the crazy week...

This week was a crazy week in that we were out of the house every day for drama.  Christian, Josiah and Gabriel performed on Thursday night and Friday night.  I helped with the set and managed backstage for one of the plays.  Poor Esther, at one point she just laid down with her blanket and tried to take a nap on the floor by the stage where she and Phoebe were playing.  As soon as I picked her up, she fell asleep.  She's such a trooper.

Not only was it drama week but Phoebe and Benjamin finished up their AWANA year and had an end of the year ceremony.  Both of them finished their books and got an award for that.  But the real reward was how many Scriptures they have memorized.  It is truly amazing. 

And it was prom!  Christian and Josiah both went this year.  And here they are, not super happy their mom is taking pictures but faking it for the pictures!


This is Josiah's happy face and Christian was making faces!



Now those are real smiles!

We're looking forward to a week at home to do a "whole lotta nada".  Which translates to "do whatever mom wants you to."

{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. (inspired by Amamda Soule)

planning for next school year

Believe it or not, I'm already beginning to plan our next school year.  We're not quite done with this year, but as my children have gotten older I feel like I need to start thinking further than a day or two ahead!



 Over the summer, I will be sharing a little about what we will do next year.  I've added some of the books we use to the Book Shop and will continue to add them as we plan out our year.  It works best for me to loosely plan out the entire year during the summer and then I just have to follow my plan during the crazy school year.  I haven't always done this, I used to wake up each morning and then decide what we would do!  oh, I miss those days!

Some subjects don't take much planning, math, for instance. You just do the next lesson.  But other subjects like history and science take a little more thought and preparation.  I already know what we are using for some areas and others, I'm still deciding.  I'm kind of a creature of habit, so if I've already used a resource and liked it, I probably won't change.  It's just the way I am...kind of lazy like that. 

Well, it's drama week and we have performances tonight and tomorrow night.  I'm hoping to have some pictures up on Saturday of the play and of the AWANAS Award Night which was last night.  Now, if only I can find my phone, which is also now my only camera...

In the garden...potatoes

Note:  I've added a couple of lists in the side bar - one to track what we harvest this year and one to track what we preserve. 

We decided kind of last minute to grow potatoes this year.  When we opened a 10 pound bag that I had gotten from the store (and forgotten about) and everyone of them was already growing we decided to take them to the garden. 

Everything I've read said don't plant potatoes you buy from the store as they may have been sprayed with a growth inhibator.  Well, let's just say I sometimes have to learn by experience rather than example - remember the green beans.   

We have a plot of beautiful plants and they are starting to flower.  So far, so good.  Time will tell.

What I'm learning about growing potatoes:

• Potatoes like loose sandy soil - if you have clay soil, you will need to break it up with peat moss and compost and maybe even buying some sand
• Not too much compost or nitrogen or else you'll get large green tops and no bulbs.
• For seed potatoes, cut  each one in half or in quarters making sure that each part has an "eye" and some potato to nurish the plant
• You can cure them in the sun for a few days so that they don't rot in the ground (I didn't do this, but is probably a good ideas, esp.if you have clay for soil.)
• Keep well watered - don't let them dry out and flood them
• Keep the potatoes covered with soil - the plants grow and begin making bulbs continue to mound up soil around them and they will make more potatoes
• Don't let the potatoes be exposed to the sun.  If they get green spots on them, they will contain a poison called solanine.  You should never eat potatoes with green spots or feed them to your animals.  (this is from All You Can Eat Gardening Handbook)

Pests and problems:

• Probably the biggest pest is the Colorado Potato Beetle (a beetle without a black head gets squished).  We haven't seen signs of this at all. They will lay a cluster of orange eggs on the underside of the leaves. These also need to get squished
• Use a 3 year rotation - don't plant where other nightshade plants have been planted during the last 3years.  Nightshade plants are tomatoes, eggplant and peppers.

Havesting and Storing:

• You can harvest "new" potatoes at anytime during the growing season
• Harvest potatoes for storage once the plants have died back
• Leave them outside in the shade for a few days before storing them.
• Store in burlap bags or in buckets of sand in cool dry place

Anything else I need to know?

This post is linked to Tuesday Garden Party.

{Dewberries}

The dewberries are ripe and when the dewberries are ripe, you just have to rearrange your priorities and put picking berries at the top of the list.  So far, we've picked about 6 gallons of berries.  About half of that has been on our property.  The berries are pretty small due to our drought conditions but they are very flavorful. 

