Simple Woman's Daybook - belated edition

(more daybooks at Peggy's )

FOR TODAY Dec 31st, 2010

Outside my window... overcast and snowy. I was out early this morning and saw two deer in the meadow.  There were also a few cars which had slid off the road.  (I actually looked that up.  "Had slid" sounds funny doesn't it?) This is the time of year when I am glad to have a 4 wheel drive.  Try to get a smart car up our hill, why doncha. ; ) 

I am hearing... Abbie telling me about her new shape sorter.  This is music to my ears since for the whole week before she mostly sounded like Ozzie Osbourne, with generally unintelligible complaints. 

From the learning rooms...    Discussions about debt, loans, house payments, and the pro's and con's of immediate entry into the work force vs college degrees.  This over the Life board game the other night <g> The boys got watercolor pencils and are working through their St Dominic Savio color books.

Back to school for mom next week.  I am running with the idea you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. : ) 

From the kitchen...  a simple Christmas dinner last weekend -roast beef, boiled potatoes (too lazy to peel and mash) and mushroom gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, relish tray.  We had a good talk about the cranberries which made me think.  My first thought was to look at our dinner as sort of flunkie holiday fare.  We spent the week prior in the hospital and the week before that traveling. I made the dinner at home with sick girls while dh and kids were at church.  It was pretty straight forward since a roast just sits in the oven and the rest warmed in pots on the stovetop. There was no multi-step dressing, no casseroles, no painstakingly marinated organic turkeys.   Jars and cans and heat, I thought.  That couldn't 'count'.  

Then I thought, says who?  I have shared before that all the years growing up my Gram was known for her wonderful meals. And yet she made very little "from scratch". Cream of mushroom soup  made gravy for ground beef, and we tried every variety of Betty Crocker potato casserole. Countless variations of jello and pudding/Cream Whip desserts. And yes, there were always jellied cranberries sliced into perfect rounds and fanned onto a plate just so - just like all the homemakers in our neck of the woods were preparing for their clans.  Apparently no one told them it 'didn't count'.  Truth is, even today my husband and children and likely all my blood relatives would sooner cancel a holiday dinner than willingly consume a whole cranberry.  And while homemade bread is lovely, they really want brown and serve rolls at get togethers. 

So surveying this spread the other night through 1970's eyes I patted myself on the back. It WAS a nice dinner. They loved it. I have duly noted that the world my head circulates in online - while often creatively stimulating - is very different from the world of people I actually circulate with in real life.  Art should be imitating life, not vice versa.  I think the internet sometimes has us up-ending that process.  

 I am thankful for...  returning health, friends that we are close enough to to miss dearly at the holidays, board games which go on for hours, and a long talk with my husband all wrapped up in a blanket with a sick baby girl sprawled across our laps.  

I am wearing... boot cut jeans and deep rust colored 3/4 sleeve lacy tee.  Most exciting about this get up?  It is topped with Estee Lauder Beautiful perfume from my stocking.  Estee original was a signature scent of the women in my family.  One whiff and I see them in my mind's eye immediately. I wore White Linen for years and then Beautiful. Then stopped.  It just sort of didn't get replaced at some point.  On a date night last month I paused at the Estee aisle, remembering.  Someone else remembered too.  : )  Much appreciated!

I am reading... Managers of Their Schools.  It just arrived and I hope to get through it this weekend. We have learned at home for two decades now, but not always the way we have come to do this in the past few years. I am revisiting Joyce Swann articles and thoughtfully reading through Steve Maxwell's Redeeming the Time book as well. I do this regularly since this counsel is not circulated nor discussed widely given that the common opinion is that structured, rigorous homeschooling cannot or should not happen in a big family. I am encouraged to see that it can be done, although it is really important to know the level of commitment involved and what else can NOT be done at the same time.  Like, daily blogging in my case. ; o 

Pondering these words... 

"We have grown up with the "mine" mindset. We can live our lives thinking we own our time and we can do what we want with it. That doesn't change the reailty that it is really God's time. If we will submit to God's ownership of our time, we will view our time in a totally different perspective..." Steve Maxwell

Thought for the new year - God gave me each irreplaceable minute for a reason.  What would He have me do with this one? and the next? Is what I am doing this minute meshing with His will? Is it leading me closer to heaven?  Is it leading my children closer to heaven? How can I make the very most of this time? 

These thoughts are foremost at this moment in my life. 

Around the house.... there wasn't much mess this year. Things are simplifying and likely will continue. We have watched our neighbors this Christmas and taken note there too.  There were no Christmas campaigns in local stores.  No toy sales.  Just a modest selection of ornaments and a generous selection of non-cartoon chocolate.  Folks gathered around high tables and low bonfires at Christmas markets which featured mainly food and hot gluhwein.

On Christmas eve the neighbors brought  a potted tree to their elderly mother who lives on the ground floor apartment in their home. Alannah's German friends talked about reading Christmas stories and praying and going to mass. Some exchanged small gifts like model craft supplies. Lots of food and visiting. (seeing a theme here? )  And you know what?  There is no "Christmas stress" there.  No "Christmas crowds". 

By contrast Asher, who is working at our base exchange store said it was appalling to hear customers yell and argue on their cell phones over last minute shopping woes. The bases brought in extra dumpsters just for all the holiday trash. Not so here in the village. In this place it really stands out and makes you think.  Simple is as simple does. 

I am creating...  I started that French cross stitch on vacation and have picked it up again a few times at home.  Then took apart a $3 pair of men's tan corduroys (new at that!)  from the thrift shop and am cutting out skirts for the little girls. 

