Tackle It Tuesday

My biggest tackle this week will be overcoming a big stinky mess.
Dove accidentally (did the wrong thing) Sunday she dumped a new full quart of "fish emoltion (POOP)".
It is used as a mix in water to fertilizer organically.
Lord , Lord!
That was cleaned up to a stink (that I could not get out of my nose) that the lab found great satisfaction in EATING!
So I slept on the sofa as to avoid the sick mess in the house just encase.
Now, today...the Golden has decided that it is just fine perfume and has summarily rolled herself (in it) right out of the HOUSE! They are sleeping out side!
I came in my home and it smelled so foul I burned some incense just to tolerate it.. I was glad of all the wonderful smells of baking before beloved came home. A great side benefit.
So "The Lab" got the jar (broken) and flung it all over the yard and himself. YUCK!
It smells like I raise fish!

Now I have two big dogs to bathe after Bible Study tomorrow!
Oh man I will have to smell it up close to bad I cant just pour tomato juice over them:)

I had dash help me here and out front teaching him to let air into the soil with the fork, so the water can penetrate.
I planted some daffodils in the front yard today.

I have been keeping up on washing the laundry and did this load and a large load I hung later.
Each day I hang laundry and I love it!
I feel so empowered to take my power back and not pay SRP (the utility) for the free sun.

The rest of the tomato and herbs are in the straw bails now. It is still so hot here that I covered them with inverted boxes while the sun was on them

My sweet son has allergy/asthma and was home today (Monday).
He was so high strung on all the asthma medication he could not stop himself from moving or talking a lot! We played 3d pinball and I tied some cords with him (as we call it hear)
I was able to get a great deal on his prescription by asking the doctor for a 90 day script with 3 refills. I will not have to visit the doctor for breathing treatments all winter for I now have the other medication that I was having to go to the hospital or the E.R. for.
BIG savings in many co-pays for visits and prescription refills.
We got him a run of antibiotics for a suspected sinus infection. With a hearing impaired should the nasal voice is easy to miss at times. He, when in health, has to effort to speak without it.
I got home from the doctor and the pharmacy and the grocery to a message. It was the pharmacy she had forgotten to put the antibiotic medication in the bag:) So Dash was a hungry good sport and I drove back up to get it.
Dash wanted to go to Mc Donald's...I told him I will take him to the store to get healthy fresh fruits and vegetable, we used the wait time (for the prescription) and he had a ball. He had so much fun getting strawberries and grapes and a green bell pepper for Dove because he know she likes them. So sweet.

Three large tubular sweet potatoes (look for uniformity)
beets need to be on a try thy will leek.
Small potatoes will be used as baked by reheating them, hash browns (they will just need to be browned and crisped)

The acorn squash was supper, I plated it cooled it then placed some brown sugar clove and butter in the bowls of it. At supper I just reheated it 3 minutes in the microwave.
I also placed in two washed pie pumpkins whole. Just placed them on the shelf.

This food all pre-prepared in an hours bake time.
This also saves utilities.
I put up all the roots in plastic ware and recycled the foil in the bin.
Cut the pumpkins in half and made pumpkins seeds.

Hot oven called for cookies and cupcakes.
Un-frosted these will freeze well. I frost a few at a time with home made butter cream.
The sunflower seeds in sea salt water were just up on top rack while the cakes baked.

I used the white kitchen aide mixer for this large quadruple batch of sugar cookies and the red mixer for the cakes. It was so cool to have the two different tools going how blessed am I. I never did find out where the red one came from. I know though that I had shared this fantasy become reality with Abba God. My sweet and loving Papa.
My frugal philosophy is if your going to make it make a lot of it and freeze it. Do the dishes once!
I placed the dough in the deep freezer for an hour and it cut beautifully.

Snacks and vegetables for the weeks meals are ready to re-heat and serve.
After Bible study I would love to work on the master bedroom and hang up the pictures we had all packed away.
Well the bedroom never saw my diligent hand.
My instructor came over after study and we shared good laughter and a salad as we spoke of the meaty things of God.
It was great for both of us. So wonderful to be like minded and like sage.
I tended the children and was the intermediary for a little girl squabble having to do with a loss of boundaries and miss communications.
At the end of the day Dove cuddled up nest to me and we watched "Family Fued" (a game show) .She looked up at me and said ..."Mommy , I love you. I had A great day and I just can't wait until tomorrow".

