Day 4 Seattle

Today we spent the whole day at the Boeing Museum of Flight. We sure saw a lot of airplanes of all different sizes and types. My favorite part of the day was boarding Air Force One...the very one that past US Presidents have flown on. We also boarded the Concord and that was really neat too. We enjoyed the World War I and II floors as well and watched some good movies about that.

One thing I liked was where they had five small statues in memory of particular fighter pilots and each one of them had a Bible verse reference engraved on the plaque below the statue. I wrote down all the references so I can read them later.

We leave Seattle in the morning. I don't know if I'll have access to a computer at the next stop, so this may be my last post until after I get home. We'll see.

Day 3 in Seattle

The Space Needle turned out to be really fun. It wasn't bad at all. I could that again if it didn't cost so much. LOL. We are all tuckered out now. Back to the motel to rest for the rest of the evening. Feel bad we didn't make it to church at TRBC today...guess it's hard to fit it all in when you only have so much time and you aren't to excited about driving around here.

We have seen and done a lot of stuff while here. It's been fun but very tiring.
Tomorrow we venture out to the Museum of Flight. Hope it is easy to get to because neither of us like this traffic at all. We have gotten turned around, gone down one way streets the wrong way, nearly gotten broadsided at one intersection...driving here is rather hair-raising. I am supposed to be the navigator and tell him where to go and when to turn and if I don't know, then I am supposed to make a snap decision, which usually turns out to be wrong and get all turned around. LOL.
Marsha

Devotional: Psalm 37

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious

Who or what do I fret about?  

List them:

 

Trust in the LORD, and do good;

How can I trust in the Lord & do good in these circumstances?

I need to determine that God is sovereign over these situations. Nothing takes Him by surprise.

 

 Delight thyself also in the LORD;

How can I delight myself in the Lord?

By making time for Him in my day every day.

By committing to memory those verses that I need.

By listening to music that points me to Him

By reading things that encourage me in my walk with God.

 

Commit thy way unto the LORD;

How do I commit my way unto the Lord?

By realizing that even though I may make my plans, He is the one who directs my steps and His plan and direction will prevail. It may not always be what I would choose, and it may be surprising or distressing. But I need to commit it to Him knowing that His plans are best for me spiritually even though it may be "sanctifying".

 

 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:

How can I rest in the Lord?

I can rest in the Lord, by realizing and knowing that He is in control. I don't need to fret or respond in anger & frustration.

 

 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:

How can I do this?

By taking a deep breath, backing off from the situation and asking for God's wisdom to respond in a godly manner.

 

 Depart from evil, and do good;

How can I depart from evil?

The answer is here...do good instead! Also, depart...get out of the way of the tempation! Don't even consider it.

 

 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way

How can I wait on the Lord & keep His way?

Waiting implies patience. It implies not being impulsive. Not jumping to conclusions. Not reacting in the heat of the emotion.

 

Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright

How can I do this?

Find those whose lives are upright and make note of them. Watch them and be imitators of them. Follow their examples. But bewar that they are fallen and don't hold them up on a pedestal and to standards of perfection that they can not keep. If they fall, don't let it destroy you. Keep following all the commands that went before...do not fret, trust, commit, rest, etc.

Day 2 in Seattle

We had a fantastic busy day rubbing shoulders with all of Seattle it seemed. This is one busy, busy place. The big city is not for me. But it's a fun place to visit.

We went to the Aquarium, Pike Place Market, Starbucks at the Seattle Center, the Space Needle Gift shop. We were surprised when David and Holly, my nephew from Spokane came up and said, "hi" to us. We never expected to see them there! How fun!

We visited with an artist at his studio at PPM. He had some really great pen and ink drawings of buildings from Seattle. He is an architect as well as an artist. Was fun to talk to him and he sold us a set of colored pencils for Sarah that cost $22. He said they are the best if she is serious about her art. I told her to consider it homseshool educational tools.

We had fun at the Aquarium. Enjoyed the sea lions the most, but the otters were awful cute all curled up sleeping next to the window.

Pike Place Market is really a different world...a whole different culture than what I am used too. There is a lot of really strange shops there, some fun to poke around in but others that looked, well, questionable.

We ate lunch in a small out of the way place...but they provided a really good meal. They were really busy too. We got our exercise today with all the walking we did. We also got soaked in all the rain. I think I have sprouted webs between my toes! I need to get back to sunny Clarkston before I grow moss on my back too! LOL! Being over here and experiencing all this rain reminds me of how thankful I am we moved away from this side of the state. Our Eastern side of the state is so much better. Just miss the green trees over there is all. We do enjoy the green over here, but the rain is the trade off.

