Quilt Scraps Mom

It’s snowing. Again. I’m really, really trying to work up some excitement for this. I mean, after all, I have a stack of videos from the library, plenty of good books I never have time to read, and of course, there’s always working on the taxes (fun, no ~ but spending the refund might be!). So why am I NOT happy about this interruption to my week? I’m really struggling with the potential feeling of being trapped ~ really, of not being in control. I like to be in control.  Realistically, don’t we all? And yet, we’re really not ever COMPLETELY in control. We think we are. But truly, only God is really, really in control. We can make plans, we can have dreams, we can think we know what tomorrow holds ~ but that can all change in an instant.  I’ve been sensing that a lot lately. I don’t like it. Not one, tiny little bit. And I guess THAT comes down to TRUST.   Also not one of my strong points. But Proverbs 3:5-6 makes it  pretty clear:  ”Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.  Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;  He’s the one who will keep you on track.”  (The Message)  We serve a God who loves us, who cares for us, who literally numbers every hair on our heads (even as they seem to falling out these days)… so why is it SO hard to trust in His love and goodness?  Something to ponder on this snowing winter day!

It’s been a long time.  I didn’t realize just HOW long until I saw that the Christmas countdown theme ~ from Christmas 2008 ~ was still up.  Of course, if I wait long enough it will be appropriate once more.  But I’m probably going to work on the whole theme thing soon.  IF I can remember how.  I had enough trouble figuring out how to log back into the site to post.

2009 was a long and difficult year.  So far, two months into 2010, I’m not all that excited by what has evolved thus far.  But I have been reminded that for me, this is a season of hope.  Hope and trust in the God that I serve, and faith in HIS plan for my future.  One of my favorite verses has always been Jeremiah 29:11:  ”For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  (NIV)

In the darkest of  my days, I must admit it’s been hard to see God’s plan, and hard to feel hopeful about His intentions.  But I was reminded yet again this morning ~ we are to bless God’s name not only when the sun is shining down us, but also when we find ourselves in a desert place or lost in what seems to us to be a wilderness.  I’m in that wilderness right now.  I don’t see my way out, and I don’t feel the sun shining down on me.  Still, God is the same yesterday and today and forever.

So on I must press, knowing that God IS by my side, and that He will give me a hope and a future even when I don’t feel it.  When doubt and discouragement call out to me even as I write.   Even in the darkness.

This is the reading corner — nice comfy chair & quilt for cuddling (this is our Before FIAR quilt or as Phoebe calls it, the “special reading blanket)!

This is my sewing corner… nothing real exciting, but at least now it’s neat.  Most of my fabric stash is upstairs but can be easily brought down when the quilting bug strikes.  Meanwhile, most of my sewing these days consists of Awana patches!

Mom’s Desk — SO much better than juggling my laptop and papers in the big blue chair, comfy as it is!  Under the desk is a Desk Apprentice with all my teachers’ manuals — I love it but it’s just TOO big for my desk.  It fits perfectly underneath and I can reach everything I need.

More bookshelves — of course.  Can a homeschooler ever have too many?  The scrapbooks finally have a shelf they fit on!  We kept Dave’s grandmother’s hutch, it’s great for storing some of the less-used, “pretty” books, and of course, it’s important to us because it was hers!

It was May, 2006.  The email from the music teacher at our homeschool co-op had requested “patriotic attire” for the 1st & 2nd grade classes in our spring Colonial-themed musical.  What could be more patriotic than a red & white shirt with navy blue pants, right?  As I struggled to corral an overtired, potty-training two-year old in the ladies’ restroom, a breathless teen informed me that my then six-year old son was in the rehearsal area crying.  One glance around the room quickly identified the source of the problem:  his entire class had been transformed into uniformed Revolutionary War soldiers, complete with quite the arsenal of weapons!  As tears continued to well in his eyes, a resourceful 3rd grader solved my immediate dilemma by producing a spare rifle from his weapon bag.  He happily displayed his rifle for all to see, no longer concerned with his lack of uniform.  But mom was left quite scarred by the moment!

Fast forward to November, 2008 when the same child, now eight, is cast as both sheep and shepherd (different scenes) in the Christmas musical.  Shepherd, I could handle.  Dark shirt, dark pants, and supplied headgear.  The four year old’s angel costume was a cinch once I called the preschool director at church and begged.  But a sheep???

