This is some short notice here, but I just received this e-mail from Vision Forum this afternoon--in case anyone in this area might be interested in attending. For more info, check out the links below!
Dear Friends,
Thanks to the kind invitation from our friends with the New Hampshire state homeschool organization, Doug Phillips will be speaking this weekend, May 23rd and 24th. It has been a number of years since Vision Forum has attended this event, and we are grateful for the invitation. Our team is looking forward to ministry and encouragement together with those of you who are able to attend, and want to offer an invitation of our own to please come visit with us at the Vision Forum booth. At the booth, you will be able to meet Doug Phillips, talk with some of our staff, encourage each other in the lord, and take advantage of special product discounts. Please keep this ministry event in your prayers, and we look forward to seeing you there! Here is more information about the event.
The 17th Annual Christian Home Educators of NH State Convention will bring parents together from around New England to learn more about education and child rearing. The Convention will include scores of vendors carrying curriculum, services and supplies. There will also be practical workshops and inspiring speakers including Doug Phillips of The Vision Forum.
And, it’s not just for homeschoolers! If you just want to learn more about parenting and education, you’ll find great wisdom and practical tips you probably didn’t learn in school. If you are checking into home education, you can learn how to get started and check out resources first hand in the vendor hall.
Convention Schedule and Contact Information The New Hampshire State Home School Convention will be held in Manchester, Friday, May 23rd, 1:00 PM — 8:30 PM and Saturday, May 24th, 8:30 AM — 5:00 PM. The admittance fee for Friday and Saturday is $40 for individuals and $55 for families ($25 for Friday only). For hotel rooms contact The Radisson by clicking here. For more information visit www.chenh.org or call Eric and Cathy Schrowang at 437-3560.
Click here to learn more about the NH State Home School Convention .
This e-mail was sent as a special service of The Vision Forum, Inc. If you would like to subscribe, send a blank e-mail to familyvision-subscribe@lists.visionforum.com. To help ensure that our e-mails are delivered to your inbox, please add familyvision@lists.visionforum.com to your address book. To unsubscribe, send a blank e-mail to leave-2595962-5207010.fe5eed02d82bbea2ed2fb809a84ed1f9@blizzard.sparklist.com.
This message was sent to: gallaghermail@yahoo.com.
© 2008 The Vision Forum, Inc., 4719 Blanco Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78212. All Rights Reserved.
Now I ask you, who wouldn't want to have neighbors like this? Our son was playing in the back and comes in and says "I think I saw a brand new baby calf! It's really tiny and it's all wet and the mama cow is licking it and I think it's a baby calf! And it's right next to the mama cow that has the big calf! But this is a BRAND NEW baby calf!"
And we looked at him blankly and said, "that's nice, sweetie," and told him to go play. No, we REALLY didn't do that. We quizzed him thoroughly until we were convinced that he didn't know what on earth he was talking about, and then told him to go play. OK, we didn't do that either. Actually, everyone ran as fast as their legs could carry them to the back to see if this wasn't some large wet stray dog......that perhaps the mama cow would be licking. And this is what we saw...our son was not hallucinating. He did know the difference between a dog and a cow all along. We're proud of you, son.
And this is a little heifer (a.k.a. girl calf) not even an hour old. Is she a cutie or what? And here's how she looked today (actually yesterday)--one whole day old!
And this is our neighbor's place--the proud family of the new baby calf. They bring this whole homestead thing to 'Martha Stewart' levels. In fact, I think they must far surpass Martha since she doesn't even have a cow.
The above photo's of their garden with teeny-tiny sprouts just coming up. She's planted various beans, peas, garlic, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, chives, raspberries, strawberries, lettuces....and she's not even done yet! There'll be more--much more before she's called it quits.
Not only do they have cows, horses, bunnies, chickens, bees, dogs, guinea pigs, and cats, and a gorgeous garden....she lays out these beautiful flower beds with fountains, urns, and little paths. And since they didn't really have enough to do, they have now added a green house where they're raising varieties of organic tomatoes and peppers. Bye Neighbors! It's always a treat and an inspiration...and by the way, how do you keep Princess so pristine white? I'd like to get whatever you use for my lawn furniture!
