The End is Nigh

Here in the Midwest, we are bracing for a massive winter storm.  Even if I did not have 24 hour access to the Internet, television and Facebook, I would still know that the weather is about to go crazy.  How?  Because my animals are going insane today.  They have been chasing each other and fighting horribly over one common interest:

The pink doll that Daisy Dog received in her Christmas stocking.  Oh, and it squeaks when she bites it, so there is that to contend with as well.

Guarding the turf.  Waiting for Stella to just try to take dolly.

But Stella has lost interest.  Instead she has employed the age-old method of predicting the weather.

"Nothing yet!  But I think it might do something soon."

So, if the predictions are right, whatever will the family do when we remain stuck in the house for days without power? 

Well, we will fire up the generator, cuddle around the fireplace (in which we will burn our furniture, I suppose, as we have no firewood), and read aloud together from a fascinating book.

Ok, I will save that one for silent reading and just bust out the Little House books. 

Stay warm everyone!

Busy Hands Two/Too

I am not the only one in this house who has busy hands!  Curlyjo has been reading this (for FUN--I love homeschooling):

In the book, she found instructions for building a loom from cardboard.  So (naturally) she did. 

She used yarn on her loom, and was kind enough to demonstrate the weaving to her fascinated mother.

Sweet little hands. 

The finished product was a lovely little woven basket for her doll. 

Poor-quality picture of high-quality workmanship, I assure you.

I must say, the coolest part of homeschooling is watching them learn so many wonderful things that I didn't and couldn't teach them. 

What a blessing.

Thrifty Tips

If you are looking for a new hobby that will be both entertaining and lucrative while feeding your love of lists and control over a world of chaos, COUPONS are for you.

I love the couponing game.  

I love that I get to tell the Wal-Mart cashier what I want to pay for an item.

I love that I can beat "the Man" at this game.

Oh, and I love to be in control...of my grocery budget :)

While I am still a novice at the couponing thing, a friend of mine has taken me under her wing.  She has shared some awesome tips with me!

If you want more information on how to begin saving money with coupons, check out:

http://www.hip2save.com/

http://www.couponmom.com/

If you are a bibliophile (like me) and want to read up on it, I suggest:

(source)

I have been reading it, and it really is helpful!

So, here is my tip.  It is not earth-shaking or brilliant, but I am still excited.  I am easily amused, obviously. 

My family and I are leaving for vacation next week (I won't say where, but I will say tar balls), and I have been collecting provisions for a couple of months.  Using every coupon I could that didn't say "excludes travel size," I scoured the stores for mini everything.  I ended up with all of this:

Each of these items were either free or close enough. 

Score.

I capped that vacation spending faster than you can say "BP."

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...May 14, 2010

Outside my window...it is cloudy again.  On the back deck there are eight cats waiting for me to feed them their breakfast. 

I am thinking...about my Bible study that I read this morning.  I saw Abraham and Isaac a new way, and it was wonderful. 

I am thankful for...Jesus Christ, and His love for me.  And the Husband, who used his over-time money to buy me a new bike.  He is the most self-less guy. 

From the learning rooms...Today I fully intend, if I get nothing else done, to read the Bible with my kids and practice our memory verses.  If raising my children in the fear and admonition of the Lord is the most important reason that I homeschool, why do these things come AFTER Math, reading and writing? 

From the kitchen...Norman made himself an omelet for breakfast, of which he was so proud that he made me look at it before he ate it.  I plan to bake bread today, though it may be a bust as it is so humid.

I am wearing...the husband's boxer shorts and my Walk for Water tee.  Bare feet.  I am not moving very fast today.  LOL

I am creating...a giant mess on my desk, a serious stockpile of body wash in the bathroom cabinet, and a recipe that uses coconut oil.

I am going...well, I am not going to the gym.  My legs are too sore and tired to even walk normally.  I need a rest day.  And a ride on my new bike.

I am reading...Walden with my book club.  I am also reading The Peacemaker by Ken Sande, which is so awesome that I wish I would have read it about a year and a half ago.  It would have helped immensely.  Last, I am reading Home Education by Charlotte Mason. 

