kids giving things away (pokemon cards are being stolen from them, too). The boy gave back the metals and all was well.

What’s the deal with Pokemon cards? Seth says everyone’s collecting them and trading them. He himself has ended up with a small stack and because I know for a fact he doesn’t have any to trade, I say, “DON’T take anymore pokemon cards from your friends!” At Caleb’s school they are collecting football and baseball cards.

Rich and I both do Caleb’s homework with him, common core math is a killer!

Davy drew this 3D optical illusion and took the picture. cool, right?

Breakfast #1 — plain greek yogurt topped with half frozen blueberries, unsweetened organic coconut, 1 sliced strawberry, cinnamon, and ginger.

Breakfast #2 — stir fried veggies, sliced ham, 2 fried eggs, piece of toast.

Breakfast #3 “Balboa Brunch” from the cookbook The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook Volume 2

BALBOA BRUNCH

3 Tablespoons Butter
3 cups sliced leeks, white part only

12 slices white bread
1 pound cooked small shrimp
1 pound Swiss cheese, grated
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste

Butter a 9 by 13 glass (or, fiestaware) casserole dish. In a medium skillet melt the butter and sauté the leeks until they are tender. Remove the crusts from the bread and arrange half in the prepared dish. Top with half of the sautéed leeks, half of the shrimp, half of the cheese, and half of the dill. Repeat the layers. In a medium bowl beat together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour the eggs over the casserole, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Bake in a 350 oven for 50-60 minutes, uncovered.
Serves 8

I’ve been making breakfasts because Rich has worked from home the last three days.

We had this for breakfast this morning and he said he will also have it for lunch. YUM!

Billy Cat and I watched the birds.

When I saw I was not alone, I opened the door and made him come in. I can’t abide bird-killers.

I came in and sat next to dozing Sherlock.

He has an ongoing problem with Billy and became tense as soon as he sensed Billy’s presense in the room.

SO sad.

welcoming the month of march…..with more snow….

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Shanda

And a happy Monday, March 2nd to you! Yesterday we welcomed a new month with yet more snow, enough to delay school this morning by 2 hours. That’s always fun. By fun I mean “fun”. Caleb had sore muscles so after seeing him walk around like an old man and almost crying, I spoon fed him some liquid Advil in the kitchen while making eggs. Sarah and Seth kept trying to play together, resulting in Sarah yelling at the top of her voice for Seth to “stop it!!” To deal with this situation, I put them each in their rooms to play alone. Grace felt as if she was getting a cold, so I had her mix up some Emergen-C, and then she needed a container to put it in so she could sip it all morning at school. She took it in a travel mug. Ethan put on his boots and went to the chicken coop for me, taking them a bowl of discarded people food and a pitcher of water. David was told to shovel the walkway and Rich had to “encourage” him in a loud Fatherly voice that “work is supposed to be enjoyable.” The end result was a wonderfully shoveled path. Jacob did nothing notable.

Once the children went to school Rich and I went downtown to the coffee shop. Rich dropped me off at the door and I said, “I’ll leave Sarah with you, you can manage her.” He told me that as they drove away to park she asked her Dad nervously, “What does manage mean?” I think she was afraid. As I waited for them I almost took a chair away from the table to make way for a high chair!!!!! Slowly it is dawning on me that I no longer HAVE babies, for the first time in 18 very busy years but apparently I still have some ingrained instincts.

The coffee shop always has artwork on the walls featuring a great variety of artists and their work. This week it is nature photography and as I studied them, I thought, “I take better pictures than this.” Some of them have sold, 200 dollars worth, in fact! I know that sounds so prideful, but I don’t mean it that way, I mean it in this way, “I never thought about selling my photos but seeing these pictures sell makes me believe I could do it, too!”

I love the way Sarah turns her markers and crayons into people and ~~tells stories~~ makes up games with them.

“I used to live here at the camp road, but now I live here at the camp-camp-camp!”

“I like to hear your stories, Sarah.”

“Mom it’s not a story, it’s a game! A coloring game!”

She’s also trying to figure out what we should do next. So far she has come up with “play ground” “thrifth store” “Barnes and Novel” “Somebody’s house” or the “movies.”

I already drank all my coffee, it was a caramel latte. Sarah requested a hot chocolate and Rich had a coconut caramel flavored coffee.

