Has it really been so long since I have written a blog post? Indeed, it has. I barely have time to check email...jump on Facebook for a moment, and glance through my Google Reader list to see if any blog titles are relevant. Within a few moments, a child needs me, a nursing baby needs me, laundry calls, dishes await, or it's time to make lunch or start dinner. Late at night, when my house is finally quiet, I'm too tired to type. Or I have those emails to return. Or a sleeping baby wakes. If I'm lucky, my husband and I have an hour or two we can spend together a couple evenings a week. So life overtakes blogging, as it should. Living must come before writing about living, right? Not to forget, homeschooling! And so, my blog waits for me...because life will not.

lessons from an amazon order

I love Amazon. I really do. I get great deals, free shipping (I hold orders till I qualify), keep wish lists…and I like the 1-click ordering. Until today. I used 1-click, and discovered that this feature didn’t save my settings, and so, I didn’t get the “Super Saver Shipping” I qualified for. And now, of course, it’s too late as the orders have shipped. Hmmmm, I wondered how they were shipping SO FAST! Like, the same day I placed the orders!

Unhappily, I called them. Because, I’m a regular customer, and I don’t think I should be penalized for taking advantage of their convenient 1-click. Turns out, I have to go in and select the Saver shipping option each time I use 1-click. I probably won’t use that again! I selected Saver shipping last time, and forgot to do it this time--or--maybe I subconsciously assumed the settings were saved in my 1-click account options. Whatever the case, I’m having to shell out $10 for shipping. Ugh. But the guy credited my account $5, to make up for it. Technically, however misleading their site may be, it was still my fault, so, that was a nice gesture towards keeping me happy. :D

While I was on the phone, I was tempted to be nasty…to throw a good ol’ American fit, because, I knew that I’d get all the shipping knocked off, if I did. And to make matters worse, I could barely understand the gentleman I was speaking with--because--my call was shipped overseas. I was tempted to disgustedly ask for another person, a supervisor perhaps…have you been there? Felt that way? Because, I am angry that our customer service calls are shipped overseas. For Dell, for Avon, for Amazon, and countless other companies. So when the call began, I wasn’t very friendly. My voice had an edge to it; you know the one “Don’t mess with me because I’m not happy you are answering this call and you can barely speak English and I can’t understand you at all, and I’m not happy with the company you represent anyway…and…” Yeah, you get the idea.

But I realized something. First, he is doing his job; it isn’t his fault the companies ship our calls over there and give American jobs away. I understand why…unions, pay scales, benefits, the list goes on…but still, an American company ought to use American employees, right? Anyway…so, he was doing his job. Trying to speak English as best as he was able. And I was representing America. Do I want his view of Americans to be that we are snotty, rude, self-righteous, and demanding? If that is what he gets, when he answers American customer service calls, then that will be his view of Americans. We, as Americans, should still be respectful, and kind in our dealings with these foreigners. We may be the only Americans they “meet”, if only over the telephone.

Furthermore, in order to determine my order, he read through a few of my book titles. Guess what one of them was? Yep. “The Daily Life of Jesus.” If he thought for an instant, that I was a Christian, then I wouldn’t want to blow it. I don’t want to be rude while I am wearing Christ’s name. I would hate for the guy to think what I’ve often thought, which is “wow, what a way for a Christian to behave. (That person) gives us all a bad name!” Have you ever thought that?
So I calmed down, tried to respectfully ask him to repeat himself to me…thanked him for his time…wished him a nice day. But I regret that I didn’t start off the conversation with a kinder tone of voice. We never know what affect we have on others, but we need to remember the names we wear. Our name in Christ, our name as Americans, and our family name as well. These 3 affect us in our lifetime, but may have eternal significance as well…and certainly, they affect the generation of children we are raising in our homes. What will we leave to them, by leaving them our names--our legacy?

Might not be a bad idea to remember to speak more patiently with that “next generation I’m raising”…while I’m at it. And with the people I come into contact with in my daily interactions at local stores, restaurants, whatever the case. In fact, the same thought occurred to me last time I wore a T-shirt with our church name on it. I was representing our church as I wore it…what did my words and actions say?

