Most Important

Reminder to self:

“…Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42

I love homeschooling. It has worked well for our family, which is why we have stuck with it for so long.

When I count all of the hours we’d be in the car, running here and there, doing homework, etc. I think parents who have their kids in traditional school probably spend as much, or close to as much time, as I do, on school! Not to mention, some (probable) stranger would get the honor of spending all of that time with my kids -- and I’d miss out.

But this school year, and the prep leading up to it, this “seasoned” homeschool mom has been befuddled and bewildered.

Reevaluating.

Having to choose.

Too many choices.

Indecision.

Confusion.

Paralyzed at times.

What has always worked before isn’t working for us this year. I have had to make changes. And I really like the comfort of the “same-old, same-old”, so it is sort of hard.

I have four school or pre-school aged children at home this year -- from a highly intelligent and stereotypical Boy With A Curl In The Middle Of His Forehead who needs alot from ME, to a high-school young man who learns differently than his brothers before him, with two in between who cross over each other in some subjects, but have different learning styles and needs.

I finally realized that I needed to let go of a curriculum we really, really like, at least for awhile, and simplify. It was a huge blessing when my kids were closer in levels, and I could do it with multiple ages and levels at once. But things are different now and I need to be flexible. I am still sort of saying “boo-hoo”, but it is getting easier as I see how much sense all of the new things are making.

I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel, finally embracing the hints I’ve been seeing for months now. And I think I am going to rejoice at the “in with the new” as soon as it is all in place and running smoothly. Because it will fit. It will align with what I see as a desired end result, and peace will reign. In my heart anyway – probably not in this house full of jokesters and gymnasts doing parkour!

Back to the Basics:

“Every day, every hour, the parents are either passively or actively forming those habits in their children upon which, more than upon anything else, future character and conduct depend.”

~ Charlotte Mason

I look forward to the next couple weeks of establishing

and settling into our new routine!

Whimsy On Wednesday: My Little Daughter Makes Me Smile. Alot.

Yes, she is adopted. But you wouldn’t know it.

Well. You would... since she is brown and I am beige and all.

But if you were color blind, you wouldn’t.

It is very apparent that she is just as “mine” as if she came

the same way the boys did.

Maybe more.

I don’t know how God did it, but He sure knew. Even now, more than nine years later, my eyes almost always fill with tears at the thought of her. My heart gets all squeezed up and I can hardly stand it for loving her more than I can describe. I love her so much that I can’t imagine anyone else loves their child as much as I do.

Seeing myself in my beautiful girl-child today was whimsical. Especially since she is adopted and, yet, she mirrors me so closely.

I heard her giggling and chatting on the phone with a dear friend.

I had to go take a look.

Be still my overflowing, ever-grateful heart.

Yep, that's me you can see in there.

I hope something really precious gives you a smile this week too.

Sweet Little Armoire

I placed a bid on this sweet armoire when I was at an estate sale recently.

The sign said to place a bid and, if the item did not sell during the course of the sale, “any reasonable offer will be accepted”. Weeelll, with a price tag of $300.00, I wasn’t sure my bid of $70.00 would be considered “reasonable”.

But here it sits in our Music Room. She accepted my offer with the contingency that I also purchase the other item I placed a tentative, again not-very-reasonable bid on, which I will tell you about later.

I love the lines and curves, and the carvings old wood furniture often has.

The design at the bottom of this armoire sort of mirrors an old chair I have nearby.

Details always seal the deal! This is the hardware for the cabinet and drawer pulls.

It took some time to spruce it up as I don’t think it had been dusted or really paid attention to at all for at least 30 years, maybe longer.

It had some bumps and bruises I mostly rubbed out, and the dust in the grooves where the carvings are was level with the top of the carvings!

I say it's little because it’s shorter than any of the other armoires we have. But it’s pretty deep, as you can probably tell by how far it stands out from the wall, and very heavy.

I finally have a place to keep my linens that actually makes some sense and keeps most of it in one place. It also has a hanging bar so I can hang up some items that need to be mended, stains removed, etc.

This is the same room where I have the Napoleon Dynamite Chair, where I often have my Quiet Times. I am not sure I have it permanently arranged in here, but I think I will end up putting a basket under the hanging bar where I can keep books, study materials and cookies other items I like to have at hand during quiet times to myself.

I loooove getting a good deal!

If you enjoy vintage items, you can see many more at Colorado Lady's

Vintage Thingie Thursday.

Menu Plan Monday: How Could It Be October 4-10 Already?

