The Quiet Way Home & The Red Carpet

Again, I am lumping two weeks into one post - I wonder sometimes if this is boring to some - so figure I will only post it every two weeks.

Anyway, two weeks ago we read The Quiet Way Home.

We finger-painted with red, yellow and blue paint (a first for my ladies):

We played hopscotch:
We tried to go for a quiet walk (it wasn't very quiet!) and collected dandelions so I could make necklaces for them!

Last week, we read The Red Carpet! This was such a delightfully charming book and I may even say it was my favorite that we have read thus far. We had a lot of fun with this one, as usual!

I found a local hotel that had a long green awning like the Hotel Bellevue of the book:

We enjoyed a "red carpet" snack in the courtyard next to the hotel and while they ate their snack, I read the book to them again. I thought it was fun that it was sprinkling as the book mentions the benefit of the awning is to keep the people out of the showers!

We planned a "red carpet" dinner for Daddy! Both ladies helped shine up the doorknobs just as the doorman at the Bellevue did:

We made a "red carpet" table runner out of construction paper and the ladies colored and decorated it with stickers:

We made Daddy's favorite meal including Brisket, Baked Beans, Cheese Muffins, my first attempt at Collard Greens (a success!), Watermelon and Pumpkin Pie! Emily helped roll out the red carpet and we put out all the red towels we had clean on the porch:

Then, she helped me cut flowers for the table and mix up some of the things we were serving! She even washed quite a few dishes! She set the table with our china to make everything look beautiful! This event was a big hit with everyone!!

We talked about telegrams, imagined where we'd go if we were a red carpet and more from the book - but these were our highlights!

Family Night: Drive-In Movie at Home!

This week for Family Night, I cleaned everything out of the back of the car and moved the car seats to fold the middle seat down and make a nice big space! I covered it all with a quilt and lots of pillows and set up our portable DVD player to create a movie experience out in the car!

Now, I don't know about you - but our littles l-o-v-e to play in cars. They just can't get enough! So, this was a huge hit!!

I made a snack (popcorn, M&M's, Cheerios and marshmallows) and put them in these cute popcorn boxes that a sweet blog reader sent me! The girls picked out Finding Nemo and we headed out to the car!

We had fun and Emily asked if we could do it again sometime!

Have any of you been doing any fun family activities lately?

Our Passover Meal: The Meaning

Now that you know what we're having, here's the meaning behind each of the dishes:

Unleavened Bread: reminds us of what the Israelites made as they had to leave Egypt quickly; they did not have time for the leavening to do its job, so no leaven was used. Also a reminder of freedom from slavery to the Egyptians.
Charoses: represents the mortar used by the Israelite slaves to make bricks in Egypt
Salt water: tears
Bitter herb: horseradish: reminds of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt
Sweet herb: parsley: dipped in the salt water (tears) reminds us of the very simple and lowly conditions that the Israelites lived in.
Hard-boiled Egg: a symbol of mourning
Roasted Lamb: a symbol of the lamb sacrifice

There are many websites you can see for the specific order used in the Passover Seder meal. I've looked here, here and here for info. Considering the ages of our very young children, we will probably keep this extremely simple and perhaps this year, we will just try the foods in order listed and explain why we remember them this time of year.

I've seen mention of chocolate coins at the end of the meal and haven't been able to find it mentioned in any order of the Seder. Is this a tradition or just something that has been added through the years?

I'd appreciate feedback from those who have tried this with young children! And, if you try it this year, please come back and let me know how your Passover meal goes! To God be the glory!

An opportunity to give...

A blog reader sent me a link to this article this morning ~ hop over to read the full details. While they have all the dresses they need, the remaining need is boys shirts in sizes 3-8 (gently used is fine). If you are able to help - you can e-mail Kristen at kristenwrites (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Thanks!

