sistermama gets real

Lazy Link Friday

As in, I want to post but don't feel like thinking too hard.  So, from the top of my bookmarks:

Memory System - we don't memorize scripture, but we do work on poems and verses.  I love this idea for retaining things memorized in the past.

Lent and Sacrifice - I'm planning to write about Lent soon, this gave me something to think upon!

Twin Cities Headband - my head totally cannot pull off a headband.  But isn't this lovely?

Homemade Dishwasher Soap - my next DIY project.

Canning Tomatoes - great suggestions for tomato varieties.

Slow Carb Foodie - glad to find a few new recipes here.

TGIF!!!  We are off for our weekly all family friend visit, so plenty of knitting, laughing and general all round homeschooling mama support.  I think we both need it this week. (Okay, be honest, I need it every week!)

Jump Rope Games

I've got a post up today at the Homespun Waldorf Winter Carnival.  Do go check it out!

Garden Dreaming

I had planned to post on Lent today.  Our family has never really observed Lent but this year we are starting to.   I'll share more about it later.  I've just ordered my garden seeds and my head is caught up in the imagined smell of tomato vines and the feel of sun on my back.  

Gardening absolutely does not come easy to me.  Quite a few things do, and it is normally much more like me to stick to the things that I'm instantly good at, rather than persevere to gain skills.  BUT I didn't move out to this 7.5 acres to watch it grow nothing but hay.  I also find the sheer amount of gardening advice to be completely overwhelming.  So I have pretty much stopped reading anything about it and instead look up specific issues if needed and go with trial and error.

This will be my third year with a garden.  The first year was disatrous.  I was working and spending all our free time at the lake. Wow!  Weeds sure do grow fast!  We got lucky with zucchini and sungold tomatoes that year, and that was it.  Last year I stopped working in June and had more time for the weeding.  It was easier and better than the first year.  

This year, I'm trying out an online garden planner from Mother Earth News.  The best part about it for me is that it tells you when to start seed, direct sow and plant.  I plant a main garden somewhat near the house and lots of herbs in pots on the porch.  New for this year I'm planting a pumpkin / winter squash plot out behind the chicken building.  Left by the house's former occupants we also have a large rhubarb bed and several small asparagus beds.  Here's the plan so far for my main garden.  Note where it says "rhubarb" is acutally "rhubarb chard", "corvair" is spinach and "mowing" is lettuce mix.  If you double click on the image you can see a larger version.

Spring Swap

Its not too late to join in the spring swap I'm hosting.  Fill those Easter baskets with sweet mama made goodness or have a stock of little surprises set aside to welcome spring!  

Details for the spring swap:

Please make 5 items (out of natural materials) that would be fun in an easter basket or as a spring treat. Each item should have an etsy value of $8-$10. You may choose to make 2 sets (10 items). If you choose to take two slots, each set needs to be something different so it would be 5 of one thing and 5 of another. Each item should be labeled with your name and forum user name or website. Please make sure your item isn't really large/long, heavy or strangely shaped so that we can keep shipping down. 

Items must be mailed to me by Friday, March 16th. I'm really going to be a stickler this time, it makes it stressful to me to be waiting for late shipped packages. I will then mail packages back to you by Friday, March 23rd. You will pay for return shipping to me through paypal. Please include in your package a piece of paper with your name, email address, your address, what your item is and the age and gender of your children. 

International shipping welcome, but please have an idea of how long it will take a package to get from you to me and back again.

Comment below if you want to participate and I'll email you  my address.  This will be the only email I send this time, so please be sure to note the dates and requirements above.  Comment below with any questions and I'll respond.

 

40 Bags in 40 Days

Have you heard of this idea to get rid of 40 bags of stuff from your house over the 40 days of Lent?  I'm not sure where the idea originated, it's all over the blogosphere.  Part of last year's process:

Basically you recycle or throw away 40 bags of stuff from your house.  Pick a size of bag (grocery bag, kitchen trash bag, lawn and leaf?). I use a kitchen trash bag size.  You can get super specific and say how many bags you're going to clear out of each area.  That's a little to "planny" for me but maybe it will work for you.  instead of counting the bags as I go, I'm going to pull out 40 bags and put them somewhere separate so I can see clearly how many I have to go.  I end up with a mix of trash and donate, so I make the donate bags apparent by tying bright yarn around each tie.  At least once a week I load up the car with donate bags and drop them off somewhere.  I don't want those accumulating around for more than a month!

I'll be doing my whole house this year, but my main focus will be the basement.  God help me.

