A Medieval House Among Other Things

A partially done medieval house. I did botch the original design so this house will be medieval my way.Papier mache is so cool!

I found this copy of Castle in my favorite bookshop,which is tucked away beside a lovely bakeshop we also enjoy. The book looks untouched-nabbed it for75 cents.

" My" bookshop sold me these at 10 cents apeice. Nice! Jane Brody's cookbook is very good if one likes a nice balance in healthy cooking. I purchased this copy for a friend.

Riga style sour cream is super good and looks to be good for you too.Especially when paired with the Garlic Roasted Butternut from http://eatwell.wordpress.com. While you're there try the Adobo pork or beef recipe.It's very good too.

My sister bathing Sarenna. Sarenna likes tub soaks!

A sleeping baby.

Yours truly typing late at night. Yes,I do hunt and peck and I get along just fine! Er,pretty good!

Listening to a CD done by members of our fellowship.The children love this CD."You can talk about me all that you please! I'll talk about you down on my knees." Something like that.

Some of the young men from our fellowship plan to come over for dinner-I'm doing a roast and brown rice.They're easy to please and will be fine with chocolate chip cookies for dessert! Well,nice chatting! Have a wonderful day! Marcella

What am I Doing for God Today?

Here's something that's close to my heart many times.Stories of foreign missions,of inner city outreaches etc. always sound so inspiring and we tend to think Yeah,that's where lots of God's work is done or we tend to wait for some dramatic moment to do some great work for God.But what about right where we live? Do we care that we've lived next door to a family and never gone to meet them? Do we care that we don't know most of the families on our street,or our neighborhood? Do we? Or do we wait for some big moment,some trip to be of service to our fellow humans,people who have needs just like you and me? Shouldn't we be just as concerned that the real Gospel in all its simplicity be preached close to home? A challenge that can take courage as well. Marcella

Four Loans from God

Our four miracles-on loan.

Here's our first-born son,Jess.

Here's the first daughter,the child that challenges me to be the best woman I can be.

Here's the character,the unique child that I love with my very whole heart.Thank-you God!

Marcella

Shenandoah Snow

Stripey mittens for the cold weather......

Jess under a covered evergreen tree.

Looking down the driveway......

Snow in the Shenandoah doesn't seem to last long though! We only had this serene snowy look for about a day.Now we have a muddy,icy,half melted mess.

I've been spending the last couple days recovering from the busy weekend and a kitchen drain that took days to get repaired in the middle of it all.Actually,it wasn't repaired until rather late yesterday.My nerve endings are finally quitting their involuntary trembling. It was one whopper of a weekend! Outings and visitors combined. The house is getting back to order now.I see the light at the end of the tunnel,thankfully!

Hope to have a more relaxed post in the next few days.

Marcella

"A Far Country"

"This is a far country,a far country,
Not my home.."
This chorus on Andrew Peterson's album really resonates. Andrew,in an interview talks about a qoute or something"God is at home,we are in a far country."
There's a verse in the Bible that talks of how God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts,and His ways higher? than our ways and I suspect that when God sends souls to live in "a far country" He has put them there very purposely. A testing ground to see where their loyalties truly lie,perhaps? Maybe,probably,I'm probing in places I shouldn't. But,when my heart is in the right place,it feels real.I am in a far country.
Marcella

Regroup time-sort of!

Well,most of the guests are gone-for the moment. I'm up way late,preparing for the next outing and getting stuff done that's tough when I'm supervising the little people (and tired from too many late nights and busy days). We have had very few quiet days and we enjoy it but sometimes a bit of regrouping needs to be done.... There's the basket of light colored clothes going into the machine in a few minutes,the baby laundry that was heaped in the baby bathtub waiting for me to finish removing the poopy stains and all those whites under the lavatory calling. Well,the whites can wait but the latter two are well on thier way to Cleanland.
A large gift bag has been turned into the storage area for my newspaper supply in case I actually make some papier mache thing and also houses my pieces of colored tissue paper being hoarded for that medieval stained glass craft we should get too. Bit by bit I have gotten my walk in closet back to being" walkinable" tonight.Yesss!
The rooms are basically vacuumed and most of the clutter that I keep fighting is away.The poinsetta and the palmy houseplants need watering and the kettle and food storage shelves need rearranging.Iattacked the boys room today like I periodically must,especially after large packs of children have used it as playroom.We got the bed made,the stuffed animals back where they belong,the crayons into boxes,paper into the trash or shelf and so on.Now it looks good for the moment and the boys can probably keep it pretty clean by themselves-at least till the next batch of small visiting people arrive! And now,I can go soak in the tub if I wish! Yay!
Marcella

Medieval times and egg fun

These are partially painted castles the boys made in one of those free Home Depot workshops.The workshop this month just happened to go with our theme.

