kitchen love

the smell of garlic and onion sauteing in butter
slow down. savor the delicious scents

rolling and chopping of spinach
vibrant green. life giving

the rhythmic hum of the dishwasher with hands immersed in the warm, lemony scented dishwater
calm the spirit. quiet the mind


counting my blessings.........everyday gratitude

Soil Test

Last week someone posted this on facebook:

So our homeschooling day began with an experiment to test the soil in our garden.

Unfortunately I only had my "orange infused vinegar" but I thought that the acidic vinegar, which is necessary for the test, coupled with the acid from my orange peels, this wouldn't alter the experiment in any way.

The soil mixed with vinegar only created a few bubbles while the soil mixed with the baking soda created none. As the bubbles were only slight, we concluded that our soil was closer to the middle of the spectrum. Now with the snow gone (finally!) I guess it's time to start planting!

Blessed to Be Called Mother

Today I am overwhelmed with the love I have for my children. On this Mother's Day, I thank my Creator for creating my beautiful children and for entrusting them to my care. 

I am blessed to be a mother.

Comfort - Five Minute Friday

Comfort is:

holding a warm cup of coffee between both hands on a cold winters day

the warmth of a hug when the tears won't seem to stop

cuddling with a nursing baby

my favorite over-sized cardigan wrapped tight around my body

my mother.

Mom, you comforted me when I was a child, calming my fears of the boogeyman and the mean kids. As a young wife and mother I'd often make daily phone calls to you. You'd patiently tell me again how to make spaghetti sauce or meatloaf. When I had hard decisions to make it was always you that I would turn to. All those little things that you did gave me comfort. The big thing? You prayed. I find huge comfort in knowing that my mama, the woman that knows me best, loved me enough even during my most rebellious years, took time to pray daily for me. And she still prays for me.

Mom, you are my comfort.


Sharing my comfort with many at Lisa-Jo's

Five Minute Friday - Friend

This summer, on the 12th day of July, my husband and I will celebrate five years of marriage. Somewhere in the last five years, I stopped seeing my husband as my friend. It's not that I saw him as my enemy. He was "just" my husband. I became focused on my duties as a wife. Sometimes, when we can't look past our duties, we forget the gift that we have.

Last weekend my husband and I attended a homeschooling conference together. My son and I started our homeschooling adventure before my husband and I married. My son, although my husband completely accepts him as his own, is mine. I'm learning that "mine" and "yours" are words that should not enter a marriage. Last week I felt my husband come beside me in this adventure. It's not that he'd never supported our schooling from home but I had never fully allowed him into the realm of our family life. I may still be the teacher but my husband is my support and my encourager...my friend.

Last year my son and I began the new adventure of beekeeping. Yesterday, with the arrival of my bees, I invited my husband into our beekeeping world. My husband, since my son was not available, helped me hive the bees. He took an active interest in  my our bees and asked many questions. As we walked up the hill (a little jaunt from the apiary to my parent's farm house where our van was parked), we talked. We laughed. And as I drank in the warm, spring sunshine, a new warmth filled my heart as I silently thanked God for this man. My husband but more importantly my friend.

http://lisajobaker.com/2013/04/five-minute-friday-friend/

SPRING HAS ARRIVED

It has been a lllllllooooooooonggggg winter here in Minnesota. But today? Today gave me hope that spring will indeed return to the Minnesota tundra. Here's what I saw today:

Tulips!







Bleeding Heart!





Searching for bugs! 
The kids love moving my landscaping blocks to search for bugs. :)




Turning the dirt in the garden!





Baby Sedum!










My bees arrived (shipped from somewhere warmer than here). Thankfully sunshine and warmer temperatures arrived just in time to make today the perfect day to introduce my bees to their new homes. 

It was a lovely day and I am so happy to see signs of spring! 

Tax Season: the Dark Period

22 days since my last blog post......I'm not sure with what I've been busy with.

Oh yeah. April 15th occurred during that time. I've decided the time period of January 30th (or a little later if I've decided to proclaim a full fledge denial) until April 14 is my "Dark Period". You see, I'm a procrastinator by nature. I'm also self employed and for some dumb reason pay my taxes only at tax season (again, out of both denial and procrastination). I mean, really. Doesn't it make sense to procrastinate giving the government money?

[Side note here because I find it humorous....maybe you will too. Every year, during my Dark Period, while I lamented, my husband reminded me that paying taxes is my duty as a citizen of the United States. Until last year. After finding out that HE also owed I decided we'd file separately. Since becoming responsible for filing and paying his own taxes, he no longer brings up that little "duty as a citizen" speech.]

So anyway........what was I talking about? Oh yeah. Taxes. Procrastination. Denial. Dark Period. Deep-Dark-I-don't.wanna.leave.my.bed.ever.again-Period.

Whew. I survived it. I did my duty. Paid my bill. Promised myself over and over that I'll make estimated tax payments throughout 2013 so that I can skip the "Dark Period of 2014". Hiring a tax professional would probably take a little stress off of me too. We'll see. I learned this weekend at a homeschooling convention that females don't fully remember painful events, such as child labor. I'm afraid that this is both a gift and a curse.

Meanwhile the cloud has lifted. Metaphorically anyway. In Minnesota we are still waiting for some sunshine and spring-like temperatures. Haven't had snow in the forecast since yesterday so I guess we are moving in the right direction. 

My Dark Period when my daughter was young and in elementary school was August through October. I hated sending her off to school and would become a bit depressed at the beginning of each school year. This Dark Period disappeared when I began homeschooling my son. :)


How 'bout you? Do you have a Dark Period - a time during each year that you dread?