An Award!

I'm so excited! My new friend Becky at Queen of Theme has chosen me to receive the Arte Y Pico award. I don't have a clue what those words mean since the original blog is in Spanish, but it's an award nonetheless and who doesn't like getting an award? Thanks, Becky, not only for the cool award, but for having such a wonderful blog yourself. Hey, any woman that is willing to bare all and show all the stuff in her kitchen cabinets is definitely a friend!

From what I hear, the creator of the award is a woman who wanted to express her gratitude for all that she has learned by exploring blogs from around the world. I can so relate! I feel like bloggers are my Titus 2 mentors and I can't tell you how many things I've learned on blogs that I've been able to put into practice in life.

Now it's my turn to pass along the award to some very deserving bloggers. The catch is that I only get to pick five which is so hard because I'd really like to pick a hundred and five! In deciding who to choose I decided to stick with the theme of the award and spotlight a few bloggers that I feel truly take blogging to heart and impact lives in memorable ways. Really, though, you could check any blog on my sidebar as well as a bunch in my favorites that I haven't had time to transfer to my sidebar yet and all of them are wonderful.

These are the rules:

1. Pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribution to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2. Each award should list the name of the author and a link to his /her blog to be visited by everyone .
3. Each award winner should show the award and put the name of and link to the blog that presented her/him with the award .
4. The award winner and presenter should show the link of the Arte y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

These are my award winners:

1. Michelle at Big Blueberry Eyes. The first time I visited Michelle's blog was during the bloggy giveaway. I was spellbound from that very first visit because of the pictures of her precious daughter. I literally couldn't stop going back just to look at her happy face. I love visiting her blog and hearing about her parenting adventures. I think she is one awesome mom and has one of the most beautiful families on earth.

2. Nester at The Nesting Place. If you've read much on my blog in the last couple of months you've already heard me mention Nester more than once. She's the queen of decorating and shows the rest of us (her loyal subjects) how to make a home beautiful without much skill or money. I can't thank her enough for all she's done to help me see things differently in the decorating arena. An added bonus is that Nester lives right here in my city so I've met her in real flesh and blood and just love the girl!

3. Kim and Jason at Escape Adulthood. Kim and Jason will help you get in touch with your inner child. You know, that person inside you who likes to laugh and have fun, the one that isn't bogged down by bills and worries and keeping up with the Joneses. They have a unique, contagious approach to life and I always enjoy my visits to their blog.

4. Renee Swope at The Journey of My Heart. Renee and I go way back. She's a real flesh and blood friend that I don't get to see very often anymore so I keep up with her via her blog. Have you ever met a person who absolutely lives to serve others? That's Renee. In every aspect of her life, she is all about encouraging and helping other people. Her warm, friendly personality comes through every word she writes on her blog and even if you've never met her she makes you feel like her best friend.

5. Marybeth Whalen at Cheaper By the Half Dozen. Marybeth is another flesh and blood friend. If I had to pick one person who has impacted my writing more than any other, it's Marybeth. She is always in the know about all things pertaining to writing and I'm always trying to catch up to her. She is the reason that I'm blogging today and I know that she is passionate about blogging. That passion comes through every word she writes along with a heaping dose of transparency. She's the real deal whether in person in or on her blog.

These folks receive the award, but I hope that all of you who visit my blog know that you are winners in my book. I appreciate each and every one of you and could never express the ways you've changed me for the better. Thank you ALL!

Sparkling Melon Balls

Doesn't that look sophisticated and yummy? This is my daughter's latest recipe creation which she asked me to share on my blog. It's called Sparkling Melon Balls and it's a fancy little snack that would be great for afternoon tea time. She got the idea from watching Giada on the Food Network, only Giada uses wine for her creation.

Basically, you make melon balls from cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon or a combo of all three. Choose a sophisticated serving glass and pour Sprite or 7-Up over the melon. Wait until the last minute to pour the drink or the melon balls will become a mushy mess by the time you want to eat them.

I'm not a soda fan, only drink about two a year, but this was tasty. It's a snazzy little way to get kids to eat more fruit too.

Thank God for domestic daughters, that's all I can say!

Harvest Time

Not bad for a former brown thumb, huh?

I've Been Framed!

It's a big day here at the Lillie pad! I'm so proud of myself. I did a domestic craft project to decorate my office and I just can't get over how much I like it.

Before I show, let me tell. My mother-in-law lived with us for about 8 months and recently moved out which meant that I got my office back and my appreciation for it is way more than it was before I had to give it up. So I've been wanting to decorate it and make it special, especially since this is a real working girl office and I probably spend more time in it than any other room of the house.