Don't let this fool you!  Esther has eaten way more than she has picked - like 1/2 gallon when Phoebe and Gabriel weren't looking!

We had 9 quarts of cobbler filling left from last year and 10 pints of jam.  I'm not sure how much we picked or canned last year since my gardening notebook is no longer, but it was nice to have some left over since the harvest is not so good this year.  Not only did we have cobbler and jam all year but we gave about 20 pints of jam as Christmas gifts. 

The rest that we pick as they ripen on on property will be frozen.  There are some that are dried out already and we are picking those for hot tea.  yummm....

For the jam, we don't use pectin.  We just smash the berries with a bean masher and sweeten them.  For 24 cups of smashed berries I used 4 cups of sugar (we don't like it real sweet so feel free to add more sugar to yours).  Heat the berries and sugar to a boil and then can as usual with a 20 minute water bath.  We made 13 pints.

For the cobbler filling,  we just add sugar and water - 1 cup of each per gallon of berries - and then heat them to a boil and can them as usual.  We made 6 quarts.

I use old bands to do the waterbath and then take them off before storing the jars in the pantry.  For gift giving I put on brand new bands.

The beginnings of Stuffed French Toast


Enjoy!

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Easter Traditions :: Cascarones, Eggs, and a Party

So I've already admitted that we don't have a lot of traditions for Easter and before anyone starts nominating me for the "Fuddie Dud Mommy of the Year Award", let me say that we do have a few fun things we do each year. 

One is making Cascarones, or Confetti Eggs.  A couple of months before Easter, we start saving our egg shells.  We don't blow them out, we just very carefully poke them with a knife on the pointed end until the shell begins to brake.  Then we take just enough of the shell off to shake the egg out.  We rinse them and then save them.  Sometime before Easter we get them out and decorate them and fill with confetti.  Some years we glue tissue paper over the hole, some years we put tape over the holes and this year, we just left them open. 


Benjamin's "oh, no!" look!



We colored about 2 dz eggs.  This year I really wanted to try dying them with natural dyes, but it just didn't happen. But there was still alot of fun and silliness.


Gabriel lamenting the tough choices over how to decorate his eggs!

 Each year we host an Easter party at our home.  Everyone is invited.  We usually have a great mix of people.  It all started when we moved to Ft. Worth for Carl to go to Seminary.  We moved just a few weeks before Easter and knew no one.  A couple we had met invited us to visit their church and we went and we liked it.  However, the couple then proceeded to firm up plans to go out to lunch with several other couples and no one invited us.  Normally, this is not a big deal to us, we don't have to be included in everyone's parties.  But this was a very lonely time for us and the slight was extremely hurtful. I'm sure it was not intentional and I don't harbor bad feelings at all, but it was the beginning of a "tradition" for us.  So for the last 15 years, no matter where we have lived or the size of our home, we have an Easter get together and have a open door policy. 

However, this year there were no guests, just us.  Esther and Phoebe have been sick and while Phoebe was all better by Sunday, Esther was not.  This is why there is a lack of the girls appearing the Easter pictures.

This is where we girls spent most of the weekend.



Oh, did I hear a camera... here, let me smile.



Easter Traditions :: Amon's Adventure

We don't have alot of Easter traditions.  We usually don't do Easter baskets filled with goodies for our children (ok, maybe we've never done it. I can't remember!).  Some years we have new clothes and some years we don't.  We never have identical outfits anymore, the boys mutinied that idea long ago. 

While Easter or Resurrection Day is a day to be celebrated, for me it is also bitter sweet.  Bitter because of what Jesus went through to save my soul but sweet because He chose to die for my sins.  For me it is a time of much personal reflection not so much outward celebration. 

Over the years we have read The Robe by Lloyd Douglas and Vinegar Boy by Alberta Hawse but this year we read the new book by Arnold Ytreeide, Amon's Adventure.  We read one of his Advent books each year.  This has been what our family has been looking for to help us each night not get so caught up in the celebration of Easter that we forget exactly who we are celebrating. 

From our family to ours, we hope you have a blessed Resurrection Day!

look what we found today...

Remember this nest we found in the hanging basket in our barn?   Well, one egg turned into four chicks!  We've seen the mama and daddy cardinal hovering around the basket alot lately and then today Benjamin heard some churping.  Phoebe grabbed my phone and they started taking pictures.  Then came in with a request, "They are so cute!  Can you put it on the blog?"  Of course! 

