The Books I'm Reading

Once upon a time I used to read a book cover to cover before moving on to the next one. That was ions ago and much has changed, including my level of distractability. I thought I'd share with you the books I'm currently reading, partly because they happen to be really good books and partly because I didn't realize just how many books I had going at the same time until the other day. It really showed me that I lack focus- in a BIG way!

1. Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver- My pastor's wife says this is one of her favorite books and she speaks of it often. A couple of months ago when I went by myself to the mountains I bought it and read halfway through it like gangbusters. It really spoke to me and brought out the Mary in me. Then I got home and Martha returned and I haven't managed to finish the book yet.

2. 8 Steps to Create the Life You Want by Dr. Creflo A. Dollar- You would think when God arranges for you to meet Dr. Dollar personally and get an autographed copy of a book that He's trying to tell you that maybe you should hop to it and read it. It's a great book, but I've only read selected chapters as I've felt they applied to situations in my life.

3. From Panic to Power! by Kevin F. Spaulding- Kevin spoke at our Toastmaster's meeting and I got yet another autographed book. I read a lot in the beginning then put it down until right before the North Carolina State Homeschool Convention. Since the book is about overcoming the fear of public speaking, I thought it might come in handy and it did help immensely. Still haven't finished it, but I'm due to speak again soon so I imagine I'll be pulling it off the shelf again.

4. Do Hard Things by Alex & Brett Harris- My roomate at NCHE bought this one for me and I read a few chapters the night before I spoke and it helped me tremendously. This is one I plan to go through with my teens this summer. It's very appropriate for all ages even though it's aimed at teens.

5. The Prayer of Jabez for Women by Darlene Wilkinson- I just got this one today. I went to throw something in the recycling bin and there it was along with several other books. I nearly hyperventilated. A book in the recycling bin! Apparently, my mother-in-law has not grasped the fact that books are sacred items in this household. We might store them, give them away, donate them, even sell them, but we never, ever, ever throw them in recycling or trash! I rescued it and thought it would be a good read when I get around to it.

Last night I took my friend, Melissa, out for a birthday dinner and then we stopped by Lifeway to browse and read a while. I was interested in the book Boundaries by Somebody Cloud and Somebody Townsend. I read through a lot of it and decided that I'm doing pretty good with keeping boundaries in place in my life so I opted not to buy it right now. However, if someone were to write a book called Focus I'd be first in line to get it! Granted, it might take me a while to get through it because of distractions and all.

More Tea Party Treasures

Okay, I admit that I've become just a trifle obsessed with tea party things. My daughter calls them my "happy plates". She says that whenever I'm feeling out of sorts all someone has to do is hand me one of my pretty tea party plates and I get all happy again. It's therapy for me, I suppose.

If you're in need of a little therapy yourself just recline and release all your troubles as I take you on a little tour of my latest tea party finds. And while you're relaxing and looking at my "happy plates" help me think of where I'm going to store all of these little pretties. Boxes on the bedroom floor just isn't cutting it.

Let's start the session properly. "Hello, my name is Bonita and I'm a tea party stuffaholic." There, I feel better already. Now, let's get on to the good stuff!

I have a new acquaintance at church that I'm determined will be my friend. She's gentle and kind- and she's from England! She takes afternoon tea! I'm bound and determined that we will take tea together one of these days! She told me that she often finds tea party things at TJ Maxx so off I went on a quest. I found this beautfiul Spode platter which goes by the title "British flowers- Poppy". It was on the clearance table for $5.00.

They also had some Spode bowls that had blue backgrounds and black designs, same pattern, as well as pink rimmed plates with the same black design. It was hard, but I passed on those. But I didn't pass on this little teapot. It isn't Spode. In fact, I don't think you're actually supposed to use it and I probably wouldn't have bought it if I'd realized that in the store. However, it's cute and the trim around the top is almost the same as on my Spode platter. I think the two of them together have a sort of Oriental feel.

Yesterday I stopped by a yard sale on the next street over. They weren't actually open for business yet and were still unpacking, but I found several things I wanted to buy and, naturally, they weren't going to turn me down when I was waving cash in front of their faces. I looked up and saw a woman unpacking this beautiful set of dishes that looked perfect for a tea party.

The little plates have a rim where you sit your saucer. They will go well with my teapot with pale flowers on it that I showed off in another post. My daughter was all over that cake platter as she's been wanting one for a while.

A few days ago I returned to the department store where I had found two beautiful tea sets. You can click here to go to that post. I had my eye on Johnson Bros castle series in red. They had a tea set that included the teapot, four cups and saucers, as well as the cream and sugar containers. It was on sale and I had a coupon for 15% off. But when I asked to see the actual teapot, I just wasn't all that thrilled with it, at least not thrilled enough to warrant the price. Plus, the set didn't include plates. I decided to look around a bit and visit the most expensive store in the mall "just to look" at their tea sets, but I wasn't expecting to be able to afford anything there. Surprise! They had a clearance table set up and lookie what I found on it!

Johnson Bros castles series in red! I got that beautiful little set up for two, minus one saucer for 75% off!! I went back to the other store and got the extra saucer for 50% off + my 15% off coupon. I never got the teapot because I'll either just get a cream colored one sometime or maybe I'll find it at deep discount at a later date.

I also got this pretty Nikko china plate for a whopping $1.38 to start an eclectic selection of tea party items. I don't know if you can see the rim, but I thought the design was so understated and pretty.

I hope looking at all of these beautiful tnings makes you feel happy. It has lifted my spirits just sharing them with you!