In Seattle

We had an uneventful trip to Seattle. Once in the heart of downtown, during rush hour we nearly were broadsided by someone who failed to stop at a stop sign. We are thankful God protected us.

The trip over started out sunny and cool, turned sunny and warm in Yakima and then as we approached the mountains it turned cold, rainy. We also drove in dense fog coming down the West side of the mountain. On the East side we had strong head winds.

We stopped and took pictures of two historic court houses, one in Pomeroy and one in Dayton. We also took a picture of an old train depot and caboose in Dayton. We visited my parents for a few minutes and used their bathrooms. On the way out of town from their house we drove by and saw the camel they have for a new neighbor.

We took pictures at the Tea Pot Dome on our way by Zillah. It looks rather weather worn and run down.

We ate in our motel room. I fixed baked potatoes with sour cream, cheese and bacon on them, apples and cinnamon and sugar simmered in a sauce pan and cheetos.

I need to go back to my room and see what I have planned for tomorrow's meals...I may need to get something started tonight if it is dehydrated. I brought a small crock pot for that purpose.

Now we are at the Motel here just a stone's throw away from the Space Needle. It looks awesome after dark with the lights on it.

Washington State History Trip

Tomorrow we leave for Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Kelso/Longview, and Vancouver.  This is a Washington State History trip.  We'll be visiting the Space Needle, Monorail, Pike Place Market, Aquarium, Washington State History Museum, Boeing Museum of Flight, the Capitol Building and Stonehenge in the Gorge.  We are combining school with vacation...what a deal!

I will not be blogging while we are gone.  But I hope to write about each day in my Pocket PC and then when we get back I will post each day one at a time so you can see what we did and what we felt and experienced on this trip.  

I look forward to "conversing" with you when we get back!

Marsha's Musings: A Book I Was Given

I was blessed the other evening at the homeschool support meeting by another mom.  At the end of the meeting she came over to me with a book in her hand.  It was 28 devotional readings focusing on the Book of Job.  The book is about suffering and she said she thought of me after her women's group had finished going through the book and thought maybe I would like to have it.  It almost brought tears to my eyes to think of her thoughtfulness in this way.  I am looking forward to reading and gleaning much from it.

Marsha's Musings: Getting Ready for Vacation

So many things to do, so little time to do them in and so little energy to do them with.  It all brings me down to depending on the Lord for all of this.  It's His strength and energy that will get me through all of this stuff.

Red envelope day--March 31st - a message to the president

Red envelope day When: March 31st, 2009 Get a red envelope. You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply stores, or get one with a single card purchase at a $ store. On the front, address it to  President Barack Obama  The White House  1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW  Washington , D.C. 20500   Please put your return address on the envelope. This shows that different individuals are sending them, not just one individual sending out multiples.   On the back of the envelope, write the following message: This envelope represents one child who died because of an abortion. It is empty because that life that was taken is not able to be part of our world.   Mail the envelope March 31, 2009.   Forward this event to anyone you think would send one too. I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died [in the U.S.] before having a chance to live.   It may seem that those who believe abortion is wrong are in a minority. It may seem like we have no voice and it's shameful to even bring it up. Let us show our President and the world that the voices of those of us who do not believe abortion is acceptable are not silent and must be heard.   Together we can try to change the heart of The President and save the lives of millions of children.   At least we will send a message.

 

Homeschool: One Thing Veteran Mom's Wished They Had Done

We had two mom who were all done homeschooling their kids come to our support group meeting.  I asked them what one thing would they do differently if they had it all to do over again.  They said they would have spent more time exploring career options with their kids and helping them to determine what it is they want to do in life.

I think there is wisdom in this.  If you can determine what your child wants to do in life you can taylor their education toward that end.  I also wonder, if we were to spur our children to think on what they want to do in life, if maybe this would be a good motivator for them to work hard in school because they would actually have a goal to shoot for.

I am planning to have my daughter go through a book that steps her through making a highschool portfolio.  Within this workbook is  career explortation exercises that help define what it is she wants to do with her life.  It will be interesting to see how all this works out.

Marsha's Musings: Thinking Outside the Box

Getting ready for an eight day vacation end of next week.  Since we can't eat out much due to soy and gluten intolerances, I am having to plan to fix all our meals along the way.  Not much of a vacation for me...meal prep without my kitchen makes things more complicated!  

