On Making a Menu, Making Soap, And Artisan Bread - Sort of......

I'm not a domestic diva.

It is a fact.

However, I'm a believer in doing 

what I can to keep this house going in a 

positive direction.

Keeping this house going in a positive

direction means that we have to be 

healthy and relatively happy.

I feel that the last several years have stolen 

much from my desire to be proactive in my 

domestic abilities.

Rather I have been holding on by my 

fingernails as I fought desperately for my daughter's life.

Before that I was scrapping to get our mothers 

settled in our neighborhood and dealing with 

the grief of many.

Myself included....but mostly others.

This might be the year that my grief gets dealt with.

A friend and I touched on it this morning 

as I asked her how her grief process was coming 

since the loss of her father. 

She described so perfectly what I feel.

She said she pretty much felt she had put the grief

in a drawer until a time she feels better able to deal with it.

Oh yeah!

Do I ever know about that.

Mom went to Grief Share.

I couldn't.

I felt no right to feel the intense pain.

He wasn't my husband.

He was my father.

When it came to Warren's Dad....

well, he was Georgia's husband.

We had much to do.

There was no time to feel.

We had to act.

More than not feeling the right to pain

I didn't want to feel it.

Desperately!

Sure, things would make me cry.

But as soon as possible I would 

move on.

To fall apart meant that I might 

never be put back together

and that was not acceptable.

Then, like I said, we went right into 

dealing with 

Anorexia.  

Days, weeks, hours.....

meant nothing.

Housework?

Not up there on the list of important things to do.

We were literally dealing with life and death.

But now we find ourselves on the other side of crisis.

So.much.crisis.

I actually have days when I can breathe.

I am so thankful for how things have settled out.

Chelsea is strong.

The Moms are in as good a place as they can be

without the Dads.

For a while I thought the next thing on my agenda 

should be getting a full time job.

After all, 

did I really think I could slow down

and let the thoughts and pain in?

However, I've been once again finding joy

in my home.

Joy in serving my family.

I've made a menu for the first two weeks of May.

We will go out and purchase the ingredients sometime 

in the next 24 hours.

I've begun to attack the clutter in my home that has 

gathered and I think even had babies in the corners.

Chelsea and I pulled out the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day Book

so we could choose some recipes to start with.

My Aunt has shared her liquid laundry detergent recipe.

I prefer liquid detergent.

Those ingredients are to be purchased at the same time

as the groceries.

Life moves on.

There may be some truth to the saying that you 

can tell the health and happiness of a family 

by the condition of their home

if I am any indication of that.

The pit was pretty deep.

While the surface was smooth....

the current ran strong.

These days I find myself quick to tears.

I think often of my Dad.

I miss him.

We miss Warren's Dad.

Immensely.

But we will be o.k.

We have survived.

All of us.

Grey Day at The Inner Harbor

It might have been gray and spitting

but it was FUN!

Once a month our church designates a Sunday

as a Family Day.

All that it means is that there is no church sponsored

event after worship on that week.

We encourage families to focus on spending time together

alone or in smaller groups.

We don't want burn out.

We do want creativity, conversation, 

field trips, rest, and variety.

So.....what it looks like is different 

for each family day and each family.

Sometimes we make plans to go out for dinner

with the Moms.

Sometimes, like yesterday, we make plans to 

head out of town after church.

With families working, home educating and keeping homes

all week long it is so nice to have at least ONE day per 

month that is completely open to whatever we want to do

together.

So.....we went to Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

We were joined by our friends, The Barrs and Pastor Mike.

Of course "we" includes the Moms.

Many others went to Creekside Cottage for a picnic.

I know many were looking forward to that kind of a calm

afternoon, while still others went home for quiet time.

I'm coming to love this particular Sunday

of the month.

The car ride to Baltimore led to amazing conversations.

I wouldn't trade it for the world!!

Once we arrived we stopped at the Visitor Center

and then headed out to enjoy the sights.