Circles of cardboard covered with foil and etched with a pencil tip,make imitation medieval money.Now we need to search the thrift store for some red material to sew the pouch.I think mom is learning right along with the children these days! Sewing skills look like they will be learned by the seat of my skirt.....erm.

Someone's not working on the lesson.It's more fun to cut foil into bits when you're only three.

When one finds a 50 cent egg painting kit on the store shelves,why not go for it? At least that's what the small people thought-they didn't want it squirreled into the closet for a later time.Never mind that we're officialy studying the Middle Ages.

And likewise when you recieve a finger/spongepainting kit as a gift,roll out the paper,sayeth the crew.Mom hover around to keep paint from getting mixed or polka dotted green carpet.

Can't Mama be an artist too sometimes? Looks like the decorating stuff came out...Hope the neighbors like their New Year's cookies!

I know,I know,the pictures aren't cropped or well-done. Maybe someday. Right now I have a bathroom to clean, laundry to take care of and plans for tonight's homeschool meeting. The children are playing one of their make believe games where each player takes a role.Even the baby is filling a role.Who knows what she's playing today.Last night she was playing the part of Pharaoh.Imagine,a baby girl Pharaoh!

Jess is working on a homemade book on Moses.I think we may start notebooking soon. More stuff in the works-to come later. Marcella

Castles are the theme

A buffet of medieval books..

A castle book and puzzle that are very good-I highly recommend them.We got this for Alex last year.

Our Jess,making unleavened discs of bread.In the medieval times they ate off of stale bread instead of using plates.

Jess and Alex eating off the finished product.

Some of Jess's recent art,though unrelated.

Castle books,castle banks,castle puzzles,medieval bread.If medieval times and things interest you,our house is the place to be right now! I like the unit study rabbit trail thing but I like creating my own plan.So here's the above! Maybe it will inspire others to investigate castles too!

Be well,Marcella

And the House is Quiet

It's that time of night when the rest of the house is quiet,Mama's had her bath and instead of heading to bed stops to roam the house a bit and pull her thoughts together.Today was a day of cleaning and cooking and a bit of laundry.A stomach bug seems to be stalking this house too.It's tough being a nursing mom and trying to fast because food doesn't agree.Ah,well.
We changed the calendars and circled birthdays and talked about the months and leap year and such.Now we begin a brand new year in the USA and that's different.It's time to really snap out of quite such a temporary mode and internalize that we live here for real instead of just visiting.We made such a fast move back to the States that it left us fairly stunned for a while there.
Tonight we got a houseful of visitors,lots of news and gifts.There seems to be a real revolving door here nowadays with people coming and going all the time but usually we seem to thrive on it.If that's the work the Lord has in mind for us we desire to do it well.
Well,I should snatch some sleep before the baby awakes again. Blessings,Marcella

2008-"and still there are songs..."

In early 2007 Lee and I found the albums of singer and songwriter Sara Groves while we weathered some of the most difficult times of our lives and Sara was a voice of comfort in the storm.Sometimes,as we worked in our cafe,quite alone in a foreign land,Sara's voice spoke words exploring our walks with God in words that often we would've if we'd been able.Or she assured us,as she did in the song "It's Going to be Alright" "I believe you'll outlive this pain in your heart* And you'll gain such a strength from what is tearing you apart* Oh,oh I believe I believe that* It's going to be alright* It's going to be alright*
In November 2007 Sarenna Faith was born.Sarenna is a form of the name Sara. A lasting memory of this year.
Recently I found a song from what I believe is Sara's newest album....."how so much can go wrong *and still there are songs*" Yes,2008,there are still songs!
Marcella