A few plans for the rest of the week(end)...  The week passed by with no blogging.  In it's place was closet cleaning, a library run, evening walks after dark.  There was a sledding party and lots of wooden train track building and play silk cape wearing.  The weekend will bring a couple trips to the chapel and movies under a blanket if all goes well.  

 A picture thought I am sharing...

Comments

[Jen]

Thanks for sharing the Joyce Swann article ~ very good advice, I think. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[Barbara]

Lovely Daybook. My eldest son, a German student for four years in high school and a little bit in college, has repeatedly told me that, by and large, Europeans (and specifically Germans) do not make a big deal out of "things," like Christmas, as we do here in the U.S. I guess I thought he didn't know what he was talking about. This year at Christmas he suggested we do away with gifts. I would love to do that, but his siblings don't hold that same mindset. We did, however, exchange many favorite foods, and that was fun.

I also agree with you about our heads circulating in the online world, and how that makes us think differently. Sadly, because our families, and often friends, get scattered hither and yon, we don't have a steady geographic unit from which we can measure how we "do it." The internet has become that, and the danger is there are so many more people on the internet than we could ever have in our real lives. Too many measuring sticks, I say! I'm glad you enjoyed your Christmas. Happy New Year.

[Tracey]

Well, I am right there with you on simplifying things. Of course, much inspiration for that comes from you! Christmas in Germany sounds wonderful! As you know, we found ourselves in circumstances necessitating a very simple Christmas here and it was perfectly lovely.
You know I have a love/hate relationship with the internet and one of the reasons is summed up in your reflection about Christmas dinner. (BTW- we all love jellied cranberries and have not known what to do when we have found ourselves with the real thing on the dinner table!) All the inspiration available online can make one feel very inadequate. Somehow, when we click around online we often end up chasing after the "home" and the "homeschool" and even the "dreams" of someone else. Of course, this same thing can happen when we look through magazines and read books, too. It really does all comes back to finding God's will in our own lives- a challenge, to be sure. So many false starts. So many dead-end paths. Simplifying our lives is helping me to focus on God's will. It is becoming obvious that detachment is key here.
I am so glad the girls are feeling better.
And you are taking the plunge back to school? How exciting! You'll do great!
Happy, healthy New Year!
Tracey

[Andrea Williams]

Kim,
I am interested to hear about Managers of their School. Have you read the other Managers of... by the Maxwells? Andy just got Redeeming the Time book and two other books on cd for Christmas! He travels alot officiating for volleyball all over the state so it will be nice to have him listening to something that just may help out our family in the end. I am also working on simplifiyng. I am REALLY not good at it and have my grandfathers (mom's father) pack rataphobia (I call it). I keep everything. I think part of it stems from being on such a tight budget too, what if we need that thing...I don't want to have to buy another one! What if we have a place for it when we move? What if I start selling partylite again (which I haven't even thought of doing in 8 years). I am working on it though. Made good headway in my bedroom yesterday...we are starting fresh this New Year. I have never had New Years resolutions and never REALLY vowed to change anything (except homeschooling) so I figure now is the time to start!

Andrea

[Donna Marie]

I had no idea they had a Managers of their Schools book...please let me know what you think. I guess it is the time of year and at that point post-partum where I really feel the pull to rethink the time issues. Simplifying, organizing and real living are on my mind lately. I just put in a few Inter-library loan requests for books that looked good. I will let you know if they are inspiring or not...;)

On the boys front I am currently reading Boys Adrift..very interesting. I am looking for more. I have such a hard time identifying the wonderful creature we commonly call "son" LOL...books on the subject have been jump-starting my brain. Any good ideas on that front??

Well..off to decluter the kitchen. I find that place so un-inspiring. I think I need to peruse some book, magazine or blog to make me rethink that whole area. Large family cooking and soaking and fermenting go on aaallll over that place and I NEED bigger storage vessels and cooking stuff! Any ideas for things that work well?

Oh! Am I rambling? I just might be HIDING here...sssh! Don't tell the kids you saw me.....

[Wendy in VA]

Another great post. :o) Back to school for you? That is exciting! I'm so glad everyone's on the mend at your house. *Thank you* for the structured curriculum reinforcement; it can be too easy to doubt when the overwhelming majority of voices you "hear" are saying something else... Reason #107 to judiciously limit computer time. :o) And thank you for the Steve Maxwell quote -- time will become an even more precious commodity for me this year, as we've just found out we're expecting baby No. 6. :o)

[Ellie]

So glad the littles are on the mend, it sounded pretty scary. Wishing you a blessed New Year!

[almamater]

Brown and Serve...yes! No matter what sort of delicious bakery rolls I bring home for the holiday meals, my husband always asks for brown and serve--a taste of home for him, I guess.

[Laura]

Kim,
I was browsing through your blog and came across this post mentioning Steve Maxwell's book Redeeming the Time. Upon your recommendation I ordered Teri's book Managers of Their School and loved it! I have incorporated many of her ideas and our days are running more smoothly. A few of my children are even thriving with using more textbooks! Now, I too was curious about Redeeming the Time, but noticed that is is definitely marketed towards men. Were you able to glean information from it as a woman? I saw just today that Teri has written another book entitled Sweet Journey. Looks like another winner for us moms of many! I have loved all of the Maxwell's products over the years. The only book that was a bit "off" for this Trad. Catholic Mom was the Keeping Their Hearts book. I got rid of it, but wish I had kept it because there were some gems hidden in that one as well. Another area that just doesn't jive with our family that the Maxwell's feel very strongly about is sports. My husband is a sport's nut so it is hard for me to even recommend their books to him because I'm quite sure that alone would turn him off.
Anyway here I am posting a comment on a very old post, but anyways....
Ken is enjoying Germany. He has to go back again in December soon after Hannah Claire will be born.
Blessings,
Laura