Autumn Joy sedum

My "Autumn Joy" sedum is not one of Hubby's favorite plants, but I love it. I love how the colors turn from the palest pink into the colors of fall, eventually getting a deep, almost brick red.

Red Ape Cinnamon

I was tickled to win a jar of Red Ape Cinnamon from a giveaway sponsored by Laura at Heavenly Homemakers.

I use a lot of cinnamon over the holiday months, which are coming up. My cinnamon came in the mail late last week and boy, oh boy! First, I was surprised by the size of the jar. At 3.6 ounces, it is quite large - much bigger than what I normally purchase.

I immediately opened the jar, and my goodness - the smell was heavenly! For the next five minutes I went around sticking it under the nose of everyone in the family so they could smell the goodness of natural cinnamon, too.

So you want to know why it's called Red Ape Cinnamon? That's one of the best parts. Five percent of all profits are donated to organizations that protect orangutan habitat. And did I mention it's all organic? It's just pure ground organic cassia cinnamon. I think I'm going to become a regular customer!

An eyesore on the counter

I love being able to grow some of our own food, but I am always glad when the gardens are done every year. Why? Because that means my kitchen counters can be clear again! All summer they are piled high with some kind of vegetable waiting to be washed or processed. Actually, they probably would still be at this time of year, but we slacked and didn't do hardly any fall plantings this year.

So now, my counters are free and clear! One side of the sink looks like this:

The only things on them is my rooster and my Kitchen Aid mixer. It is just too heavy to be dragging in and out of a cabinet every time I need to use it.

The other side of the sink (my only other countertop) looks like this:


The canisters hold sweetener packets, green tea bags, and tea bags for iced tea. The coffee pot stays on the counter at all times because we use it so much. Hubby and I are both big coffee drinkers (I was drinking on the last of a pot when I took this photo). We also use the coffee maker to make ice tea. Most true southerners live off iced tea, so we make a lot of it.

There is an eyesore on this counter, and I'm not talking about that seam down the middle. Whoever installed these cabinets didn't get a long enough piece and therefore we have a seam. But there is another eyesore. Do you see it? It looks suspiciously like an old ice cream bucket... but that was in its former life. We use it for a compost bucket. I hate it because it looks tacky, but I can't think of anything else to use for a compost bucket.

Do you have any ideas for a better looking container? It has to be cheap, because I don't spend a lot of money on things like that. And it has to have a lid because - let's face it - compost is really just garbage. And it can smell. We take the bucket outside to the compost bin once a day, but in the meantime it sits in the kitchen. So it has to have a lid to keep the smells at bay. Oh, what to use....

Book sale finds

Yesterday a friend and I went to a "Friends of the Library" book sale to benefit our local library. You know I can't resist a book sale, especially a used book sale where the prices are great.

I got a book about a missionary for my oldest daughter, who is considering becoming one. I got a Harry Potter book for my oldest son, who loves anything about the series. I got a book about building fences and gates for my husband, who always seems to be building them.


And for me, I purchased three books. The first is one I have heard of from other people,. "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons." I am currently working on teaching my 6-year-old son to read using the ABC's With Ace and Christi from Accelerated Christian Education. But I am going to read through this book, and if the curriculum we are using ends up not working, or if he needs more supplemental material, I can use it.


The second book is a Lancaster County Cookbook (that's Lancaster, Penn., not Lancaster, S.C.). It is full of some great Amish and Mennonite recipes, and I can't wait to try some.


And the last book is called "What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew." I bought this book just for fun, but it is also turning out to be educational.

Did you know that many of the poor people, during the times of authors Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, really did survive on bread alone? The "breadwinner," or the man who worked, sometimes also got potatoes or bacon because he had to keep up his strength to work. But the mother and children often had only bread for a meal. "In 1864 a student of the matter found the average farm laborer had one hot meal a week," the book states.

That's a lot of entertainment and education for $2! I hear that tomorrow at 4 p.m. you can get a whole bag of books for $1. The best ones will be picked over, of course, but I think I'm going to try to go back. You never know what treasures you'll find in a building full of second-hand books!