We have a very small red oak (about 6 feet tall) in our back yard and Benjamin and a friend noticed these this afternoon.  Robin eggs... and not the candy kind!  (edited to add:  Carl just informed me that he doesn't thing they are Robin eggs, they might be Mockingbird eggs he's not sure.  But he knows they aren't Robin eggs.  I say, "Well, they look just like the candy, they're even the same size!"  Then he tells me its not a Red Oak, but a Live Oak tree.  To which I say, "Hey, it's my story and I can tell it like I want to."  I'm obviously not the science person in our family. 

Even though we are in a drought, its amazing how much life is bursting forth on our little peice of earth.  It makes me feel an even greater responsibility towards what God has blessed us with.  We'll be setting up a couple of makeshift bird baths for our little ones and their parents very soon.

In the garden...green beans

Many years ago I found some fresh green beans really cheap and so I thought I'd buy alot and can them because we love green beans.  I knew that everyone said you have to have a pressure canner for green beans but I thought, what do they know, I'll just do a really long water bath.  Well, I'm as not clever as I think I am sometimes and some rules just cannot be broken.  They were a total disaster and within days we were throwing them out due to obvious spoilage. 

A couple of Christmases ago my mom and her husband gave me pressure canner!  I was so excited.  So last year I planted what I thought were tons of green beans. Each time we picked we only had enough for us to eat as a meal not any extra to can.  I think part of it was that we really struggled last year to keep the garden watered and of course our soil isn't that great yet.  But we're working on both of those things. 

We have "installed" a homemade drip irrigation system ~ aka milk jugs with about a hundred holes in them.  And we have a ton of leaves that we are using as mulch.  We have hauled so many leaves that the boys just groan when we mention leaves.  However, this has meant that they don't have to rake our leaves so they are very grateful.  We have used leaves before and they work great, but we have not ever used the milk jugs.  So far I am really liking them.  I can put the water right into the jug and either just fill it up or let it overflow a bit ~ which is what I do with the beans since they are kind of far from the jug.  We are hoping this will also keep the leaves dry.  Last year we also struggled with powdery mildew which gets worse if you water your plants leaves. 


pole beans in their cage with the irrigation system

Here's what I've learned about beans over the years:

• For our area the suggest time to plant is March 15-May 15 and for a fall crop from Aug. 15- Sept. 15 (these are just recommended times, last night a friend told me her 9 year old started about 50 seeds in Jan and planted them in the garden in Feb.  They now have 2 bags of cut green beans in the freezer!)
• The soil temperature needs to be at least 60 degrees for the seeds to germinate (that is really never a problem here)
• Plant 4-6 inches apart - don't crowd them
• Water the soil, not the plant - prone to powdery mildew
• Pick when they are on the small side - 6 inches or less- to keep the plant producing. 
• Pole beans are a vine and need support.  They produce beans all season long
• Bush beans are a bush and they produce a big crop at one time and then their production tapers off
• Beans are a nitrogen fixer in the soil - meaning they add nitrogen to the soil.
• Do not plant next to garlic, onions and shallots - I have not actually experienced this myself, but I've read in many places that they are not good companions.



bush bean flower - something is eating the leaves - probably bean beetle

Pests and Problems:

• Most of the problems with beans can be prevented or at least decreased by rotating crops on  a 3 year basis (esp. if you have had rust) and not watering the leaves.
• Powdery mildew - is a white mildew that will attack the leaves of beans, squash, melons and cucumbers. It is caused by too much moisture on the leaves and is spread by bugs. We try to cut off infected leaves and burn them. Last year we had a hard time with this and are changing the way we water to hopefully avoid it this year.
• Rust -causes brown, withering leaves and can lead to a loss of bean crops.  A fungus causes this ailment, and it's spread when spores from infected crops are carried along the wind and land on healthy plants.  We have never experienced this but we have some friends in our area who struggle with this.  Remove any infected plant sections as soon as you notice this. 
• Bean Beetle - This looks like a big orange lady bug with an orange (not black) head.  Here's a great article on them.  We pick them off and squish them.  The rule is "If it's a lady bug that doesn't have a black head it's bad."

Harvesting and storing:

• Harvest when the pod are small, be diligent when looking - they can easily hid under the leaves
• You can blanch and freeze them (we don't because we don't like frozen green beans)
• You can can them IF you have a pressure canner
• You can eat them every day - this is more of what we do!