Fall definitely happened upon us this last week. When we arrived at our camping destination there were a few yellow leaves on the ground. When we left it was a carpet! If I had known this was the week, I would have taken before and after pictures. I did enjoy the contradiction of beautiful leaves though, floating by us on the water, displaying their fall colors even as we were splashing around in the summer-like weather.

Soup’s On Saturday began this past Saturday with “The Basics” and will be all about “Yummy Veggie Soups” next Saturday. Post your favorite veggie soup recipe on your blog and I’d love to have you link up. I am especially interested to hear about your favorite seasonal soups, made from local ingredients. It doesn’t have to be for this current season, but there sure are some great seasonal squash soup recipes in season right now…

This week is a busy one. In addition to homeschooling the kidlets, daily activities, and playing catch-up from being gone all week, I have a conference this weekend, so will be gone at dinner time both Friday and Saturday nights. Giving a clap for Jesus that I have some frozen dinners in that freezer!

At our house this week:

Monday: Leftovers from camping (includes biscuits, burritos, and Chicken Masala which my kids are sad to eat without naan bread!)

Tuesday: Fish Tacos (I made the filling ahead and it is in the freezer)

Wednesday: Veggie Soup (I will post about it for Soup’s On Saturday)

Thursday: 1 Dish Taco Bake (except I have too many people in my family so it takes 2-3 dishes, heehee)

Friday: BBQ Ribs and Rice

Saturday: Turkey Almond Casserole from the freezer (the recipe calls for chicken but I used both turkey and chicken as I had both to use up)

Sunday: Eat out? Maybe? I hope?… (Otherwise, I will come up with a crockpot meal because everyone is famished by the time we get home from church).

(For lots of links to other blogs with weekly menus this week, visit www.orgjunkie.com)

Have a cozy week!

Soup’s On Saturday The Third – The Basics

I’ve been looking forward to this day for weeks. The first day of S.O.S. and my first official recognition of Fall for the year. I usually love whatever season is upon us, including fall, and all of the comforts of home I especially appreciate when the weather gets cooler again and, in my neck-o-the-woods, WETTER!

It’s sort of funny though because, as I type this, I am sitting in our travel trailer, after a beautiful summer-like day playing in a river and fishing with my family in about the most idyllic wilderness setting you could conjure up.

Just in case that previous post didn’t have enough pictures…

This pathway leading back to our campsite looks pretty fall-like with the beautiful yellow leaves my littlest man says look like bananas!

And I did say I would issue an invitation to Fall this Saturday, by starting Soup’s On Saturday… and so I shall.

You can look here to read about what Soup’s On Saturday is and here for the Soup De’jour (schedule that lists what soups will be featured when).

Soup, The Basics:

Broth: In all my studying of food and how to prepare and serve it, I don’t think I have found any other food to be more beneficial in and of itself, than a true bone broth.

The first little known rule is to start out with cold water. Even in my very old cookbooks, I find this step to be included. Adding vinegar is the next “secret”. It helps to extract the nutrients from the bone better. The article "Broth Is Beautiful" is a very informative article about making bone broth (it is also linked in the soup list on my side bar). And you can find my own recipe for making our favorite bone broth, with vegetables, here, from last year. Yummy.

Freezing Broth: Many people are against using plastic products. I also try to avoid them for the most part. So I suggest using canning jars, making sure you leave a couple inches at least, for the soup to expand, if you have a set-up where this will work. I have too many people to freeze for and too little space for this method. Since I know my broth will not be heated in the packaging, I use gallon sized zip bags. I clearly label them with the contents and date toward the top of the bag, and freeze it flat. Once it is frozen in a flat shape, I put it in a basket standing up, like a file system of sorts. This helps me to keep my frozen items organized while making the most of the space we have in the freezer (I will include a picture later when I am home from camping!).

I will freeze a gallon or two at least in ice cube trays too, then in zip bags. Using about 3 cubes at a time, thawed and gently warmed, is great nutrition to sip on, for a sickie or an expectant mother who can’t seem to keep anything down.

‘Cream Of’ Soups: I am a proponent of just about any creamed soup. Except Tomato Soup. If you can give me a tomato soup recipe I actually like, my hat is off to you. It probably has something to do with the fact that my grandma made it for me once when I was about 8 or 9, when I was not feeling well, and I got sick. So, good luck with that one.

My biggest tip for making cream soups is to use actual cream. Personally, I throw cream, real butter, fresh vegetables of whatever soup I desire, and some seasonings into my Vita-Mix and puree it. If I am in the mood for leaving some chunks in it, I steam some veggies first, don’t puree them, then add them last. I can heat soup right in the Vita-Mix so it is one container to wash. Snap.