Sarah went outside to play the other day….she found the picnic table.

Sarah’s bike next to the mammoth snow pile.

In spite of the rock in the middle I very sadly later found this pot saucer broken in the snow.

Caleb and Seth found their helmets which reminded them of a favorite activity, so they brought their bikes up out of the garage. I love how Seth is holding the handle bars with his hands in his sleeves. When you get stir-crazy enough you ride your bike even in frigid temperatures.

This was such a precious moment. Jacob showed Emily his baby book for the first time. The thought of him showing his girlfriend the book was not in my mind when I worked in it all those years ago. I was 21 and smitten with my new baby, filling the pages with photos and milestones. Emily enjoyed it and went home with a page photocopied out it.

Mike messing around with one of the boys (Caleb).

Another winter activity! Who knew that playing with Daddy’s tools would keep the little ones busy for over an hour?

Mike and Jacob played Phase 10. That container on the bench is full of jelly beans, and the tissue box was never far from Jacob’s side as he dealt with his wretched cold.

We worked on a puzzle Saturday night while listening and singing along to iTunes. (Grace, Zak, and Seth)

Sarah on Sunday, in her church dress.

more snow! (that blue speck is our newspaper down the road buried in the snow pile.) lol

All I did was go outside to get the paper and take a couple of pictures but two of the children worried and greeted me back in the house with, “MOM where did you go? What are you doing?”

Sunday was awesome, I spent the morning with Jacob, Grace, David, and Sarah. We went to church, then Wendy’s drive thru, we got the giggles in the car, drove to an antique store where I left them in the car eating while I quickly walked around looking at things (I bought some little gifts for my MOM, and three small fiesta plates for my collection; all vintage– gray, light green, and yellow). We drove home and found Ethan and Seth back home from their wrestling event. Ethan coached Seth to a 2nd place victory but Seth hung his head and was sad that he didn’t get first. Then we were all together except Rich and Caleb, who were at States. Caleb placed 7th out of 11 kids in his weight class. (which is why he was so sore this morning).

Brother and Sister cats.

Doesn’t it look as though Sherlock is smiling?

Seth (not on purpose) made us so sad. When I decided to write his name on all his wrestling medals I couldn’t find them. He told me he took them to school and when his “friend” Bryce asked for them, Seth GAVE THEM to HIM (all but one!) He gave away his metals!! This situation is still being resolved.

completed puzzle

Not happy about this. Grace was doing her nails and put the nail polish remover-soaked paper towel directly on the coffee table!!!!!!!!!! The remaining paper towel is stuck and dried in the table terribly!

Last night the bunny watched “Death comes to Pemberly” with Grace, Ethan, and me.

It was kind of boring.

Bunny scratched me and Grace, scared the cats, and bit some holes in the blanket.

7:00 am sky

A few hours later.

Since we were all hanging around each other for an extra 2 hours and all……my grown up babies!

I took some pictures this morning on the way downtown

of the snow

and ice.

I said, “Rich slow down by that house so I can get a picture of the ice.”

HE SPED UP. and then LAUGHED.

Rich took this picture from across the table. He wanted me to see what he saw. Our adorable little girlie, thrilled by the chocolate syrup drizzled on the top of her whipped cream and hot chocolate.

{this moment} cat nap

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Shanda

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

my hair

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Shanda

photo by Jacob (8:00 this morning):: for Brenda, because she asked!

I had it colored, layered, and dried nicely. The whole operation almost made me fall asleep right there in the chair.

Happy Friday, friends.

snow

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Shanda

Our mailbox peeks out from a snowbank just like the majority of our neighbor’s mailboxes. I saw one that was wrapped around and around with duck tape, in a furious attempt to keep it from being broken off by the snowplows.

We haven’t had snowfall in a few days but what we have, old snow, is deep and interesting. Caleb’s school assembly was put off until the end of March because there is too much snow piled in the parking lot and as a result, not enough room for people to park.

Sarah keeps busy indoors. She especially enjoys making herself a house out of all the couch cushions. It’s good harmless fun and she’s always thoughtful to include her stuffed animals.

This is the look Parker always gives me when I go into the kitchen. “Are you about to give me a treat?”

Another thing Sarah likes to do is have hot chocolate under the table.

I made scalloped potatoes and ham yesterday for dinner.