Any other thoughts?  Feel free to leave them in the comments.

This post is linked to Fertilizer Friday.

traditions :: pizza and movie night

 

Pizza with a little bit of everything

 Traditions are a funny thing.  Some you take from your childhood and incorporate them into your family, some you get from other people and you tweak them to fit your family and some just kind of happen.  It's the last kind that to me are the most organic and meaningful for our family.  They are the ones that we didn't plan or dream up.  We did it once and it just fit so we do it over and over again and before we know it, it is a tradition.

Every week on Friday nights we have homemade pizza and movie night - it's a tradition.  It's something we all look forward to, it's a way to celebrate the coming weekend when we will (hopefully) have an abundance of  together time.  All day we have conversations like this...

"Mom, what time do we need to start the dough?"  

"Hmmmm. What time do we always start the dough?" 

"4 o'clock" 

"4 o'clock it is"

I have this conversation with at least 3 children every Friday, I never get tired of it.  It reminds me that they enjoy this tradition that no one can remember starting. It reminds me to savor these times, because I am well aware that my children will not be here forever and some are already trying to figure out how to make homemade pizza in a dorm room. 

classic pepperoni pizza - we are supposed to have a limit of 14 pepperoni per person

Last Friday night we had some friends over so their parents could go on a date.  In total we had 11 children.  It was great seeing them all make their own pizza their special way - it was pure chaos. 

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar (or honey)
2 cups warm water
5 1/2 cups flour (I use freshly ground whole wheat)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. garlic powder

Combine yeast,sugar and warm water.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Stir in 2 cups flour, olive oil, salt and garlic powder.  Stir in as much remaining flour as possible.  Knead in remaining flour until dough is smooth and elastic. (if using an electric mixer, knead with dough hook for about 8 minutes)  Shape into a ball, place in a greased bowl.  Cover and let rise for 40 minutes or until double.

Punch dough down.  Divide for individual pizzas or make 2 large ones.    Par bake at 425 degrees for approx. 5 minutes.  Remove from oven, top with toppings and bake until cheese is bubbly.

I usually make 4oz crusts for individual pizzas, my older boys like to make large pizzas with 12-16oz of dough and one likes to make a calzone with a pound and a half of dough!  Needless to say, we make 3 batches of this recipe. 

veggie loves with a little bit of baby squash from the garden

Favorite toppings:  basil pesto, red sauce, alfredo sauce, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, black olives, peppers, spinach, cheese, pepperoni, Italian seasoning and even a little cayenne pepper.

the salad pizza

So, what are some of your traditions that have just kind of happened?

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Ballerina costume

One of the funnest things my children have been involved in over the last few years is a homeschool drama group.  They meet once a week all year and at then end of the year put on an amazing play.  The kids work really hard learning their parts and really stepping out of their comfort zone.  And the directors, well... as Benjamin would say, "They Rock!" They have taught my children so much about performing, they have encouraged their creativity in their costumes and have helped them be comfortable doing things that they normally wouldn't do. 

This year they are doing spoof on Mission Impossible and one of  the girls plays a lady who really doesn't live in reality and thinks that she is going to be a ballerina one day.  It is hysterical!  Phoebe and I are making her costume.  So what does a delusional woman who thinks she is a ballerina wear?  How about a sparkly vest, a very full tutu and sparkly gloves - a different color on each hand (and just in case you're wondering, she's also wearing a body suit underneath, but we're not making that).

For the vest I used McCalls pattern M5887 view A.  The only thing I did different is that I didn't understitch the lining.  Instead, after I turned it all right side out, I topstitched all around it. 

Here's how to make the sparkle gloves:

• Trace your hand onto some plain paper (like you would do a child's hand, make it a little big). 
• Put two pieces of fabric right sides together and then pin the paper on top. 
• Sew through the paper, right on the lines. 
• Carefully tear away the paper.  This is similar to paper piecing  in quilting. 
• Cut around the seams and then turn the the glove right side out.   (you might want to try it on BEFORE you cut around the seams, just to be sure it fits)

To make a no sew tutu: 

• Measure around the waist and cut a piece of 3/8" elastic about 1-3 inches shorter than what was measured.
• Measure from waist to mid thigh, double this number and add 2 to get the length - I used 32"
• Cut pieces of 6" tulle to the length you decided on - I used tulle that was on a spool so it was already cut 6 inches wide
• Put elastic around something sturdy - I used a 5 gallon bucket
• Fold the tulle in half lengthwise 
• Fold in half to make a loop and have the ends the same length
• Put the loop under the elastic, wrap ends around elastic and put into the loop and pull through - this is a Lark's head knot (Carl was kind enough to tell me)
• Do this about 75 times if you're making a tutu for a teenager!