Communion & Easter

In a recent post, I received this question/comment:

I have a question. My family has never celebrated Easter as the resurrection of Jesus because we take communion every Sunday, remembering His death, burial, and resurrection at that time. For that reason, every Sunday is somewhat of an Easter to us, so on Easter we just do the egg hunt and such. I am wondering how often you partake communion, and what your thoughts are about remembering His resurrection every week in a service verses the once a year holiday. I am not trying to be disrespectful in any way - I've simply been raised this way, and have never really thought about or understood anything else about the holiday, so I'd love your insight.

My first thought was that I'd never heard of this before. To me, Easter has always been about celebrating Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. And, while I certainly have always been in churches that partake of communion, we've never done it every week. I honestly do not know how often we have communion ~ I'm sure there is a schedule at our church, but I just know when I see it in the order of worship that it will be that morning. Sometimes it is announced a week ahead as well.

I appreciate the spirit in which this question is asked and in the same vein will share my thoughts. They are certainly not wrong or right - just my thoughts.

God's Word does say to partake of communion as a way to remember His death, remember the sacrifice He made for us and to proclaim His death until He comes. In that regard, I think it is wonderful to be able to say that each Sunday is like Easter to you because of the way you are remembering the sacrifice He made on our behalf and the fact that He has risen.

Personally, I wonder if it loses some of its specialness being celebrated every week though. You know how we get with things that are routine - forgetting to really focus on what they mean. When it is celebrated a little less often, I wonder if we really think about its meaning more and ponder why we do it a bit deeper. Please understand that I am not pointing the finger at anyone. Just, speaking from my own experience and sinful tendencies to get in routines and therefore not think about those things as much.

I'd also be quite sad to not celebrate around Easter even if I did take communion every week. It is a holy time and one surrounded with meaning as there is such a focus on His sacrifice and new life.

To me, this sounds like one of those things where there is not a wrong or a right, but how we were raised has a big influence on how we see this when we are grown and guiding our own children. Being raised to celebrate Easter at this time of year, it is hard for me to imagine any other way. But, if I'd known a different way - then this may seem strange.

Anyone who is questioning how they should view Easter or celebrate this, please look to God's Word and go to Him in prayer for His leading in what is right for you and your family. I'd love to hear your thoughts if they are offered in a constructive way and in a right spirit. Thanks to the commenter who left this as it really got me thinking about why we celebrate the ways we do.

A Gentle and Quiet Spirit

We've recently been reading The Quiet Way Home as part of our Before Five in a Row. As we read the book, we remembered I Peter 3:3-4,

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great
worth in God's sight."

We talked especially about the fact that a gentle and quiet spirit is beautiful to God. And, even as I attempted to explain what that meant in terms a two and four year old could grasp. I wondered how I could grasp it.

These pictures somehow speak gentle and quiet spirit to me. They quietly go through the seasons and just do what God created them to do willingly and quietly. Yes, trees do not have a will that could choose otherwise - but just looking at them reminds me of a gentle and quiet beauty.

What does it mean to be gentle and quiet of spirit?

Some thoughts/ideas that come to mind are:
* gentle - makes me think of a soft touch, taking great care with something fragile, soft, light, careful, quiet
* quiet - sweet, thoughtful, content, peaceful, humble, wise, self-control/restraint

This all prompted me to think of what a gentle and quiet spirit is NOT:
* the opposite of gentle: harsh, rude, rough, uncaring, heavy handed
* the opposite of quiet: loud, obnoxious, boisterous, selfish, proud, foolish, rash

I asked David and he said being kind to others, content, one who does not complain.

Then, I wondered what else the Bible had to say on the ideas of gentleness and quietness.