I have been forced to think ahead and prepare ahead and to think outside the box a bit.  Here are some things I am doing to make life easier for me on this vacation:

1. Disposeable eating utencils and plates...who wants to wash a pile of dirty dishes in a motel sink??

2. A small one burner stove...$8 at Walmart, a frying pan and sauce pan, mini crock pot and little

     dipper crock pot

3. Prepare as much food ahead of time as possible:

    a. precooked chicken, cubed and dehydrated it, also chopped and dehydrated carrots/celery &

        added chicken soup spices to it in a bag.

    b. Mixed up spices for ham & bean soup...frozen ham and canned black beans

    c. Shredded cheese for all meals and froze it in freezer bags

    d. Cooked up bacon and froze it.

    e. scrambled up 9 eggs and froze them uncooked, mixed up spices for that in separate bag.

    f. cooked up gluten free pancakes and froze them.

There are many other things I have predone, but my kids need the computer now so won't bore you with all the details...hope this gives you an idea of how you can cook on the road with less effort during your vacation....

Devotional: The Slothful & the Diligent

Proverbs 12:27 The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

At first glance, one might pass over this proverb and think, "I'm not slothful and of course what I have is precious to me!" But I found this proverb rather convicting.

How often have I gone to the store, bought food and then for some reason or other it doesn't get used and ends up spoiling in the fridge? How often do we have leftovers on our table and they end up rotting in the back of the fridge? We call them science experiments at our house.

This usually happens because I have not labeled things with contents and dates and made plans to use them. I am in a hurry and don't feel like taking the time to label them properly. That is being slothful instead of diligent.

As stewards of what God has given us, we need to be diligent to use our resources wisely. Won't you join me in asking God to help us be good stewards of the resources He has given us? As we seek to honor Him in this area, He will reward us for our efforts.

Marsha's Musings: Wii and Wii Fit

I was not thrilled when my husband decided to spend money on a Wii.  I didn't think it was a wise use of money when we had been spending beyond our budget for several months already.  But we had gotten a tax refund and several other refunds recently and he wanted a Wii.  I figured it was no use bucking it...the kids were with him on it so it was three against one.

Now that we have it, I am finding that I don't mind it.  He purchased the Wii Fit as well.  I can use the Wii fit without hurting my neck and shoulders and making my neck sore.  It helps with balance (very important for someone like me with severe osteoporosis).  It also has a program of light aerobic step exercise that I can do.  There are many other exercises I can do to help with endurance, & balance.  It also has a strength training program, but I am not sure I can do those excercises...they look to be hard on the neck.

We installed the program on our TV in the living room instead of in the basement, so it has had the added advantage that it gets our kids up out of the basement away from the computer and video games and we are able to have fun as a family using the Wii.  That's important since they are in the teen years now.

Ok, so I wasn't for the Wii when Rick said he wanted one, but I have to say, I am more enthusiastic about it now than I was at first.

Frugal Friday Tips

It's Frugal Friday!

If you would like some frugal tips click on the icon above. It will take you to a website dedicated to Frugal Tips.

I have a funny story to report from last week.  Last week in my Frugal Friday tip I suggested some ways we have just started trying to save on our power bill.  We had been at it for about a week and I opened my mail and here was a check for $141 from our power company.  We are on the budget plan and pay $133 per month year round.  The money that you don't need on your power bill during the year is refunded to you at the end of the 12 month cycle.  So at first this surprised me...I thought "Wow! That was quick!"  LOL!

But this was a huge encouragement to me.  If we can get a refund back from last year's heating costs without even trying, what will we do next cycle when we are making an effort???  It will be fun to see how it works out.

Marsha's Musings: Child Discipline

Recently a friend confided in me that her child acted like nothing she did in the way of consequences for her abuse of privileges mattered.  She was frustrated because she felt there was nothing she could do to change the child's behavior.

It dawned on me later as I thought on this problem that my kids did the same thing.  I quickly called her back and told her that she needed to persevere with the consequences because this was psychological warfare.  The kids acted as if the consequences never made any difference because they were trying to wear us down so we would give up giving consequences or keep us running round and round Robin Hood's barn trying new and different consequences until we finally ran out of ideas and gave up.  

My own kids tried this on us and after persevering long enough, pretty soon they got the picture that they were not going to wear us down and they quit trying it.

I just thought maybe if there are those of you out there having issues like this, this might be of some help and encouragement to you.

Do you do once a month cooking?

I'm just looking into once a month cooking...wondering how it might work for me.  Do you do it?  How does it work out for you?  Would love to hear your ideas especially if you eat gluten free.  Do you have any special tricks that make it easier?  Leave your comments on OMC in the comments section.  Would love to hear them!