But I'm operating on a miniscule (zero?) decorating budget so I have to get very inventive with things. That has never been my cup of tea and I thought I possessed absolutely no decorating skill. Then I met some new bloggy friends, Nester and Rhoda. I've read their blogs carefully and have discovered that these ladies have a real knack for taking nothing and making it into something beautiful. I've watched and learned and somewhere along the way started believing that little domestically-challenged me might be able to do some things to turn my house- that I've never liked- into a home that I do like.

Without further delay, here is my first decorating project for my office. P.S. The theme for my office is "words and life" being that I'm a writer and all.

I love these frames! They look business-like enough to remind me that I'm supposed to be working in my office, but they express a funky creative flair as well, a bit of spunk if you will.

The exclamation point is energetic and tells me to go for it with my writing. Just do it!

A question mark adds an aura of mystery. What's to come? What's it all about?

The ampersand is just plain cute, but it's also inclusive. My writing isn't just about me. It's about you (the audience) and me. And most of all, it's about God and me. I'm never alone even when I sit for long hours writing in my office.

The etc... is a reminder from my kids. They say I have a tendency to be too detail-oriented like when I list off all the things I have to do in a given day. Their advice: Don't list it all, just say "etc..." It makes life seem a whole lot more simple and stress free.

And this beauty is another little framed treasure. Not beautiful, you say? Oh, but the beauty isn't in the outward appearance, but in the story behind it. One day when my kids were very young I was overwhelmed and bemoaning all the motherly tasks I had to do for the day (would have been a good time to use my "etc..."). The kids decided to make a list for me of all the things I needed to do for them. I expected a huge list, but instead got this simple little treasure that reads: 1. Kiss the kids. 2. Help the kids. Of all the things I own, this is one of my most priceless treasures.

How did I make this project?
1. Black frames came as a set at a yard sale.
2. Background paper with words on it from Hobby Lobby and Michael's on sale for $0.15-$0.25 per peice.
3. Printed the regular old symbols off of my computer keyboard.
4. Enlarged the symbols on my copier until I got the size I wanted.
5. The symbols got lighter as they got larger so I used a black Sharpie to color in the light areas and then copied the dark version again.
6. Framed the ampersand and etc... as is.
7. Cut out the exclamation point and the question mark and glued to the background paper.
8. Put in frames.
9. Voila!

Confession Time

I have to admit it.

It's really true.

I can't deny it.

I have evidence to prove it.

I'm....

I'm a...

I'm a tea party dish-a-holic!

Evidence that I bought at a yard sale today:

Okay, so the dishes bear a striking resemblance to a blue set I bought a few weeks ago, only these are more dainty.

But they are porcelain.

And they're made in Germany.

And they were only $5 for 6 cups, bunches of saucers and gobs of little plates!

And they are so delicate and pretty!

And I did buy other things like black frames for my office and a funky wire basket thingy to hold fruit in my kitchen and some really nice candles...

And I have to have some sort of junk to pass down to my daughter so she can sell it in a yard sale when I'm dead and gone.

Never mind that I barely found space in my cupboards for them (Who needed all those mugs and hot beverage containers anyway?).

Never mind that I haven't had a single afternoon tea or tea party on any of my new dishes since I started collecting them.

I just love beautiful tea party stuff and these dishes are therapy for me. I mean if I can't have the house I want or new carpet or new furniture, at least I can have pretty dishes, right? At least I can open the cabinets, look at it all, and dream of how my "new" house will look one day with all that pretty stuff in it.

And I do solemnly promise to actually use these dishes...eventually.

Some Friends Old, Some Friends New

Thursday and Friday an avalanche of friends just dropped right into my life and it was wonderful. Some I've known a long time, some I only get to see now and then, and some were brand spanking new. But all were just the best people you could ever imagine! I feel so loved!

On Thursday afternoon I played shuttle bus driver for the Proverbs 31 Ministries She Speaks conference. I picked up two wonderful ladies, one that works for Strang Publications and the other with the David C. Cook Publishing Company. We had a long ride and got stuck in Charlotte rush hour traffic so we were good buddies by the end of the ride.

When I dropped them off at the hotel, the Proverbs 31 speaker team and staff just happened to be finishing a photo shoot and returning to the hotel so I got to see some wonderful friends that I only see now and then. It was like one big hug fest and I so enjoyed seeing them. Did I mention how much I love the ladies of Proverbs 31 Ministries?

The next morning I returned to the hotel to meet some brand new friends, Kelly and Sonya. We ate breakfast together and then went to their room to talk and pray. They are both attending She Speaks this year and I can't wait to hear what God does while they are there. Precious ladies! This is Sonya, me, and Kelly.

