A Joyful Keeper

If you have read the articles in my homemaking section, you will know that I love aprons. As I was looking through Mrs. Meg Logan’s blog (she kindly left a comment on my log cabin quilt, thank you!), I saw that she had an entry on aprons with some great links!

One of them is this site with the best collection of aprons I have seen! I have been drooling over it for the past ten minutes! I love the variety, colors, and styles of these aprons. I myself am a very plain apron person. I don’t like frills, but I do like pretty!

I make my own simple aprons. I like to use a medium weight fabric because I am constantly wiping my hands on them and if they were thin cotton, they would get wet too soon! I prefer full aprons so that my entire body is covered. I am short and often lean against the bench top and get all sorts of stuff on me when I am baking or cooking! Sometimes I will wear a short apron, and then find that something will splatter out of the frypan on my top! So I’d rather be nicely covered! LOL!

Another site is Hillbilly Housewife - she has written her story of starting to wear an apron. She ends her article with this paragraph:

“I like my aprons. They have changed my life, raising my standards, inspiring me to greater feats of home making skill, and making me more effective as a parent. Whoever thought that a dollars worth of fabric and lace could effect so many changes on one woman and one family? Since my success with aprons I have become a true believer. I am now called to spread the word among my fellow housewives. Join the crusade by sharing your love of aprons with friends, family and internet buddies around the world. Together we will change the face of the House Wife, the world over.”

I feel the same way. I want to spread the news that wearing an apron can change your attitude about being a Keeper of the Home! I also want to start a collection of links to other aprons sites. Let me know about any good ones you’ve found, and I’d also love to hear your story about aprons, if you love them as much as me

hee heee, thank you ladies I will look at the bottom of the box for the lesson And really, I think that the lesson for a person like me, is to just keep sorting all my stuff and letting go…. hard sometimes, very hard!

My dear friend Robyn came over yesterday. She had read my post and wanted to see the big box of clothes that I was ignoring! This is the problem when people who live near you read your blog I assure you, the box is real! She wanted to tackle it right away (my own fairy godmother!), but I said, “No!!! I don’t know where to put it yet!!!” So it will need to be ignored for a little longer….!

See, the problem is twofold. One is the fact that we have too many clothes (or any other “stuff”). This leads to needing more cupboards to put them in, a bigger house to put the cupboards in, etc, etc. Cynthia once wrote a very good article on “STUFF”. I will ask her if she is going to put it up on her website…. it is very challenging.

Anyway, having said all that, I am still going to ignore the box for today because my parents are coming to visit and I need to clean my floor (Yes, another one of those things I’ve been ignoring! I seem to be doing a lot of that lately!)

Have a lovely day, everyone!

Today is Log Cabin Day. I know this because my friend has a calendar with all these useless useful tidbits of information. In honor of this most auspicious day, I will post a photo of my unfinished Log Cabin Quilt in an attempt to shame me into finishing it:

Happy Log Cabin Day

The weekend just flew by, and yes, we did get a lot more boxes unpacked! A few of them were easy; some others are being ignored by me…. one of these is a very large box full of clothes, that is just sitting in the hallway….. I pass it dozens of times a day, and I ignore it.

Yesterday morning we were getting ready for church. I told the kids to put new clothes on and about 10 minutes before we were going to leave I actually looked at what Matthew had chosen. His top half looked ok, but his bottom half - track suit pants with a big hole in the knee! I told him to go and put something else on. He came back and said he didn’t have anything else. So, I went to the big box in the hallway that I was ignoring.

Soon there was a huge pile on the floor next to the box. I managed to find a pair of jeans for him to wear. And then I got the kids to put the clothes all back into the box again. So that I could ignore it. Again.

Just before we came back to Australia, I went through my clothes and ruthlessly got rid of stuff. You know, the “it’s too small, but I’ll fit back in again one day” clothes. I got rid of bags full that we had carted from country to country! And yet I still have a large box in the hallway full of clothes that I am ignoring….

When we came back and before our stuff arrived, I packed our suitcases with three outfits for each of us. When they were dirty, we washed them right away. There were no piles of dirty clothes lying around the room and I knew that if they weren’t in the wash, then they were being worn or were clean in the cupboard.

It was so much more simple than that big box in the hallway, that I am ignoring, because I don’t know where to put the clothes that are stuffed in it…. there’s a lesson in here somewhere, isn’t there?!