I think it’s high-time that I introduce you to my dear, very original, incredibly multi-faceted, multi-talented, highly doting and devoted husband, Andrew. The photo above was taken at the Rolex Christmas Party just 2 months after we met--and one of the first ever taken of us as an official "couple" (and since I STILL don't have a scanner, this will have to suffice). This is also the one and the same person who somehow manages to conjure up the enthusiasm and gumption to go along with all (or most anyway) of my dreams and schemes—that most men would quickly relegate to the ridiculous pile while I unequivocally categorize them as romantic. You can clearly see that my beloved essentially never stands a fighting chance! (Here he is out taking care of MY pony that I convinced him we needed way back in the Spring--when it was green and warm and snow was a far and distant memory. But see he is smiling--just too frozen to wave). When I say multi-talented and multi-faceted, I do not kid you. He was raised in the home repair business in which he started tagging along with his dad when he was about 8 years old. So he’s become very handy at the handyman thing and can fix about anything that needs fixin’ or jerry-rig anything that needs a touch of jerry-riggin’. He has been the knight in shining armor who has single-handedly wrestled into the brown coveralls or white suit and crawled under the house to tackle unspeakable projects while cockroaches the size of his index finger numbering somewhere in the millions (at last roach population census) scamper about heedless to his presence in their horrendously hot, humid, dank environ. In other words, he’s honestly never been one to shy away from getting his hands dirty.
(He's actually got a huge grin on his face and is waving in both of these photos, so don't feel the LEAST bit sorry for him--please!) He also got interested in doing tree work while we were in TX and started his own business becoming skilled in the whole arborist profession through the training he received at the supremely competent hands of our dear friends, the Palmers, who founded the Arbor-master Training program (very cool site, I might add!). So he also excels at the swarthy, rugged, fanatically physical, outdoorsy, dangerous stuff, too.
However, on the completely far outer reaches of the other side of the spectrum, he studied to become a watchmaker. And that’s what he was doing when I met him—after he had put some time in with Cartier and was working at Rolex in Dallas. I also must add from the purely woman-ish perspective, that he’s got this artistic side to him that still catches me off-guard at times. For instance, he’ll actually agree with me that a room can be painted pink. This is in addition to the ever-present, predictable cajoling I require to get me through my decision to paint a room pink....better known as the second-thoughts, misgivings, and “that’s just NOT the right shade of pink!” melodrama. He’ll also sometimes spend hours in antiques shops (if it's his type of antiques shop, that is)—long after I’ve meandered my mind to mush. So you can begin to see why he’s been a bit of a puzzlement to me--as I’ve most assuredly been to him.
So which hat is he presently donning at the moment? Well, he’s a watchmaker—the trade that he will probably never abandon—and in which our son is showing an avid interest. Big Andrew and Little Andrew are at home in the little shop working side by side, stool by stool, bench by bench, eye-loop by eye-loop—where, I can’t for the life of me, imagine a better place for our son to be! Nor can I imagine a quicker way to send me to the asylum. Dealing with microscopic pieces that would fit on the top of a pinhead and disappear on the end of tweezers is just NOT my calling in life! However, I will say the very serendipitous thing (one of MY favorites, of course) about his chosen profession is that he has truly found a niche up here in Maine--as we’re discovering that there are some intriguingly interesting watchmaking / clock making roots and history up here--and that this tradition has, over time, become a dying a trade.
I must say that through my rosy-romantic glasses, I just love the multi-generational aspects of what my husband has chosen to pursue…and the fact that he’s continuing an old world craft or trade that was destined to become borderline obsolete…and that he desires to teach and apprentice his own son in this trade…and last, but surely not least, he chose to share it all with me!
And, by all means, please check out more of Andrew’s watch talents and trade at Unique Watch Co.com
However, he still loves to climb trees and does so whenever he can find the excuse to do so. And he's convinced that he's gonna block-and-tackle and pully-rig this log home endeavor of ours to fruition. So just stand-by to see what an incurable, not-much-use-for-anything romantic (ME) and my "Dan'el Boone was a man" gone green acres hubby will manage to pull off--and hopefully sometime during this century!
