TEACH Magazine

Every market has its own publications. Homeschooling is no exception. Recently I was away from home for several weeks. When I got back there were four different homeschooling magazines in the stack of mail awaiting me!

Today I was able to read through most of the Winter issue of TEACH Magazine. The theme of this particular edition is hospitality. Publisher Lorrie Flem describes hospitality as "...kindly receiving and entertaining guests without reward." She says, " 'Entertain' has nothing to do with putting on a pretense to impress someone. It is opening your home and welcoming guests to treat with hospitality so that they feel you are glad they are there." (emphasis mine)

While most of us probably enjoy fussing a little for guests, I think Lorrie really addresses the true meaning of hospitality. It should have more to do with people, and less to do with our pride.

TEACH is written from a decidedly Christian perspective. Most of the articles use examples and encouragement drawn from the scriptures, and from biblical principles. "Urban Homemaker" Marilyn Moll has a two page spread of simple, healthy recipes, including her "Beef Burgundy Simplified" and "Fantastic Whole Wheat Rolls". Yum!

TEACH also includes product reviews, teaching ideas, and parenting tips. A couple of features that I especially enjoy are "A Day in the Life of a Homeschooling Family" (should be self-explanatory what that is), and "Merchant Mamas" , which highlights four women with home-based businesses.

I was very fortunate to be raised with a strong legacy of hospitality. My parents were missionaries in Trinidad, West Indies, and our home was a magnet to a steady stream of visitors. Some stayed a few minutes...and some a few months...and my childhood was a living "Hospitality 101". At 10 years old I came to North America to live with an aunt and uncle during the school year...and ended up staying with them until I married at 25! They were truly "given to hospitality". With no exaggeration, they have fed thousands of people at their table over the years. I SO remember setting the long dining room table nearly every Saturday night in preparation for a table full of Sunday dinner guests!

Sadly, reading through this issue on hospitality was a bit of a trip down memory lane for me. I think, though, that it has also encouraged me to get back on the hospitality track...even if it means a slice of pizza (homemade of course - it's easy!) at the kitchen table. I DO have 12 Fiesta plates now, after all, and there only 6 of us!

TEACH Magazine's sub-title is "To Encourage and Challenge Homemakers", and once again, I find myself both encouraged and challenged by reading it!

I am of certain convinced that the greatest heroes are those who do their duty in the daily grind of domestic affairs whilst the world whirls as a maddening dreidl.

~ Florence Nightingale 1820-1910

Martha Stewart has nothing on me!

Inspired by Anna at Pleasant View Schoolhouse I donned my Cath Kidston apron last night and made two batches of sweet rolls. This morning I'm working on a tray of the gluten free variety (a daughter and I have celiac disease). Oh, yum! Can't wait for that mid-afternoon coffee break. There's a fat gooey sweet roll calling my name.

Unlike Martha, I ended the evening sitting up to midnight with our youngest, who couldn't sleep because of her cough, and wanted to read Bible verses. Today started by chauffering our sleepy 17 year old to class. He missed the bus on this rainy gray morning. Since I'm not Martha, and in no danger of being photographed (ha!) I could wear my flannel pjs with the coconut and pineapple print under my coat. Ahh, it's a GOOD thing.

Since all 3 girls are sick, we are missing homeschool co-op today. Maybe between batches of turkey soup, trips to the drugstore, and the like, I'll do something Martha-ish. Quick, somebody pass me a glue gun. Seriously, I get major inspiration from her website.

But I'd much rather be me than Martha.

That glass is full!

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.

~Helen Keller

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying "I will try again tomorrow."

~Mary Anne Radmacher

Summer in a jar...

Mmmm. Strawberry freezer jam in January. I made way too much jam last summer, but it IS nice to have extra to share. My daughter made the cute tags for these jars that we took to our homeschool co-op yesterday. We found the strawberry stamp at Pat Catan's craft store for 50 cents last week, and just had to use it!

Fiesta!

For 25 years I've admired Fiestaware. Finally this year I decided to begin collecting it. I love the fact that it is made right here in the USA, and is lead free. It's astounding just how much of what we buy and use is made in China. It turns out that the Homer Laughlin factory (makers of Fiesta) is in Newell, WV - just about 2 hours from our home.

Today we decided to take a little jaunt over to WV and check out the factory - or more specifically the outlet store. We'd been given some money for our anniversary, and I wanted to see just how much I could buy for $100.00. I didn't see too many great deals at the retail outlet.

HOWEVER...they have an attached "seconds" room which is absolutely brimming with stacks upon stacks of "seconds". I quickly spotted the pro shoppers who obviously have been there a time or two before. They wore a sock on one hand, or carried a towel to wipe the dishes with...then it's easy to see if there's a permanent defect or mark, or just dust. Hubby and I wiped away with our coatsleeves, and came up with a great collection. The flaws would never be noticed unless someone was specifically looking for them.

So here's what $100 and a few cents bought - a large oval platter, 2 oval vegetable dishes, 2 small casserole bakers, a very large pasta bowl, 4 dinner plates, 4 smaller plates, 4 bowls, and a devilled egg holder. Yes, an egg holder - but there's a reason for that - you'll see!

Fun Frugality

An oxymoron? I don't think so.