We're thinking that Esther would look really cute in a little tutu!

{this moment}

{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. (Amanda Soule)

In the garden...corn

This weekend we planted another corn patch.  We have around 45 plants that we planted 6 weeks ago and they are now about 2 1/2 feet tall.  (it's hard to measure since we've had alot of wind and they are almost laying on the ground).  They should be ready to harvest in the next 6 weeds or so and then we'll have another batch about 6 weeks later...if all goes according to plans.  I'm trying to grow my luffas with the corn that is already planted.  Something ate all but one plant so we replanted that also.  With our new patch of corn we're planting pie pumpkins. 

If you look closely you can see the beginnings of a corn ear.

I found an article over at Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op on making compost tea (or manure tea) so we made some of that.  Most of the articles I've read say that you need an aerator like the ones in an aquarium.  That just seems too complicated for me, so I really liked this article. 



It's been so windy that our corn is having trouble standing up!



Here's some handy information about Corn...

• official planting times in my area March 1st - April 30th  (although all the corn farmers around here plant closer to Feb. 15th.  We plant when they plant.)
• soak the corn seeds in water for up to a day before planting.  This will help them sprout earlier. If you don't they will be fine.  It probably only makes a day or two difference but I'm not the most patient person in the world. 
• plant 6" apart...not 5 or 4 but a full 6".  Especially if you are going to plant squash or beans with them as they shorter plants need sun too.
• corn is a huge plant and they need lots of nutrients so make sure and add compost or compost tea to them during their growing season (this is why we made the tea)
• plant in 4 short rows instead of 1 or 2 long rows.  The corn needs to be in a box shape to get good pollination. 

Pests and Problems
We have had very little problems with our corn in the past, mostly worms at the top of the ear near the tassels. 

• Corn borers will live in the corn stalks all winter, so remove the stalks from the garden after harvest
• Corn earworms - these are the worms we have trouble with.  Last year I put a drop of flax seed oil on the opening of the husks after the tassels wilted and we only had a couple of ears that had worms.  (I had read somewhere to put mineral oil, but all I had was flax seed oil)
• You can also us bt which is an organic pest control on either of these pests.  We try to use bt as a last resort and have not had to use it on our corn.

Harvest and Storage

• Harvest when the silks turn brown and the top of the ear feels kind of flat when you pinch it.
• You can freeze corn either on the cob or cut the kernels off the cob
• You can can corn (if you have a pressure canner)
• You can store it in the refrigerator and eat it every day until it is gone (this is what we do!)

If you have any other corn tips, feel free to leave them in the comments.

cooking from staples

There's a lady at our church who has a ministry helping families get back on their feet.  It's not something that our church started and she volunteers, it's a ministry that she and her late husband started.  They saw that sometimes families could finally afford an apartment (instead of being in government housing or at shelters) but they couldn't afford any furnishings or household items.  It was very discouraging for them to come home every day and eat dinner and sleep on the floor.  Many would eventually give up and go back to the shelters where at least they had a bed and a table to eat at.  So, the ministry takes donations of furniture and household items and gives them to people who are trying to get on their feet again.  It's an amazing ministry that has touched many lives in our area.

One day this amazing lady was talking with another lady at our church and mentioned that alot of these people her ministry helps have very little cooking skills.  Alot of the time the food they get comes from the food bank and sometimes WIC and it is things like beans, oats and powdered milk.  So they are putting together a cookbook of recipes that are made from staples - no canned soup or boxed biscuit mix. 

I gave them the Peanut Butter Treat recipe and this bean recipe (which can make a variety of meals).

Big Pot of Beans Recipe
1 big pot - I use a 10 qt. electric Roasting Oven
4 lbs. pinto beans
Lots of water
garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper and onion powder (optional)

Rinse beans really well.  Put beans in pot, cover with water and bring to a boil, turn off heat and let sit for an hour.  After an hour drain water and fill pot with fresh water.  Cook beans (maybe at a slow boil) for another 2 hours or so making sure they stay covered with water.  They are ready when they are soft.  You can add your seasonings at any time (about 4 tbsp. of each garlic powder, cumin, chili powder; about 2 tbsp. salt and 1tbsp. each pepper and onion powder). 

warning:  if you choose to put salsa or any tomato product in your beans do NOT add it until the beans are soft or else you can cook them for 2 days and they still won't get soft.