From there I rushed to a nearby restaurant to meet up with some local and out-of-town bloggers, one of which is NESTER!! Ever since I found out Nester lives in my town I've been wanting to get together with her and let me just tell you that she is every bit as cute, charming, and sweeeeet as she seems on her blog. Love her, just love her! I really enjoyed getting to know some other ultra wonderful bloggers too. In this picture we have me, Nester, Emily (Nester's sister), Karla, Jo-Lynne, and Sarah.

Me, Nester, Emily


Karla, Jo-Lynne, Sarah

Then it was back to the hotel to see if they needed any help with the She Speaks conference. Dumb question! Of course they weren't going to turn down help! I helped with the resource table and got to see many other Proverbs 31 ladies that I didn't catch up with on Thursday. Plus, I got to see some other friends that I only get to see at this conference including a very precious friend, Charlotte. This is me and gorgeous Charlotte.

I'm so glad that I also got to spend some time talking with my sweet friend, Micca. She wrote her first book this year (I'll let you know when it comes out) and I helped her with first edits. In the process we became friends. She is so encouraging and I wish I had remembered to take a picture of her!

I stayed and helped until supper time which meant I got to hear the opening message by Lysa TerKeurst. Up to that point I couldn't figure out why I was even at the conference. I mean I wanted to help and I definitely wanted to see all these terrific gals, but I didn't know I was actually there for any particular reason. Then I heard Lysa's talk and it was exactly what I needed to hear. God spoke to my heart in new and different ways, both challenging and exciting. I went home a very full girl in every way!

Dear Lord, thank you for seeing fit to bless my life with so many beautiful, encouraging friends. They are the sisters I never had!

Imperfectly Beautiful

My beautiful friend, Nester, is hosting a party this week. I love, love, love Nester because she has made me believe that little ole domestically-challenged me can decorate my house, even on my miniscule decorating budget and with relatively no skill in that arena. And guess what? Nester lives in my city!!!! That's all I'll say for now on that topic, but you can expect something even more exciting a little later down the road.

For the party, we're supposed to post pictures of things in our house that are imperfectly beautiful. Well, I just got back from four days in Denver and my house is a little over the top on imperfect right now. I thought I wouldn't participate in Nester's event since I have nothing but clutter and mounds of laundry facing me at the moment, but then I thought of something that I truly do think is imperfectly beautiful- my square foot gardens!

As you can tell from these pictures the beauty of these gardens does not reside in their visual appeal. You won't find fancy birdbaths, rocks, ponds, or beautiful lattice work here. What makes these gardens beautiful is the fact that they are growing, producing, and bearing bountiful fruit- tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. You see, I'm a brown thumb, or at least I used to be. I'm just so happy to be able to provide fresh veggies for our table and that, my friends, is what makes these gardens bee-you-tee-full!

To see more imperfectly beautiful posts fly on over to Nester's blog. You'll be glad that you did!

The Denver Daily

I'm back! I had a great time in Denver. Conferences are always really intense for me because when I'm there I'm all there and I don't get much sleep, but it's fun meeting lots of new people and just doing things out of my ordinary routine.

This was my first impression of Denver (I've been there several times, but it was decades ago). I went to get on my shuttle bus at the airport and I was wearing a very colorful jacket with sparkles on it. The shuttle driver took one look at me and said, "Lady, you can't possibly be from around here because no one in Denver dresses like that!" He was a hoot and we had a blast all the way to the hotel. He gave me a guided tour of the area and I even got to see some prairie dogs. Of course, the snow capped Rocky Mountains were totally awesome!

This is a picture of me and a bunch of crazy people...uh excuse me, I meant to say some of the Teach4Mastery staff.

This is Mary. She was with me in Winston-Salem as well and she's a real sweetheart. She's one hardworking woman!

And this is Lori. She's the midwest rep for Teach4Mastery and she was also my roommate. We got to know each other really well and had a great time. We were trying to get her to do her famous hair flipping in this picture and she wasn't cooperating. So for that she gets to see herself on my blog and get all embarrassed.

These two fine folks are Harold and Susan. They were working the Math-U-See booth. My publisher is also a Math-U-See rep. Harold works at the Teach4Mastery headquarters in California. Don't ask me how I managed to get a picture of two Math-U-See people in front of the Videotext math booth. That takes real skill, people.

This sly looking fellow is my publisher, Dan Sinclair. He's the one that keeps us all in line and on the level...or is it the other way around? On Friday night he took us to Cinnzetti's where we had supper with a bunch of the other vendors. Cinnzetti's is an amazing Italian restaurant, unlike any I've ever seen before, and the food was outstanding!

While in Denver I got to meet with my Aunt Bettylou that I haven't seen in over 20 years! Bettylou is a one of a kind character and she and our waiter were two peas in a pod chiding one another. He knew exactly how to handle her strong personality, which made dinner a very fun time. It was so good to see her again!

