Saturday Morning on the Homestead

It is a beautiful morning here.  Couldn't be better.  Except for me and my failings.  Sniff.

This week, after having done (imho) so well with my diabetes control....fell off the wagon.  I have found that as long as I exercise almost every day, I can eat a bit of sweets and not have it affect my blood sugar levels much.  All has been going well.  And then this week.....no exercise. No Wii Fit, one time on the treadmill, much hanging around the house.  And no cutting back on the carbs to correspond with my lack of exercise.  So, last week my fasting numbers were in the 104-111 range, the last few days they have been 126, 128,124, and we won the prize today with 130!

So, I got off my butt, slid the Wii board out from under the loveseat, and ran/stepped/boxed with my Mii.

Are Wii and Mii supposed to be capitalized???

Anyway, here is my strange dichotomy.  I have done great with my Bible study this week.  Got up every day and really studied and wrote.  I am using a new way I learned last weekend at True Woman 2012.  Priscilla Shirer gave a teaching on the 5 Ps of Bible Study (Pore over it, Ponder it, Paraphrase, Pull out the spiritual principles, Plan obedience) that has revolutionized my time in the Word.  It is supposed to be 10-15 minutes,  1-2 verses a day.  Of course, I get carried away and spend about 30 minutes, then I text what I wrote to my friend Julie who was with me.  I am in James, she began with Titus.

But......by the time I get done it is time to feed the cats, get the kids up, they want breakfast...then we start school, with our family Bible study and prayer time.  The next break I have is at lunch, and I want to a)eat and b)read.  Afternoon is spent finishing school, housework, laundry, working on stuff for our business (the accounting never ends!), besides the myriad of other things to do - then fix dinner.  After dinner, finish folding laundry, read science for the co-op I teach, bedtime reading, get my own shower in...and I am done, it is 10:30 and all I want to do is check my email, play Words with Friends, and read three pages before I fall asleep.

Obviously, this system needs some tweaking.  But, it is all a growing process, and overall, things are going well.

So, if you think about it, pray for me, that I will keep it simple, that I will keep my focus on my priorities, and that I will seek wisdom from the Lord in every aspect of my life.

And here, a few pictures of autumn on the homestead:

The garden, still lush-looking, but settling down for the fall.  Nevin replaced the wildflowers with mums.  The huge green plants to the left-center are sweet potatoes.  This is our first year with them.  Queen Esther is front-right.  

Hunter the Tomcat in his tree.  He is just a little over a year old, and has turned into a beautiful  fellow.  

Reading Log for August, 2012

August was a good book month here -certainly a lot of diversity!

First up is "The Organized Heart: A Woman's Guide to Conquering Chaos" by Staci Eastin.  This one is a 5, and one that will be re-read.


I read most of this on the train coming back from Kansas City.  It is published by Cruciform Press.  Cruciform is a small publisher with a nifty idea - thin, to-the-point books dealing with deep theological topics, but put into very concise language.  These are the sort of books I'd be happy to share with friends/  Sometimes I would love to share books on topics like, say....idolatry.  Or sanctification.  But the sheer mass of the book keeps me from doing so.  No one likes to be handed a really thick book with, "Here, read this." But these books, generally around 100 pages or so, do the trick.  And - to top it off, they publish books every other month or so - and you can subscribe to them, just like a magazine.

The Organized Heart is different from every other "how to be more organized" book that I've read (and I have read A LOT) because it is not a new system - no index cards, no Excel spreadsheets, no giant calendars with post-it notes.  It gets to the heart of the issue - my heart, by addressing the idols that keep me unorganized - perfectionism, busyness, possessions and leisure.  The author, Staci Eastin, is a Missouri homeschooling mom of three, and her blog (how I discovered this gem) is over on my blog roll.  I highly recommend this book.