Marriage Monday "10 Tips for Frugal Living."

1. Menu plan.
2. Do not buy what you do not NEED, or what you truly can not afford.
3. The total Money makeover by Dave Ramsey is a plan for financial fitness.
4. Educate yourself. This month for me I will learn the art of bread baking.

Learn a new skill that will save you from having to spend funds for someone else to do it. With the internet and the library we have endless council on "how too" just make good use of it. It is free (save for the internet access of course!
Over the summer I studied gardening and have tended soil and planned, planted and tended. Now we have food growing in our own yard.

5. Mr U and I do not buy anything we have to make payments for . We have no cell phone bill, we do not have cable nor any other thing we have to "make payments on". We budget for entertainment and purchase movies after they drop off of the "new release list". A little bit of temperance goes a long way.
6. Teach your children that advertisers are "snakes in the grass" They temp and toy with your emotions. Talk with them in a relaxed manner and make fun of the commercials. We say "what are they trying to sell you?" Then ask Do YOU really need it. Learning and teaching the difference between WANT and NEED will take your family far.
7. This tip is for those who are friends with God.
When a need or desire (want) comes up ...ASK him to meet it. If I need fruit or a certain thing on my list. I pray (looks like just talking to you I speak relaxed with my Abba God) Then keep your eye out for it and be patient. You will be amazed at the freedom and joy and delight this way of life gives.
8. Use the "Lead Ins" those adds that come from the grocer that have the big deals to get you IN the door. Take the invitation but do not fall for the ploy (once they get em' in tempt them with all we are worth")..."snakes in the grass". Then buy those items you use on a regular basis in bulk. I usually save 30%-50% and then some. Remember Ruth in the Bible. Glean the shelves. Make a walk through the field (the isles) and keep a eye out for grain (deals) the harvester (the grocer) has left for those willing to receive "the imperfect". Often it is really perfect just not popular. They get paid for every inch of shelf space. If A product does not make them money they will often clearance it out to get one in that will bring a profit.
9. Reuse, recycle and stop wasting anything. Use your water wisely. For example when you do dishes try this...Fill your sink half way, then wash up your first sink full now rinse over the dish water...this will fill up the sink with the hot water (you are paying to heat) and not just let it run down the drain. Now wash up the next few pans while you have a pan soaking in the other sink with dish soap. Once you are ready to wash it pour the hot soapy water into the big sink not down the drain. Use up the heated water and the extra soap. Simple things done every day with thoughtfulness will add up to great things over time. I believe it is simply an attitude of respect and gratitude for what we have. Think of those in 3rd world country's what would they think of how you use your resources? I have been to Russia twice you bet they are appalled by the way we Americans just throw away what is given to them. They just chase the dollar and spin around.

There is a story of the Monkey catchers ...They place a sweet smelling nut in a heavy glass bottle. The monkey reaches in and grabs the nut and is trapped. The only thing holding the monkey... is his greed.

10. Sharing what we have with those who are less fortunate.
There will always be those who have more than you and those who have less.
Considering the single parent and help them out. The time will be less difficult for you because you will truly see how fortunate you are. This also teaches children to respect what they do have.

I'd love to hear how you're stretching the family budget during these challenging financial times. Please join us today for our MM topic, "10 Tips for Frugal Living."

As always, your entry doesn't need to be a long one. Once you've posted, come to Chrysalis and add your permalink to Mister Linky. Then take a few minutes to visit the other Marriage Monday contributors.

Next month, we will meet on Nov. 3, 2008. Topic: TBA.

Wanted: You as a Guest Hostess

Would you like to have the opportunity to host Marriage Monday? I'm looking for a few regular MM participants who would like to take a turn as guest hostess. Please e-mail me and let's discuss the possibilities. It's time to share the Marriage Monday linky love farther and wider!