Yep, something to think about.

The Song of our Day

The day unfolds, a familiar rhythm begins with a slow but steady tempo. Make the beds, greet the children, begin the laundry, make a pot of tea, help children with the various bits and pieces which inevitably, arise as they work and play…the day is in full swing. The rhythm is comforting, soothing. I am thankful that there’s no “out-the-door” rush in our home. Rarely, in fact! We make choices to avoid this and ask God for His grace to cover the times which we cannot avoid it. Home is where we work, play, coexist, learn, relax, and love. These thoughts play in my mind this morning, as I continue with the small tasks which begin today’s song. I check my daughter’s progress in her room cleaning, put away the scraps of this and that which I find lying here and there. I place outgoing mail (a finished Netflix) on the mailbox, and enjoy the coolness of morning’s air. Although still a couple months away, the air has Autumn’s crisp notes and I sigh, wishing Autumn’s song had already begun to play. Yet, I do not want to wish away the time, only the summer heat and pesky mosquitoes. The day’s rhythm slows when I sit down, and, for a few moments, open up my “pink” laptop. Just the sight of it makes me happy, for I love PINK. I sip my tea from the pink mug I chose to start my day with…today is a strong, black breakfast tea and as usual, a bit of milk has been added to temper tea’s acidity. I look forward to seeing my chubby baby this morning, but I find myself grateful too, for a few extra moments for housework, or, for sitting down.

Until now, when I hear her sweet baby voice cooing, an edge of concern in her voice. She is ready to become part of our music today! The rhythm picks up quickly, and I miss the slower tempo of my day’s first hour. More laundry, lunch, laundry again, nursing, baby’s cat nap, laundry, return phone calls, check email, schedule an appointment…I feel the acceleration. A few moments to mend on the sewing machine. Awake again, my baby rides contentedly on my hip as I move about the house.

The children play happily, my daughter telling stories to her younger brother. Imagination at it’s best! And at last, baby is down for her longer afternoon nap. My almost-3-year-old (who had dissolved into hysterical tears, a sure sign of tiredness!) fell asleep as well. The house is blessedly quiet and I make some tea, savoring both it and the slower tempo it restores. The last load of laundry for today is humming in the dryer. Dinner will be leftovers eaten amidst the rush between my husband coming home and the kids’ swim lessons. It is hot and humid outdoors, and so the water will bring refreshment this evening, as they splash about and (hopefully) learn to float--or slide--or swim!

Time to begin evening preparations before the little girls wake. Soon, the day’s tempo will increase until the comfortable rhythm of bedtime arrives. And so our days go in this way, their music beautiful to my ears, composing the song our life and home sings, measure by measure.