Marsha's Musings: Cuba

Sunday evening we had a pastor speak to us who has been to Cuba four time in five years to teach pastors over there and to speak at youth conferences.  He showed us his pictures and it was very humbling to see it and hear about it.

These people live in poverty, yet don't complain.  Last year many of them were devastated by several hurricanes that leveled their homes and churches.  But they are still plugging along, serving God in spite of these set backs. The churches are growing and the people are hungry for the Word of God.  

We live in affluence and often become indifferent, but there they treasure God's Word and their churches.  The kids will ride for hours to youth conferences in what appears to me to be rigged up recycle bins...the kind that they hoist up on a flat bed truck.  They have cut a door in the side and the place where you put your cardboard and plastics are the windows.  They have welded metal benches inside to sit on.  Now I don't know if they were recycle bins or not, but that is what they look like to me and the kids are happy to ride in these for how ever long it takes to get to the youth conference where they can hear God's Word taught.  

It was encouraging yet heart breaking at the same time to see and hear about this.  It was also convicting to me as I think of how we want our comforts and complain if our chairs are not comfortable.  God help us!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Who Was St. Patrick?

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.

Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders

It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)

Guided By Visions

After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God's-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.

To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.)

Bonfires and Crosses

Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. (Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries-spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.)

Trouble with Blogger

Not sure what's up with Blogger lately, but I schedule posts to go up on certain days and certain times and it doesn't seem to be doing it.  I am finding I have to manually post them, so if things don't change around here in a timely manner, well, it's blogger not posting things as I have scheduled them to be posted. 

Marsha's Musings: Quick Results

We just started turning our heat off at night, air-drying our towels, and keeping the hot tub on energy saver during the week and only up on the week ends.  We were hoping to save a little but of money by taking these measures, so when I opened the mail on Saturday I was stunned to find a $141.50 refund from the power company and a note saying that it was unused money in our account.  We are on the budget plan.

Of course this has to be for the past 12 months and certainly doesn't reflect the last two weeks!  But I thought it was a great encouragement.  If we were able to reduce our power usage without even trying....think what we might be able to do taking the extra measures that we are now!?  Thank you Lord!

Devotion: Despising God's Provision

Despising God's Provision

By Marsha Iddings

 

And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? (Numbers 14:11)

 

I've been reading through the Bible and came to Numbers 14 and 15 where the Children of Israel complain because of the bad report the spies brought back concerning the Promised Land.

 

They did not think they could go in and take the land. They had forgotten all the miracles God had performed to get them this far. They forgot His provision in the wilderness.

God was provoked by their unbelief and forgetfulness. Why? If we look at Numbers 14:13 we see why. It says, " But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised."

 

We see that when they complained, forgetting God's past provisions, that in God's eyes they were despising what He was giving them.

 

How often have I forgotten God's past provisions, looked to the future with unbelief and have in effect despised His provision by my complaining?

 

This is so convicting to me! Complaining is so easy to do and it is such an offence to God. May we be careful of our attitudes and words, that we would not despise what God has provided!

 

 

Frugal Friday

It's Frugal Friday!

If you would like some frugal tips click on the icon above. It will take you to a website dedicated to Frugal Tips.

We have been turning our heat completely off at night lately.  This has two benefits.  We sleep better when it is not so warm and we are sure we'll save money on our bill eventually.  We are on the budget plan and pay $133 a month right now.  It will be interesting to see if we are able to have that reduced over time.

Another thing we have found that is helping our energy cost is the new storm door we bought.  It has a southern exposure, so when the sun shines on it, we open our front door wide even in sub-zero weather and the glass magnifies the heat from the sun and warms our house up by two to three degrees during the day.  Our heater is set at 69 degrees, so when the sun is shining and we open our front door, our heater doesn't run because it brings our temp. in the house up to 71-72 degrees.  

We bought the door at Costco. It is a heavy door with glass on top and bottom.  In the summer we can let the top window down and a screen rolls out of the top of the door to let in air but not bugs.  It cost us about $250, but the enjoyment we have had from being able to open our front door and let in the sunlight in the middle of winter has well been worth it and the savings in energy costs may well pay for it over the years.

Marsha's Musings:Life with a different perspective

I have friends who are missionaries in Mango, Togo, West Africa. It's always fun to read their prayer letters that come by email each Sunday night or Monday morning.

The way of life in Togo is so much different than here. I was amused when they talked about taking a bike ride down to the lake and watching the hippos loaf around in the water. He said it just as casually as I would talk about going to the river to watch the ducks and geese swim. To go to the lake to watch hippos sounds really exciting but to them, it's a regular part of life.