Blessings,

e-Mom

Sunday Smiles *Choice*

Good Morning!
I had some very powerful effects over "mattering to myself yesterday".
We all wound up out on the patio eating by candle light and rain shower it was awesome. It turned into a wonderful time filled with heavy laughter as the kids chased a laser light around the dark yard with abandoned, as my husband and I laughed ourselves silly. I am feeling much better this morning.
We brought the trailer home from the rental lot.
I will work on clearing it out.
It has all our gear in it. We will be putting it up on the market next week end.
It is a bitter sweet sell. I had a sweet memory about how years ago I gave away all of the things I had from childhood. That was a lot of things. I gave away all the furniture and all the special things that were my childhood. A small home of furnishings . (I started working at 9 years of age). I did this by choice to be free of all the ties that bound me to those family curses and memories that held me in dysfunction. God showed all the wisdom in it.
I remembered being obedient in the free choice of it. I have also a choice here to sell our trailer to make way for our goal.
We have now stopped the credit card completely.
(((((((((((funny the new ones just came in the mail and we happily agreed to only activate them in a dire emergency))))))))))).
We will not go into debt to buy a newer truck to tow it.
So we sell this beautiful trailer.
My though is how wonderful!
It will bring another the same joy I had with it.
It will even bring me more joy in having a jump in our three months emergency savings fund.
I have a clear choice that I am in total agreement to follow this course
( I am a little sad of course).
The reality is that perhaps it might, just like the house full of furnishings return to me in some way (so many times over) some day.
I know that My God is able to honor choice that is made with clean hands and a pure heart.
So today I let it go, my cabin in the woods on wheels.
I pray that it bring the joy to others that I have known in it.
I trust that God delights in me, as I delight in the goal we are reaching out to achieve.
As of now we are completely debt free, the credit card is retired!
GLORY!
With the exception of the mortgage, about a third of the value of the home.
We are whittling the budget down and allowing for the reality of expense.
I am writing all expenses down and charting the real cost of living .
We have our emergency fund in place. ( per the book by Dave Ramsey)
Now we have a goal of 3 months living expense emergency fund to set aside.
Then we hit the principle hard!
Save for a long needed and desired vacation.
We have increased our percentage for our retirernment investments.
Today I smile at the future.
A Sunday Smile of worship making the right choice.

I am feeling so much better today.
I appreciate all your kind words, thoughts and, prayers.
I had a wonderful day.

just resting

Medication withdrawl going poorly please pray.

I am going to just say hello, I have been pretty sick withdrawing form the old medication. Also yesterday I had a bad latex exposure. Beloved my darling cared well for me last night. I had 5 kids and another adult here yesterday. I love my dear friend company. When the mother of my extra kid showed up I was pretty much immobile with the head ache that would not stop. If ever I thought my eyes ears and skull could just burst open and explode with massive force it was yesterday afternoon throughout the night and into the morning. It has calmed down now. the pain has the weakness and dizziness nausea and such hits me hard if I move around much. Harder than we thought. I almost thought of the ER but i knew I could not take another latex exposure.
Please pray for me this is tough.
I will go to rest ow. the kids will be home just my two. I will give them computer time and just lay on the sofa. My darling said to call if I need and he will get right home and help.

This too shall pass:)
Loving all of you.

What a ride

Wow ! What a ride the "Goose" took me on today. I love these kind of days. Just walked right into it.

After my last post I stood to see the time on the calender (9:15).
It was 15 minutes till the Doctor appointment for the follow up for my knee. I attended it walked right int he door as she stool and greeted me and ushered me right into the exam room. No wait at all...The surgeon wants me to bike or swim if I can to keep the joints moving freely. I gained 70% improvement in my left knee and 45-50% in my right knee. He reminded me that we are still looking at knee replacement within 7-10 years if I am able to hold out. I have to have the injections again in 6 months or longer if I can hold out. I have 11 months on the last injections so we are hopeful. They are like Family and we spoke fondly like old friends.
On the way home I stopped by a dear friend's home. She has been in my thoughts and prayers. She was home. We visited briefly and set up a play date or three one for each of the next three weeks. She will come tomorrow with her children after school. I told her I needed to call to get an Appointment...
"Do you think you could get in?"...she asked sceptically.
I smiled...