Can families be "too" conservative?

No television? No youth groups? No outings with friends unless your family is with you? Do these things equal one big, happy, family? That was the message I heard last night, and I'm still digesting it.

Last night the ladies (above) who are part of our newly formed homeschool association traveled to Sumter, SC (three hours one way!) to attend a homeschool conference by the Maxwell family.


The Maxwell family has been homeschooling for more than 20 years, and at various times of year they tour the country to do seminars to encourage other homeschooling families. They really do these conferences out of the goodness of their hearts. They don't charge a thing for the conferences and, though they do set out boxes for a love offering, they don't even pass a plate.

They are ultra-conservative and don't allow televisions in their homes. Their children don't attend youth groups, where they could be exposed to negative influences. Their children also don't "date" but are still able to find loving spouses.

Are these practices "too" conservative? Or are they simply following God's Word and plan for their family? I have to say, Steve and Teri Maxwell were great about backing up all their thoughts with Bible verses. Now I will have to study those verses for myself.

As for my family, as much as we are trying to "get back to the land," we also love our technology - cell phones, televisions, computers and, for the boys, video games. I'll be honest and say that although I think getting rid of the TV is a wonderful idea, I don't think we'll ever be able to do it.

On the other hand, the Maxwells are a beautiful family - and I don't mean skin deep beauty. What really struck me is how happy they all seemed together. They really seemed to enjoy each others company. They were so loving toward each other. I don't think their teenagers would ever think of sassing back and getting a big attitude like most teens today do. But I don't think they are behaving because they are afraid of getting grounded or the like. I think they did it because they love and respect their parents. You could see it in their demeanor. And I want that. Who are we to judge their ways when the results are so wonderful?

So what did we learn last night?

The first part of the seminar (for the moms) focused on scheduling and chores. The men, the young men, and the young ladies all went into other groups. Although the other ladies in my group thought they could really put to work what they learned about scheduling, we already have schedules and the like at my house.

But I really enjoyed the second part of the conference, which focused on keeping the hearts of our children so that they don't rebel as teenagers. Since two of my children are teenagers, I found this to be helpful. The cure, in a nutshell, seems to simply be... spending time with them. Going everywhere with them, doing everything with them, not letting the TV babysit...

Steve Maxwell was quick to point out that they don't believe in isolationism. They don't keep the children home all the time. They are always going places and doing things - they just do it as a family. The Maxwells say that by doing so, they are eliminating most negative influences on their children.

I'll have to budget it in, but I plan to buy their book "Keeping Our Children's Hearts." In fact, they have a lot of resources that I would like to get as I get the money. I love supporting other homeschool families and I really think their materials will be helpful. In fact, I know they will. I already do schedules for my family because I have had their book, "Managers of the Their Homes," for the past year. It has been invaluable.

All things said, I believe the conference was worth the six-hour round trip drive. I do wish we could have worked it out so our husbands could have gone too, because I would like to discuss these things with my husband and get his spiritual guidance. I still will, but it would be better if we had both heard the same ideas.

Oh, and the conference ended with the family preforming some country or bluegrass gospel. They are so talented!

Book review: Fields of Grace

Fields Of Grace
Bethany House (October 2009)
by
Kim Vogel Sawyer


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Best-selling, award-winning author Kim Vogel Sawyer is a wife, mother, grandmother, author, speaker, singer of songs and lover of chocolate... but most importantly, she's a born-again child of the King!

A former elementary school teacher, Kim closed her classroom door in 2005 to follow God's call on her heart to write and speak. Now blessed with multiple writing contracts with Bethany House, Barbour, and Zondervan Publishing, Kim enjoys sharing her journey to publication as well as the miraculous story of her healing from a life-long burden of pain and shame.

Kim's gentle yet forthright testimony lends credence to the promise of Ps. 117:2--"Great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever."


ABOUT THE BOOK:

Will their Mennonite faith be shaken or strengthened by the journey to a new land?