Chelsea was in "need" of some Starbucks so she 

and I headed out across several lanes of traffic

for her "fix".

Perhaps Warren is checking this out in case his Miata ever feels too big?

Two birds in one shot

We came back and joined back up with the group

from which we got quick snapshots of the Grandmas 

touring a ship and then headed for this huge 

Barnes and Noble.

I can't even imagine how cool it must have been 

to turn this old factory into an amazing store.

We spent a fair amount of time just poking around the harbor.

Even though it was getting late there was still plenty to see.

A little fishy fun....

And at the risk of shaming myself.....

 My "friend" Bonnie said that I look demented.

Haha.  Good....I was going for the crazy fish look.

Our final stop was dinner at
The Uno Chicago Grill.

Delicious!

They worked hard to make sure we had
a wonderful experience.
And.we.did!

 These brothers crammed into a booth that was way too small.

But they didn't mind.

As we were leaving darkness had fallen

and so I had to snap just a couple more shots.

I have to back up to tell you a story so that you'll see why we 

found the next two photos totally amusing.

While we were in Barnes and Noble we kept losing 

track of one member or more of our group.

So...I was kidding when I suggested that we should get matching 

t-shirts for the group so we would be easier to find.

Of course the name Sonrise Christian Fellowship 

would be on the back.

Well, it didn't take long to see why this would be a very bad 

idea when Mr. Barr was suggesting that Jonathan and he should

do something quite unacceptable.

Can you just imagine....and there we would be

with our church name emblazoned for all to see???

That was all in fun....

but so was the suggestion for the t-shirts.

However, 

on a final stop as we were leaving at a Candy store

Grandma Ruth found t-shirts for the group.

LOL

What a laugh we had over the very idea.

 One....or two....Hot Chicks.

 Just in case I have to say it.....This did NOT come home with anyone!

Things got a bit more sensible with the oversized Twizzlers.

Pastor Mike picked up a bit of candy.

 He wasn't the only one.

Kelly and I got some too 

and were totally SHOCKED 

at the price.

But...it was fun.

There was a sign up on the wall which Georgia noticed.

It said 

"Gotcha Sucker!"

I guess we were gotten.

It was time for the locals to get some sleep.

We made it safely back to 

the parking garage and enjoyed another chatty 

ride back home.

Simply delightful.

I wonder what we will do next month?

Hmmmm........

Maybe a zoo?

**********

A postscript on this lovely day.

While we were out and about my dear friend, Susanna, 

gave birth to a darling baby boy.

I've not met him yet but I know he is darling because 

that is what Susanna does. 

She makes darling children.

One month from now their adopted son,

Tommy, comes home.

This will round out their family to 

a perfect 13 children.

Mother's Day Blast - Surprise Sale in My Etsy Shop

Mother's Day is just around the corner.....Really.

I've decided that this weekend I want to 

offer a surprise 25% off sale 

in my Etsy shop.

Everything* is on sale!

....And so much more!

Simply use Coupon Code

THANKS25

at the checkout to save 25% on your total order.

*The only exceptions are the Tommy and Katie candles

due to my commitment of giving from those proceeds.

The Morning After A Migraine.....

.....Is ugly.

I officially hate migraines.

Yesterday I was spending a very lovely 

and interesting afternoon out with my friend, Deanna,

as we enjoyed some time in Lititz.

We were there so that Deanna could meet 

another shop owner who carries my candles, Karen.

Both of these ladies are courageous and strong.

Running a retail shop is not for the faint of heart.

Especially in these hard economic times.

Deanna and I

 enjoyed a tasty lunch at the Tomato Pie Cafe,

which may be the source of the migraine

now that I think about it.

Not the food, 

but the environment.

Because of a remodeling project going on there

it was extra crowded and very loud.

An hour spent in this busyness

may have played a part.

I've really no idea.

Nonetheless, 

I greatly enjoyed the food and the company.