I excused myself and I went home and cared for the The garden. I watered by letting the hose run low while. I came back in to call for an appointment to have a medication check. Many people have shared concerns with me over the medications side effects I have endured from April until now. I thought I had only been on it for three months or so. She changed my medication to the one that has a side effect of weight loss. That is the opposite of one of the the problems of this medication I have been on. So after two other doctors and my husband and several friends urged me to go in I finally did so. I called and the girl said" how soon can you be here?"..."I said oh,... 20 minutes or so"...
She asked If I could get there by 10:50 I told her I was on my way!
While standing at the counter they were making appointments at the earliest next week. :)
I arrived having all GREEN LIGHT except one! I even did the speed limit.

So tomorrow I change medications. The big dread was withdrawals they scared me. I was tired of challenges so I have been putting this one off. She encouraged me I would switch right over and may only have some nausea from it. I sure hope she is right!
I came home moved the water and gave the dogs a yard break and ate a salad.
I took off to the school. I considered it more valuable to do. I crept up on Dove while she was walking on the play ground. She looked up an with triumphant joy exclaimed.."Mom"! You came!"...She was crying with joy. Her little friend pipes up..."I told her you would, she has been all upset thinking you wouldn't but I knew you would!"
I taught a group of 4 students who now have tools to comprehend and score better on the testings.
Two kids approached from last week showing me they got a 90% and a 100% during the week. The scores show the kids now KNOW HOW TO FISH. I spent a lot of one on one time so as not to just give them a fish. It paid off big for them!
I recalled what God had called me while I was forgoing my chores to go work with the kids...
"Mother of Many"

Skate Party tonight and I offered to give this kid a chance to go. Mom did not have the gas money to take her (said the child). They are all out playing and having fun. The teacher approached me and gave me a FREE PASS! She said "are you taking another child with you? this might help defray the expense!"...
Again God's provision

I tooled a few pair of earrings. With many more to do I may well work on them after the kids do home work. They had early out today.
I will give them 15 more minutes then It is homework time for all of us. It is so cool to see how they respond when I sit there to and do my Bible study. It is called Wisdom for Mothers. They are totally impressed. So sweet!

The Giving Tree

Good Morning!

I just returned from the bus stop. I grabbed the latest gift out from under the giving tree.
Monday I did all the floors here at the estate. I had wished for a junker broom to use out on the front porch just in a passing thought.Knowing full well that probably if I searched the garage I would find the one out there. Yes you guessed it. There under the giving tree was an old junker broom.
Monday (the day I did floors) when Dash came home from school he had a new library book. This book we also own somewhere out there in those boxes. The book..."The giving tree". He read it aloud to me. He is now six months ahead of his class in his reading and has surpassed the first goal.
I had an extra child Monday the girl who has a hard working single Mom. So we found the broom late Monday night as we were seeing them out..
I have been studying recently about who He (God) is, and Who I am in Him...I know what kind of friend I have in Him. I want so desperately to live the life worthy of the fight I put up for it. I want so much to thank Him and please Him with my life. It is like being and adoptive Mom...I want to give back so much more for I know the measure that I have been given is above and beyond. It is that way with my life. I have been given so much above and beyond. So many have died at their own hand other have faded off into addiction or obscurity and madness. Some how I made it out.
He knew me, called me by name and adopted me . Why not the others?...
I think of choice as I tear up. I just do not understand. I know my choices , but it could not really be that different...could it?
Fortitude? Courage? tenacity...all of this came from Him.
The season is upon us once again. I was guarded from it as I realized I needed to rush yesterday and totally missed the displeasure of the hollos eve isle. I glance at it and thanked Him for the need to exit the store. I dont feel scared... no rather it leaves me ill to my stomach and spinning in my mind. It was here on the blog, last year that a great offence occured due to my views and responce to this upcoming season.

I have a temptation to just go away untill November.

