100 things I like about you for your child

Yesterday while thinking of all the things that leave me concerned about my daughter/son it dawned on me that my focus had become rather negative.
So early Friday morning began in prayer for the kids. At #24 for Dove the school morning was to be managed and the list set aside.
It was however a wonderful beginning of an exercise in Love. What matters most is how we see our self. So it is new eyes that the kids need to look into the reflection of who they are. I must be a mirror for them.
This on going list will keep me in the mind of knowing who they are so that raising them in the direction of who they might become, talents, interest and skill sets. It made a wonderful difference in the morning. The way I saw my daughter was so much more fond. She is a teenager right now. Some mornings reminding yourself that she is not her hormones or irritability is a must. It is so hard for her. Teenagers have such a hard time with all of the developmental phases they have to go through. Sure miss her.
It is my hope to copy the list and give it to her.
Then to make one for Dash.
Perhaps one for my husband too.

sharpen your knives

 The most dangerous tool in a kitchen is a dull knife.

There are a variety of honing stones, electric as well as hand held items to use in doing so.

 This is a fine tool as well. Mine is another brand and over 30 years old I lost two of the stones for the glue gave way. Still a great tool.

 My electric sharpener is probably a good 25 years old or so. This has been a great tool for the ease of effort. I still like to finish with a honing stone however for that fine edge.

 The Japanese professional is my favorite. However it does take some skill and practice to do so. What I will often do is use the electric one to grind out any nicks and then the stone to hone the edge.

Keeping good care of our tools helps our tools to take good care for us when we use them.

Bar Keeper Friend is a wonder product I have used for years.

This stuff is also awesome on tile floor problem areas, porcelain sinks and so many other items as well.

So remember to keep a safe kitchen with sharpened knives. You can find many tutorials on line. Teach yourself this useful skill you'll enjoy good knives for a life time. Remember if they are kept in drawer to sheathe them to protect the blades. One day the dream is a nice magnetic bar on the side of the cabinet. In drawer has been the safest while my kids are younger.

Thankful Thursday *grateful or gratified*

Goals can have a way of derailing us out of a life of gratification if those goals are taken as an end all.
We can be very grateful and yet yearn to see others happy so much that we might loose focus of the goal being a process. Goals are a wonderful focal point. They give us a plan of approach toward a long term design.  If that design however does not remain fluid to some measure we can forget the gratitude of the moment. If the goal gets delayed or temporarily delayed, we can get rather fussy and miss the moment.
With all design with all diligence yes the responsibility of achievement is an important part of life. It can however become an all consuming force removing anything else from view.
Remaining gracefully effective is still centered in a mind grateful for even the smallest of measure.
Awaiting the arrival of steps toward an end often means realizing that it is this moment that could so easily be lost without gratitude. Gratitude for every, I mean every little gift of grace, mercy and favor. Loosing that is a very dark place.
Lighten up with gratitude. Eyes open to even a butterfly.
With the stress of this nation facing the end of it's gluttony do not forget that we are a people with yet more abundance than almost every nation surrounding us.
We as a people were so gratified that perhaps it has become our best interest to be humbled back where we ought to be...grateful

Field trip today to the Rosin House in Phoenix Az

 This sweet teacher is 32 to 1 this class room is small.

 Several of us parents helped out today. Delightfully two dads, three of us ladies on a grandmother.

 Several of the kids recognized me and greeted me so sweetly. Helping the teacher collect the homework and signing the planners was so uplifting. It has been a very long time sense I had been on the school ground. This is the first time this school year for me to go over there. With the immune issues I have had to use great care. In January I hope to begin the art teaching however it will have to be timed very carefully. I was so happy being with the children again.

 We all hiked over to the bus, We had two buses three classes. 

We three had 16 of ours on board.

The teacher gave me only 2 boys mine and his buddy, then two others.

It was very thoughtful of her, she kept my burden light.

The other parents had 7-9 kids each.

 We arrived with some issue. The other bus had failed in a poorer part of the inner city. NOT GOOD. We were to drop our load off and then the driver was to go get the other kids. Somehow one of the other parents on board was able to fix the bus. They arrived shortly thereafter.
It was so funny, when our driver was trying to hear the CB radio to help the other bus our 69 kids were too loud. The one teacher on board was trying to hush them.
My years of service with the earlier classes and the relationship with so many of the kids paid off.

I clap, clap, clap..clap..clap as we did in the earlier years. The kids instinctively joined in after the first two claps and instantly 60 kids were silent! The teacher looked at the other parent wide eyed.
As did all the parents on board. I praised the kids all. As I calmed the fears (unspoken) by so many of them.

I felt so alive.

We arrived and had several stops as the groups were split into smaller units. My four had seven added. The teacher of Dash's class joined us. It was the grandmother, teacher and I. Very pleasant load.

 They spoke of desert foods and tried hot pepper jelly and cactus jelly. The other apron-ed women were volunteers at the museum.
This is one of the oldest homes in Phoenix. Once 20 years ago a decapitated mess. Pure Edwardian era prize. All original 119 years old. No photos inside allowed. This is the back side where the kids exited. WE adults not allowed per fire code.