With their eldest son nearly to the age when he will be drafted into military service, Reinhardt and Lillian Vogt decide to immigrate to America, the land of liberty, with their three sons and Reinhardt's adopted brother, Eli. But when tragedy strikes during the voyage, Lillian and Eli are forced into an agreement neither desires.

Determined to fulfill his obligation to Reinhardt, Eli plans to see Lillian and her sons safely settled on their Kansas homestead--and he's equally determined that the boys will be reared in the Mennonite faith. What he doesn't expect is his growing affection for Lillian--and the deep desire to be part of a family.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Fields Of Grace, go HERE



My Review: "Fields of Grace" is a fictional novel based on historical accounts of Mennonites who immigrated to Kansas in the 1870's. These are my favorite kind of stories - fiction based on history. But the true story of "Fields of Grace" comes from the hero and heroine. The hero, Eli, is a steadfast Christian who never forgets to count his blessings and be glad for what God has given him. The heroine, Lillian, struggles with sorrow and tragedy and has to work to overcome the anger that she was directing at God. I don't want to say I enjoyed watching her struggle (even if she is fictional) - I guess it would be better to say that I enjoyed her eventual triumph over her sorrow.

Book review: One Imperfect Christmas

One Imperfect Christmas
Abingdon Press (September 2009)
by
Myra Johnson


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Making up stories has been second nature to me for as long as I can remember. A select group of trusted friends back at dear old Mission High waited eagerly for the next installment of my "Great American Spy Novel" (think Man from Uncle) and my "All-American Teen Novel" (remember Gidget and Tammy?). I even had a private notebook of angst-ridden poetry a la Rod McKuen.

The dream of writing persisted into adulthood, although it often remained on the back burner while I attended to home and family and several "real" (read paying) jobs along the way. Then in 1983, while recovering from sinus surgery, I came upon one of those magazine ads for the Institute of Children’s Literature. I knew it was time to get serious, and the next thing I knew, I'd enrolled in the “Writing for Children and Teenagers” course.

Within a year or so I sold my first story, which appeared in the Christian publication Alive! for Young Teens. For many years I enjoyed success writing stories and articles for middle-graders and young adults. I even taught for ICL for 9 years.

Then my girls grew up, and there went my live-in inspiration. Time to switch gears. I began my first women's fiction manuscript and started attending Christian writers conferences. Eventually I learned about American Christian Romance Writers (which later became American Christian Fiction Writers) and couldn't wait to get involved. Friends in ACFW led me to RWA and the online inspirational chapter, Faith, Hope & Love.

So here I am today, still on this crazy roller-coaster ride. Still writing. Still hopeful. Writing, I'm learning, is not about the destination, it's about the journey. My current projects are primarily women's fiction and romance . . . novels of hope, love, and encouragement. Novels about real women living out their faith and finding love in the midst of everyday, and sometimes not so everyday, situations.


ABOUT THE BOOK


Graphic designer Natalie Pearce faces the most difficult Christmas of her life. For almost a year, her mother has lain in a nursing home, the victim of a massive stroke, and Natalie blames herself for not being there when it happened. Worse, she's allowed the monstrous load of guilt to drive a wedge between her and everyone she loves-most of all her husband Daniel. Her marriage is on the verge of dissolving, her prayer life is suffering, and she's one Christmas away from hitting rock bottom.

Junior-high basketball coach Daniel Pearce is at his wit's end. Nothing he's done has been able to break through the wall Natalie has erected between them. And their daughter Lissa's adolescent rebellion isn't helping matters. As Daniel's hope reaches its lowest ebb, he wonders if this Christmas will spell the end of his marriage and the loss of everything he holds dear.

If you would like to read the first chapter of One Imperfect Christmas, go HERE


Watch the trailer:

The winners!

The winners of the two giveaways were chosen by random.org. They are as follows:

Back-to-school prize pack: Alisha
Pilllsbury prize pack: Melissa at Yellow-Sunshine

Congratulations! The winners have 48 hours to contact me or the prize will be re-drawn.

