Potholders and Music
(although not necessarily together)

 

In the past few months, Miss T has perfected the art of making potholders. 

I remember making these on my dad's toy loom that

he preserved from his childhood

so obviously this is no new art form.

 

These loops are nylon and the specific warning is that they are

NOT to be used with hot pans because too much heat will

cause the holder to melt.

 

Maybe in the past these things were actually useful in the kitchen

but that time has passed away.

Instead, they have become useful in other ways:

*Fine motor skill development

*Color sorting

*Quiet time

*Concentration developer

*Patterning

*Color coordination

*Travel or church activity

 

I had never thought of weaving potholders as being a church service activity

that would help a child sit still and be quiet but Tiana proved otherwise.

One Sunday I looked past Rudy to where Tiana was sitting on the other side of him

and saw that she was busy weaving a potholder on her loom.

It struck me as funny and I started laughing

because who else would think of making pot holders in church.

Her bag was stuffed full of loops and she had some sorted into color piles on her lap.

Later, Bethany told me that it was the stillest that Tiana had ever been in church.

When the service was over, she had a nice blue and yellow holder that

was presented to a young lady for her future kitchen.

 

Last week I met a friend for lunch and while we chatted for two hours

Tiana sat quietly beside me and made potholders.

I figure that the benefit of quietness and stillness makes me perfectly

happy to buy her a bag of refill loops every few weeks. 

 

But what in the world will we do with all of these little squares?

She has made a few purses by sewing two squares together for each side.

We only need so many little purses.

Maybe a rug, or a doll blanket, or some other thing we have yet to dream up.

What matters is that this occupies her time and helps her be still

so I really don't mind if she makes hundreds of squares.

They are useful in just having been made.

 

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

And the part about music....

 

 Every so often on Christian radio they encourage listeners to take the

30 day Christian music pledge. 

The listener pledges to only listen to Christian music for a month

and see if that improves their hearts and minds. 

When we hear that, we joke around to each other that we should take the pledge

knowing full well that Christian music is what we listen to anyways

(aside from The Piano Guys, Lindsey Stirling, movie soundtracks, and the such).

Maybe it is not such a joking matter since while in stores and the orthodontist's office

I was told, via music, that I was no longer loved and

that another had taken my place in his heart.

I was invited to stay the night,

and  then told that I needed to put my sexy on.

Those were probably mild examples of what is out there for our listening detriment

but it goes to show how many mainstream songs are unbeneficial to our spiritual growth.

Maybe the 30 day pledge is not such a bad idea after all.

 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything

worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:8

 

 

 



Remaking A Cookbook

 

For some odd reason, some of the simplest projects

take the longest to get around to doing.

One of mine was to remake a family cookbook

since my copy was falling apart.

 

 

This was the original book and its binding.

 

Not too many years later, my friend David rebound my book with

a metal spiral binding.

 

The new binding made the pages easier to turn and kept the pages

from catching and tearing.

 

I used it that way for many years and then over time the back cover tore off.

Once that was gone, the back pages were easy to wrinkle and tear.

I knew something had to be done but there was no quick fix.

 

Finally, one night while watching my kids at the roller skating rink,

I took the book apart by opening each spiral and taking the binding off.

I used a pair of scissors and trimmed the holes off the edge of the pages.

Then I slipped each page into a page protector.

At that point, the book was a slippery mess of slick pages

that I was supposed to keep organized while I toted it home.

 

After being ignored for a few weeks, I was finally able to get the pages put

into a pretty binder I had found at Target.

It took awhile to get the pages in just right since they wanted to slip

and slide all over the place and it was hard to keep them in order.

 

 

 

The binder was finished and I went to put it on the shelf with my other cookbooks.

IT WAS TOO TALL!

Too tall by about 1/4 of an inch.

It would not fit on any shelf in that bookcase.

(BIG groans of disgust!)

 

Out came the plain-Jane standard size binder, all the slippery pages

were transferred and the book's cover slipped into the front pocket.

It works just great, fits on the shelf and the pages are now protected

from spills and tears.

 

The most used page in the book is 186.

It is splattered and torn but includes our favorite breakfast cereal recipe.