You can use these beans in a variety of ways, we usually eat them the first night with cornbread.  Then I take the leftover beans and put them in containers (usually quart size) and put them in the freezer.  Over the week we will make...


Taco Soup
1 lb of meat
1 quart of cooked beans
1  can of diced tomatos
1  can of corn
1 packet taco seasonings (or just more of what you put in the beans)
1 small can of tomato paste (optional - my family likes it more like chili than a soup)

Mix everything together and heat.  If I'm feeling generous I'll serve it with some grated cheese and maybe even some tortilla chips.

Taco Salad
Tortilla Chips
Beans
Cooked ground beef
lettuce, tomato, onion, avacado, grated cheese, sour cream and salsa

Put chips on a plate and crunch them.  Add beans, meat and whatever toppings you want and enjoy.  

Chalupas ( Taco Bell calls these Tostados, I'm not sure why)

You can either buy chalupa shells already cooked or you can fry your own (they are just a corn tortilla that is fried flat).  Mash your beans and put them on the shell along with lettuce, tomato, etc. and enjoy.



Bean Burritos (we eat these for lunch 3-4 times a week)
Beans
Flour or corn tortillas
lettuce, tomato, onion, avacado, grated cheese and salsa

Put the beans in a skillet and mash them (or in a food processor).  Heat tortillas, put some beans on them along with some lettuce, tomato, onion, avacado and grated cheese.  (Sometimes we have all of these things, sometimes we have only beans and tortillas, they're still yummy.)

If you have any recipes that you would like to pass on to these families, leave them in the comments or email them to me.  We would love to include them, but remember "no canned soup or boxed biscuit mix."

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday

"goin' green"

It's funny how things that our grandparents did very naturally are now "hip"  For example, almost everyone I know who is over 50 either has a garden, grew up having a garden or both, but when I was growing up I didn't know anyone who grew anything but grass and flowers (other than the "old folk", of course).  Also, the ideas of keeping a little cash back each week for a rainy day or never owing anything to anyone.  I remember my grandfather not letting my grandmother put things on layaway! Those were old fashioned ideas in our circles, as was reusing anything that technically should be thrown out. There was this belief that we needed new things all the time, I never even heard of a garage sale until I was in my early 20's and I would have never gone shopping at a thrift store. 

This all changed for me when we lived in Fort Worth for Carl to go to Southwestern Seminary.  I did start going to garage sales and thrift stores.  I started reusing things and keeping things longer than I would have in the past.  We also began gardening (I have to give Carl the credit here, because I was so busy with little ones, he really did all the gardening back then.)  But, it was because we were poor. Carl was working as a waiter and during that time we had our first 4 children.  I thought that when he graduated we'd go back to being "normal". 

But habits are a funny thing. I found that I really enjoy gardening and preserving our abundance.  I also enjoy "the hunt" of finding what I want somewhere other than the mall.  I like the creativity and even the work that comes with upcycling (using something that is destined for the trash in a new way). 

I like thinking that we are helping to keep the earth beautiful for our children and grandchildren.  You see, the frugal lifestyle and the green lifestyle seem to be closely related.  I like this not because we worship the earth or Mother Nature, I like this because I believe that as christians we have a duty to God to be good stewards of his creation.  We, as a family, have so far to go.  We still do many things "wrong" by others standards.  We try to not get all legalistic about it.  We do what we can, when we can and trust the Creator to ultimately take care of His creation. 

One of the things we are doing is using fabric grocery bags and even though we don't buy alot of produce since we have a garden I really wanted some small bags for the produce we do buy.  I found this pattern and Phoebe and I made some bags from a vintage sheet that we found at a thrift store.  We had a great time working together on something that we will use regularly.  

What about you, what do you do that used to be considered old fashioned but is now "hip"?

::this week::

This week...

... we picked the first of our dewberries

... Christian and Josiah participated in a speech tournament at our homeschool co-op

...we had boys at two different scout camps

...we played with playdo with a friend

...we pulled some onions that were flowering

... we harvested the last of our cabbage

... we found a cardinal's nest with an egg in it in our barn

... we celebrated as Christian got his driver's license