Do you want to join in with me? Imagine how easy spring cleaning will be after you take 40 bags of stuff out of your house!  I'll be updating my progress on Fridays.  

The Bliss Filled Mama

My long time forum and blogosphere friend Kathy has just published her first ebook, The Bliss Filled Mama: Self-Care for Soulful Mothering.  She is a breeze of joyful, kooky inspiration on many a dry day of mine.  If you read her blog, Bliss Beyond Naptime, you probably feel the same way.

The concept of being "bliss filled" actually makes me feel a little uncomfortable, because I am not, by nature, a blissful person.  "Contented" is kind of more my type of thing and exuberance doesn't come naturally to me. Maybe I can work my way around to aiming for bliss...  Anyway, part of becoming a Bliss Filled Mama is identifying those things that recharge your batteries.  Here are some of mine:

 

-Laughing hysterically with my sister or friend

-Knitting, alone or with a companion

-Reading and posting at the Homespun Waldorf forum

-Making my neice laugh

-Taking a long "reading" bath

-Reading on my couch in the afternoon when the light comes through the window just right

-Being up early in the morning and miraculously no one else is up yet

 

Kathy is giving away a free copy of her ebook.  Simply share, in the comments below, one way you take care of yourself and you'll be entered.  Comments will stay open until Wednesday night, and I'll announce and email a winner on Thursday.   

 

Giveaway

Between blogging every day last week, and coordinated the winter carnival at Homespun Waldorf, I am totally computer worn out!  But I wanted to let you know that we are giving away a copy of the wonderful book "Spiritual Tasks of the Homemaker" at HW and comments close tonight, so do go over and take a chance.

My Real Life - Winter Sunday

 

Busy, but lovely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Real Life - Winter Saturday

Oh, my.  Today was really about doing too much.  Had these cake layers in the oven by 7:00.

Jack and Reg hung out while I baked.  Jack and Lu call this grandma "Reg" as in "Regular Grandma" as opposed to their great grandma.  We share our house with my mom, and she's been out of town a lot for work lately.  The kids miss her like crazy.

Jack went to church and then a friend's while Lucy and I went to her meet.  It was crowded, and poorly run.  Something went awry and Lucy's level wasn't given awards, only "good job" ribbons.  Lucy was really disgusted because she "didn't want a 'good job'".  

I love watching her compete, but I do have to admit I now understand how parents can fall in that trap of really wanting their kids to do well at this type of thing.  When I am there I want her to win!  

Jack's contribution for tomorrow.

This wonderful man arrived home after a twelve hour work day into the midst of dinner, dirty dishes, tired kids and me shouting like a drill seargent.  He quietly cleaned the kitchen up around me, got the kids ready for bed and generally brought the insanity down several notches. 

Finally finished.  Raspberries will go atop the chocolate cake tomorrow.

My Real Life - Winter Friday

Fridays are all about being with our good friends.  A whole FAMILY of good friends.  Seriously, how often does that match up happen in life?  Our Friday mornings are go, go, go so that we can get out the door to pick up their two oldest kids for homeschool bowling. I made oatmeal pancakes for the kids, really one of the best ways ever to use up normally unusable leftovers.   Before we could leave the house poor Jack had his least favorite activity to get out of the way. And poor me, I had to give it to him (this is normally not my job).

I'm trying to insert some funny bowling thing to say about the team below, but I don't actually know enough about bowling to come up with something witty.  Lucy received that hat at her first gymnastics meet, and it has barely left her head since.  

Back to my friend's house.  Oh, this little face is so scrumptious!

We eat lunch together and then my friend and I usually craft while the children play.  They all get along so well together.  Lucy and Jack are thrilled to have little siblings around.  The kids often call each other by their family nicknames, which is so sweet to hear.

Jack and Ishaan were making a fire in the backyard.  They were having trouble with the flint and steel and came in for matches, but there were no matches.  They asked if they could ride their bikes to the store for more and we said sure.  Only later did we realize how hysterical it was that we let 9 year old boys ride to the store for matches in the middle of the school day.  My friend tells the whole story here.  Check out the supercute picture of us all at the table, too.  Yep, we are all laughing like fools, pretty much how we spend every Friday.  

We left at about 4:00 and I had to stop at the evil empire. Well, "had to" in that I needed both crochet thread and flaked coconut and either Lucy or I would probably lose it if we had to go into more than one store.  That's how they get you!  Then I went home and seriously did feed my kids that box pizza.