Anyone raised around animals can relate to the sinking drop in the pit of your stomach and the Ooooh Nooo! Not again! when you hear those dreaded words, "The cows are out!" or "The horses are loose!" or "The bunnies aren't in their cage!" or "The goats are in the garden!" But I have to admit that I didn't quite know how to react when I heard the kids yelling, "Baby's on the porch!"....accompanied with this lazy cu-lop, cu-lop of hooves on wooden planks and a big horse face sporting a black fly-mask staring at me through the sliding-glass door.
I've heard of ponies being rather curious animals and all, but c'mon! Really. This was the same animal who flat out refused to get in a trailer about this time last year....that pulled all sorts of contortions and sideways shenanigans and up-and-down maneuvers to avoid such tight, weird-sounding spaces. Admittedly, the porch isn't as claustrophobic and dark as a trailer. And granted, it wasn't during a hail storm either. But still, one's bound to ask:
Was she brutally tugged and pulled and wrangler lassoed up on the porch--perhaps kickin' and screamin' the whole way? No.
Was she politely invited up on the porch? No.
Was she coaxed or wheedled or bribed to come up on the porch? No, no, and again no!
So I guess this might just be common everyday horse behavior that I wasn't aware of and should've been expecting from day one--that just sorta got brushed aside in the pony instruction manual we received when we first unpackaged her. Heck, for all I know, a horse in the living room could be common horse behavior, too.
And was she a gracious enough guest upon her very unhurried exit to leave the porch as pristine clean as she found it? No, no, and again no!
If horses just naturally go on porches, shouldn't they just naturally know some porch etiquette? Where are all those horse whisperers out there when I need them? On the Horse TV Channel selling videos, that's where. There's a mess of 'em over there. I'm just not sure it's worth $165 and 38 seminars to answer my pony-porch dilemma...
So please don't be shocked when my youngest looking up at this picture--ever so nonchalantly--says, "There's where Baby went to du baff-woom."
Yep, she most certainly did! While my husband assumed 'carnival duty' as he so aptly put it.
So it now looks as though Babycakes is done with barn life. She's decided that she's movin' on up to the East Side on the north side--better known as our porch side. And I'm thoroughly convinced....beyond a shadow of a doubt...that if I happen to leave the sliding door open, I could easily end up with a very large pony in my living room!
Good morning to you and God bless you on this Sunday morning! We've been blessed with a gorgeous morning in Maine and despite the fact that we didn't get nearly the things done we wanted to yesterday (including the lawn getting mowed), yes, we still have the dandelions dancing in our yard this morning. And, ya know? How delightful it is to see all those sunny yellow dandelions still smiling and bobbing toward the sunshine out there! Perhaps they just weren't meant to be cut down after all! I'm excited to share with you something I discovered yesterday. I've been reading from several issues of the New Harvest Homestead Newsletter over the past few months and I was curious to see if they had an actual web site. Sure enough, they do! And oh! Oh! What a site it IS!
They deliver so succinctly what this whole homestead concept is in my mind and resonates so much with what we're attempting to create and live out in our own family life. Then mixed in and interspersed amongst all of this, are some significant, helpful bible verses and musings that provide such fresh encouragement and inspiration.
As you try to recover and re-focus from THAT visual, you can read through the very first few paragraphs on their home page:
The word "homestead" tends to evoke an image of pioneers living off of the land. However, we have come to embrace the literal meaning of the word which, simply put, means to be "steadfast at home". We want to encourage and assist Christians in rediscovering the practical skills and home arts which were once commonplace in our culture, but have been all but lost to the last couple of generations. We especially want to encourage women who want to give the majority of their time and energy to their families and homes, in contrast to a culture where women are constantly on the go.
The rewards of the homestead or home-centered lifestyle are manifold. Life becomes quieter and less complicated. There is a great joy and satisfaction in working with our own two hands to provide for our family's needs. Most importantly, the more we interact with God's creation, the better we get to know the Creator Himself.
"But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you; so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need."
1 Thessalonians 4:10-12
This kinda stuff just gives me goose-bumps all over! And it also helps me de-tox out of my stressed-out, hyper-sensitive I-can-NEVER-do this mode of thinking! It helps me realize that even though we have broken down equipment and that I don't have any REAL clue as to what I'm actually doing with this whole bucolic, homestead country-life, that somehow, some way we're still on the right track! And there are some beautiful, talented, gifted families out there doing this sort of thing who want to reach out and help unguided, ninkimpoops like me pursue our stabs at this homestead life--and all from a precious Christian perspective, too! God is just SO good--and thank you, Lord, for laying this on people's hearts out there!