Celebrating- Southern Style

Seeing how I've been a delinquent blogger lately and my primary electronic communication has been back and forth with my publisher's editorial staff as we begin the process of producing another writing curriculum, I thought I'd better post at least something so I don't lose all of my readership! So, I thought I'd post about an event we attended last night that I feel reflects the "southern" experience, both redneck and refined, better than anything I've ever attended.

We attended a high school graduation party for the son of our friends, Tony and Anne Winters. We've known the Winters family for a few years and we all attended church together until our family switched last year. Tony and my husband are great friends and flying buddies. Tony is a pilot and John is a wannabe pilot.

Tony and Anne run the National League of Junior Cotillions. Basically, from what I understand of it, they teach etiquette, dancing, and generally prepare young ladies and gentlemen for their entrance into society. A couple of years ago their daughter was the featured debutante in Teen magazine.

Anne is the picture of refined southern culture. She's tall, slender, beautiful and all graciousness, goodness, and kindness. Tony...well...they do say opposites attract, don't they? He is quite a character, very much like my own husband, and when the two of them get together you never know what trouble or fun might come of it.

They live in a sprawling old southern home that has been passed down through the generations. When we arrived at the party, we were met by the gardener who instructed us to park in the "lower stables" aka the bottom horse pasture. Their grounds are lovely. The party took place in the big yard inside the circle drive out back. The whole semi-circle is surrounded by roses bushes of every kind and they were all in full bloom so color and fragrance abounded. Large, old trees provided shade. Tables and chairs covered the lawn and some were tucked away under the large canopy that covered the food. A trampoline and one of those big inflatable things that kids jump in was parked near the big white barn.

The meal couldn't have been more traditional southern: BBQ pork, BBQ chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, French fries, hushpuppies, yummy peach cobbler, homemade ice cream, sweet tea, and freshly squeezed lemonade.

For entertainment we had a bluegrass band and The Firehouse Cloggers, the oldest clogging group in the nation. I absolutely love bluegrass! Those cloggers, many of which looked to be in their seventies, had incredible energy. The best part was when they each chose a partner from the party guests. You should have seen all those teenagers dancing like hillbillies. None of them could clog worth a flip so they resorted to all sorts of leapin' and heel kickin'. The guest of honor even let loose with a short break dance. Hilarious!

All in all, the evening was a fun break from the routine and we got to see some friends from our former church that we hadn't seen in a while. That was our short foray into the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Now it's back to work as usual.

Wild and Crazy Week

I have grand plans to actually write things on this blog this week. I have lots of stuff I'd like to write about homeschooling, as well as some things about writing and even some things I've learned from God's word. Not to mention, I'd like to post pictures of my latest tea party finds. However, my schedule is rather wild at the moment so I'll let you know what I'm up to and promise to actually write things here as I can find a moment.

Yesterday was our annual testing day. Afterwards, we went out to eat according to our annual tradition. My daughter is big on traditions! We went to Midtown Sundries and weren't overly impressed. Their food used to be a lot better than it is currently. After lunch we headed to the mall to buy some spring/ summer clothes for the kids. We've reached the official end of our school year, but each of the kids has a few minor details to finish and my son will probably continue his math and Spanish over the summer, though not necessarily daily. Last night both kids had ball games. Fortunately, they were both on the home fields and at different times.

Today my son works for a few hours and my daughter and I will go to that store that I dislike intensely, the one that begins with a big, fat "W". It can't be avoided, unfortunately. Tonight my son has a baseball game.

Tomorrow, my daughter and I have to return to the mall while my son works. We didn't realize that those cool coupons we wanted to use don't go into effect until tomorrow. We also have a graduation with accompanying party to attend tomorrow evening.

Friday my Aunt Ellen comes into town. We love Aunt Ellen so this will be a treat. Friday evening I plan to take my friend, Melissa, out to eat for her birthday dinner.

Saturday and Sunday involve the usual catch up and two baseball games for my son. I may also take my daughter and friends to the local amusement park. We bought season's passes and so did several of her friends. Already, I've discovered that to be a very wise thing to do for this year!

In between all of this I'm supposed to be working on my next curriculum, finishing up some other writing projects, and preparing for my upcoming trip to the Denver homeschool convention. Occasionally, it might be nice to clean the house too! Hopefully, next week will slow down a smidgen. I don't know how we managed to schedule everything within this one week.

All that to say, stay tuned for some great posts...shortly.

The North Carolina State Homeschool Convention

For those of you who may be visiting because you met me or heard me speak at NCHE, I want to welcome you to my blog. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing, meeting, and getting to know all of you. It only confirmed what I already knew- that homeschooling families are some of the most wonderful people on the planet!

You can check out my sidebar to see topics that relate to homeschooling and writing. I don't have as many posts as I want to have yet, but keep checking back because I will be adding more, including more ways to sparkle in your homeschooling since that seemed to be a big hit.

For those of you who prayed for me and prayed for those who I would come into contact with at NCHE, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I felt your prayers! I could never tell you all of the wonderful things that happened there, but I can tell you that even though it was completely exhausting, God met me at every turn and He took care of every minute little detail, even things I had no idea I needed to cover in prayer. I feel like the whole weekend was nothing but one small miracle after another and I drew so much closer to the Lord because I had to depend on Him for everything.

I've never laughed so hard (My roommates were crazy people! LOL!). I've never talked so much as I'm a relatively quiet person. My throat hurts and my voice is strained beyond belief, but I feel like those words brought so many new friends into my life. I can't say I've never worked so hard or done without so much sleep because I have, but it still required God's grace and strength to have the stamina to see it through to completion. I've rarely felt so constantly close to God, as if I was standing in His presence every moment. And this weekend will reside in my memory bank as one of those times when God showed up and showed out in ways I could never even imagine. Friends, it feels so good to step out of the boat and walk on the water, doing things that we never thought we could do.