 We all had lunch next as we adults watched over the bathroom break with great diligence. There were several homeless men in the area. One came upon the bathrooms and I greeted him. He patently awaited the exit off all of the kids. I was like a mother goose with wing outstretched literally until last kid out then I stepped back. For a second man approached and HE was NOT gonna go in unless through my wing.

 There was a story time of desert plants, the kids got to plant a seed. I loved this arbor.

 This delightful elder was so beautiful of spirit as well. I thanked her for her service. She was so well humored. I errored in speech (forgetfulness), her loving reply was "don't dwell on it, now go on..." Oh the wisdom of the elders. It was so loving.

 The kids got to do a project with the compass star, a floor plan lay out as well identifying space. This building is 80 years old. Now for you back east the west is young.

 At the end the volunteers from the museum came and got all of us teachers and parents and we got to have a private tour! Oh I was so excited!

The ride home was delightful with two little girls being silly behind me and I playing a big bad old woman who was going to get them. It was so fun.

So alive. After retuning to the school I had to go home to get Dash's violin and go back again. Well after an half hour nap the kids were home, later after homework another child came. His grandmother hung out so Steve and I could go vote. NO LINE!

We came back by then the number of kids in the yard had grown my two and then three others in no time, moments later another boy with his dog. I feel so alive surrounded by the children. So blessed.
Well better get some rest. They only have a half day tomorrow. I have a lot of laundry that dried on the line Monday to finish folding. Laundry undone is far less important than being and or making a difference in the lives of the children.

Tackle it Tuesday *Yard care goal*

 Perhaps your wondering where I have been of late. Well with the break in the weather I got the rye winter grass established and mowed for the first time this weekend. The  annuals are in in the arbor bed.

 The next goal will be that awful grave bed along the sidewalk. We do not use poison if it is avoidable. The dogs eat at the grass here so it will be pulled up out and turned into a grass to the edge of the walk. It will be so nice to be able to have a level foot fall under the clothes line.

 The flower seeds have germinated being watered two times a day. See a few here and there. The heat came back the last few days and is a real challenge. It has been up to 90* this week a few times. Lows in the 50's to 60's.

 The rocker space has been accomplished. This was a huge task that is my morning work out now for many many days on end.

 Each day the ground is shoveled into the screen and then the rocks out and over and over the screened soil accumulates and is then transferred to the front per-annual bed. This is a lot of physical work that I am accomplishing on my own! Don't even try to arm wrestle me. :) I really need to get those stones off the base of the house. I am shifting them over to the west of the walk. One day I would love to put a blue berry bush there. Well I do have to come to terms with some physical limitations at hand now.

 This morning my focus was this 3 foot section. Working until the shade gone. This is on the west side of the estate. I am so excited to finish this mess! All of the gravel was that I hauled and screened out of that arbor bed last year. Inch by foot by shovel full. Some goals are just long term. This is a gym of sorts, no need to pay a membership fee. I must learn to pace myself so I forced myself to stop at a section a day. If I am not too tired.

 The screened earth is nice. It will serve well for the bed out front. Some will be left poor soil on purpose. Other will be amended with mulch for those lovers of such. Each flower a jewel of its own.

 Now the junk is gone, a weekend job with a free add on Craig's list. The old compost bins were tossed last weekend. The city had some big trash haulers out at the entry and we took advantage of it.

 Now where those rockers are it was two feet high last month! This is our little quiet place away from the kids where we can watch the stars and talk over the day. I love this place and one day the flowers will come up. It is also my morning bible study spot. A nice little half wall would be ideal to screen the trash cans. One day...
All this work was to fulfill a goal for my husband and I to have a little romantic corner just for us. Where we could see the stars. Watch the flowers. And enjoy each other. Some goals take a lot of hard work. Living in one place long enough to create all of these aspirations is my hope for years to come.

This is where all that screened dirt is going.

The Iris are in as are the Hollyhocks.

Half the bed is full and the earth turned 12 inches under. This has been a BIG job as well.

Steve threw the pick for me so soon I will break up the other half and fill it in.

This is where we took out the palm tree. 

The Poppy is around 2 inches high now.

living under grace

 an evening out 

the costumes

Still won't call it 'H' it is a family night. That is where I'm at with it. So at the risk of alienating myself boldly I'll say it was a very peaceful evening. Walking with my husband following just behind these two we were pleased to watch them. Their manners were so encouraging. These two are good kids. It was a nice evening weather wise. Strange to walk in this bizarre grace. Reading in Galatians about living under the disappointment and curse of the law really placed me in a mind of freedom. It was time for me to walk around the next curve in my faith. Freedom from the fear. It was for me not an eve to celebrate the morose but to enjoy a two mile walk with my family.
I never saw that for me the law was to be something to hide under in fear. Fear of displeasing God, fear of worship or edification of the darkness. I did neither.

Dash is a hokey player and Dove a monster bride. Let her get that out of her system before she ever gets engaged har har.
Now I understand the query this must cause for some of you.
All I can say is that Grace is an amazing force. Disappointment well it is an outgrowth from living under a law.