I also got to meet Lorrie Flem the publisher of TEACH Magazine. I write for TEACH under the title of the domestically-challenged housewife. Lorrie spoke 8 times at the conference and she deserves some sort of medal. I had a hard time actually catching up with her because she was speaking so much, but on the last day we got to see each other several times and she and my publisher were able to talk and sort through some things regarding my curriculum. Sweet lady!


God threw in a very unexpected added bonus. I was sitting at my gate in the Denver airport waiting for my return flight home and watching a plane deboard. To my utter surprise, friends from my homeschool support group here in Charlotte walked right off that plane! We were all in shock! What are the odds that we would all be in the same city hundreds of miles from home, in the same place in a huge metropolitan airport, at exactly the same time??? That was nothing short of God's hand in action! Meet the Morrison family.

When my plane was landing I was giddy with excitement. I couldn't wait to see my family. This is the handsome fellow that greeted me at the airport. Don't you just love the "i love my wife" shirt?

The kids were eager to tell me about their adventures at church camp this week and we were all very happy to all be back in one place again- that wonderful place called home- even if it does look like a cyclone hit it.

The cat is ecstatic. He hasn't stopped loving on me since I got home. I can't even walk around my garden because he's underfoot constantly. It seems he wants to be touching me at all times as if that will somehow keep me from going on any more trips away from him.

Normally, when I come home from a trip I unpack my suitcase immediately. It's just my little pet peeve that everything has to put away as soon as I get home. Well, not this time. I'm beat! I have a to-do list a mile long and a packed suitcase sitting right beside the door. I don't care, it's nap time!

Thanks to everyone in Denver who came to my workshop, purchased Hands-On Essays, or stopped by the booth to chat. Thanks also to all of my Teach4Mastery friends. That's exactly what you became this weekend- friends. I'm so glad you're not a stuffy bunch, but are willing to do fun things like stuff Kleenex up your nostrils and take pictures of it. That's my kind of people!

To Denver We Will Go

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I'm headed to Denver bright and early in the morning. If you think of it please pray for me and the people at the Christian Home Educators conference. Especially pray for my family as we are split in all directions. This is very hard on me leaving my family to go 3/4 of the way across the country. I've basically been a stay-at-home mom for over a decade. In my early 20s it was so easy to pick up and go anywhere, but it's harder when you're the wife and mom. Not only am I going somewhere far, far from home, but I'm already missing my family.

I do have two silver linings. I have two aunts in Denver and one of them wants to get together with me while I'm there if we can swing it. I haven't seen her in about 23 years or so. I also found out yesterday that Lorrie Flem, the publisher of TEACH magazine, is a conference speaker. I write for TEACH and have corresponded with Lorrie via email and on the phone, but this will be my first time meeting her.

If you are attending the conference in Denver please stop by and say, "Hey!" to me. I'll be at the Teach4Mastery booth and I will be giving one workshop about my writing curriculum as well. I'd really love to make some new friends so I won't be so lonely (like you really have time to be lonely when you're working a homeschool conference!).

Prayers appreciated!

A "Quick" Trip to Boone

Last week my husband told me that he wanted to do something special for me before I leave for Denver. He decided to take me to one of my favorite places Boone, North Carolina. It was to be a quiet romantic day of feasting at the Daniel Boone Inn, shopping (my idea of course), and just generally enjoying Boone and Blowing Rock. That was the plan, but it seems these days that few things go according to plan for me.

The day started with an early morning trip to the dentist for my daughter to have her teeth cleaned. She has her first orthodontist appointment later this month to get an evaluation for braces. They informed us yesterday that it had been barely over six months since she had her teeth cleaned so she would need to have that done again prior to the appointment. Thankfully, our regular dentist had a cancellation and worked her in bright and early this morning.

From there we took the kids to our church office so they could leave for church camp. One is a junior counselor and the other is on task force which means she gets to help with meals, set up, games, crafts etc... Leaving them was harder than I thought it would be, probably because I knew I'd be half a country away from them for a few days while they were working (having a blast) out in some wilderness place. I told my husband today that I already miss my family and I haven't even left yet.

Finally, we headed to Boone. Ordinarily, it takes about an hour and a half to get there, but I forgot that when I was there in April they were widening roads which translates to blasting which tranlates to taking detours on certain days at certain times. Today was that certain day and we arrived at that certain time. My husband said, "No problem. A little five minute detour doesn't hurt anyone." Almost two hours later we finally arrived in Boone. Did I mention that we hadn't eaten much because we were anticipating out giant lunch at the Daniel Boone Inn and we hadn't bothered to potty either so we drove for miles and endless miles of winding mountain roads with nothing but farm houses, trees, rocks, grass, and streams? It was pretty, but still. Thankfully, the one thing we did right was to get gas early in the trip prior to the detour. Yes siree, we just love paying $4.00 a gallon for gas so we can use it all up on a never ending detour.