Although, I wasn't exactly intending to, I ended up copying and pasting their ENTIRE home page--that seems to have several of the links besides. There is just so much here that I can't wait to explore myself, so I guess I'll just let it be what it is! And you can click on what might appeal to you at the moment...
NOTE: The New Harvest Homestead has created a new website so the links below are no longer the proper links. Click on this New Harvest Homestead link to see their lovely updated site. However, all the wonderful topics below are still found on their new site...check it out!
In the introductory issue of New Harvest Homestead:
The Homestead (Home-Centered) Woman: Steadfast at Home
Homestead Life: What is the "Homestead Life"?
In the Garden: Growing in containers and raised beds
In the Kitchen: The "Heart of the Home" plus tips for getting ready to preserve the summer bounty
Titus 2 Keepers at Home: How do we really fulfill the call of
Titus 2? Ask about my free Titus 2 Meeting Guide!
The Introductory Issue is Free! Write to us to request yours:
newharvest@gotsky.com
The free sample copy is sent via email as an Adobe Acrobat file. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat on your computer, you can download it free here. If you have a spam blocker, please add this email address to your "allowed" list.
The March/April 2008 issue is now available!
Take a peek at what's going on around the homestead.
New Harvest Homestead is an electronic newsletter published bi-monthly, delivered via e-mail as a PDF file and then printed out by subscribers. Subscriptions are $12.00. Please see the subscribe page for more information.
Join the New Harvest Homestead Newsgroup! Keep in touch between issues, ask questions about content from previous issues, share ideas and meet other NHH readers!
Click to join newharvesthomestead
Steadfast at Home
The lawn mower has decided to quit working, the state has put a ban on issuing fire permits so we won't be doing anymore burnin' for now, and just about everything I've attempted to do has run into some snag or another. So what I'm thinkin' is that I'm just gonna throw it all aside and continue my post from our Camden excursion I've been promising--for how many days now? This Children's Chapel is also surrounded by a lovely little arboretum with lots of quaint little things like these little stone paths... That just beg you to follow...and, of course, the children love to follow them because this is high adventure you know... That lead to a little pool... And also to little vistas like this one... And hey all you homesteaders out there...check out this crafty fence construction... The tall flowers haven't come close to blooming yet, but these sweet little ones are enjoying their day in the sun...
This week has been for me one of those life passages, life-enhancing, life-reflecting kind of weeks. OK, so what IS that? Well, it's where my mind gets all entrapped and enraptured in these preponderous (word?) details and rememberances (word?), and new discoveries, and little victories, and questioning changes, and chance meetings--and then culminates in my just sittin' back with numerous, very large cups of coffee and trying to make some sense out of it all. And how do I go about doing this? Well, I get it all packaged a bit more tidily in my mind, and savor all the delectable little nuances that various situations provided, and tumble the fragmented thoughts and perspectives over and around in my boggled brain until they become just the perfected, significant memories they are meant to be for the rest of my life. And not that they'll always remain in this pristine, easily-recollected state, but that they have been investigated and savored and stored is the important part. It's all about my selective interest in living my life in the moment and simple pleasures and stages God has so blessed me with. When I started my Romantic Mom endeavor 5 or so years ago, I was a younger mom with 3 babies. I was a fairly new Christian still in a fog trying to find my way. My husband and I were newly married and still trying to figure how on earth we were supposed to live out our version of marital bliss. And now I'm a middle-aged mom with youngsters more or less leaving the baby stages. Our twins will be turning 9 years old next month--further than they've ever been from baby-hood. My hubby and I have had enough adventures and time to find our ability to be who we are in our own marital comfort-zone. We're living out our dream of the homey, family-centered, country life. Just in this last week or so I've launched a website and last night had dinner with a beautiful family through that connection that I didn't even know existed last Sat. and that we might never have even met. I spent a lovely couple of hours at the park with some moms in my homeschool group that I've known now for at least a couple of years or more. As I left the park it occurred to me that those friendships have developed in such a casually sweet, unhurried way and with the older kiddos seeming so BIG now and new wee ones who have come along.
