Rain, Rain, Go Away

It's cold and rainy, and seemingly a good day to clean my bathroom and bedroom. I'm looking forward to some sunshine.

Orchids

As we started planning for the fireplace, I told Autumn that I wanted an orchid for the mantel. She's seen me stop to admire them several times when we've been out and kept asking me, "Aren't you going to buy one?" Finally, she could take it no more, and made the splurge herself. I drink in its beauty every time I'm in the dining room.

In other news, I started reading the Bible in 90 days yesterday. Join me?

Long Skirts...

make really, really good

hiding places for kitties.

To Build a Fire

We live in a home with an electric heat pump. Those of you whom have them know what I'm talking about when I say that we are never warm in the winter. Never mind that we keep the thermostat set at 62 F. We decided to install a ventless propane log fireplace, not only to supplement the heat pump, but to give us heat in the event of a power outage. On February 5th, the corner of our dining room was empty.

And then the framing started. We're big do-it-yourself-ers here. You learn by doing, and believe me, we've learned. Sometimes that means doing things more than once, but it's all a part of the process.

Not only do we benefit from these projects, but our children do, too. I'm thankful that Verne and I both had parents that did the same. I learned an immense amount just from having to stand at the ready to hand my dad tools or hold a flashlight.

Some of the children enjoy these projects more than others. Collin is ready to help as soon as he hears about the project. He's a great help, really. He and I figured out how many rocks we would need to face the fireplace, and we were right on. This is such a great way to demonstrate the practical aspect of math! Autumn is a huge help, too, and doesn't mind getting her hands dirty.

Framing took one weekend. When your walls aren't perfectly square it creates problems.

The next weekend after all of the framing was up, Verne installed metal lath, and then placed a scratch coat of cement over that. I didn't get pictures that night. I was tired, and went to bed while he stayed up all night to finish.

You might remember that I woke up to this.

Truth be told, I thought it was beautiful, and hated to cover it up.

Verne rested most of the day since the scratch coat had to dry for 24 hours, and then we started again the next evening. Time to hang the rocks! We had never done anything like this before, but did tons of research before we started. We were amazed when the stone actually stuck to the wall.

This turned into an all night party. Verne, Collin, Autumn, and I laid out the patterns of rocks, and took turns buttering and placing them on the wall. It was fun! We sang, we danced, we snacked, and got entirely goofy.

We couldn't believe how pretty it looked, and that we had actually done this ourselves. Abigail was a big help, too. We finished around noon, having been up all night. There was cement dust everywhere. She, single-handedly, cleaned up, while the rest of us went to bed. I was so thankful to wake up five hours later to a perfectly clean house, with the table set prettily for supper. Never underestimate the power of a young person! Oh, how we praised her, and she beamed!

Next, came the grout. Who knew that it would be so much like cake decorating? Turns out I was very good at this, and so I ended up being the one to complete the job. I wasn't strong enough to squeeze a contractor's grout bag, so I ended up using disposable Wilton cake decorating bags, and they worked beautifully. While I'm happy with the way it turned out, it was a job I didn't enjoy. We tinted the grout, and I think I was allergic to the dye. My hands felt like they were on fire even though I wore gloves. I'm glad that's done!

Verne and I had visited a local Mennonite man about making a mantel. We told him exactly what we wanted, and he explained that he was very busy and probably wouldn't get to it for about 8 weeks. He thought the mantel would be $300. I was shocked, and encouraged Verne to try building it himself. I knew he could do it, and I knew that he wouldn't take 8 weeks.

We bought the lumber last weekend, and Verne got all of the pieces cut. He fastened them together and sanded everything smooth. Over the weekend, he primed and painted everything. Total cost? $110.

And last night, he hung it up.

Start to finish, we did it all. (Tonight he gets to put the baseboard back on!)

Mission Accomplished

My dad built this beautiful entertainment center for our 2nd Christmas 19 years ago. It's solid oak, and very sturdy. Through the years it has moved from the living room, to the kitchen, and now to the dining room. I never tire of it.

This was the state I found it in this morning. It holds my dining linens, and can get a little messy at times.

Especially the napkins. Asking children to put things away neatly does not always mean that they do the job to satisfy me.

The bottom drawer, designed to hold VHS tapes held our placemats and vinyl tablecloths. Those tablecloths are very rarely used, and I considered getting rid of them, but they certainly are nice to have when youngsters are decorating cookies, and gingerbread houses.

I decided the drawer might keep the napkins looking a little neater. And I moved the placemats to the shelf.

I installed a very short shower curtain tension rod into the main body of the cabinet. After ironing all of the tablecloths, I hung them to prevent creases and to keep them from becoming a jumbled mess.

That's much better!