Next up, just a 2.  Stand By Me: Souled Out Sisters by Neta Jackson


I loved the Yada Yada Prayer Group books, some more than others of course.  I enjoyed the House of Hope series.  This one....I will probably read the series, just to keep up with my friends in the Yadas, but the new characters are ANNOYING.  I have noticed that the main characters tend to get on my nerves - Jodi Baxter was the least interesting of all the Yadas.  Gabby Fairbanks was someone whose impulsiveness and poor judgment would get on my nerves badly.  But Kat, the environmentalist-college student-busybody was beyond irritating.  Will Kat and Nick live happily ever after?  Most likely (it is Christian chick lit, after all) but really, who cares?

Next up, more dealing with diabetes in The Complete Guide to Carb Counting, which I will give a 4.


Carbs (flour, sugar, starches....you know, the good stuff!) turns to sugar when you eat it.  Glucose levels go up in the blood.  One of the ways I maintain my blood sugar levels is by planning how many servings of carbs I have each day, space them out, eat them with protein, etc. This, along with exercise, is really helping to keep my blood sugar controlled.

Another diabetes read is Sugar Nation by Jeff O'Connell

Jeff discovered he had pre-diabetes and went on a personal journey to discover research and treatment for Type 2 Diabetes.  He is pretty radical - comes down hard on the medical profession (some of which I definitely agree with), the American Diabetes Association, and anyone else he can find.  He also goes on a fairly radical lifestyle of next-to-no carbs, supplements and working out.  There was a lot I took with a grain of salt, but this book did cause me to think more about what I am being told and who is telling me, and to educate myself about this disease.  It is a 4.

The Hidden Flower is one of Pearl S. Buck's lesser-known novels.  Immediately after WWII, American troops occupied Japan.  There an American soldier fell in love with a Japanese girl.  This book went to a lot of places I was not expecting.  The Japanese girl was actually Japanese-American - she and her father were both born in the USA, but moved to Japan to avoid the camps Japanese citizens were shamefully placed in.  Her brother died fighting for America against Japan.  Then, for her to marry an American and go back to the USA, and face the discrimination there....let's just say this started out all love-love-kissy-kissy and I did not think I would like it, but once again, Pearl S. Buck's characters don't do what is expected and the story explores elements I never imagined.  I don't know if this is still in print or not, I found it used on either Paperbackswap or Bookmooch.  I give this one a 4.

Modest: Men and Women Clothed in the Gospel is another offering from Cruciform Press.



This book does not even touch things like how long your skirt should be or whether or not a woman should wear jeans (praise God!).  It goes straight to the heart - what is modesty, as an issue of the heart?  What does scripture say about being modest, for both men and women, and what does this mean?  Much deeper than a legalistic list of do's and don'ts.  I give it a 3, because I think it was almost a little over-edited and could have gone deeper.  But hey, it is one of those to-the-point books from Cruciform!

Prince Caspian, Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.  I hate to say it, but only a 3.  Caspian was not one of my favorites, nor the little guys'.  Too much backstory, not enough action.  But, hey, it is part of the Chronicles, and so we love it as part of the bigger whole.

The Beautiful Mystery (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #8) by Louise Penny

Hard to believe, but only giving this one a 3.  I have loved most of the books in this series, but not this one.  The mystery was interesting, though a little drawn out.  Then, in the middle of the book the Inspector's nemesis on the force shows up, and it just goes from ugly to uglier.  One of my favorite characters disappoints and I am just going to leave it at that.  I left the last book (a year ago) all hopeful about an exciting turn of events.  Now I feel like I have a year to wait and see how badly some lives are screwed up.  Thanks, Louise.  Maybe at least next year she will take us back to Three Pines, the setting of most of the stories, and we can at least have some fun with the crazies there.

And that is it - my nightstand is piled high with the goodies I am anticipating for September!

Diabetes Update, and other Life Stuff

So, how is the diabetes thing going?  So far, so good, I guess.  I am keeping a food diary, and tracking my carbs, fats and proteins. I wrote up a meal plan, based on what it was when I had gestational diabetes.  I had that three times, so I am way too familiar with monitoring, etc.  I am just writing it down and being aware of portion size, etc. again.  Just like Weight Watchers, only a little easier in some aspects. What is harder, though, is that in WW you can save up your points for megadessert, or have a huge dinner one night with your extra points.  Here, the main thing is to stay regular.  The problem is not that blood sugar goes up (everyones' does) but that it does not come back down.  So if I eat a Big Mac and large fries, it is going to go up, up, up, but it won't come down.  If I eat a regular hamburger and small fries it won't go up so high, so I won't have such a high level over extended time.  I probably won't change a whole lot about how I cook, but it is portion control - if I bake cookies, two small ones, not 8 cookies and a giant glass of milk.  