Need to Breathe

Thanks to Dalyn at Muckboots N Aprons for posting this video and thereby introducing me to this great group, "Need to Breathe."

I looked them up and they are awesome! The group was formed in 1999. Their music is Christian rock with a southern "twang," if you will. The two frontmen are preacher's kids, and the group is from a tiny town in South Carolina called Possum Kingdom. Being from North Carolina, I tried to Google the town to see how far it is from me, but couldn't even find it.

You can see the rest of their video and their Web site here.

Don't forget the giveaways!

Don't forget to sign up for the two giveaways I am offering. The last day to enter is tomorrow!

Sign up for a prize pack that includes school supplies, Totino's Pizza Rolls and Pillsbury Toaster Strudels here.

And enter for the prize pack that includes a canister, a canvas tote bag and Pillsbury refrigerated cookie dough here.

Good luck!

Rediscovering our inspiration

I am sad to say that, as far as homesteading goes, we have lost our way in the past few weeks. Tomatoes and a few banana peppers are really the only things left growing. The garden has pretty much played itself out, and it's a good thing, really. I have been so busy that I haven't had time to preserve anything, and all the green peppers and most of the season's tomatoes have gone to waste - rotted on the vine or in a bushel basket as they waited.

The only fall vegetables we have taken the time to plant are lettuce and spinach. And my good home cooked meals have become scarce as we run by - gasp! - fast food restaurants in between activities.

Now that we stop and look at our lives as of late, we are saddened. We set our priorities when we first started our urban homestead, and they consisted of God, family and then the homestead. Extra-curricular activities weren't even on the list. Unfortunately, we have taken several on and I now feel committed. They are almost all good, church-centered activities, but still... they shouldn't be our priority.

Granted, I have spent a lot of time lately getting all the kids' new school stuff ready, but school is now in session and we should be able to get back on a routine schedule. That means that instead of running some errand every day, I should be spending my days at home - gardening, canning, and doing projects around the home.

Hubby recognized our shift in priorities before I did, and brought it to my attention. But I couldn't seem to get re-motivated. This week, one thing I have deliberately taken the time to do is to read other homesteading blogs. Other blogs or Web sites, like Path To Freedom, were what inspired us in the first place. So I am finding familiar faces in the blogs I have always loved and discovering new ones - like Timber Butte Homestead.

This essay from their site has inspired me, once again, to simplicity. Granted, we were only off the path for about a month or so, but that can mean a lot on a homestead - even an urban one. Finding inspiration to homestead can be difficult when you live in the city, and I am grateful that I am able to connect, via computer, with others who understand.

In the coming weeks we will be attempting to find our way back into our "homestead" mentality which, simply put, means finding contentment in who we are.

My kind of caramel apples

I've never been a big fan of caramel apples, simply because I don't like to get messy. But these are my kind of caramel apples - the chocolate covered kind!

The creative folks in the test kitchens of King Arthur (think the flour brand) came up with these ideas.

Disclaimer: I am not getting paid in cash, products or anything else for promoting these guys. They don't even know I exist. I just wish I could be like them and spend my days baking up new creations in my own little test kitchen!

A horned chicken

This is our black-crested Polish bantam hen. She's about six months old. Hubby was in the coop the other day when he noticed something unusual. Take a look at her crest. Is it our imagination, or does it look like she has red horns?


Her crest grew on the sides, but not in middle. With her pure black coloring and red "horns" she has the appearance of - well, you tell me. This one doesn't have a name yet... any suggestions?

Pillsbury cookie giveaway

Who doesn't love cookies? I certainly do! That's why I am hosting yet another giveaway, this time with the help of My Blog Spark and Pillsbury.

The winner of this giveaway will receive a prize pack that includes a cookie jar, a really great canvas grocery tote and a grocery list notebook for your next shopping trip. And, oh yeah, a coupon for a free "Simply" refrigerated cookie dough!

The new simply...TM cookies are a delicious treat for home cooks who are looking for simple foods.