And I pretty much just stand in amazement that my children actually ASK ME to take these kinds of photos of them! That they run out and pick flowers and perch on the railing for a picture and my only job is to grab the camera! When this kind of whimsical set-up doesn't even dawn on me! That children overall are just so intrinsically romantic to the core and it's so effortless for them--it all just comes flowing forth! I only try to be romantic and it comes with no small effort. I've begun to see that all these things that looked so scary and formidable in the past were actually much easier and non-catastrophic than I thought they surely would be. This life passage-enhancing-reflective week has made me realize that I have mellowed a bit and that with this mellowing there's a slight rosy hue forming over the bi-focals I'll surely be needing soon!
Surely, if your life is anything like mine is, you've had those days in which you were all prepared to go in one direction when suddenly that all comes to a screeching halt and you have to take a detour. You have no idea what that detour's gonna look like, but God has been oh so slowly teaching me that I need to just hang on and hope for the best! I had one such day on Wednesday for my "baby's" birthday. We were all set to head down to Portland for the day and I had in my mind all the fun things we would do down in the Big City to treat our little Birthday Girl. At some point mid-morning, my husband sidles up to me and asks, "Would you be terribly put out if we don't go to Portland today--but go tomorrow?"
Why no, dear, of course that would be fine....except for the minor little detail that I have NOTHING planned for our youngest who happens to be having a BIRTHDAY TODAY!
Turns out one of the moms from our homeschool group had spontaneously invited anyone available to join her at the park that morning. So I suddenly switched gears, we opened some presents, and new fuzzy bunny in tow, whizzed to the park. It was a spectacular day, 5 or 6 families showed up and tremendous fun was had by all! And thank you dear moms of my homeschool group for instantly coming to my rescue! You moms are always SUCH a joy to visit with--and a real encouragement to me! After much raucous play, swingin' and slidin', we went back to pick up Daddy then had a picnic lunch by a nearby lake. The older ones threw sticks in the water while we patiently waited for our Birthday Girl to finish her entire, very huge hamburger. She was determined to do this--and she did it! Quite impressive! She must be 4 and not 3 anymore--it's now official! And once more....tremendous fun was had by all! With a swing by the good ol' trusty Wal-Mart bakery our Birthday Girl picks out her favorite pink and lavender endowed birthday cake and we head home for the final leg of our birthday festivities. She tells Daddy that she wants pesto pasta for dinner (yes, pesto pasta--she also loves mint tea!) and Daddy whips up some mini-Birthday-Girl-sized meatballs to go along. Birthday boxes just happened to arrive in time to be opened that evening. G'mom and G'dad from TX just happen to call at the precise moment we're singing Happy Birthday so they join in, too, via speaker phone--and all in all--tremendous fun was had by all!
Don’t you just love what I call “the little coincidences” that life offers up at the least expected times. They just suddenly pop up like primroses along the path in Texas—or like day lilies at the edge of the trees here in Maine.
I’ve just begun my journey into cyber-space and, to be honest, I’ve questioned recently my decision in tackling this oz of computer land. It’s not that I don’t see it’s many benefits and potentialities, but it does require an exhausting amount of effort—especially in the beginning phases (and especially when you’re as infantile—or embryonic--in computer literacy as I am).
As much as I’ve longed to write and share my thoughts with others, I’ve felt this tug-of-war between writing about life and actually living it. Ya know there IS a difference! And as much as the writing and photography enhances the things I see going on around me, it does take time to get it all wrestled into some semblance of order and quasi-coherent manner of presentation.
Once again, my incomprehensibly round-about way to the point of saying that I clearly don’t know how to manage my time. And things that should only take 2 minutes usually take more than 2 hours! So, given my severely challenged time-management skills, I’ve been asking God if this is truly His will for me—ya know, a priority—or just another one of my efforts in futility-management.
Hence the “little coincidences’ that have suddenly become the primroses on my path. The first coincidence happened the very first evening I officially decided to put my site out there for all to see. To all you savvy, stylin’ silicon-slickers out there I realize this is merely child’s play, but for me it was a huge wrenching out of my very comfortable, complacently-obscure comfort-zone. On the heels of this, I received an e-mail from my brother in FL entitled “reconciliation:” which if you’ve read anything about our being beached on the beach was a major thing in my little world. I’m here to tell ya!