Photo Challenge: Dress Up

This week's theme being dress up, I pondered what to do. And then it hit me; dress up the table.

I love to cook. For my family. For guests. For everyone. I not only like to cook, but I like to have a pretty table. Not only for guests, but for my family, too. I'd say that most days I succeed in this area.

This was our table last Saturday night. No guests. No special occasion. Just US!

Tablecloth. Cloth napkins. We've been using them for years, and I very much dislike the paper variety.

Proper silverware placement. Pretty glasses. Bread plates. It doesn't take much to make the table look nice.

Except.

For years, 20 of them I've been married now, I'd take great care to set the table, and even greater care in preparing the food. But when I made soup, I had no choice but to sit the POT in the middle of the table. It was such a let down. No matter how good the soup tasted, the pot tormented me all through dinner.

Until last night. While Abigail and I were on an adventure this week, I spied a soup tureen for $11.99! I couldn't pass it up.

Soup never tasted so good as it did last night.

And I wasn't the only one who thought so!

Visit Rebecca for more dress up photos.

Frugality

With gas, food, and utility prices being at an all time high we are trying to live as frugally as possible. Honestly, it hasn't been that bad, but we've never been ones to rush right out and buy the latest gadgets, clothing, or snacks. Our children have never been given new toys unless it's Christmas or their birthdays.

My family loves meat. I've cut the cost of the meals where we do eat meat by cooking just enough for everyone. Don't get me wrong, no one is going hungry, but instead of cooking 16 pork chops for seven people, I now cook nine. Two for Verne, two for Mac, one for everyone else. Also, we're eating mostly out of the garden right now. Lots of zucchini! Check out Mama's Fixins for loads of great recipes that include zucchini. We've only been eating meat as a main dish one or twice a week.

I ask Verne to stop at the store rather than driving the eight miles to town myself. I go only when someone has an appointment or a lesson.

And last but not least, I made my own laundry detergent last week. I read forum after forum. Recipe after recipe. There are so many skeptics out there! Anyway, I decided on a powdered version for my first time around. It takes all of the same ingredients, and less room to store.


The recipe that I decided to try is as follows:

1 bar Fels Naptha Soap soap, grated
1 c. Borax
1 c. Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)
1/4 c. Oxy-clean

Mix all together, and use 2 level tablespoons per load.

I have a Bosch HE front loader, and this recipe works wonderfully in it. It is a no-suds recipe which is great for the high efficiency machine. The clothes look and smell very clean. We do not have a water softener, and I have no problem with dingy whites using this recipe.

Let me note that I could not find the Fels Naptha or the washing soda at Wal*mart near me, but had to go to Kro*ger instead. Check around. These are inexpensive items!

As for fabric softener, I keep reading about using white vinegar. I tried it. For several loads. I don't find that it takes static cling away if loads are machine dried. Other than that, it's fine. My solution? Half liquid softener, half white vinegar. It works for me. Any other suggestions?

Next time, I'm trying the liquid (gel) laundry soap.

Abigail of Green Gables?

When Abigail was five, we lived in a different place. There was a young woman who attended our church that took Abigail under her wing despite the fact that there was at least a 10 year age difference between them. Kate let Abigail help in the kitchen while preparing for fellowship meals. She and Abigail walked hand in hand to Sunday School each week. And then we moved. The girls became pen pals. Kate would send Abigail beautiful handmade cards. Abigail treasured each and every one of them. And then Kate moved, and went to college. They lost touch.

We saw some friends on Sunday that are also friends with Kate's family. Abigail asked Mrs. Cxxxx for Kate's address, and Mrs. Cxxxx emailed it to her. This afternoon, as I was clearing sent messages out of my email, I came across Abigail's reply to Mrs. Cxxxx.

She sent the note on the cutest stationary with two little girls eating ice cream sundaes. Yes, I think she could live in Avonlea!

Endless Summer

I planted a small Endless Summer hydrangea a few years ago. It was supposed to bloom all summer, but sadly, for the past two years it has bloomed in September only to be blackened by an early frost. So disappointing! Not this year, though. It's gorgeous! And it makes for beautiful cut flower arrangements on my dining room table!

Finished...for Now

from the dining room to the living room

from the living room to the dining room

Verne finished the painting, and I finished the trimming. I also finally got everything back in order. I'm so glad, as I don't do well with a mess. It really dampens my moods.

the living room in White Raisin

And I'm happy to report that I 'm pleased with all of the final colors. The living room and the kitchen are no longer competing.

the finished dining room wearing its new coat of Lemon Verbena

When Verne started painting the kitchen with the Restoration Ivory, I became a little blue. I loved my cheery yellow kitchen and was sad to see it go. Especially when I saw it the next morning. But now, I like the new color. It changes hue during the day. Sometimes it looks ivory. Sometimes a very pale green, and sometimes a very pale yellow. Any of those colors work in there, and it's quite nice.

close-up of the kitchen color

I'll give Verne a little break and then our bedroom needs a fresh coat of paint, too.