The children were up early this morning and had their school work done by 9.15am! Why? Because the playstation controls were found yesterday….. Motivation is a wonderful thing!

This was a bonus for me since it freed me up to do lots of things around the house. Mostly today turned out to be baking day. I started with Baking Powder Biscuits for lunch and then went on to make two batches of cookies. Both types of cookies are Dutch, so I’ll have to translate them into English for you

The first ones I made were “Zand Koekjes” translated literally - Sand Cookies. I guess they are called this because they are crumbly….??? They certainly don’t taste like sand!

Sand Cookies - recipe here!

These sand cookies had chocolate chips in them! Yummy!

The second batch are the kids’ favorites. They are called “Half-om-Halfjes”, literally “Half and Halves”… Matthew saw them and yelled out,

“Yum! Two flavored cookies!!!” I think I will call them, Two Toned Cookies. (If anyone comes up with a better name, please tell me - I’m not very good at these things!)

And here it is, my first ever “Online Cooking Tutorial”!!!

Two Toned Cookies

You will need:

320g plain flour

240g butter

160g caster sugar

a pinch of salt

Extra:

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa

Mix all the ingredients except the cocoa. The mixture will be crumbly, but should stick together when you grab a handful. Take approx half of the mixture out of the mixing bowl and place it in another bowl. This will be your “plain” half.

Add the cocoa to the remaining mixture and mix in well. If you want it darker, add more cocoa, 1/2 tbsp at a time.

It will look something like this:

Knead both mixtures to make two balls of dough:

Now take some of the dough from each color and roll into rolls or (”worms!”) like this:

Place the rolls of dough on top of each other like this and cut slices to make cookies:

Now this is the “by hand” way. If you are like me and have a wonderful cookie press, roll the dough into thicker rolls:

Squeeze them into the cookie press:

Press out the cookies onto a baking tray:

Don’t they look good?

Bake in a 180C oven (moderately hot) for about 6 - 8 min. These cookies are done when the white dough has a slight golden tinge to them.

Any questions? Just ask

Have a great weekend everyone!

Elizabeth turned 11 yesterday! I actually managed to clear enough space in the kitchen to bake a cake! It wasn’t fancy, but better than the store bought ones I had for the boys. (Although I must admit the Treasure Island one had so many lollies and chocolate on it that they couldn’t have cared less that it wasn’t home made!!!)

On the job hunting front, hubby had applied for a job that we thought was “perfect”. It was working with computers in agriculture, just a 10 minute drive from home….. but, we heard yesterday that someone else with more experience in agriculture got the job. So it wasn’t meant to be. Now he will have to look at the jobs in the city which means commuting 1 1/2 hours each way.

It’s funny, but when I heard that he didn’t get the job, I felt peace. We want to so much stay living in the country, and this job “seemed” to be the way to do it. But it looks like God has other plans and I am eagerly awaiting them!! It is hard to wait and keep trusting, but I know it is the only way to go. God has plans for us and I know they are for good and not evil

Jeremiah 24:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.”

And last, but not least, more boxes were unpacked today thanks to some willing hands My dear friend Robyn came around and helped get things sorted out. Robyn is my older woman (older, not old!) and such an inspiration to me. She had a hip replacement last year and is waiting for her other hip to be “fixed” this year. Just having her there to motivate me was a big help, let alone all the lifting, sorting and unpacking she did despite her hip problems. Friends like Robyn are a real blessing

We moved some tables around and now the school/sewing room is looking much better. I have cleared the table tonight ready for school in the morning, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll get a teeny weeny bit of sewing in tomorrow too….!!

Oh my! It has been such a busy couple of weeks! It was exciting to get my new website up and running a fortnight ago, and I have been spending a lot of time playing with it Last week we were busy with other things, though. Here is a little peek:

~* ~ This is kids’ birthday time of the year! I didn’t plan it this way, but all three children have their birthdays within three weeks of each other In one way it is good – we can budget for two big expenses (birthdays and Christmas) every six months! In another way it is pretty hectic and by the time Elizabeth’s birthday rolls around the adults are sick of birthday cake!

Last week Matthew turned 9! My parents came to stay for a few days to visit and be there for his birthday. I managed to get the guest room clear and we had a lovely time together. DH was able to help Dad with a lot of his computer problems – updating virus checks and such. I drove my mother around town a little. She wanted to look at retirement villages The conclusion was that although they are both 65, they are still fit enough to live in their own home!