I’ve also heard from people that I haven’t heard from in literally years! Some of the dear ones that over time we’ve just lost touch and I’ve been terribly remiss in picking up the threads to get re-connected again.
And the sweetest most whimsical primrose coincidence for me has happened just in the last couple of days. My mother-in-law who has just embarked upon the whole writing / blogging / photography (see Morningjoy) endeavor herself, happened upon a link for a website she thought I might enjoy. She has sent me several of such site links and they’ve been nice, informational, interesting visits. But this one….THIS one was extremely…extraordinarily…enchantingly more so. As I began to peruse this website I first discovered that this young mom was witty and fun, wrote really well, and lo and behold, she loves Jesus Christ too! This is good—this is very good! Next I start stumbling upon these incredibly creative pillows and the cutest little cloth bags you’ve ever seen and painted little jars…just cute, cute, incredibly hip stuff! You can find all these wonderful creations at her Bliss Home Goods. So I pop over to her blog site again and I start seeing the word “ya’ll” mixed in with “it’s 3 degrees F in Maine right now” and things like “it’s FINALLY Spring…!!!!” and I’m thinking that I can’t quite believe my eyeballs. My head starts goin’ dizzy and swirly and I try to focus on that “ya’ll” again and the fact that she loves Mexican food and knows what a chimichanga is—and even ordered it! Could this actually be a southern—or better yet southwestern—gal in Maine…like ME…???….!!!
Well, this crazy, serendipitous story takes on Romantic Mom proportions when we discover that we basically live in each other’s back yard! That’s right, we shop at the same Wal-Mart and agree that the Reny’s in the little town she’s moving to is hands-down the best out of all of them. We do! This is sweet Jennifer (whose ear I will be talkin’ off non-stop in the very near future) of The laundry? It's never finished. She’s also a quintessential romantic mom if there ever was one! Check out her adorable site and incredibly deliciously creative products!
I am just in a fit of reminiscences lately for some inexplicable reason. This usually happens to me going into the Holidays, but I'm so struck with memories recently. Perhaps you can indulge me as I trip down Memory Lane a bit here.
We live on Melody Lane which is just so perfectly romantic I'm almost loathe to move anywhere else for fear of getting some totally, non-descript road name like NW 22nd street or similar ilk--how terribly depressing, unromantic and boring THAT would be! What does this have to do with 'memory' lane? They both just sound sweet--similarly sweet. I don't know! Don't ask me such questions.
I know I said that I'd continue my Camden excursion, but I've just gotten tripped up here on Memory Lane , so I'll do it soon--before Spring's completely over! Part of my problem is that my youngest is turning 4 YEARS OLD today and this is my BABY! I just can't fathom how this is happening! How can I not have a baby of some age, shape, or form slung on my hip? How can I not be categorized as a mom with a baby? This is just IMPOSSIBLE! And I miss it. I really do. I dearly love all the stages that my children go through, but my baby being 4 years old just ain't syncing with my brain. I usually at least have another new baby or one on the way at the very, very least. Excuse me while I go cry...
Okay, I'm back, sniff, sniff. I happened onto a blog yesterday of a young mom in Vail, CO and that got me reminiscing, too. Many, many moons ago I used to live in Vail--and couldn't imagine living ANY where else. Back then Vail was still small with no Home Depot and Edwards was considered the boonies--Avon was considered the boonies for that matter. The Hiatt in Beaver Creek had just been built. I know I'm really dating myself here. It was the early 90's that I was there. And young families with young children were just beginning to decide to settle in Vail--well, actually Avon and Edwards. And I seriously thought that I would be raising a young family in Vail, too, and how cool that would be....
So now we're in Maine--and I LOVE Maine. Don't get me wrong. I love being near the ocean and the mountains and the rivers (even though they spawn those awful black flies). I love the rural-ness and farmy-ness of Maine.
I love how there are aspects of almost stepping back into time here in Maine. It's just funny how life has these "bends in the road" as Anne of Green Gables says. So thanks for indulging my trip down Memory Lane via Melody Lane. I'm gonna go celebrate my baby's birthday!
|
RSS Feed
