Gratitude Challege Day 16: Kindness

Today I'm sitting in a hospital room with my mom and daughter. My grandfather has been here for 24 days. Unfortunately his labs and what not are improving, but he isn't. The infection he's been fighting is finally gone. Only he isn't doing better. He's just tired. So, we wait. We think we know what we are waiting for, but only God truly knows. It's in His hands and His timing alone.

This isn't an eloquent post. It isn't fancy or edited pretty. I honestly don't have time to look for many quotes like I would like. But, my heart tells me that I need to sing praises today.

My gratitude goes to those helping care for him. My mom is a nurse (as well as previously being a first grade teacher), so I've grown up understanding the sacrifice and diligence that goes with this sometimes thankless job. When you are in a doctor's office or hospital take the time to say thank you to the nurse! Say thank you to the techs. Say thank you to the people who clean or those in security. Their jobs are often thankless, and they see grieving more than most.

My gratitude goes to the other families who take the time to nod or smile, say a kind hello, or hold an elevator door. They are most likely having a stressful time as well. Take the time to say thank you.

My gratitude goes to the Lord, for I know that no matter what is in store my faith - and my grandfather's faith - is in Him. With Him all things are possible. With Him our future is secure. With Him we have no wants or needs. Sing praises. :)

Go hug someone. :)

For God so loved the ME AND YOU that He gave His one and only Son for US so that when WE believe in HIM we have everlasting life. John 3:16 (Stephanie version!)

Crafty Book Review: Doodle-Stitching by Aimee Ray

Doodle-Stitching: Fresh & Fun Embroidery Designs for Beginners by Aimee Ray

2007, Lark Books; 128 pages




Summary from GoodReads.com:

"Asian-inspired lampshades embellished with flying fish. Canvas sneakers decorated with pink and white swirls. A pretty pillow adorned with a sleeping bunny, sweetly curled up. All it takes to create these appealing projects—or add charming embroidered touches in no time at all—are a few simple stitches, some easy techniques, and the nearly 30 projects in this book. Begin by learning several styles for outlining, filling, decorating, and appliqué. Find out about floss, fancy threads, fabrics, and needles. Get the scoop on hoops, and the lowdown on transferring your very own designs onto every type of fabric. The fresh ideas, witty patterns, and clever color illustrations take stitchers from novice to accomplished in a blink of the eye!"


My turn...

I picked this book up on a whim when I was in one of my "I need inspiration" moods. I'm so glad that I did. I LOVE this book. Did you catch that?

Love. This. Book.

Do you doodle while you are on the phone? You can do this. Like to draw on a scrap napkin? Yep. You too. Copy, alter, or start from scratch with your own original design with a doodle. It's completely approachable after you've read this book!

I don't have much experience with embroidery. I've done a bit here and there, but my hand-stitching is typically limited to finishing work and the occasional cross stitch project. I've tried my hand at embroidery a few times but honestly there are some basic stitches that my mind just wouldn't allow me to see. Aimee Ray does a fantastic job explaining the how along with the why in each basic and decorative stitch. She also tells you how a stitch might morph into another, or how two may be paired together. The photographs along with her description create some kind of magic because I GOT it! I can actually see how these elements come together to create patterns! This is earth shattering people. Seriously. It is.

Another great bit in this book comes by way of explanation of fabric and method. Each is explained (again with photos), and best yet even the patterns tell you step by step which method of transfer should be used, to hoop or not to hoop (not a question after you read her description) and how to make changes to make the piece YOURS. I tend to be a "buck the system" kind of gal. I always make changes. If a craft requires me to copy a work in full I tend to work through half and never finish. I honestly think that I will finish any project that I choose from this book. Best yet, because there are photos of motifs created in slightly different ways or with slightly different materials to illustrate the flexibility in design my mind's eye has already started coming up with designs.

Practically speaking this is a great book to grab if you are new to sewing and would like to embellish a purchased item to give it that hand-made touch, and yet it is also a good book for the shelf of a seasoned crafter. Pick it up and enjoy.

Now, go stitch something!

Fall Into Reading 2010 Challenge (just a little late!)

Oh, how I love books! I love books as much as I love fabric.

And food.

Books make me smile! I spent hours as a child reading the stories of the Little House on the Prairie series. It was my tradition to read through the entire series with each move. I lived as a friend of Nancy Drew's in her adventures. I grew through stories such as The Secret Garden, and with them my memories grew as well.