A little bit of life, a few links

It started out simply enough. I logged onto my (pink Dell!!) laptop, just as I do most morning…sipping my cup of tea, savoring a few moments of quiet. (Before the baby wakes and after one quick argument between my other children…lol). Then I catch a glimpse of the “new recipes” from Simply Recipes RSS feed. Well here in Kansas, the typical Summer heat and humidity have set in full force, after a blessedly cool and rainy Spring. I don’t even like to step onto my porch to get my mail when it’s this humid and hot. (I’m a cool weather, rainy-day-lovin’ kind of gal; I really do NOT know what I’m doing, living in Kansas. But as my younger brother says… “it’s a black hole that sucks you in and you can’t escape it” --he’s referring to our hometown in Kansas, by the way. But I must admit, it’s a great place to raise a family, and that’s what I’m all about, so, here we are. In Kansas. Enduring the Summertime).
So anyway, I see a recipe for Homemade Limemade posted. Now who wouldn’t LOVE a drink like that when it’s hot outdoors? And let me tell ya, it was refreshing! I happened to have a bowl of key limes to use up, and I keep mint growing out back. Mmmmmmm. I will be buying another bag of limes just to make it!
And then, there was another recipe I hope to try as well. An Almond Berry Crumble to be exact. I wasn’t able to bake it today, but there’s always hope for tomorrow, right?
If you’re interested in “food” blogs, here is a favorite of mine: The Pioneer Woman. She’s a sassy writer, uses great bits of humor and lots of photos in her posts. And her recipes are goooooooood. I’ve already tried several. In fact, most days when Google Reader pops up a new post of hers, I end up dropping everything to try her latest recipe.
Food blogs keep me completely inspired to stay IN the kitchen and make all I can from scratch. There’s a plethora of recipes available on the web from more sources than I’ll ever be able to find! Currently, I’m on a kick to find phyllo dough recipes as I have several sheets left in an opened package to use up. And I’ve found some mouth-watering recipes to try! More sweet than savory, as usual. I do love the challenge of cooking meals which are healthier for our family, and at the same time, are tasty. The dessert is always the easy part!
Yeah, I realize it’s been simply AGES since I’ve posted on here. And even longer since I’ve done any commenting. I don’t even log into my email account which sends my subs and yahoo group subs. No time. I do, however, try to check in at my site and see what’s going on with ya’ll every week or so. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve actually started a new blog post, only to leave it half finished for so many days that I’m no longer interested in writing it!
But life moves on, and despite the heat, we are doing well. Vacation Bible School has come and gone for this summer (my kids LOVE it!), and now they’re taking swimming lessons (lovin’ that too). Then, no more big plans--just kicking back, staying cool, drinking limemade…you get the picture. Overall I notice diminished activity on several favorite blogs; I know I’m not the only one who remains busy at home. Our precious 4th child has really changed our time management! But she’s so worth it, as they all are.

Joining the movement

Something has been on my mind for the past several months. Of course, I’m not the only one; after all, “Earth Day” has just recently passed, right? Yep, I’m talking about “Green Living”.

Now, I grew up on a farm; we had animals of various kinds, my Dad planted an annual garden (which we kids had to pick) and my Mom canned and canned. My Dad frequented auctions on weekends, and eventually acquired the equipment to plow his fields for a hobby of sorts, and maybe a bit of cash. (He had a career elsewhere). And so, the ideas of growing one’s own food, of storing food for the “coming shortage” are not new to me. Living in the country enabled us to burn our own trash, to recycle rainwater, and to compost.

But as an adult, all of this went out the window, as I live in the city, and, truth be known, I wasn’t interested. Until more recently. We have a home and a yard, but no garden (yet; I remain hopeful for the future, but I do not yet have time needed to devote to it!). I cannot keep typical farm animals (I’d love chickens, though). Over the last few months, though, I’ve come to realize that “green living” should not simply be a political soapbox; it is our responsibility to take care of God’s earth. We should be cautious as we use our natural resources, and take care not to be wasteful. We should be wise and frugal with our resources of time and money as well.

I will be sharing some of the baby steps I’ve taken later on, but for now, here are a couple of wonderful posts about the steps others have taken. Neither of these ladies are extreme; they simply started one day. With one thing. And then another. Both are farther along in their journeys towards green, sustainable living, than I am. And some ideas they have are not ideas I can implement. But these are worthy of consideration, and worthy of a few moments’ time....

down---to---earth: Revolution at the kitchen sink

Tea & Cookies: Making A Green Home

Freezer inventory

Today I’ve been thinking about stocking up our freezer. I spent some time planning and stocking before our baby was born...but...it’s time to do it again! There were several occasions that I thought “Yea! I’m so glad I have _____ in the freezer!” It will be good to build an inventory back up a bit. Copperswife inspired me, as she recently wrote about restocking her freezer. And she offered a link to Filling My Freezer , a brand new blog, for additional hints and ideas. Yippeee!! Looks like I’m not on my own in this endeavor.

I started by juicing those lemons I mentioned a few days ago; for the lemon bars! Well, in addition to baking a square pan of lemon bars, I also measured out the proper amount for 2 more pans and froze these portions, labeled, for another day. The rest of the juice will be used to make lemon curd (oh, so nice with hot tea in the Spring!) and then the curd may also be frozen.