It is really a shame, because I make such good cookies!

I went to the doctor Friday, and he said for now he calls it Impaired Glucose Tolerance.  On Monday, when he has the rest of my bloodwork back, he will call it Diabetes.   Semantics.  He also said the problems I have been having with my feet are nerve damage from the diabetes (numbness, tingling, feels like needles in them, as if they were "asleep").  Anyway, depending on my numbers from the A1C test (which will give him a weighted average of my blood glucose), I may be just diet-controlled.  I am trying now, and some of my numbers are coming down, but they are still too high.  He said we may start out with oral medications and then see if my numbers go down and wean off it.  He said that should help with my feet, too.  If not, there is a specific med for that, but he doesn't want to start piling on too many meds.

I was also super-blessed in that I have a friend who is a parish nurse, and she referred me to a program call KICK Diabetes.  It is free, part of St. Louis University Medical School and ADA/St. Louis Diabetes Coalition.  It is research on diabetes education, and people with pre- or type 2 diabetes can participate.  You are assigned an educator and you meet four times to go over nutrition/create a meal plan, exercise, monitoring, medications, etc.  You agree to fill out questionnaires when you are done and again at three months.  I think they want to see what role education plays in helping people to manage their diabetes.  I am very excited about this!  Plus, now I will get to go to St. Louis four times and can get in a little shopping!

Financially, this is not as bad as I expected.  I told the doctor I was self-pay, and instead of the $150 office charge, I had to pay $80.  He has his own lab, so my A1C and cholesterol tests together were $18.50.  He said the meds would be generic, too.  I was able to cancel the appointment with a nutritionist ($50) because the KICK Diabetes educator will do the same thing.  And I signed up for discounts for my blood monitoring strips.  

So, the Lord is good, as always.  Sometimes my sinful attitudes keep me from seeing that.  Today, for example.  We had our monthly Fellowship Sunday, aka, crockpot and dessert supreme!  I did really well, small portions of a couple starchy items, larger portions of veggies, small dessert.  Still, last month I would have had a LARGE portion of the chicken potpie (my friend Faith makes THE BEST potpie) and at least two regular servings of dessert.  And probably (syrupy) sweet tea.  And later on today I will hit the treadmill again.  I have been getting on it almost every day.  

August is my month to "organize and simplify" my life.  I have almost nothing except church on the calendar.  This seems like it would be sad, but I am so happy.  I need time to establish some routines of exercise and meals before we jump back into the whirl of school chaos.  I need time to get used to this and order my mind around the new "normal" here.  

As normal as it gets, anyway!

Saturday on the Homestead: What Is Your Passion?

This topic came up on a homeschooling forum this week.  One of the moms asked us what our passion is.  There were a lot of responses, many of them in the form of different arts, crafts, scrapbooking, that sort of thing.

I like those things (okay, not scrapbooking).  I enjoy making beaded jewelry, I like to take pictures, I like to make cards and bookmarks, I used to (B.C. - before children) enjoy counted cross stitch.  But these are not passions.

Even reading, believe it or not, is not truly a passion.  It is a relaxation, often it is a resource for my passion, but in and of itself, it is not the passion.

My passion is serving.  Followed closely by home educating.

Now, lest you think I am all holier-than-thou-or-anyone-else, please hear me out.  I don't mean servitude.  I mean serving and being able to minister and be hospitable to those around me.  It starts with my family, and flows to my church and homeschool group and friends from there.  I love to have the kids' friends over, to have other families gather with us, to host a group of ladies for a book discussion or Bible study, or just to hang out.   I look forward to fellowships and bringing food, or taking a meal to a family with a new baby.  This particular season of life has brought the blessing of having a flexible schedule, to be able to take the time to talk to my boys, to spend time with my husband, to be an ear and heart to other women.  My joy is in organizing events for our homeschool group, getting together with the other families, and especially this year, and there is a special love (love, love. love) for our science co-op.