Recently, they have had their power on for only eight hours a day and been without water from time to time as well. To me it would be a major irritation, but to them, it was just another one of those bumps in life that wasn't all that big a deal. Oh, well, so "tonight it's a bucket bath". No big deal.

I remember when they were getting ready to leave the states to go back to Togo and they were showing us pictures of the house they would be living in. They had not seen it first hand, only in pictures. They were excited because it had plumbing....a flush toilet and running water! The rest of the place looked like something the health department would condemn. But they were excited. They had plans on how they would fix the place up and make it their home.

I am reminded of the verse that says Paul had learned to be content in whatever state he was. As I read my friend's letters each week, I see this attitude coming through and it is an inspiration to me.

Flu Vaccinations: Good or Bad?

My sister was vaccinated for the flu in December. Now she is very sick with the same flu she was vaccinated for. She has been tested and it has been varified it is the same flu she was vaccinated for.

My husband works for aging and adult services. He said that each year after they vaccinate the patients in the nursing homes he starts losing clients. They start dying. He has lost at least six clients in the last two weeks he told me.

I have only taken the flu shot once in my life. It was when I was at college over 30 years ago they encouraged us to take flu shots because we were living in the dorms. That year I got sicker than I have ever been before. I ended up having to come home from college for a week to recover. I have never taken another flu shot in my life. I have only gotten sick with a fever maybe three or four times in the last 30 years or so since then.

Every time I see my doctor he pesters me to take a flu shot. I refuse and he thinks I am nuts. Oh well. I am sure my number will come up one of these days, but why bother with the flu shot if it doesn't work that well anyway? Seems crazy to me.

Homeschool: Great Group of Kids

I have been blessed and my heart warmed by the kindness of the boys in our homeschool group. A group of them got together and contributed to buy my son a nice airsoft gun of his own so he could have more fun when they get together to have airsoft wars. It has warmed my heart to see how they have gone out of their way to include him in their activities.

Snow!!!!????

It is snowing like crazy this morning! I was not expecting this at all. But it is peaceful. There is something about snow that just makes things seem so peaceful to me. I love it as long as it doesn't stay around long enough to keep me from getting to where I need to go. But on the other hand, the last three weeks have been so busy...maybe getting snowed in would be a blessing!

Devotion: Dirty Diapers and Dirty Hearts

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

My nephew was amused when his young son suddenly stood up from playing, put his hand behind him and declared, "Oh shoot...the diaper is dirty!"

His realization that his diaper was dirty is the first step to being potty trained. As long as a child doesn't see his messy pants as being a problem, he will not see the need to get potty trained.

So it is with a sinful heart. God's word says man's heart is deceitful and wicked. But most people do not see themselves this way. They think that doing good works and/or being religious will make them acceptable to God. It isn't until they realize they have a problem that brings God's holy wrath against them that they come to realize they need the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ to save them.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;(Romans 1:18)

Romans 3:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Like my nephew’s son realizing his diaper was dirty, people need to realize their hearts are dirty before God. They need the righteousness of Jesus to cover them if they are to be acceptable before God. If you are just coming to this point of realization, I would love to hear from you.

Organizedhome.com

7I love Organizedhome.com . I am going to post some of the information I have found on this web site for you to enjoy. I would encourage you to go to the webiste and look around. Check out the Household Notebook. I have started one and it keeps information where I need it. It's great! I hope you'll find some good ideas in the posts to come.
Marsha

Home's Cool! Get Organized for Homeschool
By Cynthia Townley Ewer Editor, OrganizedHome.comAuthor, Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos

In my years as worker, mother and home manager, I have experienced a full range of life’s little organizational challenges.

I have run a business from a home shared with two tiny children and moved cross-country (and back). I've merged two cluttered households into one small city apartment, and lived for eighteen happy years with a card-carrying packrat husband.

Home schooling a child beat them all hands-down, organizationally speaking.

How do I count the clutter? The books. The papers. The biology experiments on the kitchen window. The adult-sized child sprawled on the floor, reading. The record-keeping. College admissions and testing and letters from the correspondence school.

Homeschool families, like Tolstoy's happy ones, are all alike: drowning in a sea of clutter! Whatever the organization arena--time, space, money, computer access—-homeschool families have it worse. They have more stuff, less time, more distractions, less money, more chores and less space than just about anybody else. How do you get organized for homeschool?

Don't despair, homeschoolers! Here at OrganizedHome.Com, we've assembled the best tips, ideas, resources and links to get your new school year off to an organized start.