Ironically, but not surprisingly, things fell apart on the homefront while they were going so well at the convention. My daughter fell down the basement steps, my mother-in-law, who lives with us, developed a painful tooth infection, and my husband injured his knee during batting practice with my daughter's softball team. Only my son escaped unscathed, but he ended up working the whole time to replace all the sick people at his workplace. You can imagine what my house looked like (and still looks like!) when I walked in the door with everyone incapacitated to some degree. The cat was awfully glad to see me and hasn't stopped loving on me since I got home. I think everyone was too busy working or recovering to pay him much attention.

Last night I guess I must have been pretty exhausted because when I finished brushing my teeth I realized that I had used my husband's toothbrush! I'm such a cootie freak that I would never ever do something like that if I wasn't way off kilter. This time I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "Oh well," then snuggled into the most wonderful bed on earth- the one in my own home surrounded by the people that I love most in all the world. And I slept like a baby- a happy, contented, exceedingly grateful little child of God.

My Teapot Collection

I'm so excited to finally be able to participate in the tea blog-a-thon at Gracious Hospitality. I learned about it late and didn't think I really had much to contribute, but I've thoroughly enjoyed reading what others have written and looking at all the beautiful pictures of tea "stuff".

This week's topic is teapots. I only had two and didn't think it worthwhile to show them, but all that changed today. The Lord provided a needed diversion. I'd almost call it a miracle. Let me show you the teapots and explain them and I think you'll catch on as we go.

This first teapot was given to us as a wedding present over 18 years go. At the time I had no interest in tea, but kept it because it was pretty and because my great friend and roommate was the giver. I was very thankful to have it once my daughter and I started having afternoon teas and it has become our standard teapot.

I bought the next teapot for my 17th anniversary present. We went to our niece's wedding in New England and spent some time in Amish country on the way back. One of my Internet buddies lived there and she took me to a Victorian shop that was heavenly. It was loaded with lace, teapots, vintage items, just everything that could make my little heart sing. Since our anniversary was a few days later I spared my husband the agony of choosing a gift and pronounced to him that he was buying me a teapot.

On the way home from Amish country we stopped to eat at Cracker Barrel and I found an adorable little bluebird tea set on clearance. Couldn't resist! To see a picture of it you can click here.

That was pretty much the total of my teapots until today. As I've been wandering all over town collecting stuff for my upcoming convention this weekend, I've been keeping my eye out for teapots. I actually saw quite a few and thought about getting some, but none of them really made me gasp in awe...until today.

I was adding the finishing touches to my speaking outfits and the thought occurred to me to check my favorite department store. I almost didn't follow the inclination because I had a lot of other stuff on my agenda. However, I also had two gift cards from Christmas for that department store. I felt certain I'd spend them on clothes like usual and I really didn't expect the store to have teapots and I figured if they did they would be outrageously expensive. God knew better and he led me straight to my heart's desire. Not one, but TWO beautiful tea sets, both on sale at phenomenal prices.

I call this one the dragonfly set because it has little dragonflies on it that I'm not sure if you can see in the picture or not. It came with four cups and saucers.

The next one I call "Baby Blue" because I just absolutely love it! The teapot came with four cups and saucers in a set, but how could I resist those lovely heart shaped plates? I couldn't obviously! Don't you just love it?

I'm going to go to the homeschool conference this weekend to work my little buns off and have loads of fun, but when I get back we are going to have some humdinger tea parties! Thank you, Lord, for caring about everything in my life, even my teapot status.

MIA

If I'm missing in action for a while it's because I've entered the speaking zone. I speak at the N.C. state homeschool convention this Friday and preparations are consuming my every waking moment and every thought. I kept thinking today that I really needed to blog, but my mind is so "elsewhere" at the moment that I couldn't do any topic justice. I knew that when this week started I'd either suddenly go on a creative binge and blog like crazy or the well would run dry due to other priorities. Apparently, I'm operating from the latter stance. Now, once this conference is over and my stress level returns to normal human range, watch out because I'll probably be a raging river of words.

I'd covet any prayers you'd care to pray right now as I try to cross every "t" and dot every "i" before I leave for the convention. Pray that I'll be braver than I feel. Pray that I'll help and minister to everyone God sends my way and pray too for the people He sends my way. Pray that I'll proclaim the messages God has given me with boldness and selfless love. Just pray for whatever comes to mind!

And that folks is the extent of my creative and writing ability for today.

Sunny Saturday Strolling

I had plans today. Most of them fell by the wayside. God had other plans on this warm, sunny Saturday with flawless blue skies. I just want to take a moment to share some things I saw, some things I did, and some thoughts I had on this glorious day.

-I got up early and took my friend, Melissa, to the airport. I'm proud of Melissa. She is a planner and rarely deviates from the plan, but today she did something totally spontaneous and flew to Arkansas for two days to attend her nephew's graduation.

-I saw the coolest thing in my neighborhood. One backyard had 7 or 8 large tents set up. Evidently, this was their version of a sleepover. Chairs and tables were set up too as if they were waiting for hungry backyard campers to awaken for breakfast. It looked like so much fun!