We definitely missed the lunch crowd and when we arrived at the inn they had very few customers and evidently weren't expecting any because we waited and waited for them to see that we were there. It's hard to explain, but the entry isn't visible to everyone so they couldn't see us. After much clearing of throats, loud talking, dropping of coins on the floor, loud shuffling of feet and finally tap dancing, we managed to attract someone and were seated. It was about 3:00!

Immediately, a terrible thunderstorm descended on us. However, we were cozy inside with tons of food and a very attentive waiter. We made gluttonous pigs of ourselves which translates to, "It was real good, ya'll!" We found out from our waiter that they were only making people take detours from 12-2 that day and somehow we managed to hit right in that narrow time frame. I still don't know why it happened. I keep looking for some spiritual significance or some elusive timing of God thing, but I think it really boils down to we were stupid not to check out the blasting times since I'd just been there two months ago and knew about it. Oh well!

After dining we went to my favorite Christian bookstore of all time. I'd go there just to look at the architecture, but they have great books and stuff too. I'm trying to get more stringent on my spending these days so I bought one mini book for a whopping dollar.

From there we started our descent home, but goodness knows I couldn't pass up the Tanger Outlets! I was quick about it, really quick about it as my husband was not into shopping by this point so he just sat in the van. I found a pair of pants to complete one of my traveling outlets at the Liz Claiborne outlet. They were on sale and one of the nice sales ladies gave me a little golf tee that said I got an additional 15% off. See why I love shopping at the Tanger Outlets!

Finally, we are back home. I learned an important lesson, though. Ever since my husband told me last week that he was taking me to Boone I built it up in my mind. I envisioned us sitting in the car having meaningful conversation, praying with one another, catching up on husband/wife communication time without the children. I thought we'd leave early in the morning, leisurely stroll around enjoying our day and maybe even stop at a few furniture outlets on the way there or the way back. One called Bonita Furniture Galleries was having a going out of business sale that I'd been hearing about and I felt it might be a sign from God that the name of the store was the same as my name. Surely, God had some remarkably cheap furniture (that is totally not in our present budget) there for me.

Obviously, the day met very few of my expectations. We were so hungry on the way up that it wasn't meaningful conversation we had, but rather a competition to see who could irritate the other one the most. Anyway, the moral of the story is that sometimes we (meaning "I") have a tendency to build things up so much in our minds that the real thing can never live up to our expectations. Plus, I learned a few things about flexibility, patience, and having a good attitude. I'm grateful for the day, detours and all, but also glad to be home. But I sure miss the young'uns!

Checking In On My Goals

It's time to check in on my goals for this year. I definitely was a little more goal conscious than last month so let's see how things went.

1. Lose 15 pounds and develop a regular exercise routine. I'm jamming on that exercise routine and my stamina has soared. The low cholesterol diet not so much. However, I did lose the 2 pounds that I gained last month putting me back where I was at about a 10 pound loss altogether.

2. Feed my spirit (more than just a daily quiet time). I'm still doing pretty well on this one, though I think I did better around the end of May than I'm doing right now. I still commune with God throughout the day, but recently I haven't had the extensive Bible study times that I'd like to have. Still plodding and taking ground, though.

3. I want to build family relationships. I haven't spent as much time doing things with my family as I did last month, but I've prayed for them a lot more, especially my daughter. Again, still plodding.

4. I'd like to try some new venues of writing. I was asked to consider writing an article for Toastmasters Magazine. Now that is a real hoot considering Toastmasters is an organization for speakers, many of whom are professional, and I'm so not a polished, professional speaker. I'm still thinking on it.

5. I'd like to create a pretty, comfortable home. Huge strides on this one! First, my square foot gardens are the envy of all who see them. I have cucumbers, peppers, flowers, herbs, and no less than 84+ tomatoes on my plants. That's amazing for a brown thumb!

Secondly, my mother-in-law went to Massachusetts for the summer and will be living elsewhere in the fall so we've spent the weekend moving my office out of my bedroom and back down to the actual office room. This is no small feat that involves removing doors and door frames to accomodate my big desk. This time I appreciate my office a lot more than I ever did before and I'm going to great lengths to make it my workplace and haven. I plan to write a lot of bestsellers in here so it has to look great! I'll post pictures down the road when I get it looking like I want it to look.

I've also been on a huge decluttering and redecorating spree. I've drawn the line in the sand on the clutter issue and I can't tell you how good it feels to toss and donate and give and just get rid of things we don't need. Later this summer I'm also going to get together with a very special blogger that is well known for her decorating prowess. I can't tell you who it is yet because I don't want you to be green with envy, but trust me I'll let you know when it happens.

