Oh, where oh where to begin….
This is going to be equal to about a dozen blog posts, but I’m going to just dump them all here. You can attend to the subtitles and read to your interest(s).
MARRIAGE: Twenty-two years later, we’re still in the ebb and flow of relationship. That happens, doesn’t it? It’s been good to reassess what the big picture is and what our goals are. I like having two decades plus behind us; we’ve learned a lot and are stronger because of everything we have to row through.
DOWNSIZING: This is one of our goals right now. I know I’m speaking to a whole lot of people when I say the economy hasn’t been kind the last half-dozen years. I got tired of griping about it and am now putting up what seems like half of our goods onto Craig’s List, and working to get the house onto the market (again). We are trusting the Lord to provide our next home. In addition to CL, I have a massive pile of stuff for a garage sale coming up. I’m even decluttering our book shelves, which I know, feels so wrong for any homeschooling mama. But I have seven BAGS of Christian living books to offer and relieve myself of, and that’s just one subject! I admit that with every bag of *whatever* I manage to get out of my house, I feel lighter. It’s a slow process.
WRITING: I’m currently reviewing the editor’s notes for my upcoming book, Present, and I’ve written a study guide to go along with it. I am hoping to release it in May, but my stubbornness for quality means that it will be ready when it’s ready. I’m also reviewing a friend’s book. If that weren’t enough, I have the rough draft to another book on Hospitality (no title yet) almost finished and third and fourth offerings begun.
HOMESCHOOLING: Of course, I’m still homeschooling, although at this point it feels more like “homeschool managing”. Most of my children are able to manage their own schoolwork; the young ones are the only ones I really “sit down and teach”. This is the first year I’ve been more hands-off, and my older children are going further than if I had tried to (typically) micro-manage them. My eldest daughter is apprenticing with a tailor, and my eldest son is heading to a mission aviation camp this summer to see if that’s where the Lord leads him. It’s such a privilege to homeschool!
SCHOOLWORK: Speaking of schoolwork, I have my own, too. I’m working through the Clinical Master Herbalist certification through Vintage Remedies. I’m liking it, but in truth am growing weary of online and long-distance courses. There are definitely pro’s and con’s; I’ve done them for fifteen years now. But I’m ready to meet up with some real people, real mentors, in real life. In the meantime, I’m still plugging away here.
ART: I’m still art journaling every day. I really enjoy it. Some days it’s a little doodle, some days it’s a timely watercolor. I also like incorporating herbs into my artwork, too.
I don’t know why these pictures came out dark. I do know I have children that like to play with the settings on my camera though!
GARDEN: It’s hard to get real excited about gardening when I’m fairly confident I won’t be here to harvest. Well, I *think* I won’t be. Last time we put our house on the market, I was wishy-washy then, too, about planting. I’m sure glad I did, because we ended up eating the green beans, salads, and garlic ourselves! Instead, I continue to plan and plant, asking the Lord to bless it all so that the next family will be blessed by it. Hopefully, someone is planting something for ME to harvest in a new house!
BARNYARD: As you may remember, I gave my last two dairy goats to a friend, and one of them recently had kids! It is another thing I am hoping for: a home where I can have goats again. My neighbor’s husband came home with chicks that the wife said, “no way” to, so we are going to at least raise some chicks again. One thing I’ve discovered is that NOT having fresh eggs is a rotten state of affairs! I hope to take my layers with me.
PODCAST: Yes, we’ll be returning soon! We have a couple of guests to line up, but we are looking forward to getting back to it.
FRIENDS: I’m thankful for my friends! We are currently going through Discipline by Elizabeth Elliot together and have a cabin retreat planned. I’m looking forward to that!
FAMILY: Still blessed to be home raising up my children. It is a delight to celebrate birthdays and just enjoy life and friends together. Someday when my years come to an end, I hope to have the blessing of looking upon many, many grandchildren, all walking with the Lord Jesus Christ.
I hope you are all well as winter huffs and puffs the way out. By God’s grace, I am persevering.
I’m pretty sure I do 1/8th of the stuff you do, so I consider any blogging you can manage pretty impressive. I’m sure you’ll find a great home that fits your family 🙂
I feel like I get nothing finished! But I figure that here a little and there a little, things do eventually find themselves at least *almost* completed (“almost” counts, right?). I’d love to hear about what projects you have going on at home!
I don’t often get the chance to pop over here but everytime I do, you inspire me.
Have you read the book The Living Page by Laurie Bestvater? The way you live life and journal…I think you would love this book. It’s part inspiration, education, and a vintage lifestyle of recording one’s life in such a precious way. The most inspiring book I’ve read in a LONG time.
Thank you, Elizabeth! I will definitely look into that. And thank you again for your help; April is my new friend 🙂
Oh, I’m soooo glad! She’s great!