-After I dropped off Melissa I was on the way home when I saw a yard sale sign so I stopped at that one and another and another. I was proud that I used wisdom and restraint and carefully thought through my purchases. I ended up with a little 30 year old china bowl from England at $2 and a set of $50 writer's bookends for $2. The bookends have an old timey typewriter on one end and the other has an old rotary phone, a pen, paper, and a lamp. Both have books. If I wasn't so lazy I'd post a picture because they are really awesome, but it's late and I'm L~A~Z~Y.

-As I was driving past a typical surburban house I noticed an unusual site- a black sheep in the yard. A real black sheep in the yard munching on grass. That's a site you don't see every day in suburbia. Certainly stokes the curiosity.

-I went to a teacher's supply store in the my favorite little town of Belmont. They were having a big festival in the park and the streets were lined with vendors of all sorts. A dance school was giving a show in the open air theater. The smell of funnel cakes filled the air and the train came through just as I was nearing the tracks. Belmont has small town charm with little shops of various sorts and huge antebellum houses. It even has a General Store with soda in real glass bottles. Sometimes I take my kids there for a special treat. The first time they chose a soda from the old fashioned cooler and I had such joy showing them how to use the little device on the side of the cooler to get the cap off. Brings back fond memories of my childhood.

-I shopped in the antique and consignment stores of Belmont looking especially for teacups and teapots. I came to a realization. I like all sorts of teacups and teapots, but some are just for show. I don't care much for the ones from China because I'd be afraid to use them due to lead content. For actual usage, I prefer the genuine bone china pieces, especially the ones from England. I like the ones on this site. And this is why I came home with none. I didn't find any and even if I had I'm not sure they would be in my budget at present. On the way home I prayed for my neighbor who has boxes full of teacups that she wants to sell to me if she ever gets them out of her attic. I saw them at her yard sale once and foolishly didn't buy them. She's elderly and keeps telling me that she's "going to get to them soon." My prayer is that the Lord would move on her heart to hurry up and get those teacups out!

-In the middle of the day I washed all of my hand washables and put them on drying racks on the deck. I came to the realization that washing hand washables in the bathtub is not the arduous chore I make it out to be. I should just do it and not spend weeks dreading it. I'd get more wear out of the clothes that way!

And that concludes my musings and revelations of the day.

Another Failed Attempt at Strawberry Tea

I have this delightful vision in my head of going to pick fresh strawberries and coming home and having a quaint little strawberry-themed tea party with my daughter. It's one of those lovely motherhood fantasies where everyone is dressed in frilly white dresses and the whole scene has a surreal misty hue to it. Why don't I just give up and face reality?

This morning we headed to the strawberry farm again with my extra daughter in tow. She belongs to my friend, Annika, but we sort of trade daughters back and forth so we're used to having her around a lot. Next thing you know she'll be asking for allowance or something. By the way, my daughter's shirt says "Muckdogs" which was the name of her brother's baseball team many moons ago. Just thought I'd clarify that in case there was any confusion.

We started out well. The strawberries were better than last week, less hail damage and the price had gone up to prove it. I had about a fourth of my first basket filled when I reached for a plump luscious red strawberry that I just had to have and felt a razor sharp something pierce my finger. I don't know what stung me, but I think the stinger was about an inch long or at least it felt that way. OUCH! I went to the head shed and got some alcohol and baking soda put on it and triple bandaids. As it turns out I'm the first person in all these years to ever be stung in their strawberry fields. That's a distinction I could have lived without thank you!

We finished up and took our bounty to the paying place. What a surprise when we rounded the corner and came face to face with our homeschool support group who had just arrived for a strawberry picking field trip. Oh yeah, I suddenly remembered something about an email about a strawberry picking trip. Talk about embarrassment. They were all looking at us like we were totally antisocial and I must admit we probably looked pretty antisocial at the moment considering we had come early, picked big, and totally missed the whole field trip "social" experience. They're good people, they'll forgive us. Plus, they know how scatterbrained I can be at times.

As we were driving home I said, "Hey girls, when we get home I'm going to prepare a lovely strawberry themed tea for lunch." They said, "We'd really rather just eat pizza rolls." So much for my strawberry tea!

These are the drama queens playing dress up and trying to look sophisticated.

The explanation of these photos is that they are starring in a soap opera. The blonde on the left killed her husband, but no one knows she did it so she's pretending to grieve at his funeral. Only her dearest friend on the right knows the true secret and she'll never tell...at least not until...soap opera cliffhanger. This, folks, is what happens when you homeschool and carefully shield your children from evil worldly influences!

The Big Chicken Game

Someone expressed curiosity about The Big Chicken Game I mentioned in my tribute to my mother. The story goes like this:

In the city of Atlanta, where my parents live, there is a Kentucky Fried Chicken (I think that's right) and the building is shaped like a giant red chicken head. Everyone refers to it as "The Big Chicken". It's really quite cute and unique and it's somewhat of a landmark.

Apparently, at some point in time someone invented a board game based on "The Big Chicken". Now, I wish I could tell you more about the board game- what the board looks like, the rules, how fun it is to play. But you see there is one little problem. My mother won't allow anyone to open it. She swears it's going to be worth a lot of money one day if we'll all just leave it alone in its tight little cellophane wrap. ( If I remember correctly she also has Big Chicken bath towels or something along those lines that we can't use!).

The Big Chicken game resides in the huge walk-in closet off of her bonus room. It's disguised among the many other board games that reside there, as if we won't notice it being that's it's red and all. The first time I saw it I was up there gathering games for us to play. I thought it looked interesting so I brought it down to the dining room table and said, "Let's play this one," as I reached to rip off the cellophane. My mother threw her entire body across that little board game and screamed, "No! Don't open it! It's going to be worth a lot of money someday!"