Gentle:
1 Kings 19:12 ~ Elijah hears a gentle whisper and it is God's voice speaking to Him.
Proverbs 15:1 ~ A gentle answer turns away wrath.
Zechariah 9:9 ~ Prophecy of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Describes Him as gentle.
Matthew 11:29 ~ Jesus describes Himself as gentle and humble in heart.
Acts 27:13 ~ a gentle wind made for easier sailing
1 Corinthians 4:21 ~ Paul reminds the Corinthians that God's kingdom is not just talk and words. It is the power of God! He puts it to them in a question, "Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?"
Ephesians 4:2 ~ "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
1 Thessalonians 2:7 ~ describes gentleness as the way a mother cares for her little children
1 Timothy 3:3 ~ opposite of violent; requirement for one in authority at church
2 Corinthians 10:1 ~Paul appeals to the Corinthians in the "meekness and gentleness of Christ"
Galatians 5:22-23 ~ part of the Fruit of the Spirit: gentleness
Philippians 4:5 ~ "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."
Colossians 3:12 ~ God's people are to clothe themselves with "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."
1 Timothy 6:11 ~ gentleness is a quality we are to pursue
1 Peter 3:15 ~ We are called to be ready to tell others why we have the hope we have, but challenged to do it with "gentleness and respect."

Quiet:
Isaiah 30:15 ~ there is a strength in quietness
Isaiah 32:17 ~ "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."
1 Timothy 2:11 ~ specifically a characteristic God's women are to pursue: quietness
Genesis 25:27 ~ Jacob was described as a quiet man
1 Chronicles 4:40 ~ Family of Simeon was looking for new land and found a place described as, "rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful and quiet."
1 Chronicles 22:9 ~ Israel would be granted a season of peace and quiet during Solomon's reign
Job 6:24 ~ a spirit of humility, a teachable spirit. One who is willing to be quiet and admit wrong when necessary.
Psalm 23:2 ~ The Lord, our Shepherd leads us by quiet waters
Psalm 83:1 ~ a prayer requesting God not to keep silent and quiet
Proverbs 17:1 ~ A peaceful, quiet - yet, modest home is to be desired over many possessions with quarreling and strife.
Ecclesiastes 9:17 ~ listen to quiet wisdom over loud foolishness
Amos 5:13 ~ knowing when to keep quiet shows prudence
Zephaniah 3:17 ~ God will quiet our hearts with His love
Mark 1:25 ~ Jesus commanded quiet from the evil spirits
Mark 4:39 ~ Jesus commanded quiet from the weather
Mark 6:31 ~ Jesus encourages His disciples to come with Him to a quiet place to rest
Luke 19:40 ~ If all of God's people are required to keep quiet, even Creation will cry out
1 Thessalonians 4:11 ~ "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life..."
1 Timothy 2:1-2 ~ "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kinds and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."

A couple of things that jumped out at me as I read and looked up all the above Scriptures are the connection between prayer and quietness, having a teachable and humble heart, the respectfulness of having a gentle and quiet spirit and really what strength is displayed in this humble attitude.

So, in the end - I have come up with this definition for myself of a gentle and quiet spirit:

The pursuit of a gentle and quiet spirit is part of my calling as a child of God and brings great pleasure to God in its beauty. It is an attitude of humility, respect and peacefulness. It requires and models great strength to live this kind of life. Trust in God and His Word are foundational to this attitude and way of life. And, to pursue the true qualities of gentleness and quietness means we will be modeling our lives after Jesus Himself ~ therefore, drawing closer to Him and modeling His love to those around us. I must want to live with a quiet heart before Him so that I can hear His whisper of the way to walk humbly but with purity and holiness before Him.

Lord, the things described in Your Word about gentleness and quietness are so beautiful and evoke a desire in me to have a gentle and quiet spirit. Please do give me a quiet heart before You so that I can hear Your leading, follow Your example and live out these desires You have for me. Please cultivate a gentle and quiet spirit in me ~ a heart at peace, filled with Your strength and filled with genuine humility and respect. Thank You, Lord for teaching us about these beautiful characteristics and desiring them for us.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Now, I'd love to hear your thoughts on a gentle and quiet spirit!

Characters worth following...