I usually make birthday cakes myself. This year I didn’t. Things were pretty hectic, so I decided to go the easy way and bought two simple mud cakes from the supermarket for Matt’s birthday. Daniel and Elizabeth had fun decorating them to be like a treasure island. Matthew was so pleased!

~*~ Late on Wednesday afternoon, Matt’s birthday, we heard that our stuff from overseas was coming! So we whizzed around the house getting things out of the way to accommodate all the incoming boxes! It was a big day and by the end of it our bones were aching! It was so fun to see all our things again, though. I was happy to see cutlery, dishes, baking pans and all those simple things we take for granted. I was also happy to see my “nicer” things, like mixers, special casserole dishes, etc.

Before we left I had decluttered a lot. As I was unpacking each box I had two reactions – one, “I’m so glad I didn’t give this away, I am looking forward to using it again!” and two, “Why on earth did I keep this?!” The latter items I will put in a box and give away. The former I will use and enjoy

We had a few tears….. the packers had packed certain things very badly. Books were thrown in with toys and as a result were bent and warped. Some toys broke. As the children came to me with tears in their eyes to see some of their possessions damaged, I told them how I was dealing with my things that had been broken or that had been left behind because there was no space to take them. I told them that I wanted to be annoyed with the packers because they hadn’t taken enough care. I told them I wanted to be upset about the things that I “had to leave behind”. But then I told them also that I felt God speaking to me about being thankful for what did arrive and what did come through in good condition! It is the story of the glass that is half full or half empty. I wanted to be thankful for the many, many, many things that we have, and not dwell on what didn’t work out.

The children took it well and went off to play with their many, many, many toys that arrived safely! My lesson on contentment from the week before prepared me for having the right attitude when our shipment came.

~*~ After a busy two days of unpacking, we had weekend visitors It was my best friend’s birthday and her birthday wish was to be able to quilt with me all day! So I ignored the boxes (yes, there are still lots around!!) and we had a lovely weekend together. The guys took the kids out for a while, and they had some fun together too. We worked on some unfinished projects and also tried a few new techniques I am so thankful for good friends and God’s blessings.

Now it is Monday and I woke up this morning with a cold, temperature and sore throat! I am not getting a lot unpacked today! We did school this morning, and I had a sleep this afternoon. At times like these I have learned to pace myself and not stress. There are still many days ahead of me to get the house organized. I thank the Lord that I am able to ignore the mess and rest

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

His love endures forever.

Psalm 106:1

With cows and chickens and …… cress…..

Yes, I have started my veggie garden It is on my kitchen windowsill! Well, they say you should start small,…right?!

Sometime last year I stumbled across this article: What does it mean to homestead in 2005? by Crystal Miller about how she defined homesteading. By reading through her website I recognized myself - the articles about when she was dreaming about being on the land, but also all the things she does at home.

This is how she defines homesteading:

“I looked at the word “homestead” and kind of had some fun playing around with the word. I broke the word into two parts, “home” and “stead”. I came up with “steady at home” as one definition.

The modern day homesteading lady has a love of home and a desire to find purpose in providing for her family as much as possible with her own hands. Anyone from the woman who lives in a big city apartment to the woman who farms on 600 acres of land can homestead. Homesteading brings with it a desire to produce from your own hands and a satisfaction of having provided needed necessities for your family.”

(Have a look at the entire article here; there are many more words of wisdom!)

Lisa, from New Harvest Homestead defines Homesteading as this:

“The word “homestead” tends to evoke an image of pioneers living off the land. However, we have come to embrace the literal meaning of the word which, simply put, means to be “steadfast at home”. We want to encourage and assist Christians in rediscovering the practical skills and home arts which were once commonplace in our culture, but have been all but lost to the last couple of generations. We especially want to encourage women who want to give the majority of their time and energy to their families and homes, in contrast to a culture where women are constantly on the go.”

From the time Cameron and I were engaged, I began to read and read about being a wife and homemaker. What really interested me was making things from scratch. I was surprised to learn that there were still women who preserved their own fruit and veg! I was so pleased that our wedding gift from my parents was a preserving unit and some bottles!

After we married, God brought people across my path from whom I started to learn many of the skills that are part of what the above women call “homesteading”. I already knew how to sew, and sewed most of the children’s clothes in those early years. I learned how to cook from scratch. I learned how to grow veggies and freeze them for the winter. I learned how to bottle fruit and sauce. I made my own soap,…..etc, etc.