I laughed and thought she was joking. She wasn't. The look in her eye let me know that I was risking life and limb if I reached for that cellophane again. I said, "Mother, it's a chicken game. How much money can it possibly be worth?"

She would have none of it. It was a money magnet and she was going to keep it to pass down to her great grandchildren. Never mind her Thomas Kincaid oil paintings, her china, her crystal, her bling. Nope, her descendants were going to get a chicken game- "In its original cellophane!"

So we have this running family joke. Any time grandmother starts getting a little testy we mention the chicken game and how we're taking it to her funeral and right there on her casket we're ripping off that cellopane with total abandon and we are setting up that game and actually playing it. I don't think it would actually work though because I have a sneaky suspicion that somewhere in her will it says that she's to be buried clutching The Big Chicken Game- in it's original cellophane!

Watch the 700 Club Today!

Today on the 700 Club, Gwen Smith will give her testimony of God's grace and healing. Gwen is a powerful worship leader, she is writing her first book, and she is also one of the subscribers to my weekly email, Encouraging Words for Writers. She has quite a story to tell so I hope you'll tune in today. And if you know anyone who needs God's forgiveness or who might be struggling with hidden sins, have them tune in as well. Find out more at www.cbn.com.

Tribute to My Mom

Her children arise and call her blessed... Proverbs 31:28

Dear Mom, Giggy, and Cantankerous Mother-in-law,

As we thought of ways to honor you on Mother's Day we decided to pay a little tribute to you here on my blog to let you know how special you are to us and the wonderful ways you touch our lives.

When we got together to brainstorm what should be said, one word was unanimously at the top of our lists: Laughter! Baby Girl does a classic rendition of you hysterically laughing with no sound coming out and your feet kicking in the air. Isn't that just how you want to be remembered? We agreed that a funnier mom and grandma doesn't exist on the earth. I'll never forget when John went through his phase of always saying, "Your mother wears army boots!" and sure enough he came downstairs one morning and there you were cooking breakfast in a pair of army boots! What a wonderful heritage of joy you've given us!

The second thing we all agreed on is that you feed us way too much wonderful food. Baby Girl said she appreciates the time you made a huge Christmas dinner for us on Thanksgiving, the sausage balls on Christmas morning, the sugary breakfast cereals, snacking between meals and the way you keep their secret stashes of special treats well stocked. John credits you with his inability to lose weight. I appreciate that you are Martha Stewart minus the jail term as evidenced by the picture below. You've got that gourmet entertaining thing going on! (I didn't get that gene!)

All that talent, but wait, there's more! You sing, you dance, you play the piano by ear! (Are you sure I'm not adopted?) We love that fun, enthusiastic spirit. I tell people that my parents like to play dress up. Remember being Elvis and Priscilla? And the time you showed up in Tennessee on a motorcycle wearing "Hee Haw" overalls with chickens all over them- and you even brought some for us too! Grandpa in dredlocks, you in all of your light up pins, and the times the kids and I waited at the airport keeping a lookout for a woman dressed in bright Hawaiian looking clothes, regardless of the season. How many other grandparents do you know that keep boxes of costumes in their closets? And how many other grandmothers have enough bling to deck out Hollywood? Remember when Baby Girl would sit for hours just sorting through your bling?

Techie Boy says you're always willing to play games. Kismet. Chicken Foot (You're big on chicken aren't you, Mom?). Sequence. Pit. Mexican Dominoes. The list goes on and on. And nobody can add numbers in their head as fast as you can do it (I'm pretty sure now that I'm adopted).

What holiday passes that you don't send gifts, cards, calls or some sort of something to let us know that you're thinking about us? Techie Boy says that you always remind us that you love us and indeed you do with words and actions and lots and lots of hugs and kisses. We know we mean something, possibly everything, to you!

So with this we tell you that we love you and appreciate you and hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day! Wish you could be here. Oh, and we did want to pass along one more tidbit of information. If you should pass away before we do, we will take the cellophane off of that Big Chicken game that you hide in the closet and we will play it no matter how much it might be worth in the future in it's original cellophane! Bless your little chicken-loving heart.

Goals? What goals?

I totally forgot that this was the day to check in on my goals. That's not surprising because I think I probably forgot my goals for most of the month. Let's review and see my report card for this month.

1. Lose 15 pounds and develop a regular exercise routine. Excuse me, but I must have read that wrong. Did that say lose 15 pounds? Oh, I thought it said gain so that's what I did. I gained two pounds, probably because of that low cholesterol diet that hasn't crossed my lips lately. But I'm redeemed because I have been walking with Melissa much more faithfully and we've increased our distance. That two pounds is obviously muscle mass!

2. Feed my spirit (more than just a daily quiet time)- Okay, maybe I'm not doing so bad after all. I've had very rich quiet times with the Lord and with my speaking agenda looming on the horizon we've been doing a lot of talking lately.

3. I want to build family relationships. Another A on my report card. I've spent lots and lots of time loving on my family. I'm especially enjoying the afternoon teas with my daughter and driving my son back and forth to work and talking about everything as we go.

4. I'd like to try some new venues of writing. Uh...hmmm....let's see...that's an interesting concept.

5. I'd like to create a pretty, comfortable home. Yippee! I think I actually moved up to a C with this one. I purchased a dynamite chair for $5 at a yard sale. I also got a curio cabinet and a roll top desk for a phenomenal price at a "My wife left me for another woman" sale (sad, but true). I rearranged the living room and part of my bedroom and assigned some furniture temporarily to the basement. Oh, and did I mention that curio cabinet came with several Precious Moments and Boyd's Bears figurines? I'm not much on things you have to dust, but my daughter liked them so they stayed.

