thanks for the memories

Monday, October 23, 2017

This week gone past

I guess we have had this little boy about a month and even I have to admit he has made a little doggy place in my heart. (If I had one)  It is sort of nice to come home to a little person who doesn't talk your ear off just hugs and kisses you and sits on your feet when they are cold.  Its just the accusatory looks I can't take when I go for walks and don't take him.

 Not a day has passed without little people on my porch chattering their little people news to each other.
I've been enjoying watching this not so little person growing into a big person learning new skills, and growing into the young woman that God means her to be.

A trip over to the farm Saturday reminded me that there is a lot of work still to be done before snow flies but not to worry as Christopher is on the job.  He and his dad spent the day prepping the combine and getting the beans off the fields.

Christopher is all about the machinery to the point where his dad has to hide the keys when he isn't using it.  

The past year has been spent excavating under the farmhouse in order to put a much needed basement under there.  Of course with two boys on the job Ian has all the help he can handle sometimes.

At the end of the day, when the work is set aside for family, the boys park their machinery too 'cause they learn from their daddy that if you don't care for your tools they won't be there next time you need them.



Sunday was spent building memories. Equally as important as a basement but a little more fun sometimes.  


Just as daddies have to slow down and watch their little people growing up, little boys learn to do the same by watching the world around them.


And so the road into the new week winds ahead.


Though we cannot see where it is leading I am sure that there are many more little people and memories around that next bend.



Wednesday, October 18, 2017

A few helpful hints in answer to some random questions.

When my kids were all home and we were homeschooling I was frequently asked about managing meals, laundry, housework, and school without losing my sanity.  Even now with all but one moved out and on their own I still get asked the same questions but usually in reference to the frequency of visits from grandkids.  

There is an old nursery rhyme that lists the days proper to the chores that happen at home that has somewhat governed my life since I was a young kid.  
 
Wash on Monday Nursery Rhyme lyrics, origins and history
Wash on Monday,
Iron on Tuesday,
Bake on Wednesday,
Brew on Thursday,
Churn on Friday,
Mend on Saturday,
Go to meeting on Sunday.

Now of course in this modern world brewing and churning aren't part of the list but basically my list goes like this:
Wash and clean on Monday
Iron and cook on Tuesday
Clean and errands on Wednesday
Mending and washing on Thursday
Shop on Friday
Family on Saturday
Church on Sunday

Now before I go further these aren't written in stone. Many weeks are quite fluid for me because my family and their needs always come first, but because I try to keep to the schedule and not let any one thing go there is always freedom to rearrange things to accommodate something else.

The best thing that has happened to the modern woman is all of the small appliances and conveniences in the kitchen and many women I know under use these conveniences.  They may be in possession of crock pots but they sit and gather dust.  The bread machine, rice cooker, steamer, and other small appliances were exciting when they were purchased but since may sit in a cupboard being forgotten and not saving the time that they promised to in their ads. Ladies I strongly suggest that all of these conveniences be taken out, dusted off, and take their place in your kitchen.  You will be surprised at the savings in your food budget if you start cooking at home rather than buying prepared or take out.  The health benefits cannot be over stated either.


I hope to be able to take a few blog posts to expand these ideas and perhaps help others save a little time, money, and, believe it or not, money in their own homes. I am not perfect by any stretch but I
do manage to do quite a lot with quite a little in the way of food budget.  I sew and sell what I make and manage to do that without guilt while keeping my home neat and clean and my family fed with homemade meals and not resorting to pre-packaged or take out meals.


Let's attack laundry first.  When the kids were little we used to call the laundry that accumulated Mt. Washmore.  Believe me with 6 kids in the house (5 of the boys!) and one farmer husband Mt. Washmore was no exaggeration.  My solution to the problem was to pair up the kids, big with little, assign them a day and teach them to use the washer and clothesline.  Each of the kids learned quickly that life was not a fashion show, lightly worn things could be re-worn the next day, and clean laundry needed to be put in the drawer right away thus preventing the re-washing of clean laundry.
Now I'm not saying that there weren't bumps but by and large this system worked very well until they all moved out.
Each one had a bath towel for the whole week ( after all when one showers the towel should get wet but not dirty afterward), sheets had to be done on laundry day, and if you missed your day you paid the penalty of having to wait until the next week for clean clothing. Sunday is not a wash day unless there were circumstances that dictated it and Saturday was for barn laundry and household laundry.

Even now with only MK here all the time and Matthew occasionally they both do their own laundry unless I am feeling nice and papa's work stuff only gets done on Saturday. The only change is that there is so little household laundry that I can do that with my sheets.


 Finally, though to some the clothesline may not seem like a convenience it really is.  Sure throwing stuff in the dryer, turning it on, and walking away may seem like the easiest thing in the world.  However there is the matter of forgetting and having to fold days later, stuff that has sat in the dryer and gotten too wrinkled to wear as is, and what about heavy towels and jeans that don't get completely dry on the first cycle? PU!!!!

Sheets dried on the line smell the best and make the room smell good too.  Jeans, sweaters, shirts, and towels hung on the line also smell better, shrink less in the drying, and show less wear then when they tumble in the dryer all of the time.  Sure the dryer is there if the weather is bad or you are in a hurry but I strongly recommend a clothesline.  Also the savings in either electricity or gas adds up quickly!!!

Next time my favorite topic, food and cooking! 






There is much to be said

This is October, the month of the Rosary hence the remembrance of Our Lady and the place that she has in our hearts and home.  Our Lady of Fatima please keep up all in your heart and prayers.
Recently #3 son and his family came to visit from the west coast.  It has been a year since I have seen Adam, Maryanne, and little Edmund in person and this visit was not only welcome but well timed as it came after weathering the death of my mother and a dear friend.

Of course during visits life still has to go on and Layn came over with homework while Uncle Adam was doing his. This kind of chore always goes better when you have some company. 

Homework isn't all that was accomplished though.  Many smiles were exchanged and enjoyed.

This picture of Maryanne going down the slide makes me think of the bible verse exhorting us to become like little children. 

Days were filled with Uncles being like little children. Playing basketball in army boots...

Hanging from the playground equipment...

trying to see who can do more..

sorry Uncle Adam but the young guy wins again.


Having little ones around day in and day out always helps to keep us from getting old and stuffy, even grandpa can't help but be silly.

Edmund's birthday party was a cowboy themed one and everyone got in on the act. Nate's plaid shirt fits right in with his blue jeans and bandanna. 

Of course getting all the cowboys and cowgirls to look at the camera, sit still, and smile all at the same time is never going to happen but we do the best we can. I love the cutie in the second row in the black and white dress. She sure is a camera pleaser.

Did I mention that not only was the house bursting with kids but kids on the way too?  Be fruitful and multiply that's us!

No caption for this goof except that he is the love of his grandma's life.

And curls, there can never be enough curls to nuzzle and snuggle with and generally enjoy.

Auntie's got in on the fun during the visit too in spite of having to be a responsible adult and go to work each day.  Did I mention that snuggles with kids keep you young and happy?

No birthday celebration is complete without presents...

plenty of cousin help in opening them...

and candles to blow out and dada's who are there to make it all happen for you.

Everyone got in on the silly slide action.

so much so that there were frequent pile ups at the bottom.

Monkey shines,

papa helps,

stubborn girls, 

Uncles to guard and guide,

and little monkeys to see and do were very much in evidence.

Smiles and swings are the best medicine for the vagaries of life.

And sometimes a guy just has to hang with his papa and lay low.

When all is said and done a ride in a wagon pulled by a strong Uncle 

and the hands of another are all you need to get you to the end of the day.