Finally, I made my summer menu which you can find here. I've started cooking more too. With my mother-in-law gone and my daughter staying busy, I guess I have no choice so I'm making the best of it and keeping it simple.

6. We will get out of debt this year. Done, except for the house. Maintaining with braces, a new air conditioner, and a car for my son looming on the horizon.

7. I will set aside regular writing time, preferrably 15 hours per week. I'm way overdue for this one. I'm juggling traveling, speaking, kids done with school for the summer and so much more and that's my excuse for not writing. However, I'm feeling like it's time for a writing explosion just to get it all out followed by an ongoing consistent schedule. My new office is the perfect place and I'm excited about it!

8. I want to learn to relax. I had to think on this one. I certainly don't have a relaxed schedule at the moment. However, I think "I" am definitely more relaxed in composure. For example, I'm heading to Denver on Thursday and I really feel quite at ease about it. I keep asking God why I'm not all wrought up and He reminds me of Isaiah 26:3 that He will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is stayed on Him. So, I guess I'm making progress.

That's the wrap for this month. If you'd like to read the progress reports from others participating in the 8 in 2008 goals project you can stop by Extravagant Grace.

Requested Recipes

When I posted my summer menu I got a couple of requests for recipes. Okay, it floors me that people would actually want recipes from little ole domestically challenged me, but when you see the simplicity of these recipes it all makes sense.

Cowboy Beans
Brown about a pound of ground chuck along with about 1/4-1/2 of a chopped onion. Drain excess grease. Add several cans of pork-n-beans to make the meat to bean ration whatever you want it to be. Add some paprika to taste. Serve with crackers.

This one is a big hit with the boys, not so much with the girls because we aren't big meat and bean eaters.

Sullivan's Salad
You'll probably recognize this one. It's based on a dish from a fancy restaurant here in town that we've only been able to visit a couple of times. It's the kind of place with valet parking and everything is a la carte.

Take a wedge of iceberg lettuce and surround it with bacon crumbles, chopped tomatoes, possibly some chopped onions, and chopped hard boiled eggs (optional). Buy the best blue cheese dressing you can afford and pour some over the top of the wedge. Sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles.

See! Easy! The only way to cook!

Loose Tongue

Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: "See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. Mark 1:43-45

This man had been healed of leprosy. Think of it. He was under a death sentence. He was an outcast in society. He had no hope. Then Jesus came along and gave him his health and his life back. Can you imagine the excitement he felt, the utter relief, the complete amazement? I'm sure he wanted to run and tell everyone. That's what I would have wanted to do!

But his healing came with a stern warning from Jesus not to do what his feelings told him to do, but to do what the scriptures said to do. In his eagerness, the man followed his feelings and didn't obey the Lord. The result was that his words hindered Jesus and God's work.

Can you think of a time when your words hindered God's work? This morning I went to get my hair trimmed. I don't know what it is about beauty shops that makes them conducive to gossip. Maybe because they are full of women. Maybe because we're focusing on outward, fleshly, perhaps even vain things. Maybe because hairdressers are some of the best listeners and therapists around! Whatever the reason I found myself going down a trail of forbidden words. I heard the Lord tell me to stop. I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit that this wasn't the way I should be speaking. I did stop, but probably not soon enough. Words had spilled out, words that could never be retrieved.

I looked around me at the other women at other booths seemingly minding their own business, but how many had heard? How many had been affected? How might my words have hindered the kingdom of God in some way? Did they turn someone away from Christ? Did they make it more difficult for Him to reach into their hearts?

Okay, I'm sure we've all experienced this at some point, likely on many occasions, but the silver lining of it all is found in the last part of the verses in Mark 1. It says: Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. Whether we let words slip out or whether we blatantly disobey God and say things we shouldn't, all is not lost. Hindered, but not lost.

If you've struggled with words recently, repent then get up and go on with life determined to listen more closely to God and to obey promptly, wholeheartedly, every time.

When Not to Write an Essay

I'm all about essays. My curriculum teaches students a simple way to write essays. I think essays are grand, relatively easy pieces of writing that allow for a lot of individuality. That said, even I think there is a time not to write an essay. Let me explain.

Recently, I watched one of those wife swapping, spouse trading shows. One of the families was very organized and disciplined. They had a lot of good ideas, like teaching their kids to obey. Now there's a novel idea that I wish the general society would use more! I truly believe they meant well and had their kids' best interest at heart, but they had one practice that I simply cannot condone. They made their kids write essays when they disobeyed.

What??? Essays as punishment??? Are you kidding??? Let me halt my momentary overreaction to say that I'm sure that the kids probably did have to really think through some things and probably learned a thing or two during the writing of the essays. But from the standpoint of a writing instructor who regularly deals with kids, most of which have writing phobias of one form or another, I can't think of a quicker way to turn a kid off to writing.

