Month: July 2009

11 weeks of exercising

Hello, my name is Susan. I’ve been exercising since the 13th April (11 weeks) and I haven’t lost an ounce! Not a pound, not a kilogram. How unfair is that? I know I started off gung-ho. I can tend to get rather zealous with things and fitness is one of those things. I can easily adopt the adage, Go Hard or Go Home…until I do an injury and am incapacitated for weeks.

I learned that I was exercising so my MHR would go too high, which means it is not burning fat. Then I had an epiphany. Later on, I had 2 weeks off. Ugh, getting back into was not easy, despite Miss A’s encouragement and the backyard full of gym equipment. So, I joined Contours. All along, my motivation level has been pretty high, considering how tired I feel. Still, I constantly feel like it is two steps forward, three steps back. It is hard work. I do not enjoy exercising.

My type of leg press-using a machine

Anyway, I joined Contours on a month-by-month basis as I hope to get back to the point where I can join another gym – a *real* gym. 😉 I want to lift weights, heavy weights. I’m just not fit or strong enough yet. I know that might sound strange but I really am not fit. I don’t feel as though I’m progressing or getting anywhere.

So, for now I’m exercising at Contours 3-4 times a week- slowly building strength. Miss A does (real) leg squats with weights. Get this! 100kg weights! Man, that girl is a machine! I wanna do that too. :rotfl: However, I’m using a pin-weighted machine (isolation exercises on a pin loaded machine which are not as effective as compound exercises using free weights) for leg press and just this week I have managed to be consistent with pushing 59kgs!

Last week, I had a scheduled rest day and was supposed to go to the gym the following day. However, life situations happened that prevented me from going in the morning and by the afternoon I was feeling stiff and sore. In one sense, this is nothing new as I’ve been sore and hurting for 11 weeks now. But this was a different sore. This felt like my muscles were starting to tighten and seize. After being ‘good sore’ for awhile I realised that I didn’t like this stiff sore. So with lessons and housework done and Miss A buddying with Master C to cook tea I zipped down to the gym! I don’t usually go there at 5pm

Miss A does this with 100kg barbell

but I just knew I needed to. Golly, was I pumped when that was over! I felt good again. I felt sore, but it was the sore that comes from working out, not a static soreness.

So whilst I am pretty sure that I will not lose any weight and feel destined to be this weight forever I will not stop working out. Because I like the benefit that comes from working out. I don’t like leaving the house and going there, nor do I necessarily like doing it but I do love the benefit of it. So the pay-off is worth it. I may not reach my target goal weight, but I can still reach my other goal – Fit n 40…because it is an attitude. 😉

How are you going with exercising and working out?

Only eighteen days to go

21 years ago...our marriage

Only 18 days left…til John comes home!

In that time I’ve had my dad leave to go back to Broken Hill, my youngest daughter leave home and my eldest son have his first night at Youth group.

Still yet to happen:

Eldest daughter is to go away and return from softball tournament.
Younger daughter to have interview with ADF (Aust. Defence Force)
Youngest son to celebrate his 12th birthday (which will be postponed till John arrives home, no doubt)
Aside from that I need to get some things done- you know, pampering, feminine things in preparation for hubby’s return.

Ah to say that I can’t wait for his return would be a huge understatement… I love him with every dot point of my being. He’s my best friend, my lover, my playmate, my confidant, my shoulder-to-cry-on, my encourager, my truth-teller, father-to-my-children and my husband.

He…is… John.

Things you may not know about my husband:

He has never said a word about my weight, even when I was very overweight.
He always encourages my fitness fads- year after year after year after year.
He listens to me.
He makes me laugh.
He frustrates me.
He has always encouraged me with homeschooling.
He has always supported me in anything I wanted to do or try, even when it meant the yuck factor for him (e.g: my stints with healthy, raw foods).
He has the most gracious man I have ever met (It’s not my story to tell, but he has had some real rubbish thrown at him over the years and has always been the epitome of grace).
He is the most patient and forgiving man I have ever known.
He only knows two speeds – flat out or a complete stop!
When working on a project, will work obsessively until it is finished.
He tirelessly fixes my websites when I crash them.
Is a great husband and provider.
Is a great father.