I have discovered the wonderful books written by Grace Livingston Hill! She has written about 100 books, so if you find you like these - there are lots to choose from. What I love about them is they are old fashioned of course, but the women in the stories are always so virtuous. They inspire and encourage me to live like they model - wholesome and pure, committed to doing what is right and living differently from other people.

I have been so edified by reading these books and I love reading fiction that is worthwhile and especially these books that are motivating to live more the way God wants me to!!

What are you reading lately?

Bistro BBQ Chicken

Have you ever been to Ruby Tuesday's? I love to order the Bistro BBQ Chicken when we go (not very often!) and thought I'd try to see if I could make it at home! We agreed that this was delicious and will be a definite repeat for our menu!

Here's what I did:

Thaw frozen boneless skinless chicken and cook in a hot skillet with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Cook on both sides until browned nicely and cooked all the way through.

Cook bacon as desired in a hot skillet, drain on paper towels and set aside.

I used this recipe for onion strings and they were delicious, though a bit time consuming. (I have just discovered her recipes and oh. my. They are so delicious looking and I've had fun going through her recipe archives!)

When you have finished this, place chicken on an oven-safe plate. Brush on BBQ sauce, top with sliced co-jack cheese and sliced bacon. Slip under the broiler until cheese is melted. Serve with onion strings and a vegetable.

Yummy!! We've tried several recipes to replicate restaurant favorites, what are your favorites? Have you tried making it at home?

Family Night: Azaleas!

We live in an area where the azaleas are prolific this time of year! We have a couple of small bushes in our yard and Emily has been especially aware of their beauty this year. She has learned what kind of flower they are and we've had fun pointing them out all over town.

I knew there was a spot nearby that had really gorgeous azaleas and, while we went about one week past their prime, they were still beautiful and the evening was fun for all of us!

I think the highlight of the evening for Emily was a bride and groom getting their pictures taken in the area we were walking and looking at the flowers. It began to sprinkle as we arrived, but the ladies had fun sporting their umbrellas!

David's Favorite Pancakes

I made pancakes for dinner recently modifying a recipe we already loved and David said they were some of the best pancakes he's had! Because I need to remember what I did and just in case you want to try them too - here is the recipe. I think they were so yummy because of the fresh ingredients I had available - farm fresh eggs, freshly milled flour and honey.

2 c. freshly milled flour (I used hard white)
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
2 Tbsp. honey
4 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. baking powder

Mix with wire whisk and cook by 1/4 c. on hot griddle. Serve with homemade syrup. Mmmmmm! My batch made about 20 pancakes.

Packing for Vacation

After we went to the cabin for Christmas, Angie asked for a post on ideas for packing for this kind of trip. We all know that packing for any kind of trip takes lots of planning and organization! But, to go somewhere like this and join up with other family members or friends - takes an additional element of prep because you don't want to spend all your time running out to get things you find you'll need!

My Mom did most of the work in preparing for our Christmas at the cabin. We needed Christmas gifts, decorations, activities, food and more. And, we had three families arriving from all over and then going up to the cabin together. Lots to coordinate!

Here are a few observations from either what I took/prepared or what I saw my Mom do!

* Call ahead: if you're going to a place that has its own website, make sure to read it thoroughly so you know what to expect when you get there. If you have questions on specific items being available, make sure to call. We wondered if there would be a high chair available or even a Christmas tree - a quick call answered our questions.

* Ask around: if you happen to know someone who has stayed the same place before - ask what things they wish they would have taken or which things were provided. A co-worker of my mom's had been to that cabin before and she was a good source of information on what we could expect to find.

* Make an idea list: Are there certain activities you want to do while you are away? We wanted to decorate cookies, play games and go sledding. These all involved certain supplies - so simply add these things to a list or have a space in your home set aside to "gather" items before you go. If you need to ask other travelers to bring certain items, you can make a note next to the item about who you asked to bring which item. My Mom had created an activity basket for the littles which had craft supplies, coloring books, crayons, etc...