You don't homeschool? Hang around anyway! The principles used to organize full-time home schooling families also work for every other family where you find children and learning and love.
Ready? Get organized for homeschool, because home's cool!

Storage Strategies for Homeschool Families
By Cynthia Townley Ewer Editor, OrganizedHome.comAuthor, Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed Your Cleaning and Calm the Chaos

Get your stuff together! Here are OrganizedHome.Com's best storage strategies for homeschool families:

Stowing Kid Stuff:
A place for everything . . . but not what you think! Use "school" as a model for homeschool storage, and you're apt to think "bookcase" and "file cabinets." For homeschool, storage outside the box may be more efficient:

Plastic dishpans are a homeschooler's best friend. Stand picture books on end in a dishpan for a flip-through library.

A set of dishpans holds a younger child's school materials subject-by-subject: math manipulatives and workbook, language arts flashcards and materials, art supplies store neatly in their own dishpan. Put-away is a breeze!

Plastic storage cubes and hanging file folders solve paperwork storage for an older child. Color-code hanging file folders by subject. Inside each folder, individual files hold work-in-progress, worksheets to be corrected, daily lessons.

Bookcases can be frustrating storage tools for smaller children. Use magazine storage boxes, clear shoebox-sized organizers, dishpans or shallow cardboard boxes to store homeschool materials on bookcase shelves.

Replace flimsy cardboard boxes with see-through plastic storage ontainers for easy-to-find storage of games, puzzles and toys.

Game pieces, manipulatives and puzzle pieces live happily in large zipper food storage bags. Heavy freezer bags can be hole-punched and inserted into notebooks to hold art supplies, cut-outs, and desk materials.

Color-code it! Creative use of color simplifies homeschool storage.

Color-coding simplifies life in multi-child families. Assign each child a color. Colored organizers, file folders, storage cubes and report colors sort Kid A from Kid B in bedroom, schoolroom and on the desk.

Color-code subjects and activities. Use colored pens to add entries to a parent's planner or child's study organizer: red for math, green for English, blue for science. Colored file folders hold papers and worksheets subject by subject. Use assigned colors to highlight daily assignment sheets or schedules.

Color-code labels. Using a computer, it's easy to add color-coding to computer-generated labels. Slap them on everything, from storage boxes to file folders to maps to art supplies.

On the desk:
Homeschooling parents know paperwork is a big part of the job. From record-keeping to selecting curricula and materials, homeschool parents must sift and shuffle papers, catalogs, and documents. Try these ideas for efficient paper-handling:

Use lightweight, sturdy records boxes to hold homeschool materials. Hanging file folders fit these boxes nicely. The boxes stack neatly and are easy to handle. Sort by child, curricula, subject or year. Labeling is easy with permanent markers.

Stackable letter trays serve many functions on the desk. Use them to sort papers to correct, correspondence, or lesson plans.

Color-code, color-code, color-code. Use color in hanging file folders, file folders, pens and labels. Whether it's child by child, subject by subject or unit by unit, color does the job! Tab position is another tool to organize homeschool records. Bought a box of third-cut file folders? Don't just use them 1-2-3, 1-2-3. Instead, use all "first cut" folders for Child 1, "second cut" for Child 2, "third cut" for Child 3. Tab position can help you sort by child, by subject, by topic.

Frugal Friday

It's Frugal Friday!

If you would like some frugal tips click on the icon above. It will take you to a website dedicated to Frugal Tips.

What’s in a Frugal Gluten Free Pantry?
Posted: 30 Jan 2009 06:42 PM PST

This is the fifth part in a series “Gluten Free Grocery Shopping on a Budget” in which Heather shares how she feeds a family of 6 a gluten free diet for $350 - $400 a month. In this last post, Heather gives us a peak into her pantry.

**If you have any questions for Heather, please leave them in the comments. I’ll compile them into one email and see if she has time to answer them for us **

My biggest grocery savings has probably been in avoiding convenience foods, and developing a repertoire of menus we like that don’t use expensive ingredients.