There is heaps more that I could say… but I won’t. 😉 Suffice it to say that I cannot wait until he gets home!

What To Blog?

A few years ago, I was told that my online persona did not seem to match my real life persona. Apparently, I seemed to give a different impression, a more ‘perfect’ or ‘ideal’ one through my online persona. I was shocked and disappointed but I now believe that it is part and parcel of online communication and I also believe that I have become a better writer because of that comment. However, it has stayed with me many years later and still affects what I write. For some reason many people are aghast to learn that we have many TV’s, watch Science Fiction and enjoy many movies! (I’ve often thought about writing a post outlining the ‘possible’ shocking things about me…who knows, maybe I will one day.) Would you believe that some fellow Christians have doubted the sincerity of my faith once they find out that I watch Sci-Fi. Others seem to take pity on me. Still others, see it as their duty to enlighten me to the truth of the narrow way, as though I have been a believer for over 20 years and never heard or considered ‘their’ ideas before.

Anyway, enough of the ramble and back to the point, which was…er I don’t really think there is a point to this post. Do I ask myself, “Why don’t those people do what I do?” Why don’t they choose XYZ [insert any choice here] instead of what they are doing? Why do they homeschool like that? Why do they dress in THAT? Why do they eat that? Why don’t they eat this? Why don’t they worship in XYZ manner? and the list goes on… (C’mon, surely you have thought these things too eh? Surely I’m not the only one?)

When I hear myself mutter these things I know that I am imposing my values, restrictions, choices or boundaries on someone else. Oh Lord, forgive my self righteousness and my legalism.

There was a time when I felt alone in this Christian walk. Not totally alone but I did feel like there weren’t many other believers like us. Maybe I even felt that there are too few who choose to follow the narrow way…that there aren’t enough other believers who are living in obedience and sacrifice. Well, didn’t I have to really seek the heart of God and ask Him to create in me a clean heart.

Legalism is not obedience. It is adding to obedience. It is not living in freedom and liberty. It is not grace. It is living in boundaries but not by the Holy Spirit. Often when we are writing on our blogs we can speak words of legalism to others. Most often it is under the guise of following the One True Way and all those other martyrdom sounding cliques but the boundaries, rules, ties and bondage it can put upon a fellow believer is almost, but sadly not, unbelievable.

So God has called me to homeschool? Great. But has He called everyone to homeschool? So God has called me to wear plain, brown, ankle length dresses only with no makeup or jewelery. Great. But has He called everyone to do so? Is it my duty to proclaim that this is what walking the narrow way (Christian life) looks like and if they are saved then they would do this too? Maybe to some, adherence to the strict lifestyle or ‘code‘ is the gospel…but not to me. What is the gospel that you proclaim?

(a) Jesus is the Messiah predicted by the OT prophecies. His ministry of teaching, his actions, his death, resurrection and ascension all comport with the prophecies, and affirm him to be Messiah.
(b) His death was God’s act to deal with sin. His resurrection attested to the effective power of the Cross, and affirmed Jesus as Lord over life, death, creation.
(c) Men and women must, therefore, believe his Lordship, believe on him, repent of their sins, and receive forgiveness from their Saviour, Jesus.

Oh how much better to trust in the Holy Spirit…to trust in the grace of our Father that He will produce the good work in us.

Whenever I’m in confusion over an issue or believe that I need to change an area of my life I pray. Pray and ask God to show me my heart motivation, to lead me and to show my husband if this is right. After a little time I will always go and seek my John’s counsel. He’s my husband, my man. He loves me and has my best interest at heart. And I trust that God speaks to him as well…speaks through Him. It isn’t that I can’t receive from God without him, it’s part of marriage.