6. We will get out of debt this year. A++ We did it! Except for the house, we are free people and let me tell you it feels good! Naturally, the clothes dryer and the lawn mower broke within days of our last payment, but we handled them without acruing debt. One was replaced and the other repaired by a neighbor.

7. I will set aside regular writing time, preferrably 15 hours per week. Nothing around here has resembled regular recently if that tells you anything. I've written, not as much as I should and certainly not on any schedule. I must get back on track. I must!

8. I want to learn to relax. In two weeks I embark on my speaking tour of duty. Relaxed is a word that isn't in my repretoire at the moment. Oh how I wish it was and I'm believing God that one day I'll be able to speak without all of the pre-speaking jitters, but I haven't arrived at that place yet. Ya'll please pray that I arrive at it very soon, like before May 23!

Okay, that's the report card and I'm signing off. The family just got back from softball practice and we have drama so I must go hear the scoop.

The Almost Strawberrry Tea

The original plan: Get up early and go to strawberry farm with my daughter on a bright sunny day. Pick luscious berries. Return home and make dip for berries while Celestial Seasonings Tropic of Strawberry tea is brewing in the warm sunshine. Have an afternoon strawberry themed tea party for two.

Reality: We got up early, matter of fact I woke up at 3:00 a.m. on my own. That was a little earlier, say 3 hours or so, than planned.

We went to the strawberry farm. When we got there it was overcast and sprinkling rain. We were informed that a recent hail storm (one that I slept through a few nights ago) had damaged the strawberries so they had black spots on them and were discounted in price.

However, God led us to just the right rows and we were able to get some decent sized red berries. When we paid for them the owners were shocked at how pretty our berries were and asked where we had picked. So we got nearly perfect berries at a discounted price. We'll take it, thank you kindly.

While we were picking suddenly the tornado warning siren started blaring. It must have been really close by because it was quite loud. I looked in all directions and saw no indication whatsoever of a tornado. Trust me, I know tornado weather really well, the sickening green hue of the sky, the sounds, the eerie feeling in the air- been there, done that mulitiple times. I told my daughter that if a tornado suddenly happened upon us to get down in one of the furrows between the strawberry rows and pray really hard. She asked what to do with the strawberries and I told her to throw her body across them and guard them with her life- well maybe not her life, but we had worked too hard picking them to give them up for a mere tornado. Thankfully, whatever the issue the siren stopped after a while without incident.

On the way home we stopped at the store to get supplies for our dip. They had rubrum lilies right as you walk in the door. I love lilies of all types, but rubrum lilies are my favorite because they made up my wedding bouquet. Plus, they smell heavenly. I put my nose inside one for a big whiff and told my daughter that she should drop a hint to her father that those would make a really nice Mother's Day gift. When we left the store and were about to get in the car my daughter looked at me and said, "Oooo gross! You have something on the end of your nose!" Apparently, when I stuck my nose in the flower some wet brownish pollen adhered to me and I'd been walking around the store looking like a I had a giant bougar on my nose! Lovely, just lovely!

When we got home we cleaned strawberries and ate strawberries and cleaned strawberries and ate strawberries. I took bags to some of the neighbors, even the ones that aren't especially glad to have us living near them. One even invited me into her home to see her new baby. Wow! Who would have guessed that something as simple as a bag of strawberries could open doors that had previously been closed!

My daughter made this scrumptious pie because my husband has been complaining about the lack of desserts around here lately. Won't he be surprised!

We also made these white chocolate dipped berries. Yummy! My blood sugar is only about 1000 now.

But after all that I just don't know if I'm up to a strawberry-themed tea party. My belly is full, my eyes are heavy. I think I'll just take a nap!

Recipe for strawberry dip that isn't pictured: Mix cream cheese and confectioner's sugar to taste. Warning: You will not be able to stop eating it!

Spontanei-tea

This week has not been the easiest week and yesterday I was having a really hard day. I asked the Lord to encourage me. As I went through the day it just seemed I couldn't find the thing I was supposed to be doing. I'd start something then stop and do something else. I was restless and badly in need of something to lift my spirits. In the early afternoon I finally asked God what I should do and I felt impressed to go for a walk. It was a lovely day, but I just didn't feel like I had the stamina to go walking, but I started out anyway.

I'd barely made it up the road a bit when the big brown delivery truck came barreling down our street. I didn't know where he was going, but when I saw him stop at our house I suspected he was delivering the usual stuff for my husband's business. Then I saw the size of the box that landed on our doorstep and knew it couldn't be so. My daughter was already on the porch examining it by the time I made my way back home.

We opened it and what a glorious surprise awaited us. A tea party in a box! My parents had just returned from Charleston, S.C. and sent us tea party goodies from The Charleston Tea Plantation.

Right there on the spot we decided to have a tea party. Look at our beautiful tea table!

They sent us American Classic Tea from the plantation, which is a very smooth and delicious tea especially with a dab of honey. We also got Benne Wafers that we dipped in the tea. Yummy! I threw in the butter mints for good measure and because we weren't sure if we would like the wafers or not. The package also included tea mugs and a dvd all about tea which we hope to watch really soon. The pretty blue bag was perfect for storing our nature journaling supplies. But best of all, do you notice that basket shaped like a teacup and saucer?!! That was the best, the absolute best!

Though we hadn't planned on afternoon tea this was a wonderful interruption so we sat outside and chatted. She drew azaleas in her journal while I drew a pine needle and the front and back of a Lamb's Ear leaf. One of us is a really good artist. Hint: It isn't me.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for such a wonderfully encouraging gift. We love it!