I just love books. Remember the line, "Fish are friends, not food?" Well, books are friends, not simply words on a page.

Every year I've wanted to join the reading challenges over at Callapidder Days but for some reason I never can remember in time to start with everyone else. This year I decided that it didn't matter. I can read along with them even if I start late. And that I will do!

The Fall Into Reading 2010 Challenge officially began in September and will conclude on December 20th, so my list will be a bit shorter than I would normally choose. The coming season will be busy, so I hope to read as much as I can. My personal goal is to read a minimum of 30 minutes per day. It's not much, I know! However, during a season where we have three major holidays (Thanksgiving, Hanukkah with the in-laws, and Christmas with my family) I'll be doing well to get that much in!

I also tend to read things that others might not such as craft books, cookbooks, etc. I have a stack of craft books either on my shelf or on my library list that I'll work through. I love reading craft books! (I do, by the way. I read it all. Cover to cover. Instructions and all. Told you I was weird!) Since this is a hectic season I'll read through some of these. I'll give you as many reviews as I can on these in case you'd like to check them out! I've added a classic to the list. Yes, I know the story, but I've never actually read it cover to cover myself. I'm also adding a non-fiction title by G.K. Chesterton. I love the Father Brown titles by Chesterton! I've yet to read one of his non-fiction titles so I thought I'd give this a read.

Follow my progress on the Fall Into Reading 2010 page at the top of the blog!

So, to recap:

1. Read a minimum of 30 minutes per day.
2. Read my craft books.
3. Review as many books as I can.
4. Give a recap on Fridays to keep me honest!


My list:

Doodle-Stitching: Fresh & Fun Embroidery for Beginners by Aimee Ray

Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made With Repurposed & Organic Materials by Betz White

Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends From Cast-off Socks and Gloves by Kanamori Miyako

Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase by Suzanne J.E. Tourtillott

Shakespeare In An Hour by Christopher Baker

Irish Impressions by G.K. Chesterton

Three Ghost Stories by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens



Hopefully I'll get to make friends with each book listed. Visit Callapidder Days and join in the fun!

Gratitude Challenge Day 15: Quiet Mornings

God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day. Genesis 1:5 (NIV)

Who would have thought that "morning" would pop up in a post about blessings and gratitude!? If you knew me you'd know that I am not a morning person.

Not.

At.

All.

However, I married a morning person. He loves mornings. Adores mornings. Craves mornings. And, it's rubbing off on me.

Over the years I've always looked for ways to sleep in. These days I set my alarm clock so that I'm up a little bit earlier than the kid. I haven't quite mastered the way of the organized ninja, but I'm getting there.

Things that mornings give me:

Time to start slow. (Though I'm a talker I'm a really slow talker in the morning. Don't look at me. Don't require me to speak in more than a grunt. Don't feed the animal.)

Time with God. (I'm not the best at morning quiet time, though I hope to be one day. I find myself giving an internal pep talk and pat on the back... it's not in the "when" but in the "do.")

Time to plan out my day. (I love to review my calendars: personal, homeschool lesson planner, blog plans.)

Time to exercise. (OK, so this more of a daily goal than something that always happens.... don't judge me. ;)

My point is that mornings can be so full of the things that I love doing - alone and without words - that I'm really trying to make it a priority to get up earlier. So far so good. I even wake up without prompting now. (Why do I have the Pull Ups "I'm a big kid now" commercial singing my head?)

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3 (NIV)

 

Menu Planning Monday: November 15

Ah, Menu Plan Monday... how I've missed you! I've gotten a bit wordy in this "glad to be back" post, so feel free to hurry it up a bit and skip to the bottom.

I used to love participating in MPM ages ago in my former bloggy life. What fun it was! I know. It's either making me really interesting about now, or making me seem like I need more pizazz in my life. Peeking into the menus of others is considered fun for me. (I also read - yes read - cookbooks for kicks. I'm an odd bird I tell you!) It helped me stay on task and gave me fresh ideas to wow the family. However, once the blogging stopped so did my peeking and participate. I'm so glad to have it back. Hopefully it will have the same effect on my planning as well as budget!