I am hoping...that it will not rain today.  I need some sunshine.  I am also hoping that July comes really fast, because I get to see my parents and go to Florida!

I am hearing...the ceiling fan humming, the clock ticking, the birds singing, and chores calling.

Around the house...there are signs that little girls live here:  baby dolls, strollers, little flip-flops.  There are also signs that a teenage boy lives here:  opened bags of potato chips, socks on the couch, toothpaste splattered on every bathroom surface.

One of my favorite things...coffee.  I think I love it too much.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Well, it is the weekend.  So I hope to have dinner with my cousin and her husband, get some cleaning done, and have a nice Sunday dinner with my family.  I also hope to see my mom on the webcam soon.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

How many cats do you see?

Want to do a "Simple Woman's Daybook" of your own?  Visit this site.

Books, Books, Books

On Sunday I helped my sister get ready for a yard sale, which is a fund raising event for the amazing organization she and her husband started.  In return for my labors (which were plentiful, I assure you), I got a preview of the cases of books she had donated for the yard sale.  And I did buy.  I brought home a tub of books for Curlyjo and Tiny Love.  Someone might be as big a junkie as her mother.

She can't be bothered to put them away!  She sat there for two hours and devoured one after another. 

The trail leading to the junkie: 

Oh, she does make her mommy proud. 

Later I headed to a friend's house for Book Club meeting. 

They were a little shy and used our first book to hide from me.  Jane Austen would be proud of their modesty. 

Our hostess was so sweet to feed my love of books of another kind.

I see lists in its future. 

Now I must go.  I have books to read today:  first Jesus, then Henry David Thoreau.  Hmmm.  That would be an interesting dinner party...

Book Review: Mothering Heights

I finished Mothering Heights by Keitha Smith and Susan Brereton.  It would be an excellent book for new Christian mothers who are looking for encouragement, direction in figuring out their new role, and suggestions for how to cope in the difficulties of motherhood.  Most of the information was untimely for me, as I am not a new mother.  It wasn't really a new concept, as I have read other books on the topic of motherhood. This did strike me as inarguable true, ever timely, and challenging:

There is perhaps no position or situation more in keeping with the servant nature of motherhood.  We are not suggesting that you are to become slaves to your children, for they are not your master; what we are suggesting is that you are unlikely ever to have an opportunity to demonstrate God's love more fully and more completely than you will have as mother to your children.  It is a God-given opportunity too precious to squander (Brereton 63).

If you are looking for a really good read on motherhood and womanhood in modern culture, check out this book:

It is quite a different approach to the subject, but still a thoughtful, intelligent, and honest assessment of the challenges women face in a post-feminist world. 

The Book List

Lately it is rare for me to be reading just one book. It seems that there are so many good books out there that I can't read just one at a time! So, I have some guidelines that help me keep it all straight in my mind, and it offers me something to read no matter what my mood.

At any given time, I may be reading one book from each category:

• Spiritual growth--I learn best if I read the directions. This is also true of my spiritual life, so I often read, in addition to the Bible every day, books that offer help understanding Biblical truths.


• Fiction--This has been a tough area lately, as I am choosy about what I read these days. I don't enjoy fluff or modern romances. I recently joined a small group of ladies who share my desire to read the classics, so we will be selecting a book to read together each month.


• Practical--These books teach a skill or reinforce one I may have already learned. They give me fresh ideas. They may be about homemaking, cooking, math, or just collections of really cool vocabulary words. Feel free to question my sanity.


• Home schooling help--I need encouragement every day in this area of my life, or I am going to put my kids on the bus. Home schooling books are such a wonderful tool to keep me focused on why and how to do this job, and remind me that I am not alone in this endeavor.

My current selections are:

1. Mothering Heights by Keitha Smith and Susan Brereton (Practical)


2. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (Fiction)


3. Homeschool Co-Ops: How to Start Them, Run Them and Not Burn Out by Carol Topp

I also keep a list of books I want to read, and I add to it as I happen upon titles that look interesting. I will post reviews of the books I read as I finish them, as writing about what I read is one of the joys of life that makes me miss college all the time. I will pretend there is an 'A' at stake. :)

How about you? Do you read one book at a time? Several?