Later on God provided two other encouragements for me. My daughter's new friend from church attended her softball game last night so I sat with her mom and we talked and talked and talked some more. And she is going to be at the North Carolina State Homeschool Convention where I'm speaking in a few weeks and we are going to pray together the morning before I speak. Okay, so she's working for my competition, but I'll forgive her since she's praying for me and all. I feel like I made a new friend last night.

As if that wasn't enough, four of my cousins who are sisters, Teresa, Kay, Millie, and Jerri, sent me a card that made me cry. Each had written a personal note on the inside, but this is the message that was on the card itself (by Bobbie Burrow, Hallmark):

I believe in you-
in the things that are important to you
and in the way you choose to live your life...
I believe that you can accomplish
anything that you set out to do,
that you have many talents
and the wisdom to use them well...
I believe that you have what it takes
to overcome obstacles
and to grow from every experience
life brings your way...
I believe in your courage,
your compassion,
your integrity,
and your strength.
I believe in your goodness...
I believe in you.

Thank you, Lord, for all of those spontaneous surprises. I feel very encouraged!

What's Next?

Someone commented and asked what's next on my writing agenda seeing that I have one curriculum published. Well, I can't really divulge exactly what I'm working on, but it's another writing curriculum. When my publisher was first showing interest in my Hands-On Essays curriculum he asked what else I had in mind for the future. Rarely does a publisher want to publish a one book wonder, rather they are looking for someone who is a producer and has longevity. It just makes good business sense. When people like your product they become loyal customers and they want more where that came from. That's my really long explanation to say that I'm writing another curriculum!

I've been teaching writing classes for several years and have developed numerous curriculums so the long range plan is to turn all of those classes into published writing curriculums. In addition, I have a few other homeschool-related things that I'd like to see published, but for now I'll stick with curriculums.

However, I'm rarely writing just one thing at a time. I'm constantly writing content for my weekly email for writers- see Encouraging Words for Writers in my sidebar. I also hope to spruce up some devotions to send to the Proverbs 31 Ministries online devotional. They've published all that I've sent so far so I'd like to send a new batch soon. I have a few ideas for e-books too, but that's down the pike a bit. I'd also like to get back to article writing since it's been a while since I've had any of those published- or written any for that matter!

My ultimate goal and dream, though, is to write the books that I have in my heart. I'm talking about regular books, not curriculum. I have them started in bits and pieces, but right now I can't focus that direction because I need to go ahead and work through the curriculums first since that door is wide open.

And like most writers, my greatest obstacle is time. I think I do pretty well making writing time, but I still have to do all the other things that life demands. It's the never ending quest for balance. But trust me, from now until the world ends I will always have another writing project in progress and I will never run out of writing ideas. It's a well that just keeps on pumping!

Work First, House Later

Lately, I find myself gravitating to scriptures that talk about divine order. This morning I spent time meditating on Proverbs 24:27 (NIV) Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.

This scripture really speaks to me because I have such a big desire for a new house. The house we currently live in is just not me and I've never felt like this was our final destination. I could go on and on about the things that bother me about this house, but that would only breed discontent so I'll leave that topic and get back to the scripture.

Why is it important to finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready before you build the house? The fields represent your means of income. Before you tackle a major expense like a new house you want your fields planted and producing or you won't be able to afford that house or the family that will live in it with you. The house might be built, but the family within might be starving or so financially strapped that they are going under. And don't we see this happening all over America right now?

(Put first things first.) Prepare your work outside and get it ready for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house and establish a home. Proverbs 24:27 (Amplified)

I always counsel my son to get his education behind him and get established in his career/ministry before taking a wife. Whether he follows that counsel or not is up to him, but it will make his life easier if he gets his fields ready before taking on all that additional responsibility.

Recently, my husband ran into a young woman who grew up in our former church. She opted not to take the route of divine order and had three children out of wedlock. Does that mean God doesn't love her? No. Does it mean we shouldn't love her? No. But it does mean that she has made life considerably harder for herself and for those three children that didn't have a choice in the matter.

Develop your business first before building your house. Proverbs 24:27 (Living)

As much as I want a new house I know that my first objective is to continue to build my writing business. All of my creative energy has to focus that direction right now. When I finally walk in the door of that new house I'll be extremely glad that I developed my business first.

Prepare thine work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house. Proverbs 24:27 (King James)

Just like I tell my son to prepare his fields first, I tell my daughter the same. I know a lot of people would disagree with me because they think women should only prepare to be homemakers, but I don't find my stance in conflict with scripture. Even the Proverbs 31 woman was a business woman.

I'm awfully glad that I went to nursing school before I got married or had kids. When the kids arrived and we needed a little income boost I was able to work only when I wanted to work, set my own hours, and work as little as 4 hours at a time.

Also, when I was much younger I thought that as long as you prayed and married the right Christian man everything always worked out. That was until I saw my dear friend, a stay-at-home mom, go through tremendous heartbreak when her husband- a pastor- walked out on her and the kids. She had no education or skills to prepare her to become the family breadwinner. Thankfully, she had enough spiritual fortitude and gumption to make it through college while working three jobs and being a single mom. But it was still very hard on her and even harder on the kids. I wish I could say she was the only person I know who was put in that position, but I've known many.

First plant your fields, then build your barn. Proverbs 24:27 (The Message)

Why do you need a barn if you don't have anything to put in it? If you plant the fields first they will be out there producing so you can then concentrate on the barn or house. It's hard to have your focus in too many directions at once. If you're trying to go to school, start a marriage, raise a child all at the same time, it's tough and something will get the short end of the stick. Even if you decide to change directions and start a new business after having a house and kids, it's still tough. Trust me, I know!