Then we were off to meet up with Karen

at Back Home Again.

She is doing such a delightful job with the 

setting up of her shop.

I meant to take photos and completely forgot.

I enjoyed seeing and hearing these two sharp 

ladies discussing business.

Then it was time to head back to a local shopping 

area where we had left Jonathan and Chelsea.

No sooner had I pulled into the shopping center when my right

eye became partially blind. 

I know that sounds weird but that is what happens

for me before the headache hits.

I said, "Oh no, I'm getting a migraine!"

And then the words became harder to come 

up with.

We found Chels and Jon and then it was decided that

I'd best stop at the nearby CVS for some Ibuprofen.

I tottered inside to get it and then gulped two 

dry while waiting in the "forever" line to 

cash out.

I truly hoped the cashier didn't ask too many questions

because try as I might I couldn't come up with the word

Migraine.

I knew I would come off sounding drunk or something.

My words just go......with migraines.

So scary.

As we drove up toward Lancaster 

the thought processes became 

even more 

cloudy. 

I got just plain scared.

We stopped so Deanna could take over the wheel.

She drove straight to the hospital.

They got me back quickly for an evaluation.

At that point I told them it was 2012.

Oops!

Wishful thinking, maybe.

But after seeing a doctor

he reassured me that it appeared to be a 

"complicated migraine"

and had the nurse give me IV medication 

to ease the symptoms.

Whew!

They worked.

In the process, though I became very hot and agitated

and felt the need to get out of there.

I rang for the nurse and asked to leave.

She checked with the doctor and said that was fine 

if I was feeling better.

At that point I was since the real headache had 

yet to hit.

Thankfully we made it home and I got to bed before

the intense pain crashed in.

After some time I managed to get to sleep 

and a very long nap took care of that pain.

This morning I have the "imprint" of the headache

up there but no crashing pain.

Thankfully!

Everything hurts

in general.

But it would seem that the worst

and the scariest has passed.

Do you get migraines?

Are they annoying or scary to you?

Every Day They Play

Bandit and the squirrels.

I open the door

and she charges out and to the right.

Her eyes are bright and hopeful.

Most of the time she is not disappointed.

We have a lot of squirrels 

around here.

They play.

The squirrels are active participants who will

come down from the trees and hop around to get 

her attention.

She runs like the wind to their location 

as they shimmy up a tree.

This one flattened itself against the tree 

in hopes that she wouldn't be able to see it.

It must be new.

Normally they just kind of hang on the side 

just out of her reach

or 

they go to the top of the tree to run branch to branch 

until they come down another tree to begin the 

game all over again.

Its all fun and games

until she actually catches one.

O Happy Day!

 By now you know that I miss having 

our middle son, Michael,

living with us.

I know that our children have to grow up and 

go out and make it on their own.

However, it still makes me very, very happy 

when he comes back to spend quality time with his family.

Today was one of those precious days.

We ran errands together in the afternoon....

all three of our kiddos and me.

Then we came home and had a delightful dinner

together.
Dinner was
our choice of
 chicken or beef sliders

and Tuscan Asparagus.

Warren had beat us home and was 

willing to operate the grill to make
the meat 

for the sliders.

Not being an asparagus lover

I surprised myself by almost enjoying 

the roasted and seasoned veggie dish.

I had FOUR spears.

Its a record.

lol

Dinner was followed by a walk.

A nice long walk.

On this walk were Warren, Chelsea, Mom, 

Georgia, Myself 

and 

all three dogs.

The evening was brisk but not cold....

At least as long as one was moving.

The moon stood out.....just beautifully...... in the blue sky.

Father and Daughter.

She was getting chilly.

 A flowering tree caught our eye.

Such delicate blossoms!

Sigh....such beauty in such a simple setting.

These blooms just brighten their corners of the world.

We came across them many times on this walk.

Beautiful vistas so close to home.

So thankful for this busy but blessed day.