It is attributed to Ryan Chupp but it was most likely sent in by his mom, Mary Ellen.

 

Baked Oatmeal

(Granola)

4 C uncooked oatmeal

1 stick margarine

1 C sugar (brown or white)

1/2 C milk

Mix oatmeal, margarine, and sugar with a pastry blender until crumbly.  Add milk until mixture just holds together but is not "wet."  Spread on a greased cookie sheet as thin as possible.  Bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes or until brown and dry.  Cool for a few minutes. 

Put into a cereal bowl and put milk on like granola.

You may also add any or all of these before baking: raisins, sunflower seeds, nuts,

grated apple, coconut, chocolate chips or wheat germ.

 

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

 

While everyone else in the country has been dealing with winter storms,

we have been having absolutely beautiful days.

I have been so happy with a January that does not include any foggy days.

 

Yet...

this is the creek

(or what is left of the creek).

 

There is no snow in the mountains to provide a spring run-off

and we are supposed to cut water usage by 20%.

(Certain people in our family have been told to decrease their shower length

and that will probably save our household 20% right there!)

 

So, our beautiful days come with a pretty steep price.

 

 

 

Christmas Vacation 2013:

 Our Week at Home

 

A whole week at home without any specific places to go and no school assignments

 seems to stretch out into forever with great promises of leisure

along with the ability to start and finish some projects.

 

The sad reality is that the week passes way too quickly.

Some of the projects get started but not finished.

The "to-do" list is not all checked off.

Unplanned events are thrown into the mix of life.

 

Yet, every so often, we need the change-up:

a break from the schedule, time to sleep in, release from the daily routine,

so that we can regenerate and enjoy our families in a little different capacity.

 

 

 

She was finally able to open her newest Lego Friends set
(courtesy of her Uncle Matt who thinks the whole "Friends" line is sacrilegious).

Of course, the brothers had to help her build it.

 

My to-do list included cleaning out and rearranging our small storage building.

I was able to pull a box of chapter books off a shelf and give them to Tiana.

To make them fit on her bookshelf, we had to go through and take out

a whole bunch of books and box them up.

It was a good time to clean out the books she had outgrown.

 

During this time, the guys were working on the roof structure

they are building over the deck.

 

Such fun staining all that wood.

 

 

Then it was on to the roofing panels.

 

In the midst of all this,

we found out that our upright freezer had been leaking

while we were gone on vacation and had left a nice mess on our

laundry room floor.  Of course it had also made a mess under the metal filing cabinet.

So, now we get to replace the flooring.

But, you know how one thing leads to another...

if we're replacing the floor, we might as well paint.

If we are painting, then we will have to move out the washer and dryer

and since they are old we should probably replace them.

While we are at it, we will put in new cabinets where the freezer used to sit.

We might as well replace the hall bathroom flooring to match the laundry room.

And it goes on and on much faster than our bank account can handle.

 

 

Bethany spent a few days taking out Tiana's hair extensions

by doing a little at a time so that neither of them became too tired of the process.

On Saturday, there were just a dozen braids left along the nape of Tiana's neck

when she decided to be helpful and cut them off for Bethany.

What Tiana did not understand was Bethany cut off the synthetic hair and

left the natural hair attached to her head.

Tiana lopped it all off.

Four years of growth was now gone.

Sigh.

In retrospect, the short hair in the back is much easier to deal with than

short hair in the front or on one side. 

We can work around this problem and let it regrow without having

to cut off the rest of her slow growing hair.

 

To round off the week,

I got older.

 

But, I was treated very well

and I am alive, healthy, and surrounded by those I love

so I will not complain.

 

 

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

Tiana loves to use window markers to decorate for holidays.

It wasn't until after Christmas that I really read what she had written

on one of the windows.

"Gloly to God in the histe thow men pease on earth!"

(Glory to God in the highest, through men peace on earth)

 

I chuckled throughout the day over her spelling and interpretation.

Then I got to thinking about the last part of her sentence:

through men peace on earth.

Maybe that is why we don't have peace on earth.

It is always humans trying to forge and force peace through human methods.