* Make a menu: My Mom did an amazing job at this one! She had a paper with each day and then all the meals that day including snacks. Then, as we were packing - we just checked the items off and put them in a box or the cooler so we knew we had it all. I've also done this when we've gone to the family condo in Florida. I don't want to be running out to buy ingredients as it takes away from our vacation and is harder to stay on a budget that way.

* Plan to be resourceful: The chances are that you will forget something! We found that we were without salt and pepper and just learned to do without! We also discovered there was no ice - the ice maker wasn't working and there were no trays. A quick call to the park ranger sent someone our way who wasn't able to fix the ice maker but went and got us some trays and we had ice! Sometimes, it pays to ask! When I wanted to come up with some kind of table decoration - we had two taper candles but no candle holders. A quick search and we found two mugs and some sugar - it served the purpose! Just be willing to look outside the box!

The more thought you can put into your time away and what your expectations and hopes are for the time, the more organized you can be in taking the things you'll need to make your time go more smoothly! We wanted to enjoy being together, make memories and relax!

Please chime in! Have you taken a family trip to a destination away from someone's home? How did you prepare for your trip?

Misc.

Very random - but here are a couple of things I wanted to share/ask:

* I am very concerned about our Presidential Administration seeking to write legislation which would prevent health care workers from exemptions for conscience. I want those who are caring for me and for my family to have the opportunity to choose based on their conscience and most importantly in relation to abortion to choose NOT to perform abortions. It will only take a few seconds to respond - click here for more information. (Thanks, Angie for sending this to me!)

* Completely different note: I am helping a friend plan a dinner for her family following her wedding in a couple of months and one thing I need to find is several of the vintage blue Ball canning jars. They can be either quart or pint and do not need to have lids. I'm either willing to reimburse you the shipping and just borrow the jars or I'd be willing to purchase them at a reasonable price. I will need probably five more jars. Please let me know if you are willing to loan/sell any of these jars. You can e-mail me through the link on my left side bar or send to thehomespunheart (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Update: oops, one more thing: I received a nice e-mail from Lexie Barnes the author of Sew What! Bags ~ reminding me that if you make any of the projects, please add your photos over at the Flickr pool! I've added my clothespin apron there and it will be fun to see what everyone makes!

It's Here!

It's been a process coming to this - but I am so excited that my grain mill arrived over the weekend! (Thank you, Mehgan!) I opened it out of the box, had it put together and was milling flour in no time! We had fresh French Bread for dinner!!! Yummy!

I also found a source for local honey and am excited since we love honey around here! With my friend's farm-fresh eggs and our own garden going strong, I'm so excited about the ways we are finding to eat locally. We also have a lead on getting our beef locally and I'm excited about pursuing that in the future.

How about you? Do you produce any of your own food? Or eat from local sources?

Our Passover Meal: The Food

This time I will just share the food list and recipes, next time I'll share more of the meaning and some ideas on how we will do this as a family.

* Unleavened Bread or Matzo Bread ~ I'll be making this recipe that Angie shared with me last year.

2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. shortening
1/2 c. lukewarm water

Cut shortening into flour-salt mixture until size of peas. Add water. Knead. Let rest ten minutes. Form into two-inch balls and roll to 1/4" thick. Use heavy skillet or griddle, ungreased and very hot. Turn tortilla three times and it should be done when small dark brown spots speckle the bread.

* Charoses or Charoset (makes about 1 1/2 cups)

3 apples, coarsely chopped or grated
1/3 c. chopped almonds or walnuts
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. honey or 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
2 Tbsp. red wine (we'll be using grape juice)

Mix all together except wine or juice until desired consistency. Add juice and chill.

* Salt water

* Bitter herb: horseradish

* Sweet herb: parsley

* Hard-boiled Egg

* Roasted Lamb (This recipe is from A Return to Sunday Dinner)

Succulent Butterflied Leg of Spring Lamb with Roasted Red-Skinned Potatoes
(**He suggests having the butcher remove the bone from the meat, but leaving the shank attached and trimming away any excess fat, and butterflying for easy prep.)