The new cookies come in two favorite flavors, Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter. They are made with wholesome ingredients like flour, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and have zero grams trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors or flavors and no preservatives. The cookies are ready to bake so there is no messy preparation, and they are ready in minutes. Really, what more could you ask for in a cookie? We're talking no artificial colors, flavorings or preservatives!

The ones my daughter is putting into the oven were delicious. And okay, I admit it - I pinched off a bite off raw cookie dough before I let her put them in there! I know, I know - you can chastise me later. But right now, enter the giveaway!

All you have to do is fill out the form below with your name and e-mail address, which only I will be able to see (and I wont's share it!) You can also put your blog address if you would like to have it published if you win. Click on the form and scroll down to fill in your info and hit the submit button.

The deadline is Monday, September 21. And don't forget to enter my other giveaway for school supplies, Toaster Strudels, and Pizza Rolls!

Back in session

School is back in session! We started our new school year a couple of weeks ago, and it has gone well so far. I love our new curriculum, Accelerated Christian Education. It allows the older kids to work independently, setting goals and correcting their own mistakes as they go. This works well for us, since I am in the process of teaching my 6-year-old how to read. That's a one on one process that takes all my attention.



Hubby put a couple of bulletin boards up in the hallway for me, and I decorated them in a farm theme. The boards hold the kids' progress charts, where they get to place stars when they complete a workbook. I'll be changing the look of the bulletin boards throughout the year in conjunction with different seasons, holidays or things we may be studying.



Yes, that's what happens when you homeschool and you don't have a dedicated "school room." You have notebooks on the kitchen table, bulletin boards hanging in your hallway, a white board stuck behind the couch, and an easel in a closet.

Back-to-school giveaway!!!

Check out all this stuff! If you have kids in school (public, private or homeschooled) you will love this giveaway!

The winner of this giveaway from My Blog Spark gets everything pictured above. Of course, the Pillsbury Toaster Strudels and the Totino's Pizza Rolls are frozen, so they will come as coupons. You can take the coupons to the store and get them for free.


I have to say, both the Toaster Strudels and the Pizza Rolls are items I have never before purchased. I appreciated how easy and convenient they were to fix, and the kids loved "designing" their own icing on the Strudels. Since they send a coupon instead of the actual product, we were able to pick our own flavors. We went with the strawberry cheesecake Toaster Strudels. My daughter thought they tasted great but all my 6-year-old son wanted to do was lick the icing off!

This prize pack also comes with school supplies - a binder and a whole bunch of glue sticks and highlighters. It also comes with 10 bonus "Box Tops for Education." These are collected by most public schools and some homeschool associations, which get money for collecting them.

All you have to do to enter to win this prize pack is enter your name and e-mail address. It's as simple as that! Just fill out the form below with your name and e-mail address (I am the only one who will see it). Click on the form and scroll down to enter your info and hit the submit button. The deadline for this giveaway is Monday, September 21. Good luck!

P.S. Check back tomorrow for another great giveaway!

Fishing with friends

Thursday night we went fishing with some friends. We caught some brim, but most of them were tiny. We had a good time anyway, though - at least until dusk when the mosquitoes came out!

That's Hubby, above, and below are our friends.

Day by day our daily bread

As a long-time Christian, I thought I understood everything there was to understand about the Lord's Prayer. But today in church the sermon expounded on the Lord's Prayer as it is found in Luke - and I learned something.

¹ Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
² So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
³ Give us day by day our daily bread.
⁴ And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”

Luke 11:1-4 (NKJV)


Look at verse three. The one sentence stands all by itself. "Give us day by day our daily bread." It doesn't just say to ask for our daily bread, it says to ask for it day by day. In other words, we can't pray on Monday morning and ask God to meet every need for the coming week and never expect to go back to Him. He will give us what we need for that day. Why? As our pastor said, perhaps He knows we would waste it or let it spoil.

The whole sermon made me think of one of my favorite quote's from L.M. Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables."

"Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it."