Writing is not punishment and I don't think it's wise to portray it as such. To use writing as a form of punishment is to rank it right up there with spanking, time out, or getting grounded. Those are all things to be dreaded and avoided. Do we really want to give our kids the message that writing is something that you only do when you have done something wrong? Should it be dreaded and avoided at all cost? Is writing so undesirable that only the disobedient should be doing it?

Sorry I'm on my little soapbox, but I spend my time trying to undo the writing stigmas created by overly zealous teachers and parents. Often it takes weeks and months to get kids to let their guards down about writing and to see that it is actually a worthwhile endeavor and one that can be enjoyable and rewarding. Trust me, most kids don't need any help feeling like writing is a punishment. They need help overcoming that very idea. So when I see parents using it as a form of behavior modification it concerns me greatly.

Is there a time when you shouldn't assign an essay? Yes, when you are doing it as a form of punishment. If you really want your child to think through an act of disobedience send him to his room for half an hour and tell him to come back and orally tell you what he learned about his actions and consequences. Save writing for positive, uplifting things like love notes and silly stories or, perhaps, even expressing your opinion on a blog.

Paper Clip Fun

Finally, the moment all of you have been waiting for- I'm going to add some sparkle to your homeschooling! For those of you who may not know what I'm talking about, one of the talks I gave at the North Carolina State Homeschool Convention was about adding sparkle to your homeschooling. I promised I'd add sparkling ideas to my blog now and then too. I figured I better get on the stick since the convention is long past and since I have to drive my son to the other side of the city tonight during rush hour so I can watch him play baseball in 100 degree heat! I don't know how sparkly I'll be after that!

Today's topic is paper clip fun. I'm going to give you some ideas for amusing/educating your children with a simple pack of colored paper clips. Let's start with ideas for preschoolers.

Preschool and Kindergarten

-Have the child sort the paper clips into colors. Example: a pile of blue, a pile of yellow etc...

-Use the paper clips for counting skills, "Junior, will you please count out 10 paper clips for me?" Better yet, master several skills at once, "Junior, I'd like 4 green paper clips and 6 red ones, please."


-Begin simple math skills. "Junior, I have 2 paper clips in my right hand and 3 paper clips in my left hand. How many paper clips do I have all together?"

-Give the child a magnet and let him practice picking paper clips up or making various magnetic art creations.

-Practice fine motor skills by having the child make a paper clip chain or necklace.

-Teach sequencing by placing some paper clips in order such as red, yellow, green, red, yellow, green and have the child tell you which comes next in the sequence.

-Make pretty patterns and designs together. Teach symetry by making symetrical patterns or pictures.

-Show the child how a paper clip is actually used. This may be new information.

Elementary/Older Kids
- Set up math problems with the paper clips. For example, put 5 blue ones in a row with another row of 2 red ones beneath them. Have the child practice writing the equation on paper and working it. You can do addition, subtraction, multiplication, even division.

-Have the child count out a number of paper clips that can be divided. For example, "Junior, count out 12 paper clips. Now divide those 12 into 3 equal groups. How many do you have in each group?" This also works to teach remainders if the clips can't be put into equal groups.

-Let each child choose a paper clip to unfold. See who can make a paper clip into the straightest line. Then see who can reshape it as closely as possible to it's original form.

-Have a contest to see who can come up with the most creative art project made from paper clips.

-Make all of the paper clips into one giant long chain. Surprise! Whoever makes the chain also has to take it back apart.

-Place all of the paper clips in a jar or plastic bag and have your student guesstimate how many are in the container. Then let the student count them all to see how close he came. It's better if you get a guess from each family member to see who wins.

-Have your older student choose a paper clip and write a story about it, being as creative as possible. For example, a student might write a story called "A Day at the Office" that tells about all the adventures a single paper clip has in a day out in the corporate world.

-See who can come up with the most unique use for a paper clip. It can't be its ordinary usage.

-Adopt a paper clip for a day. Let each child be the parent to a paper clip for a day. Everywhere the child goes, the paper clip goes too, but it can't be in a pocket. It has to in the child's view at all times. See who still has their paper clip at the end of the day.

-If you have some filing or papers that need to be clipped together have the student use paper clips to actually do work.

-Look up who invented the paper clip or the history of the paper clip on the internet.

-Practice making paper clips out of other types of things like modeling clay or paper.

If you have other ideas to share just leave them in the comments section.

Ears to Hear

I think I have a new revelation about what Jesus meant when He said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." It seems these days that everyone in my house has some device dangling from their ears at all times. My mother-in-law has an MP3 player. Baby Girl has an Ipod. Techie Boy sits at the computer with earphones in. Both teenagers have cell phones pretty much glued to their ears. Other than me, only my husband has no electronic ear thingie. But husbands rarely need plugs in their ears to tune out their wives.