Well, that’s it for me. My laptop battery is almost depleted so I am back to camping. Do you have any tips or any great recipes for making a soup base, a cream-of soup, or freezing, canning, or storing soup? I will include linkies this week as a test then will play it by ear. So feel free to use the linky below (will be added by Tuesday, have been unable to add linky on a scheduled post while I am away) to link up to your blog post, email me your recipe, or include it in the comments section! I plan to be back from the wilderness and to my internet connection by Tuesday.

Helllooo Fall. You are hereby invited into my home….

P.S. Next week will be featuring tasty veggie soups,

especially recipes using those seasonal fresh produce from your area!

I hope you join me!

Gone Fishin’

a little crawdaddin’

…and camping, and swimming, and reading, and picnic lunches on blankets in the sun, and food cooked over a fire and…and… and…

We are having a grand time in possibly the most beautiful campsite in the U.S.A.

We came into town to get more fishing supplies. This afternoon we are going

panning for gold.

My Soup’s On Saturday post should be up on Saturday morning, it’s all ready to go. Except I can't figure out how to add the linky ahead of time, so I will add that when I get back into town.

I’ll be back to civilization on Monday or Tuesday. After just a few last days soaking up the last little bit of summer…

I hope you are too!

Soup’s On Saturday, The Details and Schedule

I usually love fall and all of the homey warmth it brings. But, I’ll admit, having been gone for 3 weeks to India this past July, together with not really having much actual summer weather this year, fall has been a little sneaky and unwelcome to me.

But, after the camping trip we are on now (or on our way to), and with the appearance of moody fog at our house almost every morning, if I tip my head in just the right way so as to catch the scent of musty leaves, or the aroma of ripe apples, then imagine my family sitting around the table guffawing about something probably totally inappropriate for guests funny, I can imagine I am close to being ready to issue fall a formal invitation.

There’s no better invite to Fall than just saying “Soup’s On!”

Mmm, this year’s S.O.S. Fest is going to be fun! (For more specifics about what S.O.S. is, and for participating in S.O.S. you can click here.) I have added themes to each week rather than every week being a Free-For-All, just to get you stewing (pun intended) ahead of time, about different recipes. I am also planning to give out S.O.S./soup/recipe related prizes I myself would like to win, if we have enough participants.

If we don't? Well, then, I will just entertain myself with thoughts and posts of sumptuous soups and maybe I'll have something cute to keep for myself. LOL.

Check out the fun list below, and I hope I see you next week with your “Basics” recipes and advice! Please share your favorite soup base, how you like to make broth, your favorite 'Cream Of' Soup recipe or trick, a trick you use for freezing or canning soup – or any other basics that would be useful to others that you’d like to share!

October 2: Soup, The Basics and Cream Of… (How to make broth, your favorite creamed soup, freezing, canning, etc.)

October 9: Tasty Veggie Soups (Especially using your seasonal, local veggies)

October 16: Family Favorites (“Just Like Grandma Used To Make” – Or the ones you make which your grandkids will one day say that about)

October 23: Making and Using Dry Soups and Mixes (How to make your own soup mixes to use or give away, and ways you use dry soup)

October 30: Sides for Soups (What do you serve with soup?)

November 6: Soups with Toppings (CHEESE is my favorite!)

November 13: Soups for a Crowd (For all of the company you’ll have in the coming weeks)

November 20: Soups Using Poultry (you know you’ll have leftovers!)

November 27: Exotic and Ethnic Soups (Because I heart Pho)

December 4: What a Crock! I’m Just Stewing (Any soup using a slow cooker and/or any stew)

December 11: Soups With Tradition

December 18: Ham Soups (or any Pork)

December 25: Merry Christmas! Quick N Easy (either from scratch or using premade canned or frozen soups)

January 1: Diet Soups (I know there are a ton out there for losing weight, cleansing and for different diets...)

January 8: Soups For Sickies

January 15: I Am Wild and I Got Game

January 22: Gettin’ A Little Chili

January 29: Beef Soups

February 5: Using Leftovers For Soup

February 12: Soups With A Theme

February 19: Spring and Summer Soups

February 26: Comfort Soups

March 5: Best Of Regular Participants (Contest!)

Even though I know it has officially come, according to the sun and the moon and the calendar, I am not going to wish you a happy fall yet. Instead, I hope you have a wonderful week enjoying one last week of summer weather and gearing up to welcome fall with open arms -- next week…