I already have cookie dough frozen in ziploc bags, then stored in a labeled container. Next will be organizing my deep freezer and my side-by-side freezer, so that I can inventory what I already have on hand, and add to my shopping list that which I need. THEN, it will be time to consider recipes and/or ingredients to have on hand, and begin to cook/bake accordingly.

Anyone else joining in on the freezer fun?

The pictures are haunting; mostly taken from afar, rarely posed. He’s on a skateboard, a messenger bag tossed casually over his shoulder. Walking down the street pushing a stroller, sporting the “grunge” look. His baby girl smiling while riding on his shoulders. A couple of posed shots in which his arm is around the baby girl’s mother. Another with his hand linked through hers. They say he was friendly, down-to-earth, humble, polite, kind...on and on they go, speaking of him, sharing their stories, however insignificant. Offering a tribute. Sometimes, the words are spoken by someone famous, whose opinions matter in just the right circles.

Dead at 28, cause yet unknown, although an educated guess could easily be offered. He died alone, in what was reportedly an unfurnished luxury apartment. Except for a “shrine” to his little girl, who no longer lived with him. And he reportedly, couldn’t recover from that loss. Although the loss may have been his own doing. Rumors abound on both sides, yet the truth most likely lies somewhere in the middle. Still, he seemingly spoiled her when she visited, and adored her. He found meaning to life because of her, he once said in an interview.

A tragedy; one that hangs heavily in my mind. Simply because, this man’s eternity has begun already. Whatever it is, Heaven or Hell...it has begun. His chances in life, his time on earth, all over. Finished. Nothing more he can do. His days ran out, just as all of our days will run out. He can’t help his daughter, his girlfriend, or himself now. How tragic that a young life with so much promise is wiped out. Worse yet, if his eternity is not with His Creator. He was created for a purpose; did he accomplish it? And if not, what defense can he offer when he stands before God for eternity?

I have a daughter the same age as his little girl; how devastated she would be to lose her Daddy. How terrible it would be for me to explain it to her and to carry on without my husband. Yet, I have hope. I know where my husband would spend his eternity, and because of that, there is still joy. Devastating loss, but only for a time. And then eternal glory...he would be waiting for his family to join him.

But this young star? A bright promise of Hollywood...a good boy by their standards...where does he wait? And for what purpose? What did he accomplish outside of earthly wealth and stardom? What good were his 3 luxurious homes? His blossoming career? I don’t know. I didn’t know him. He spent his last months making a macabre movie; playing a part which, in all likelihood, contributed to his demise. Honored by those who worked with him, for the way he threw all of himself into the part...I have to wonder...was it worth it? For what? For the art of entertainment? For an award that might have been won? (Yet even if it is, he will not be here to claim it--how temporal are the things of earth!) And what will that bring in eternity? I imagine that his answers now, to these questions, are much different than his answers might have been when he walked among us on this old earth. And therein lies a grave reality. For he cannot change anything now.

His family appears to grieve deeply, as would my family, if we lost one of my younger brothers. A sad predicament, a tragedy that will repeat itself again and again in Hollywood. Who reaches these people who have it all? They ignore their eternity as they build homes and treasures and fame here on earth. Life on earth is but a vapor. They have it all; money, power, all anyone could want...and yet...it is for nothing. Meaningless. Even their work; largely without purpose, aside from entertainment. And where is the eternal value in entertainment?

A tragedy. For his daughter, for those who knew him and loved him. And for he, himself. He has run out of chances. He lived his last day on earth, alone, sleeping. He had no idea that he would never wake from that last slumber. And now he is in his eternity, whatever it is. His soul is forever at rest, or forever in agony.

A somber reminder to me. We never know when our last day will be. But what will we leave behind when that last day comes? Am I ready to meet my Maker? Could my eternity begin today? What would be said of me...empty praises or something of value? Without fame or fortune, I would be a mere sidenote in the obituaries. And yet, my concern is with my eternity; what have I done that will matter to Our Lord? Am I fulfilling His purpose for my life in every day that He gives me? I pray so...and resolve to try again tomorrow.