Two of us (myself and the kid) are vegetarians while the other two (the husband and the grandmother) are what I would call flexitarians. They eat meat but will eat a vegetarian meal with me as well. Because my husband prefers meat-based meals I do have a tendency to use replacements such as Quorn Grounds or Quorn Tenders so you'll notice things such as "Chicken Pot Pie." Some vegetarians don't like it. Pish posh. It works here. (Though we might be integrating meat back into our meals on a small basis. I'd love to hear if anyone has any experience on transitioning back after being on a vegetarian diet!) We are also a dairy-free family but most recipes are adjusted so you'll find these recipes should work for most people. Yes, yes... Quorn isn't a dairy-free product, but the amount must be minimal because our daughter doesn't react to it.

Also, I'm adding in breakfast otherwise we wander like refugees through the kitchen asking someone to toss us a slice of bread or point us to the closest box of cereal. I'm desperately trying to reign in this time of the day. It's not marked which meal is which, but I leave it to your good judgment to sort that one out! Lunches tend to be soup and sandwich fare except on Fridays when I babysit. (This week... TACOS!)

Side note: Check out the free resources over at I'm An Organizing Junkie. They are fantastic! I didn't use them much this week because I'm having to fly by the seat of my pants since I haven't been feeling well, but I plan on utilizing many of these (especially the freezer cooking links!) It's on my list of things to accomplish in the near future before falling victim enjoying the rush of the holiday season.

One website that I had a lot of fun with this week came from another challenge Planner last week: 100 Nutritious, Delicious, Vegetarian Recipes for Picky Kids & Husbands

Let's see what the family will be eating this week. After peeking through a few links and peering into the fridge it looks like the winners are....

drumroll please...

Monday: (CP) Tempeh Breakfast Hash ; Crock Pot Enchiladas w/ Mexican Rice

Tuesday: (F) Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Couscous ; Cheesy Potato Veggie Soup

Wednesday: (E) Cinnamon Raisin French Toast ; Baked Mac & Cheese w/ Broccoli and Fruit Salad

Thursday: (D) Scrambled Tofu Breakfast Burritos ; Cincinnati Style Chili Over Spaghetti w/ Salad

Friday: (CP) Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins ; Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna w/ Garlic Bread

Saturday: Vegan Breakfast Casserole (prep Friday night) ; Homemade Pizza

Sunday: (CP) Free for All Breakfast ; Vegetarian Irish Stew


*In case you're interested, here's what my notations mean:
(CP) = Crock Pot These are the days that we're loaded with activities.
(F) = Favorite Dad is out twice a month so we eat all of our vegetarian favorites. Can anyone say tofu?
(E) = Easy These are the nights that we have somewhere to be straight after dinner. The need for speed means nothing fancy from The Food Network!
(D) = Dad's Favorite Since we get a favorite certain nights HE gets a favorite certain nights. Fair is fair!

See, it's not a mundane task. It's an adventure when you link up to hundreds of others! So hop over to I'm An Organizing Junkie and take part. What are YOU having for dinner?

Gratitude Challenge Day 14: Homeschooling

It's Day 14 of the Gratitude Challenge! I'm thoroughly enjoying this series - both the reading and the writing!

Today, I am thankful for the place that homeschooling has in our lives. It's a fantastic blessing that I could not have imagined in my wildest of teenage dreams, and I wouldn't change it for a second.

I've already written a bit about our homeschooling history as well as what we are using this year. This post will have a very different feel. But, it's where my heart is today.

* Psst.... Disclaimer Here *

In no way does my love of homeschooling or views on parenting mean that I am sitting in judgment of those who choose a different education for their children. I am thankful that we live in an age where we have choice... homeschooling, private school, or public school. No one choice is perfect for each family. Though we are committed to homeschooling we are more committed to following the Lord's leading. Our journey doesn't need to look like yours. Just a little side note for my non-homeschooling friends who read this blog!

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

We firmly believe that it is our duty as parents to train our daughter: to be a strong Christian firm in her beliefs; to be an educated young lady with the ability to find the information she requires on the path the Lord gives her; and to be a polite and responsible member of society. Homeschooling is how we choose to do that.

To be a strong Christian firm in her beliefs...