It didn’t help when the costume coordinator rattled off something to the effect of “You just …. and then you… and it’ll look great!”  Excuse me?  I think I missed something in there??!!  But something miraculous happened this afternoon.  This craft-impaired mom spent a couple hours with a long-sleeved white t-shirt, cotton batting and a hot glue gun, and Voila!  A sheep is born!  Said son is ecstatic and can’t wait til tomorrow’s dress rehearsal.  And mom is struggling with a teensy bit of pride, but after the last time, I think it’s okay.

It was that time again… time to delve into another round of freezer cooking in anticipation of a busy holiday season ahead.   I’m not sure quite why it seems I can only do this under pressure, late at night… but somehow it keeps turning out that way.  Two rounds of shopping, and four hours of cooking/cleaning later, 28 meals sit in my freezer ready to defrost and heat for some easy dinners in the weeks to come!  And hey, it was only 1:30 am!

So… here’s what’s in MY freezer:

Turkey Cordon Bleu (2) *

Chicken Parmesan (3)

Sesame Ginger Salmon (2)

Bacon-Cheese Meatloaf (2)

Peruvian Pork Stew (2)  *

Crock BBQ Chicken (2)

Parmesan-Crusted Salmon (2)

Lemon-Almond Tilapia (1) *

Baked Chicken (2)

Peppered Steak (2)

Ham(2)

Honey-Grilled Chicken (2)

Applesauce Meatloaf (2)

Honey-Dijon Crock Pork Tenderloin (2)

Items marked with a * are new to our family… we’ll see if they make the permanent rotation!  I have to admit that as many times as I whined that I wanted to quit last night — and into this morning — it is just SO nice to make the mess once then just pop a bag out of the freezer, and Voila!  The answer to “What’s for dinner?” is right in front of me.  But, ummm, tonight could we just get a pizza?

Well, this is the first time I’ve tried copying something I saw on someone else’s blog, but I was overdue for a post, so here goes… all you have to do is copy/paste this list, then highlight/bold/italic the items YOU have personally done/experienced.   I saw this on Candace’s blog, who saw it on Jen’s blog !  If you give it a try, leave a comment so I can read yours (if my comments actually work, haven’t quite figured out that function yet).  Oh, and yes, there were only 99 items — I checked a couple times to see if I missed one. 

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain (only a little one!)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Okay, those of you who know me in real life, just stop laughing right now and go back to whatever non-productive activity you were engaging in before deciding to read my blog.

If you review the archives, you will see that the last time I did freezer cooking was in May.  Yes, about two months ago.  I did do SOME grocery shopping since then, even beyond the nearly daily milk-and-bread runs.  But I began to hit bottom about a week and a half ago… and while dinner served at VBS enabled me to put off the inevitable a few days longer, when one must resort to ice cream as a lunch entree more than once, it’s time.

So off to BJs I went.  And off to SuperWalmart I went.  And I even purchased all the ingredients necessary this time.  And started before midnight.  Are you sensing a “but” coming?  Well, it seems that after 17 years of trusty service (other than bruised shins from the missing door springs) the dishwasher has decided to give it up… and apparently, not without a bit of smoke to mark the occasion.  I was completely oblivious to this fact until I went to turn it on and the buttons, well, fell off.

Freezer cooking without a dishwasher is NOT recommended.  I’ll admit it, I’m a wimpy modern woman who would have likely died within a week out on the great frontier.  First I had to wash all of the glasses, dishes and silverware accumulated by six people since late afternoon yesterday.  Nap time.  Then round one of meal preparation… at the end of which I had to wash all the measuring cups, mixing bowls, spatulas, etc.  so I could begin round two.  And so on.  Get the picture? 

As with last time, I believe the end will be worth it:  Our freezer is well-stocked with crock-pot bbq chicken, honey-grilled chicken, baked chicken breasts, bacon cheese meatloaf, honey mustard pork tenderloin, and parmesan-crusted salmon (plus a couple small hams) for a total of 16 meals ready to defrost and pop in the oven or crock pot.  With leftovers and a weekly round of spaghetti, that’s probably 5 weeks or more of dinners.

But I don’t suppose I could wait until, say, next week some time to do the dishes?

Oh, where-oh-where-oh-where-oh-where-oh-where-oh-WHERE is my hairbrush?

It’s been a long week.  A long week of way too many sentences beginning with the same three words:  “I can’t find…”

Some things made more sense than others.  Nintendo DS games are small — probably a good reason NOT to unload the whole set on the sofa and leave them there.  But on a bright note, we found the missing remote to the DVD player under the sofa keeping them company.