I guess I am passionate about Apologia General Science this year.  Thank you, Dr. Wile!

I love getting to talk to the kids, and to try to help reinforce what their moms are doing, to give them a spot to do the "fun" part of science (ie, mix stuff together and see what happens) with each other.

Yesterday I was at the skating rink with all the homeschoolers.  I think this is our 8th year of monthly skating at the local rink.  The first few years it wasn't hardly worth the owner's time and gas money to open for us - some months only three families showed up!  But now, there is a big crowd most months.  I get out and skate with the kids, and see all ages, from little guys being pushed around in strollers to high schoolers, watch them all interacting and having fun......and I think, "I did this."  And I get such a rush of joy from it.  I am not getting into some wild back-patting, but I organized this years ago, it is my baby.  And now, it is a well-established monthly event.  It did not take much effort, but it took a commitment to be there every.single.month for a few years to help get it going.  I think I have maybe missed one or two in the last eight years.

To have a bunch of little guys high-five you at the skating rink, this is joy.  To sit on the couch in the morning with my husband and sons, and study God's word together, this is joy.  To have four boys have FUN writing crazy stories together, or see them in deep strategic conference as they plan their next air soft war, this is joy.  To gather with a bunch of ladies who know each others' hearts so well that we can laugh and cry together, this is joy.

To see a family come walking through our front door carrying a mixing bowl full of cookie dough, and ask if they can bake the cookies here, that was some joy!

So, it would be nice, I suppose, if I could find some great artistic ability, or political cause, or intellectual pursuit.  And maybe someday I will.  But for now, my passion is here, in my home, in my family, in this community.

And I have found joy.

Where Do Your Affections Lie?

We are blessed to have some excellent, thought-provoking sermons Rockport Baptist Church.  A few weeks ago, one of our elders-in-training (yes, elders and deacons go through a time of "testing" here, they don't just get the job because they are related to someone, or friends with someone, or tithe big, but I digress.....) Tim Dickmann delivered a sermon titled Seeking Christ.  The text for the sermon is Colossians 3:1-4,
3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

I have listened to this several times, and have pondered it over the last month.  


Am I setting my mind on the things above, instead of the things of the earth?  Am I engrossed in seeking Christ?  Above all else?

Where do my affections lie?  Our affections for the world diminish our affections for Christ.  Likewise, our affections for Christ will diminish our affection for the things of this world.

Where are my affections?  Do I do a bit of Bible study in the morning and then figure I've taken care of that for the day?  Go to church on Sunday and think that I've done my job and that should tide me over until next week?

No, a thousand times no.  I want my day to be filled with seeking Christ, in all that I do.  I want my affections to be for Him alone- my husband, the children, the work (even the schoolwork) can all wait - they must be put in their place. If something else is taking the place that Christ is to have in my life then I need to be violent with that, and remove it.  Lest someone misunderstand- does that mean that I should sit in my chair with my Bible all day, while my house falls apart, my husband is neglected and my children starve?  Of course not.  But it means that my desire is for Christ and that as I go about my day, I serve in order to glorify him.  My love and care for my family is to be a reflection of my love for Christ.  Without  Christ, I am unable to truly love them.  

This ties in with some of my ponderings the last few weeks about Martha.  You know Martha.  Overworked, trying to make a perfect dinner party, while Mary sits around.  Poor Martha.  I have always thought that Martha got a bum rap.

But wait - what is this - 

Luke 10:40-42

40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Christ was not chastising her for making dinner, or even for complaining.  But Martha was distracted.  Distracted - to have her mind stirred up or confused with conflicting emotions or motives. 

Her busyness, her projects, her worldly ambitions - these things distracted her from the one thing that is necessary - Christ.  