I'm pretty frugal. But I'm not really really good at it. I don't do things like wash and re-use foil or sandwich bags, but I know a millionaire lady who does.

Every now and then, with reckless abandon I decide "frugality be hanged" and we all go out to eat. "All" means hubby and I, 3 teens and a tiny pre-teen princess that can eat like 4 grown men. Needless to say we can almost blow the weekly grocery budget in one sitting.

However, there are real, living, breathing, frugal experts on the web...lots and lots of them. One of my all time favorites is Meredith, from "Like Merchant Ships". There's a link to her site in my sidebar. Just looking through her archives can take a couple of hours, and you'll come away agreeing that frugality can be fun, and beautiful too!

Sales are on...big time. This week I stocked up on dress shirts for my husband at JC Penney, priced at under $5.00 a piece....multiples hoodies and shirts for the teens and princess at $2, $3, $4 a piece....slippers for $1.47...that kind of thing. Oooh it was fun. Think ahead - think gifts...now is the time to stock up if you can.

And food...yes we have our small victories there too. Hummus caught my eye yesterday, as I was shopping while hungry (a big no-no for fans of frugality). I love hummus, but a little tub was on sale for $3.00. Instead I bought 2 cans of chickpeas for 59 cents to make this recipe:

Cumin Hummus

1 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped or pressed
3 t cumin
1/2 cup water
3 T lemon juice
1 t salt
2 15 oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

Rinse and drain beans. Heat oil in a pan, cook garlic then add the cumin, and stir it all around for a minute or so. Remove from heat. Add this with all other ingredients in the food processor and whir it until smooth. If you don't have a food processor I'm sure it can be mashed, then whipped by hand. Experiment...adjust seasonings to suit your tastes!

This makes about 3 cups - about 3 times as much as the little tub ON SALE, for about a third of the price. Small potatoes maybe, but it adds up folks, it adds up!

We've come a long way, Ben Franklin!

Did you know that Ben Franklin invented bifocals in 1784? Wasn't he just something? What a guy.

Well then, today I got my 3rd pair of bifocals. The trauma has sort of worn off this time around. The first time the doctor said "bifocals" I called my husband at work to tell him I'd been given bad news by the optometrist. When he heard "bifocal" he laughed like a mad fool (he says it was with relief - he thought I was going to say I had a terrible disease of the eyeballs or something). Overall, it was in poor taste on his part I would say. No doubt his day is coming.

Back to today's pair. These racy little numbers are much stronger. It took me 3 tries to get the cap back on the pen after I signed the check at the doctors office. Seriously. Speaking of check, Ben would roll over in his grave if he knew what bifocals go for these days. I wonder if his family is collecting royalties.

Then I looked down... and down...and down. Ooooh boy...my boots looked like they were 10 feet away...and I'm only 5'1". A wave of seasickness rolled in as I headed to the van real sloooow and easy like, doing exaggerated goose steps over the cracks in the sidewalk. Think I'm kidding? Just wait 'til you have bifocals of your own.

Speaking of Erma Bombeck....

(see previous post) I LOVE this piece of her wisdom above:

Can you read it? I'm not too tech savvy and I think I've made it a bit blurry somehow. It says "When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.' "

Wise words indeed.

Now, let me tell you about where I found this quote...at one of my delightful frequent stops when I cruise around the blog world. This lady creates such beauty, out of the most unlikely materials...I almost never leave her blog without being inspired.

I've shared this little piece here with her permission, but do try to visit "Notes from a Cottage Industry" yourself sometime. If you enjoy beauty you'll find it well worth your while!

Opportunities for Writers

Just wanted to share a couple of things from my inbox.

Think you can write like Erma Bombeck? Would you like to try? Enter the annual Erma Bombeck writing contest - no charge. Here's a link to the details:

http://www.wclibrary.info/erma/index.asp

May the best woman (or Erma-esque man) win!

Also, here's a link to a great new blog for writers:

http://www.wannabepublished.blogspot.com/

It's hosted by Mary DeMuth, who I find to be a refreshingly authentic person...as well as an engaging writer. You'll find free downloads...a contest...lots of helpful tips and links and more...you'll just have to check it out for yourself!

13 Days Late...

So...today I decided to list some of my goals for 2008. One of those was to actually start using this blog. I've primarily been blogging over at Shoutlife.com (look for me under authors).

2007 brought some unexpected changes and opportunities our way. Some were positive, and others...not so much! I've learned far more about cancer and care protocols than I ever wanted to know, and watched loved ones bravely walk new paths that they would never have chosen. Priorities and plans have been shuffled and sorted, and perspectives irreversibly changed.

"Beauty is important in this fragile life..." This snippet of a sentence from Jan Karon's "Home to Holly Springs" recently snagged itself in my brain. It gives definition to some of the seemingly unconnected thoughts I've been having over the past several weeks. I think anyone who writes will understand. It's a seed germinating. I know I'm going to have to write about it!

Beauty IS important. One of my goals in 2008 is to actively seek beauty in the little things, and appreciate loveliness. How does that translate into every day run-of-the-mill suburban life? Well, join me in this blog, and we'll learn together! Ahem. I think one of the first things I need to to is get a new avatar picture. This one is awful.