**Note: I've halved the recipe to be for four servings instead of the eight listed in the cookbook.

1 3-pound leg of lamb butterflied
3 cloves garlic
salt
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 c. packed fresh basil
1/8 c. packed fresh mint
1 Tbsp. cracked peppercorns
1 lemon, halved with seeds removed
1/8 c. olive oil
coarse salt to season

Place the lamb cut side up on work surface. Sprinkle garlic with a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl and use a fork to mash the garlic into paste; spread the mashed garlic evenly over the inside of the lamb and sprinkle with half of the rosemary. Lay the basil and mint over that and roll the lamb leg back to its natural shape.

Tie the lamb with kitchen twine, knotting every two inches; then tie lengthwise. Rub the remaining rosemary and peppercorns into the exterior surface of the lamb. Squeeze the lemons over the lamb and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate overnight or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Adjust the lower rack near the bottom of the over. Remove lamb from refrigerator and sprinkle with coarse salt. Allow it to rest for 45 minutes at room temperature.

Place the lamb in a shallow roasting pan and transfer to a 450 oven. Roast for 15 minutes and reduce heat to 325 and continue to roast for one hour.

Potatoes:

1 lb. small red-skinned potatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Cut potatoes in half and toss them with olive oil, garlic and rosemary in a mixing bowl. After the lamb has roasted for one hour, scatter the potatoes around the roasting pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper until a meat thermometer reads 140 about 20-25 minutes. Remove lamb from the pan and place it on a clean cutting board; allow it to rest for 15 min. before slicing.

Increase the oven temp to 400 and spread the potatoes evenly in the bottom of the roasting pan. Allow them to cook and brown another 15-20 minutes.

Carefully cut away kitchen twine. Slice the meat with a sharp carving knife. Transfer to a platter and arrange potatoes around the meat; garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Pour all juices from pan and cutting board over the meat and potatoes.


Passover Meal Shopping List:
* 3 apples
* grape juice
* horseradish
* parsley
* mint
* rosemary
* garlic
* basil
* eggs
* leg of lamb
* lemon
* 1 lb. red-skinned potatoes

From the pantry:
* flour
* salt
* shortening
* almonds or walnuts
* cinnamon
* honey
* sugar
* olive oil

Am I forgetting something? If any of you have done this before and have suggestions - I'm listening!

Clothesline Q & A

There were a couple of questions asked after I shared my clothespin apron! Here are my thoughts:

How do you store your apron when not in use - to keep the clothespins from falling out?

I have these hooks on the wall in our laundry room where I hang clothes that are waiting to be ironed. I tied a loose knot in the apron ties and hung it on one hook. It also happens to be right by the back door - so it is super convenient for tying on and heading out to hang clothes also!

What kind of clothesline do you have? There are mixed reviews on the retractable lines...

I could not find a brand name on my original one - I bought it at Lowe's and I think it was the only one they had. David bought me a second one the other day:

It was $15 and is 49 feet long which provides me with two extra lines since I run it to a tree and then back to the house. I have been very satisfied with these retractable lines - I love that they can be put away when not in use! I can pull out one line only or run both if I need more space.

Is it just me or is it one of those simple pleasures to see clothes fluttering on the line? I love looking out my kitchen window and seeing the clothes hanging out there. It feels good to know I am drying them for *free* and there is something so wholesome, homey and pure about the whole thing. Plus, they smell so good when you bring them in!

I remember as a child enjoying running between the "lines" of clothes, blankets, towels and sheets hanging out! My little ladies are discovering this fun when I hang things that are long enough for them to play between!

Do you hang clothes on the line? What makes this a simple pleasure for you?

First Day of Spring Party

How did you celebrate the First Day of Spring? We had a great morning together enjoying these fun activities!!

Winner...

...of the Sew What! book is Heidi! Thanks, everyone for playing along!