The other day I walked into the kitchen where my mother-in-law was busy at the sink. I carried on an entire conversation with her before I realized she hadn't heard a word I said. She turned around, looked at me, took her ear device out and said, "Did you say something?"

It's gotten to the point that when I speak to the teenagers the first words out of my mouth are, "Take that thing out of your ear so you can hear me."

Whenever anyone speaks to me they shout as if I can't hear them over the music. So it's both loud and quiet at my house. Loud because everyone is always shouting to speak and everyone is singing along to their own tune, which no one else can hear. But quiet because personal communication can be rather scarce with all of this other stuff clogging up the ears.

This is really odd for me because I realized something when I returned from the North Carolina Homeschool Convention. At the convention, my words held value. People wanted to hear me speak. They sought me out to hear me speak. Then I came home and the first thing I noticed within five minutes of being home is that my words mean so little here and few want to hear them. I don't mean that to slam my family in any way, but it was just such a stark reality. At home I'm just mom or wife or just another member of the family with nothing all that important to say.

I wonder if this is why Jesus said what He did. They didn't have Ipods and MP3 players in His day, but evidently people still had a problem really listening and grasping what He said. I wonder how many times God speaks to me, but I don't really listen. How many other voices and sounds are clamoring in my head so that I miss God's still small voice? How many times have I been in my own small world tuning out God altogether? Something to think about in our highly distractable world.

Summer Suppers

I've discovered recently, especially after listing all of the books that I'm "currently" reading, that I lack focus in a lot of areas. So I've declared war on clutter and distraction. This morning I was really praying about how to go about really decluttering my life and my mind and streamlining my focus. I decided (with God's help) to tackle our summer menu. Up to now we've not really had a summer menu because, as many of you know, I'm not exactly domestically inclined. That doesn't mean I don't have way too many cookbooks or hundreds of recipes in notebooks and folders (See, I can be somewhat organized on the home front!), but that I just hadn't given much thought lately to having a plan of action for the summer.

This morning I sat down and wrote out sixteen meals that we can alternate throughout the summer. By the end of the summer everyone will be tired of eating the same old things so we'll move on to meals for cooler weather. I'm quite proud of myself because I didn't ask anyone's opinion, though I tried to choose things that were pretty acceptable to all. I didn't get hung up looking through a bunch of fancy recipes that I will never cook. And I didn't get overwhelmed or drag it out for indecisive hours. I just did it and now it's done.

These are our supper menu options for the summer:

1.Tacos or taco salad
-Refried beans
-Possibly salsa and chips

2.Chicken wraps with all the trimmings
-Melon or fruit salad

3. BBQ or grilled chicken
-Rice or rice pilaf
-Green veggie

4. Hamburgers
-Baked beans
-Salad or pasta/macaroni salad
-Corn on the cob or shoepeg corn

5. Steak, pinwheels, or kabobs
-Salad
-Baked potato

6. Chef salad or buffalo chicken salad
-Breadsticks, crackers, or specialty breads
-Spiced almonds

7. Salmon or white fish
-Coleslaw or five layer salad or Sullivan's salad
-Rice or rice pilaf

8. Spaghetti or pasta dish
-Salad
-Garlic bread

9. Pork tenderloin
-Pineapple
-Homemade mac and cheese or corn on the cob or shoepeg corn
-Squash and onions or a green veggie

10. BBQ plates or BBQ pork chops or seasoned pork chops
-Applesauce or cinnamon apples
-Coleslaw or a specialty salad or sugar snap peas

11. Burritoes, enchiladas, or cowboy beans
-Salsa and chips or crackers
-Fresh veggies and dip

12. Veggie plate, cold plate, or appetizer plate

13. Roast or Stuff (a dish that is similar to roast, but made with hamburger)
-Whole wheat muffins or cornbread
-Carrots, potatoes, and onions
-Sliced tomatoes and cucumbers (fresh from the garden hopefully!) or green beans

14. A chicken dish, chicken casserole, or whole baked chicken
-Carrots, potatoes, and onions or oven roasted veggies
-Green beans

15. Homemade pizza
-Salad or veggies and dip

16. Hamburger tomato dip
-Tortilla chips
-Salad or sliced veggies

These are in no particular order so we can pick and choose. I also usually have fresh veggies, pasta salad, deviled eggs, and assorted melons hanging around if we need any extra stuff.

For summer desserts we like frozen yogurt pie, ice cream, any kind of pie made with Cool Whip, cheesecake, peach cobbler, blackberry cobbler, and light lemon or white cakes. That said, I rarely make dessert and try not to keep that stuff hanging around here. Plus, I'm supposed to be eating primarily a Mediterranean low cholesterol diet.