Some of our recent meals:Breakfasts: Cappucino Chocolate Chip Muffins w/ Fruit, Pancakes w/ Fruit Syrup, Hot Gluten-Free Cereal, Granola (for rest of family and Clif Bar for me)

Lunch: PBJ sandwiches for rest of family, 5-bean casserole, baked beans, macaroni salad (with Tinkyada pasta), leftovers

Dinners: Spaghetti, Mashed Potato & Sausage Casserole, Pancakes and Scrambled Eggs, Bean Burritos, Smoked Sausage and Rice Casserole, Steak and Baked Potato, BBQ Ribs and Homemade French Fries, Beans with Diced Tomatoes and Seasoning

Following is a list of my standard ingredients on hand:
PantryBaking Ingredients Brown Rice Flour, White Rice Flour, Sweet Rice Flour, Cornmeal, Potato Starch, Tapioca Starch, Cornstarch, Xanthan Gum· Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Cream of Tartar, Salt· Sugar, Brown Sugar, Honey, Molasses, Powdered Sugar· Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cloves, Allspice, Vanilla, Almond Extract· Instant Coffee (for baking only)· Canned Pumpkin, Unsweetened Applesauce· Cocoa, Chocolate Chips· Oats (regular oats to make granola as a quick meal for rest of family)· Almonds· Oil, Shortening· Rice Milk or Almond Milk·
Condiments and Seasonings Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Italian Seasonings, Basil, Onion Powder, Chili Powder, Caraway Seed, Powdered Chicken Buillion· Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, Mayonnaise, Tartar Sauce, Taco Sauce, Vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce· Peanut Butter, Jam, Real Maple Syrup·

Other Staples Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta for me, Whole Wheat Pasta for Family· Brown Rice· Dried Pinto and Great Northern Beans· Spaghetti Sauce, Diced Tomatoes, Crushed tomatoes· Potatoes· Tortillas (Some wheat for rest of family, corn for me)· Bob·’s Red Mill Hot Gluten-Free Cereal WW Bread (starting to buy 2 loaves a week for family, so that leftovers only have to feed me at lunch)·

Snack Items Peanuts, Raisins (both bought in large quantity)· Tortilla Chips, Salsa (have about 2x a month as a treat)·

Fridge Items Dairy-Free Margarine· Eggs· Cow·’s milk (for rest of family) Cheese (for rest of family)- bars and shredded· Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream (for rest of family)· Cabbage, Carrots·
Freezer Items Boneless Skinless Chicken (some pre-diced)· Catfish Nuggets· Beef Steaks and Roast (less than $2.29/lb)· Pork Ribs (less than $1.50/lb)· Ground Beef (less than $1.59/lb)· Pork Sausage (less than $1.59/lb)· Polish Sausage ($2/lb)· 100% frozen juice concentrate· Frozen Broccoli, Peas, Corn· Other items from garden or local orchard (strawberries, apples, peaches, etc)·

Occasional Convenience Treats Instant Unseasoned Potato Flakes (use about 2x a month)· Canned Tuna (use about 2 cans 1x/month)· Canned Beans for 5-bean casserole (use 4 cans about once a month)· Canned Baked Beans (use about 1 can per week)· Clif Bars (use 1 a week on average)· Marshmallows (about 1 bag every few months)· Nondairy creamer (use about 1 cup a month to make pudding or hot chocolate for myself)· Tea Bags (about 4 bags a month, usually reuse at least once)·

Homeschooler Among Top Contestants on TV Show

Homeschooler Among Top Contestants on TV Show

According to a recent article in the Arizona Republic written about Scottsdale resident Scott MacIntyre, “just everything about [Scott] is remarkable.” At least that is what his former piano teacher from Arizona State University will tell you. Born almost completely blind, Scott was homeschooled and began training in classical piano at age 5. He also plays the guitar and drums and is an exceptionally gifted singer/songwriter.

After starting college at 14 years old, he graduated from Arizona State University at age 19, summa cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in piano performance, and was nominated by the College of Fine Arts as the outstanding graduate. Scott is a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship to the United Kingdom where he obtained his master’s degree in performance studies from the Royal College of Music and Royal Holloway University of London.

Scott, his mother and two siblings, Katelyn and Todd, have performed together in a vocal ensemble, the MacIntyre Family Singers. Their mother Carole, who has home educated her three children for 19 years through highschool, is herself a student of piano, voice, flute, and guitar. As an independent musician, Scott has traveled to cities in North America and Europe for performances and frequently donates performances for conventions, churches, charities, and stadium athletic events.

With all of these accomplishments (including many more not listed here), Scott can easily be considered a success by anyone’s standards. But as a homeschooled graduate, Scott is a shining example of a young person who is taking the education and training given to him by his parents and using it to make a difference in the culture.

Currently Scott is one of the top 36 contestants on FOX’s television program American Idol. A singing competition airing on Fox, American Idol seeks to discover the best new or upcoming singer in the country through a series of nationwide auditions. A panel of judges give critiques of each contestant’s performance. In the later stages of competition, the American public decides the outcomes by telephone voting.