Inspirational quotes mean different things to different people, but I have always taken this quote from a biblical viewpoint. To me, it means that God forgives our mistakes every day and allows us to start fresh each morning. But when combined with Luke 11:3, it takes on a whole different meaning. Not only can we start fresh each morning with no mistakes, but God will provide everything we need for that day. But we have to ask!

Our pastor challenged us: How many of us start the day by going to God in prayer? Do we get up, shut off the alarm and stumble into the shower to begin our day? Or do we spend time with God, asking Him to provide for our needs that day?

Daily devotions have always been one of my personal areas of struggle. When asked, my standard response is that I would love to, but I just don't have time. No time for Jesus? For the One who saved me? For the One who promises to provide for my daily needs if I but ask for His help?

Starting my day with a quiet devotion is going to mean setting the alarm early and dragging myself out of bed, no matter how tired I am, before the kids wake up. It's going to take self-discipline and motivation, and I'll need your prayers. But I feel certain it's going to reap great rewards.

Our pastor read a quote by American evangelist Billy Sunday - "Spend 15 minutes a day listening to God, 15 minutes a day talking to God, and 15 minutes a day talking to others about God."

What great advice! How important is prayer to you?

Book review: The Blue Enchantress

The Blue Enchantress
Barbour Books (August 1, 2009)
by
M.L.Tyndall


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



M. L. (MaryLu) Tyndall grew up on the beaches of South Florida loving the sea and the warm tropics. But despite the beauty around her, she always felt an ache in her soul--a longing for something more.

After college, she married and moved to California where she had two children and settled into a job at a local computer company. Although she had done everything the world expected, she was still miserable. She hated her job and her marriage was falling apart.

Still searching for purpose, adventure and true love, she spent her late twenties and early thirties doing all the things the world told her would make her happy, and after years, her children suffered, her second marriage suffered, and she was still miserable.

One day, she picked up her old Bible, dusted it off, and began to read. Somewhere in the middle, God opened her hardened heart to see that He was real, that He still loved her, and that He had a purpose for her life, if she'd only give her heart to Him completely.

She had written stories her whole life, but never had the confidence to try and get any of them published. But as God began to change her heart, He also showed her that writing had been His wonderful plan for her all along!

Her other current release in the Charles Towne Belles series includes The Red Siren.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Betrayed by the man she longed to marry, Hope Westcott is about to be auctioned off as a slave to the highest bidder on an island in the Caribbean . After enduring a difficult childhood in an unloving home, Hope?s search for love and self-worth have led her down a very dangerous path. All she ever wanted was to find true love and open an orphanage where she could raise children with all the love she never experienced as a child.? But how can a woman with a sordid past ever hope to run an orphanage, let alone attract the love of an honorable man?

Determined to overcome the shame of his mother?s past, Nathaniel Mason worked for many years to build his own fleet of merchant ships in an effort to finally acquire the respect of Charles Towne society. Ignoring the call of God on his life to become a preacher, he forges ahead with his plans for success at a distant port in the Caribbean , when he sees a young lady he knows from Charles Towne being sold as a slave. In an effort to save Hope, he is forced to sell one of his two ships, only to discover that her predicament was caused by her own bad behavior. Angry and determined to rid himself of her as soon as possible, Nathaniel embarks on a journey that will change the course of his life.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Blue Enchantress, go HERE

View The Book Trailer:






My Review: I had already read M.L. Tyndall's "Red Siren" and loved it. The Blue Enchantress picks up where the Red Siren left off. Although I felt that the heroine had a bit more depth of character in the first book of the Charles Towne Belles series, the Blue Enchantress met my expectations. Romantic pirates brought an edge of excitment to the book and solid Christian characters kept the whole thing from getting too out of hand. Although danger is always exciting, I also liked the idea that a life following God can be just as adventurous in different ways, as the characters portrayed. Tyndall does an excellent job of weaving "good" characters in with "bad" characters and blurring the lines between the two. I can't wait to see what trouble the Westcott girls get into in the next book in the series!