This is my blog!
This is the gift I give to myself to chronicle the life lived, that I may have record of it for recall. That my children might have knowledge of my heart after I am gone from this world. Not that I have plans of an exit :)
I awoke to my sweet son's lovely song as he swung outside my window. So sweet a joy is he to have. He is a delight to my soul. Some twenty years of waiting for him now seam a flash in time. All that longing wrapped up in a little boys song as it flys through the air a light on the wing of a prayer of gratitiude.
Dove she so glorious. She came to me today respocibly having me sign for her homework. I told her how proud I was of her for being so responcible to gain her knowledge. How her prize it freedom. She has faced strong temptations to defray her duty and she declined them with a wisdom far beyound her peers. She is growing coy as smiles with a playful defiance as if I know it is wrong... I am just pretending to be naughty. I scold her lovingly as that is what she expects with my smile revieling that I am savy of the game. A huge hug from each and they are off on the bus. Waving as if going on a jurney into farr away regions and distand lands. Dove strongly desires me to attend her class and help other children today. I am told that if I do not come...
"You are letting them all down Mom they are all so excited to get tohave you come"...
Who could risist that?...even if my room does need tending and the chores do need doing? So off of here to walk into me day.
I will not go away: It is just a real hard season and I so appriciate your prayers.

Pray for India

Demon worship has a price. We are watching the effects once again as the misguided souls worship demonic forces.

A request has gone out for prayer as we become aware of the dangers faced by India's Christians. Pray for the souls who need Salvation and a way out a way of escape from the prevailing cultural taboos.

Like lambs to the slaughter.

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- A stampede at a hill-top temple in western India killed more than 147 people and wounded 55 others who had gathered to celebrate the start of a religious holiday on Tuesday, police said.

Victims of the stampede near an Indian Hindu temple are carried away from the scene.

More than 25,000 devotees were trying to reach the 15th-century temple through a steep and narrow pathway when the stampede occurred around dawn Tuesday, officials said.

The Chamunda Devi temple is located inside a fort atop a hill in Jodhpur, the second-largest city and a popular tourist destination in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

Authorities do not know what prompted the rush, but state Police Chief K.S. Bains rejected as "baseless" reports that it was triggered by rumors of a bomb.

"But one thing is clear that a cascading effect did take place as it was a slope where it happened," he said.

India has been on edge in recent days after a string of deadly bombings across the country.

The crowd had gathered to celebrate the start of Navaratri or nine nights. For nine nights and 10 days, Hindus worship the various forms of a Hindu goddess.

Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria told reporters that police had planned for the event and deployed "enough" officers for crowd control. But the massive numbers overwhelmed them.

Following the stampede, devotees -- some in blood-soaked shirts -- carried the limp bodies of victims on to police vehicles, while emergency officials frantically tried to tend to the wounded.

Temple stampedes are not uncommon in India during religious festivals.

Last month, more than 130 people were killed when panicked worshippers tried to flee a crowded mountaintop Hindu temple in northern India. That stampede, which occurred on the second day of a nine-day religious festival at the Naina Devi Temple in Himachal Pradesh state, apparently was triggered by a false rumor of a landslide on the hill above the crowd.

And in January 2005, more than 250 people were trampled to death during a pilgrimage in the western state of Maharashtra

Tackle It Tuesday

My old friend (yes my
dog did chew it up). Of course, I did not pay head when the Spirit had warned me to bring it in off the porch that morning. The Lab ate the word and drug it over into the sprinkler to see if he could get it to grow. He had read that living water thing :)
Women's Bible Study this Morning. I think I may not offer hospitality today for I need to get some tasks accomplished. I will as you know follow the goose though. He just might have a different idea on the day than I do.
My home work is being cone when the children are doing theirs. The see me doing it and really raise their own posture and take their own much more seriously. Dove even asked me to review hers, her friend told her to say she was finished and she felt upset that she did not set a boundary with her for now she is concerned of her grades becoming bad. Cool thing tohear her say on the walk to the bus stop.

I made the kids a treat this morning for breakfast.
They were sweet and really enjoyed it.

Last evening I was able to get all the eye and head pins set in the laid out earrings.
Tooling them and carding them will follow, perhaps today.

Laundry on the line will be a big part of my mid day. The children brought their hambers to the washer for me this morning.
Big task is the master bed room and bath room. I need to do the floor and the shower stall too.
All the wass art is stacked on the floor against the walls in there and I would love to make my sancuary beautiful again.