However, I didn’t consider this homesteading! It was only until we first had half an acre and then two acres and I had chickens, a huge veggie patch, and sheep that I thought I was “really homesteading”! And it wasn’t until we left our happy homesteads that I felt like I was no longer homesteading.

When I came across these alternate definitions of homesteading, I was so excited, because the truth is that all of these things, in varying degrees, are part of my life whether I have land or not. I bake my own bread, I grow whatever I can, I preserve what I can - no matter where I am.

When we were in the Middle East I taught other women to make tomato sauce from scratch and bottle it. I taught them to bake bread and make sundried tomatoes. I learned from other women to quilt! And all this in the middle of a desert!

God has placed the desire to be a keeper at home in my heart, and part of this desire is also to be a homesteader. Maybe one day God will bless us with some land again, but until then I am encouraged that wherever I am, I can be “steady at home”. I also feel very much that I need to make the most of my time of not being on the land to learn new skills. I know how much hard work it is with only a couple of acres to look after! At the moment I have nothing in the garden - no plants or animals. Instead of wishing I had more things to do outside, I need to be working on the things I can do inside. I can also plant a few things outside in the winter, which I will try to do soon. But let me take this time of “less outdoor work” as a blessing from the Lord, and use it to learn other skills and do things that I didn’t have time for in the past.

This too is part of contentment and enjoying what God has for me at the moment.

Yesterday we went for a lovely drive to the country. We are currently renting a home on the edge of a large town, and it takes less than 5 minutes to get into green fields and farmland. I just love driving through the countryside and enjoying the never ending landscape

Although I grew up in cities all around the world, I have always dreamed of having a country lifestyle. I have read the Little House on the Prairie series every year since I was a child

The last house we owned owed money to the bank for, had two acres. We had chickens, sheep, two dogs, a cat, fruit trees and a huge veggie garden. It was lovely, of course But the debt was really getting us down, so before we went overseas for the past two years, we sold it and made it our goal to get out of debt. We are nearly there!

However, there is still the longing deep down to live in the country and have a large block of land (you know, like acres and acres - lol). And yesterday, at the end of our lovely afternoon I let some wrong thoughts enter my head:

“We will never be able to afford some land.”

“We will always be stuck in the suburbs.”

“Poor, poor, me. I can’t have what I want!”

I guess it was just an accumulation of a lot of changes over the past months and I got fixated on this one thing that I couldn’t have. Instead of looking at what I had, I set my eyes on a goal that I thought we would never be able to achieve and started to feel very discontent. I moped around, plonked some dinner on the table when we got home, and just wanted to go and hide. Then of course I hated myself for acting in this way and got even more crabby

As I went to bed last night I asked the Lord for forgiveness, and of course woke up this morning with everything looking a lot brighter.

Paul says:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Phil 4:12

We have been in many different situations as Paul writes about above. I am usually quite content whether we have plenty or whether we have little. Sometimes I go off the rails, like yesterday! But it truly is my desire to be content in ANY and EVERY situation.

It is so easy to look at others and wish we were more like them, because they “seem” to have it “all”. But God has blessed us all with different things. Some may have large houses, some small. Some may have lots of money, some none. God has given us what we have or do not have for a reason. And He wants us to be content in all situations.

I truly thought I was content, but obviously I had some trouble yesterday! But thinking about it, contentment is probably not a place you arrive at, but something that you need to keep working on. The world is constantly bombarding us with information and trying to make us discontent with the way we are living. You can see it with the ads on tv and the junk mail that comes in your letter box. I can say - oh, I don’t want a fancy house in that new estate, I am “content” with a small, old house somewhere. I can say - oh, I don’t need all those new appliances, or that new furniture. I am “content” with my old stuff. But if I am wanting something that is not mine and that I can’t have right now, even if it is not brand new (like an old farmhouse on a few acres of land ), then I am still being discontent.

We used to sing the song:

“Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your blessings see what God has done,…”

I can’t remember the last time we sang that song. It is too old fashioned in the modern churches we have been going to. But there is such a good principle there. We shouldn’t just be thankful, but let’s COUNT the many blessings that we have. We should take some time to look around us and make a list! Let me count them! Let me name them! And by doing so, my heart will overflow with joy and contentment, because God has truly blessed me in every situation He has put me in.