With ham from a pig that Rich’s Dad raised and butchered for us. Delicious.

Dusted with paprika right before covering it with foil, popping it into the oven and heading off to the library.

She wore it in the car but not in the library, thankfully.

Our library looks different in the Winter.

Caleb requested books about Football. It’s his latest passion and interest, although he assured me that does still like snakes.

I usually peruse the “NEW” bookshelf and there were some absolutely delightful books to borrow. I read them out loud last night.

The Lion and the Bird. A Lion helps an injured bird and they spend the winter together and become friends. A sweet book with lots of pages of thoughtful illustrations. Heartwarming.

What to Do When You’re Sent to Your Room, Moms of boys will laugh through this one. I loved it.

Go to Sleep, Little Farm. Gorgeous artwork and a lovely soothing story, creatively worded and a joy to read aloud.

Sam and Dave dig a Hole. If only they knew what they kept missing! I read this to Seth and he said, “Read it again!” which is a sure sign of a good book. Drink chocolate milk and eat animal crackers while reading.

I Wish I had a Pet. Illustrated with whimsical pictures of felt mice and other animals. Very creative and my favorite book from the stack.

Davy’s vinegar egg experiments continue! This one is being turned to “rubber”. He is greatly influenced by youtube videos and he made his own tutorial.

Seth got home from school and got cozy on Sarah’s couch cushions with the remote.

Sarah’s been taking trips to the garage to ride her bike. She’s never out there for very long. She’s funny.

Grace has a leak in her ceiling so Rich went up on the roof to shovel off some of the snow and ice.

He said that when he was a teenager he and a couple friends drove around hiring themselves out, shoveling roofs after a heavy snowfall. They made a good bit of money doing it, too.

These pictures were all taken yesterday. Today Jacob is home with a bad cold. He is currently sleeping on the couch. Sarah and I are in the new room listening to iTunes “Princess Radio”. I have a sleeping cat by my side. David and Ethan will be home soon because they have a half day of school.

I have a 3:45 appointment to get my hair done.

How are you today?

Hope you have a wonderful day and spend a little time nurturing yourself. You are loved, my friends!

RECIPES:

scalloped potatoes and ham, my favorite way to make them
soft ginger cookies (easy–I didn’t even bother using the mixer)

wholeness

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Shanda

a simply lovely life

I am so thankful this morning for the freedom I enjoy in simply being me. Knowing that God sheds His grace over me and that nothing I do or say can change His love for me and mine. Knowing that there is less anxiety *in being myself*, than there is in being who I think others want me to be. Through faith in Jesus Christ, I have assurance of everlasting life, and this is the hope I have for my soul. In living this life, He is the One who leads me all the way. Day by day he changes me into His image, slowly, carefully, gently, lovingly. His children are His precious ones, and not one is lost. It is because of His great mercy that we are not consumed.

“It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” Romans 9:16

I have choices, I have a mind, I have a wisdom that knows what my needs are, and what the needs of my husband and family are. There is still a sacred privacy and security within the family unit, and nothing is worth injuring what we share together. It is the same for everyone. Don’t underestimate what you know in your logical mind to be true. I am often guided by my feelings and by the fear of man, but what the Lord has been showing me lately is that I need to be guided by common sense, wisdom, and His Word, the Bible.

I have freedom and every right to make a decision or have a belief contrary to what others may expect or want. In the rare instances that a friend doesn’t understand or agree, I don’t have to be afraid, I can trust in the peace-making promises of grace and love, knowing that my friends accept and respect me, regardless, as I do for them as well. We can enjoy the freedoms that belong to each and every one of us.

Caleb asked me to take this picture. Parker the dog is his friend and Caleb does a wonderful job of taking care of him, playing with him, sharing his food, and making sure his water bowl is filled. Sometimes if I put the dog downstairs, Caleb feels so sorry for him that he goes, too.

Sarah is getting better and better at the matching game. If I miss a match she reassures me by saying what I say to her, “Don’t be sad, you just need to think about it and remember where it is!”

Just for the fun of it David shut all the cats in the bathroom and then we took a picture, which was very very hard to do. Billy kept leaping away with a yowl.

Homemade donuts on Saturday night.

Emily reading to Seth and Sarah.