Real peace only comes from God through Christ

and it is not until everyone recognizes this and lives by Christ's

principles that we can truly have peace on earth.

 

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I

give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

John 14:27

 

 



Christmas Vacation

2013

(continued)

 

 

Part 4: Knott's Berry Farm

 

Years ago my parents started taking their grandchildren to an "experience"

instead of buying them Christmas presents.

Every year is different from the previous year and generally

most of us are able to go along and make it a family day.

We really enjoy just hanging out with each other.

 

This year it was Knott's Berry Farm.

Unfortunately, I think half the population of southern California

and their out-of-state visitors were also there that day.

 

 

 

Some of our group were the thrill seekers and others preferred to

stick to things that don't stop your heart and cause your stomach to drop out.

So, the day was a mixture of crazy and calm rides.

 

Tiana has always wanted to ride a Ferris Wheel.

Wish fulfilled

(although loading and unloading was SO painfully slow).

 

 

 

 

We all went on the train ride together and filled up half the car.

 

 

Nathan was so very "delighted" with his chatty seat partner.

He later said that he had wanted to jump out the window but

was kept in by the bars.

 

 

Another calmer event was the Charlie Brown Christmas ice skating show.

Although, seeing a skater twirl another skater around by her ankles with her head

just inches from the ice caused a few heart flutters.

 

We ended our day well into the night.

There might have been a melt-down or two along the way

but a late supper at Wendy's and a freeway free of traffic

wrapped the night up quite nicely.

 

 

Part 5: Present Time

 

After our belated Christmas dinner on Saturday

it was time for presents.

 

The older girls were suddenly inspired by an engagement

and Pinterest to whip up a personalized gift.

They worked in great secret all morning and then

presented their gift to Matt and Nina.

They loved it and said they would have to take turns having

custody of it; one week at her house and one week at his.

 

The children are all given presents and they each take a turn from

youngest to oldest until their presents are all unwrapped.

 

 

 

Later the adults have a white elephant gift exchange.

We have to find something that we already have and no longer

need, for this exchange.  You never know what you will end up with

or who will steal your present.

 

 

 

Part 6: Wrapping up the Weekend

 

 The baby ended up at urgent care on Saturday night and

was diagnosed with a double ear infection and croup.

Tamara and Ethan stayed home on Sunday.

 

We had a lazy afternoon playing games and not doing much in general.

 

Then evening rolled around and everyone said their final "goodbyes" and

headed to their respective homes. 

 We had the fun of packing everything for our trip the next morning.

 

Goodbye, Southern California.

The land of mountains, clear blue skies, and warm dry air.

The home of both of our families.

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

Christmas Vacation

2013

 

 

Part 1: Before Leaving Home



We make goodies and open presents.

 

You can see some of our Jesse Tree Advent Cards hanging around the

window.  We don't exactly work the system as recommended

but this works for us.

 

 

Not everyone has live music while they make shortbread cookies.

 

Her biggest wish was for a purple scooter. 

Wish granted.

 

 

Part 2: Fun With the Family

 

Since my parents did not get home from Kenya until Dec. 19th, we did not head south

as soon as we typically would have.  We thought they might need some time to

readjust, unpack, and prepare themselves for a house full of people.

The day after our arrival we did some odd jobs for them and had a relaxed day.

 

On Christmas day we went to visit Rudy's brother and his family near San Diego.

These are the only two pictures I have:

#1  This is the remains of the Christmas buffet that his wife's

family brought that night.  As usual, it was amazing.

 

#2  This is what my kids looks like when they are much too full

and someone hands them plates of cheesecake with the command to eat.

The first big activity at my parents' was the traditional cookie
decorating party on the evening of the 26th.

 

This was Ethan's first Christmas so of course he had

to decorate cookies too.

 

Then "soup night" follows cookie decorating.

 

 

 

Part 3: Excitement

Matt had called on Christmas morning to inform everyone that he was engaged to Nina.
On Thursday, someone amongst us decided that Matt's truck needed
some personalized attention while he was away at work.

Matt drove around for a few days with streamers flying and cans dragging.
One guy even came across a parking lot and shook his hand.


To Be Continued...