Good-bye, Parakeet!

Parakeet

For all of you who have been curious about our painting, this post is for you. When we put in our sliding doors, we had to paint the dining room. We had no choice. I went all over town and gathered paint samples, brought them home, and placed them on the wall so that I could view them in different lighting during the day. I loved the color that had been in the room, but our builder had painted it, and didn't know what he had used. I picked a color that looked very similar. It was Sherwin Williams Parakeet 6711.

Changing from Parakeet to Lemon Verbena

While Verne was painting he kept remarking about how much he loved the paint. (Not the color, just the paint.) It was their Cashmere line; expensive, but went on like a dream, and the finish was gorgeous. And then I walked into the room the next day. Yikes! I like colors that soothe, and this color was anything but soothing! It was traumatic. I thought, "Well, it'll grow on me." It didn't. Our home is very traditional, and this color is not traditional. I thought I was stuck. No way did I think that Verne would let me buy more paint, and do all of that work again.

I was wrong. My always-sweet better half told me that he wanted me to be happy though I hadn't really expressed my dis-like for the color to him. He knows me. At the beginning of the week he calmly said, "If you want to change the color of the paint in the dining room, go buy the paint and I'll get it done. " Guess what he's doing right now? Good-bye Parakeet, and Hello Lemon Verbena 7726! And yes, I like it!

Our living room walls were looking a little shabby too, so after the first round of painting in the dining room, Verne painted the living room as well. We chose Sherwin Williams White Raisin 7685. It had been a taupe color. I loved that taupe, but we've had it in three houses now. The White Raisin is totally different and really brightens the room. It's an amazing transformation.

you can enlarge the picture to get the view from the living room to the dining room (with the parakeet color!)

But, the White Raisin has a yellow-ish cast to it. Our kitchen is yellow, and the two colors didn't really compliment each other. You see, my house is really unique. I've never seen another lay-out like it. It's long, front to back. If you stand in the living room you see through the kitchen into the dining room. And vice versa. The two yellows were getting on Verne's last nerve. I picked a very soft green for the kitchen. Our counters are a light green, but this is lighter yet. It's really a white with a light green cast to it. Sherwin Williams Restoration Ivory 6413. Guess what Verne's doing next?

Life Skills

In my opinion, one Seventh grade Home Economics course is not near enough to prepare anyone to run a home. Children must be taught skills early and often. Little ones are capable of emptying small garbage cans, straightening shoes, and dusting baseboards. As they grow older and more capable, bigger jobs should be assigned to them after you have patiently taught them what to do and exactly how to do it. Their first efforts won't be perfect, and yes, you could do it better, and faster yourself. The point is, they need to learn. And to learn, they must do. That being said, I have never settled for a job poorly done. When they are finished the task, you must inspect. If it does not meet your standards, gently tell them what they missed, etc. and have them do it again.

I recently presented Abigail with a junior cookbook.


I wish the book still looked like this!

She was thrilled and has been pouring over the pages, making lists of necessary ingredients, and menu planning. We agreed that she could make one dinner a week, and lunch and breakfasts at various times.

This morning, she woke early, and donned her apron. She consulted with me, cookbook in hand, as to whether or not I would give my permission for her to make breakfast cookies.

After scanning the page for ingredients, I told her she may. She disappeared into the kitchen, and I stayed out.

This may seem terrible to some of you for Abigail is just nine. I assure you that she is very responsible, and I did enter the kitchen for her to place the cookie sheet in the oven.

The true test though, is to see if she could follow the recipe with no help. And she did! She even remembered to place the egg shells in the compost bucket without being told!


She preheated the oven, gathered her ingredients, and got busy. When I entered the kitchen, it was a mess. Cabinets hung open, and boxes of cereal littered the floor, but she had followed the directions to a T, even using kitchen shears to cut up dried apricots! I supervised the cookies going into the oven, and she asked me to help her check them for done-ness when the timer went off. Other than that, she was on her own. And boy, was she ever happy!


Abigail set the table, and poured juice.

She was most pleased when Autumn and Collin went back for seconds!

And for good measure, they practiced their UNO skills while they ate as well. By the way, this is a common occurrence in our home. ;o) She had to clean the kitchen up, too.

I love that my girls can not only clean, but they cook, crochet, sew, and knit. They do laundry, and grocery shop. Tonight, Autumn is starting a cake decorating class. These skills will last them a lifetime.