I have no idea how to end this topic except to keep things in the correct order and simply say, "The end."

Yard Pretties

This afternoon while I was waiting for my husband to finish grilling burgers so we could head out to the local amusement park, I wandered around our yard and was surprised to find some really pretty plants growing. If you're going to be a successful plant in my yard you better thrive on neglect because I have that domestically-challenged thing going on which includes being horticulturally challenged. In the spirit of spring I thought I'd share some photos of our yard pretties.

I have no idea what you call these hearty purple flowers. They bloom during the day and close at night. My sister-in-law gave me some out of her garden a few years back and each year they come back thicker and heartier.

I don't know what you call these white flowers either. This one is like a giant weed or bush growing over the fence from my neighbors yard. I also have some at the end of my driveway where blackberries- that were supposed to be wildflowers- once grew. The white flowers look like they will form into some sort of fruit and they smell really good.

These are the honeysuckles mixed in with the unknown white flowers at the end of my driveway. You know those smell terrific!

My daughter planted begonias and marigolds in our square foot gardens (another post for another time). She can't take credit for the weeds though. They grew on their own.

And this is the Lamb's Ear growing in our extremely natural area. My cousin, Teresa, gave me some of this years ago and it's still going strong even though my husband once "weeded" the natural area and pulled it all up. I was able to retrieve it from the trash and plant it back and thankfully it continued along just fine.

We have one lone azalea bush. The natural area used to have several as well as carnelias and a butterfly bush, but this year some things have died off and I'm not sure why. Perhaps, the incredible drought of last summer?

Now it's on to the spices. We have basil and parsley in the square foot gardens (not pictured). We have this mint which hasn't spread nearly as much from year to year as everyone said it would. Of course, I think my husband (who is as horticulturally challenged as I am) sprayed it with Round-up a few times too. It might be heartier than we think!

Oh, and my sweet love of a plant- Rosemary. Love the stuff! Every time I get near it I have to run my fingers along it and smell that lovely scent. My daughter enjoys cooking with it and from time to time I'll use some as a table centerpiece just so we can smell it.

The Crepe Myrtles aren't blooming yet, but I'll try to remember to photograph them when they do. That's our bloomin' yard!

I Have a Dream

One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. She said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us." II Kings 4:8-10

Last night we took our dear friend, Dr/Pastor Mon Igbinosa, from Nigeria to dinner (wish I had remembered the camera!). I've posted before how dearly we cherish Pastor Mon. He is such a man of integrity and sets the bar high, which I like very much, especially in a "holy man of God!"

As we listened to him talk about his travels I thought how much he is like the Apostle Paul. He travels the world over preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ- all over Africa and the U.S., England, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Holland, wherever the door opens he goes. He gave us an overview of the church worldwide, which is a perspective that we don't often hear from our limited angle.

Last night he told our waitress, who happened to be in training, that he was from Africa. He asked if they had any elephant dishes and feigned disappointment that elephant was not on the menu. That's so funny because I know good and well that he doesn't see wild animals where he lives in Africa. The first lion he saw was at the North Carolina zoo! He just likes to tease people about their perception of Africa.

In my heart of hearts, I very much want to have a house someday soon that has a room where he can stay when he comes to the U.S. He told us last night that he travels so much that sometimes he wakes up and really has to think hard about where he is in the world! He meets lots of new people, sees lots of new places, and eats lots of strange food. I want to provide a comfortable place where he can let down his hair and just be with friends. Also, since his children are all grown up now his wife is going to travel with him more. While he may be used to living out of a suitcase, she most definitely is not, and I think it's important that she have a little oasis.

I share the Shunammite's dream of providing a room for the man of God. He is believing with me for it. Last night I fell asleep mentally decorating the room (in my new house!) for Pastor Mon and Josephine.

I Finally Found a Country Song I Actually Like!

I'm not a country music fan, but I'm surrounded by a bevy of country music lovers. I prefer music that is uplifting and glorifies God and somehow songs about drankin', fightin', and gittin' around just don't qualify. However, at long last I've found a country song that I not only like, but would actually buy! It's Trace Adkins' song You're Gonna Miss This.

The song is about a daughter that is always looking to the future rather than enjoying the point of life that she is in at present. For example, when she's a teenager she can't wait to be out on her own. When she's newly married she can't wait to have kids. My favorite line is what her dad says to her, "You're gonna miss this. You're gonna want this back."

It hits home with me because right now I have two starry eyed teenagers that are looking forward to each step toward independence. Remember those days when you were a teen and you just couldn't wait to get old enough to do this or that or to be out on your own? Then you got to each place and realized that your "dream" world had a reality side to it as well. I remember it all too well.

My son recently got a job and was looking forward to making some of his own money. He soon realized that with every job comes w-o-r-k and having to juggle his free time and friend time around his work schedule.

Then he got his driver's license and could actually go driving on his own only to discover that gas costs money. And when he gets a car he's going to discover the joys of car maintenance and repairs too.

I chuckle when I hear teens talk about how cool it will be when they get out on their own and can make their own decisions about life. Yes, and you'll get to pay all of your own bills too!

When I hear Trace Adkins' song it reminds me to enjoy each stage of life because it's fleeting. One thing is certain, things will not always be as they are at this moment. And when it's all said and done I'm gonna miss this, I'm gonna want this back, especially these wonderful years of raising teenagers!

P.S. Trace, if by some freak of nature you happen to read this, I much prefer this song to that bedonkeydonk one!