Can I say I love Christ if I do not sit at His feet?  Or care for His word?  If I do not spend time with him?  If I do not seek to obey, honor and glorify him in all things?  If I don't show love for the brethren?   I don't want to be distracted, I don't want my affections to be diminished by a love of this world.

 All things to ponder.

If you want to hear this wonderful preaching, here is the link:

http://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=rockportbaptist

So, what did you do today?

I have accomplished next to nothing today. We watched The Incredibles (my favorite movie) and I thought about how I'd like my hair cut like ElastiGirl's. That is a sad state of affairs, when you really want your hair like a cga character.






Then we watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I don't want my hair like Hermione's.




Now we are watching Blindside. I could actually get my hair like Sandra Bullock's, but not blond (though really, neither is she).  Of course, she is like a size 2 and the whole effect will be different.



I do like how her nails are always pale matte color in the movie, though. That is classy. I could manage that.

I read most of a book (Wonderland Creek, by Lynn Austin.  So far, it is okay.  Started good, but is meandering.  Full review in the December reading log), texted with friends (so what are you doing.  nothing. me neither.), and ate candy.  Why did they buy me so much candy, anyway?

Nevin went hunting. I am considering cleaning the kitchen, making a meal of leftovers and doing some laundry. I will have to let you know how that worked out.

I don't do well with a lot of days off.  I did make a list, but very little of it got done today.  Tomorrow I promise to be motivated, to accomplish much and to make the best use of my time. 

Tomorrow.

Don't you wish I still had Facebook to share all this mindless jabber with?

The "W" Word

Walmart.  There, I said it.

Can I come right out and say that I really, really hate to go to Walmart?  I know some people love it - practically live there.  They love the one-stop shopping, lower prices, overall convenience.  I know this.  I have no deep-seated philosophical, moral, or political convictions against going there.  I know they buy so much from China (as do so many other retailers, though), that they don't pay their employees well (but that level of retail really doesn't pay well), and there is just something creepy about such a huge corporation.  I read a book a year or two ago The Walmart Effect, which detailed how Walmart has affected different economies, even the environment of areas that provide their goods.  It is incredible how far-reaching it is.

Still, I am shallow enough that while this lingers in the back of my mind, it is not enough to keep me away.

I don't know what has created this repulsion that I feel - maybe it is the lighting?  Or having to walk 1/2 mile from the toothpaste to the toilet paper?  Or that if I take the kids in with me I am going to end up standing in the Lego aisle telling them I want to leave NOW and no, you are NOT going to spend $12 for a set you can put together in 5 minutes and I don't care if you DID bring your own money. 

Can I show how really shallow I am by saying that while I know I am called to love everyone, I really have a hard time with the people who are wearing their PAJAMAS and slippers in Walmart.  There, now you know!

But today, I am faced with a choice.  I have a church fellowship tonight, a family Christmas tomorrow, and a homeschool mom Christmas party on Monday.  All of these events involve me bringing finger foods. 

I have just a few things I need to make my life complete.  I need:

black and color printer cartridges, so that I can print up the Christmas cards
envelopes for the Christmas cards
some sort of decorative containers for Christmas cookies
disposable bread pans for pumpkin bread and pound cake
some gift cards
gift bags
a couple craft things for projects that I think I will have time to wrap up this weekend
some art supplies to round out gifts to our nieces
several small, but necessary, ingredients for the preconceived "finger food" list I have prepared

Now, I could go to Metro Office Suppy - a locally-owned store - for the printer cartridges and envelopes, and probably even the paper/art supplies.  Buying those items there, instead of Walmart, could reasonably cost me $10-15 more.  Walmart really has them on printer cartridges, at least in my limited experience.

I could then head over to Schnucks, my very favorite grocery store, to pick up the groceries I need, and the disposable pans, and probably find something to put the cookies in.  I can get the gift cards there, too.  This is going to cost me about $10 more, by my estimate.

Still left with craft items, I could always try Joann's and probably find what I need, though still at a higher price.  And I really don't like going in there, either.  There are never enough cashiers and they give me a hard time about the educator discount. If I can't find the art supplies at Metro (an iffy proposition) I should be able to get them at Joanns, but they will be at a premium.  Not certain of the price difference, but I know that in the past when I have bought things there and then compared them, they were definitely higher than Walmart.