But as the semi-controlled chaos of vacation packing continued, my frustration grew.   Why does every electronic device on the planet require its OWN charging device?  Where do 100 pencils go, anyway?  And how on earth is it possible to lose the roof pack for the van — I mean come on, we’re not exactly talking microscopic here! 

We’ve reached the end of the week and it SEEMS as though nearly everything has been found.  In fact, nearly everything is packed and ready for our departure at 3:30 am tomorrow morning.  I’m feeling relaxed and pleasant.  And to tell you the truth, it’s scaring me… what do I not even realize I’ve forgotten yet?????

But in case you’re wondering, yes, I packed my hairbrush!

I’ve never been a big fan of yard sales.  Having them, that is.  I’m way too big a fan of frequenting them, which is ultimately why the need to have one developed in the first place.  The prospect of a sunny Saturday… two daughters eager for cash… the annual neighborhood extravaganza… seems like a recipe for success, right?

Wrong!  For a variety of reasons, we only began preparing for our event at about 10:00 pm on Friday night.  First big mistake.  Box after box tumbled down from the attic.  We discovered that my bargain hunting of recent weeks was for naught… a complete wardrobe for preschool girls still existed, stashed in the deep recesses of the attic.  We began diligently sorting box after box after largely mislabeled box of clothing ranging from newborn through size six and some even larger.  Three large bags were filled with stained, torn clothing that I can’t begin to understand why we stored to begin with.  We discovered elastic-waisted pants do not fare well in attic heat. 

Ultimately (somewhere around 1:00 am) we were left with 14 rubbermaid totes of neatly sorted, clean clothing ready for sale at a bargain price of just .25 a piece.  We added some toys, a couple of used bikes, and some baby equipment to the mix, and at just past 6:30 am, began loading everything onto the front lawn.  The girls set up their table, complete with homemade brownies and cookies, and cold sodas for hungry, thirsty shoppers.  We were all set!  

Five hours later, we had brought in a whopping $16 — $5 for my son’s old bike, and the majority of the rest from brownie & soda sales.  13 3/4 Rubbermaid totes of clothing remained.  I’m trying to look on the bright side — that’ll be quite a tax deduction when I finally make it to the Crisis Pregnancy Center & Goodwill, and at least it’s not in my attic anymore, right?  But I missed my son’s baseball game, one side of my nose is sunburned, and I don’t REALLY think this was the best use of a Saturday morning when I could have just donated the stuff to begin with.  Lesson learned.

Note to self:  Baby Steps!

I should have known better.  I’m really not sure what happened to my brain between Wednesday night, when I came to the sad realization that we could no longer survive solely on the remaining contents of the fridge and pantry, and Thursday afternoon, when I found myself surrounded by recipes and grocery lists and the intent to prepare and freeze dozens of healthy, nutritious meals… but there I was.

Okay, so it wasn’t dozens.  It only SEEMED like dozens at midnight when faced with mountains of ingredients galore and WAY too many pots and pans.   It began with a run to the local warehouse store, where I accumulated 24 chicken breasts, 12 chicken thighs, 6 lbs of ground beef, a few lbs of round steak, and 6 salmon filets.  Oh, and lets not forget 208 gallon-size freezer bags (at less than I would normally pay for 120), 128 quart-size freezer bags, a jug of laundry soap that will supposedly last for 128 loads, 90 dishwasher tabs, and assorted other items.  Now I remember why I don’t go to there very often!!  But I do know my regular Walmart prices pretty well, and I did save a lot of money… and I guess with four kids, and an extra adult for the next few weeks, I need to face the reality that we ARE a large enough family to benefit from bulk shopping.

So we stashed all that here, there and everywhere and after dinner, I headed off to Walmart for the rest of the groceries.  By 10:00 pm, everything was away, I had given up hope of watching ER, and we began.  We quickly realized that my shopping skills are a bit less than perfect — even with a list, I missed a few key ingredients for some of the recipes.  So dh jumped in the car — gotta love having a decent grocery store a mile away — and went to grab the last few items.  He forgot the main thing I sent him for, but I guess I can’t say too much on that one, can I?

With the help of dh & dd11, we chopped, we food-processed, we measured, and we bagged until after midnight… and in the end, my freezer was filled with a dozen ready-to-cook meals (about half for the crock pot).  Add in a leftover night or two, weekly spaghetti night, and dh’s desire to pull out the grill on weekends, and we should be good for 3-4 weeks!  I know someday I will undoubtedly be glad I embarked on this adventure, but right now I am SO incredibly tired (my preschooler had to wake me up or she wouldn’t have made to preschool).  I guess that’s why the instructions said to take it SLOWLY!

Bon appetit!