How wonderful that we live in a country where we can still stand up for our beliefs without becoming a martyr! Granted, things have changed and continue to change, but this is a post about homeschooling not politics. ;) We believe that it is first our duty as parents to teach our daughter how to understand and respond to Scripture and the Lord's leading. I've beaten myself up over the years for not teaching this or that in such and such order. Then one day it hit me. I am not strong enough to take down God's plan for her! I can't mess her up if I am choosing everything through prayer. If we teach her to do all things through prayer she will also learn how to follow His leading in her future as well.

To be an educated young lady with the ability to find the information she requires on the path the Lord gives her...

I feel so blessed that we have so many materials at our disposal in this day and age! A big thank you to all of those moms and dad that homeschooled prior to the day of the Rainbow Resource catalog. Because of you and your desire to ferret out and request high quality information and materials for your children can those of us in today's homeschool community choose from an immeasurable amount of curriculum sources. (Ok, so we could could them. I don't want to try. And, I don't know who has yet!) Thank you, THANK you, THANK YOU!

To be a polite and responsible member of society...

Whoever thinks that homeschoolers aren't socialized needs to read a few articles or have a few conversations with a homeschooler or two! Yup. We're a chatty bunch. Though most expect us to be home all the time we actually beg for a home day or two a week! We are so blessed to have so many opportunities for our children. Art classes at the rec center... homeschool groups for a variety of needs... field trips all around town. That's just the start of it! I know that not all cities are likes ours. We have so many opportunities in our local homeschool community and though I frequently lament about how I miss the South where I grew up (and I do!) I have to remind myself that we have such a blessing in our local community. I am also thankful to have an active church community that can help her in that goal as well.

Homeschooling has blessed us during times of struggle and times of triumph. We are so thankful that we have the right to choose homeschooling for our daughter!

Head over to check out today's entries in Garden of Learning's Gratitude Challenge. You'll be blessed!

Gratitude Challenge Days 11 - 13 Catching up!

Welcome to the "Stephanie Catches Up" Gratitude Challenge Post! This has been a tough week!

Our daughter has been sick.

I've been sick.

Our dogs have been sick.

My grandfather is still sick.

I'm feeling like everyone is sick!

Needless to say, I got behind in the blog and challenge. I still thought of all of the things that I was thankful for, I just didn't have the time or energy to get them posted. So....

The Catch Up Post!

November 11: I am thankful for our service men and women! My grandfathers both served... one in the Navy, one in the Army. I am blessed with friends who have given their lives to protect our freedom. I am blessed with friends who wait at home while their loved ones give their lives. It's almost an incomprehensible gift that they all give to us. How can we ever know what each has given up? We talk about how they leave their friends and family, but they also leave their hobbies, passions, loves. They give up the ability to truly relax to serve their country. They give up the joy of doing something just because they want to for us - some appreciative, some not. They give up the mundane that we take for granted (and they probably miss more than they expected!) It's the big and the little sacrifices that make up the gift that they give us. My thanks to all those who have served, past and present.

November 12: I'm thankful for technology! My mom has been traveling to the hospital that my grandfather is in. A lot. She makes this two-hour drive as often as she can around her work schedule. (She's a nurse, so this means that she is able to go multiple times a week if her schedule allows.) She's been able to keep in contact with us as she needs to through cell phones and text messages. The hospital has been able to reach her at a moment's notice if necessary. How wonderful is this! Not too long ago one would miss an important update if they were running errands. Or they would have to find a pay phone (and hope that they had change in their pockets) to call family for support. It's a little thing, and possibly odd to some, but I am thankful that she has been able to reach us - and be reached - when needed.

November 13: I've said it before, but yesterday I was thankful for my husband and daughter once again. I was in bed or on the couch nearly all of yesterday, and they took great care of me! From making me food to washing all of the dishes and everything in between, it was all taken care of for me. I am thankful that I have a family that spends so much time together (and enjoys it!) I was able to rest and somewhat recover, and I know that when I need help today they will be there to lend a hand. :)

I'm staying home from church to rest today, but hopefully I'll be back to regular posting this week. I've missed it! I've been finding some great holiday blogs to follow... lots of foodie, crafty, holiday fun. Hopefully I'll get posts up to share that this week! I've learned to let go of the mommy guilt. We get sick. We get behind. And it's fine. (My stress level thanks ME for that one!)

If you'd like to join the challenge there are still many days of gratitude left! Join at the Garden of Learning linked above or on the right side of the blog.