Some of these items (like the gift bags) could also be purchased at Dollar Tree. 

There is always a chance Walmart won't have something I need (I am thinking the right size envelopes could be problematic) and that I will still have to go someplace else.  But, it is a pretty slim chance. 

So, therein lies my dilemma.  I will also note that we are expecting a HIGH of 28 degrees Fahrenheit today, so I am going to be driving around and hopping in and out of a cold car.  And I also only have about 2 hours to do this in, as I am dropping the boys off at my mom's house and don't expect her to make them lunch today.  Extra time, extra gas, extra money.....all to buy products that are manufactured overseas, no matter if I purchase them from Walmart or Metro. 

But there probably won't be anyone in their pajamas in Metro Office Supply.....

The Time Experiment

Can I admit that, for someone who has a reputation for being organized, that I am a terrible manager of my time?

Can I admit that even for someone who acknowledges being unorganized, I would be a terrible manager of my time?

Okay, I admit - I am a terrible manager of my time.

I find time to play on the computer.
I find time to grocery shop and prepare meals.
I find time to homeschool my kids....though not the way I'd like to, and not the way I planned to, and I DEFINITELY don't keep up with the paperwork end of it like I should.
I find time to read novels and fun books.
I find some time to study my Bible, but nothing like what I should.
I find time to pray, but not even close to what it needs to be.
I find time to send fun cards and notes, but not thank you cards.
I find time to do quick pickup cleaning, but not big cleaning and organizing.
I find time to pay the bills and do basic invoicing/design work at the shop, but have 6 months worth of "data entry" stuff in a pile to be done.  And I have a pile of filing, too.
I find time to go out to lunch once a week or so.
I find time to get my hair done every 5-6 weeks. 
I don't find time to exercise.

I admit that I have a lot going on - I really do.  I have a home, I have four sons and a husband.  We homeschool.  I am active with my homeschool group and do a lot of activities and planning for that.  We go to church and while our commitments right now are pretty minimal compared to in the past, we still enjoy worship, fellowship and study both on Sunday and Wednesday.  We have chickens, cats and a guinea pig.  You get the picture.

I am also disorganized, distracted and slightly compulsive in my mind.  I have lots and lots and LOTS of interests - from Bible to Church history to doctrine to cooking to Ancient history to U.S. History to making jewelry to reading murder mysteries to biographies to homeschooling them as well as me....

There have been days when I have been on my feet all day, am dog tired at 8:30 p.m. and still feel like nothing has been done to completion - a bazillion things, all started, all in mid-process, all well along the way - but none of them done.

Thank goodness my meal planning has still been kept up, at least we get to EAT through all this disorganization!

I know the obvious things - you can't miss it this time of year, when we review the year past, and plan how we are going to do it DIFFERENTLY next year, by golly!

I need to make a list of priorities.  Have a homeschool vision statement.  Get back to my housekeeping schedule that I used to have. 

But before I devote a full day to making all these lists and plans that will go nowhere (see, I've done this before!), I think I need to make a budget for my time.  Just like money. 

Okay, I don't have a budget for our money, either, but I do write everything down.

It came to me while I was on the treadmill, wondering what has brought me to this state.  I need to track my time, find the places it is being wasted. 

Blogging is not a waste, by the way.

But just like I track my food in a food journal each day, and can see where I am eating healthy and when I am slipping into bad habits, and just like I have a checkbook register where I can see how our money is being spent, I need to track my time, and see what jumps out at me.  Where am I spending my time?

When you begin a financial budget, the experts say to write down all your expenses for a month and see where your money is really going - you will probably be surprised. I am going to do this for a week, and see where my time is going.



I know what one answer is going to be, and it is not pretty. 

So, starting tomorrow, upon awakening - for one week, I am going to log my time.  Truthfully.  How much of my time in the morning was in Bible study - how much in Facebook? 

We'll re-visit that next week.


So, upon the morrow, we shall let the experiment begin!