Davy had his braces put on yesterday. Oh the hardship of a 12 year old getting used to a mouth full of metal. He has been very brave, especially considering he was not mentally prepared for it at all because I thought he was getting spacers put in and we would only be at the orthodontist for five minutes. He was in the chair for over an hour. Oh my darling son. Your smile is beautiful and someday it will be even more so.

grape jelly meatballs for the son who requested them for dinner.

A tiny chickadee selected a seed and then flew away with it…

cozy cat

I made a dozen muffins for lunch. If you let them rest in the pan for 10 minutes they fall right out of the muffin tin.

Rich is working from home today.

I took this picture of Sherlock through the beveled glass in the door.

Knitting a white dishcloth for Joanna.

Right after I asked Rich if he was going to eat his muffin (it had been on his plate for an hour), Parker stealthily walked around the coffeetable, picked it up with his teeth, and went over to the kitchen to eat it on the rug.

These are the next three books I plan to read. I picked these out without reading reviews so I have no idea (besides the back covers) if they will be delicious. I sure hope they are.

I spent some time getting ready for Bible Study tomorrow and I loved this quote from my book on Romans:

“Think about integrity. To be whole, a genuinely integrated person, is to be the same inside and outside. What you are must be what others see, and what you say should synchronize with what you really believe. Jesus Christ not only saves us from our sins and assures us of eternal life with Him, He also puts together all the bits and pieces of our lives. The Christian life is a process. Making a verbal confession of faith is the beginning of that process–it leads to wholeness for the one who makes it.
“We don’t need to be told that such wholeness is rare in our world, for the disparity between what people are like inside and the facade they show to others is often considered necessary for survival. Perhaps you are experiencing that tension yourself right now and know firsthand its frustrations and anxieties. Some of us are further along in the process of being made whole than others, but all believers are on the way. “For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him.” (Colossians 2:9-10) It remains for us to become fully integrated personalities by ‘working out’ or expressing externally, what is already internally true in our hearts. (Philippians 2:12-13). This begins by confessing that Jesus is your Lord.”

and all along….

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Shanda

I looked for the tiny ring all over the house.
Not only I, but my whole family.
Under the radiators.
Under the beds.
In all my jewelry boxes.
In the pigs on my kitchen windowsill.
On the piano.
Under all the furniture.
Down the drain.
In the bedding.
Under the fridge.
On the counters.
Behind washer and dryer.
In the lint drawer.
In my bed.
In the bathrooms.
In the couch (twice) cracks, cushions.
Under throw rugs.
In the bookshelves, behind them, under them.
In the clothes in my dresser, pockets of jeans, coats, and aprons.

I searched diligently for an entire week, I vacuumed, dusted, swept, moaned, groaned, cried, howled, sighed, talked about it incessantly, offered rewards, and had nightmares all because of my beautiful lost Tiffany ring. By the end of the week, I began to accept the fact that it was lost forever. I even began dropping it from conversations with my loved ones.

***

We had another snow storm on Saturday, so on Sunday after the skies cleared up and the snow melted off the roads I thought I would get out of the house with the kids. I got myself dressed and thought I would put a ring on my right hand, which felt rather blank without decoration. (I’ve been punishing myself by not wearing any superfluous rings. Maybe deep down inside I felt they were safer in the jewelry box.)

I was alone in my quiet bedroom as I walked over to my dresser. I lifted the lid to the glass dish in which I keep my rings …..

I chose one and slipped it on my pointer finger. It was a purple stoned ring that I bought at Brimfield with my sister a few years ago.

It felt loose and seemed a bit too flashy for shopping at the mall with the kids so I took it off and put it back.

As I placed it in the dish, I took a moment to see if there was a different one to wear. At the very same time……I saw my missing ring.

It had been hidden inside the purple one. (see above photo) I had looked in the dish several times, even stirred the rings around with my finger, and never saw it.

I stood in shock for a moment and then picked it up. I felt nothing but disbelief and shame. I slipped it on my finger and walked out of my room. I didn’t feel like celebrating, I felt rather stupid, but I knew after all my fussing I had to do something so I loudly announced, “I found my ring!!” to the family. The children groaned when I told them where it was.

WE HAD SEARCHED AND SEARCHED THE ENTIRE HOUSE, FIT TO BE TIED, AND ALL ALONG IT WAS RIGHT WHERE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.

And now it’s back on my joyous finger again.

THANKFUL