One of 12 individuals competing on the program today, Tuesday, March 3, Scott stands out not just because of his incredible talent, but also due to his character and Christian testimony. HSLDA would like to commend his desire to use these accomplishments to honor God in the commercial music industry.

Editor’s Note: This article is not meant to be an endorsement of the television show American Idol.

Marsha's Musings: God's Holiness

I read this very sobering passage of Scripture this week.

Leviticus 10:1 ¶ And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of
them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered
strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2 And there went
out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3
¶ Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be
sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be
glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

This is scary stuff. What Nadab and Abihu did, was not expressly forbidden by God, nor was it commanded by Him. They were experimenting with a new and different way of worship and God was not pleased. The New King James puts God's words this way,

"'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the
people I must be glorified.'"

I can only guess that what Nadab and Abihu did was not glorifying to God and must have not showed a holy regard for God and His holiness.

It makes me wonder...how often do I do things in worship of God that are not showing a holy regard for His holiness and are not glorifying to Him? What about our churches? Is the worship of your church God-centered and everything done there aimed at glorifying God and done with a holy regard for His holiness? Or is it man-centered, showcasing the talents of the church members in how they sing, speak or carry themselves? Is the worship of your church aimed at pleasing God or man? These are hard questions, but questions that must be considered if we are to worship God in a way that regards Him as holy and in a way that glorifies Him and not man.

Marsha's Musings: Health Issues

Lately I've been dealing with a lot of headaches related to my neck problems. Of course stress makes this worse. The last two weeks have been extremely crazy and this week as well. My physical therapist has been helpful in helping me combat these headaches by his treatments as well as teaching me how to manage them on my own at home. I hope the ideas he has given me for treating them at home work. He wants me to work on it by myself through this week and then call him near the end of the week and let him know how I have been doing.

Other things I am trying to do is to exercise more, however, I found it was causing pain in my knee to jog on my tramp and brisk walking was causing pain in my hip. So I discussed this with my PT. He has me using the Schwin Airdyne...not a fast pace but moderate, 5 minutes with my feet, then 5 minutes with my arms for 20 minutes total and slowly working it up in time. My knee still bothers me after I do this, so I talked to him about it, he told me I need to check my feet while on the bike to see if I am turning my feet out or in as that will cause problems in the knee. I will be watching for that as I exercise and hoping that will help remedy that problem.

I am grateful for my physical therapist. He has helped me through a lot in the last 9 years with his expertise. God is so good to put people like this in our lives to help us through the tough stuff.


Post Script:
It has been three or four days since I wrote the post above. I am happy to report that the headaches have improved. Monday was a very good day for me. Tuesday started out mildly rough, but pain-reliever and spending some time resting on the floor & doing the therapy my PT recommended has helped a lot.

Quote

Peter de Vries stated the obvious, saying, "I love being a writer; it's the paperwork I can't stand."

I must say I totally agree!!!

Marsha's Musings: Busy Day

I just noticed that I didn't have anything scheduled to post today. Well, it's been a very busy day. We had Standardized Testing for the kids this morning. This afternoon I baked two gluten free pizza crusts for pizza tomorrow and one gluten free pie crust for my son's birthday cheese cake tomorrow. I also took my daughter to the dentist and that took up an hour and a half of my afternoon.

Tonight I finished up fixing the cheese cake and cleaning the kitchen, then sat down with a cup of peppermint tea to watch what remained of Ella Enchanted with the rest of the family.

Now I am eyeing the clock and thinking I need to get off this computer and call the family together for evening devotions and prayer before we all head off to bed and start all over again tomorrow.

In my Bible reading yesterday, Jesus tells his disciples to come aside to a solitary place and rest because they have been so busy they didn't even have time to eat. I have been feeling this way for several weeks and I think it has had a hand in my headaches and exhaustion. As I read this, I took it as a command from Jesus that I should be finding time alone to rest. This something I really need to do.

I remember reading in one of my homeschool magazines an article that basically said it is a myth that moms should think they need ME-time. The article said that once you get some "me-time" then you want more and more of it and become more frustrated by the lack of it. I gathered the writer was advocating not even trying to find time to rest and renew alone. I was surprised by this in light of what Jesus says to His disciples:

Mark 6:30 ¶ Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things,
both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them,
"Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were
many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they
departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

I find the writer of the homeschool article off base. I think she is advocating a prescription for burnout. If Jesus saw the need for rest and for his disciples to rest, then why shouldn't we also go aside to a deserted place and rest a while too?