I am thankful for all the bloggers and writers who share their life in a way that doesn’t smack of self righteousness. I want to be a blogger like that. I’m thankful for God’s word…and that He still speaks to us today.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12

Freedom versus Bondage

I’ll confess. I’m struggling with writing online lately. I know what the Lord has done in my life and what he is doing in my life currently but I struggle with writing it in such a way that I will not be misunderstood or that may cause others to stumble.

I know that I will be misunderstood by some, simply because I am not the best writer and when communicating I rely heavily upon tone of voice and facial expressions as well as physical touch. I also rely heavily on knowing a little about who I am talking to, thereby being sensitive their situation.

I can’t begin to tell another person how to live, what decisions to make, the best way to homeschool their children, what to eat or what not to eat…so what can I write about? I can write about the things that I experience, the things God reveals to me and the changes He makes in my life…but there’s always the possibility that it will be misunderstood by some and that they will be led astray. Or maybe the freedom I have will cause them to stumble. Oi voi, what a dilemma!

Self imposed boundaries

There are things that I struggle with in my life. Some things I have even had to set boundaries for. These boundaries give me the opportunity for accountability…they help me to be strong in areas that I am weak. Rules, boundaries, safe-guards, guidelines, do’s, do not’s…call them what you will but they are boundaries nevertheless. We all have them. If not in one area then in another, sometimes known only to ourselves but we all have them. I believe that Christians have many of these self built boundaries…especially Christian homeschooling parents!

Personal Freedoms vs. Scriptural Commands

There are some areas which fall into the ‘freedom‘ category and some which are God’s commands. Clothing is one area, as an example. Dressing modestly is a biblical principle. Women should not dress to look as a man and vice versa. (I won’t go into lengthy detail as way too much opinion and study abounds on the ‘interweb’ already). Scripture tells us all we need to know. But man would like to interpret (or is that control?) and tell us exactly what it means… even down to the fabric, colour and length in centimetres! These things add burdens… yet Christ came to set us free that we may be controlled by the Holy Spirit, not man!

Personally Convinced by the Spirit

Many years ago, (BC: Before Christ) I dressed in a manner that was clearly set to impress the male audience. I know this not because anyone told me but because I know what was in my heart. After being a believer for some time, God spoke to my heart about the way I dressed. He did not tell me to wear dresses only or ankle length skirts only. He didn’t give me the tape measure and a set of measurements to abide by (which would have made it easy for me to try and fudge here and there) However, He did address my heart. Ouch! That was harder hitting! I had freedom to dress how I wanted so long as I followed the boundaries that He set in my heart. The Holy Spirit guided me. Just as He can guide other women. But I also know that God opens each heart at to different things at different times in their walk.

As a young Christian, I found it helpful to put boundaries on myself. These were not so much rules for me to follow, although they could be interpreted as such. Rather, they were steps or markers that I had put in place that offered me some accountability. I had to this because of my weakness in an area. I was weak so I put markers in place to help guide me. Naturally I noticed that other people did not have the same boundaries around themselves…for they weren’t as weak in the same areas as I was.

Perceiving Weakness as Strength

Strangely enough, someone in the youth group noticed my self imposed boundaries and thought this showed a deep spirituality. I was commended for my strong faith. Of course, being young and full of ego (okay, so I may not be so young anymore but am still prone to having my ears tickled) I lapped it up. How sad. What others perceived as strength and tried to imitate was actually my weakness!

Some people esteem some foods as better than others. And while no one actually says it, one can often be left with a feeling that some are more spiritual or holy because of their [self imposed] dietary lifestyle. While other people esteem certain days as being more holy than others. Scripture tells us that the weaker or less mature believers consider these things to be vitally important in the Christian life, while the strong do not place such importance upon those matters.

But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
1 Corinthians 8:8

Lifestyle

Many new homeschoolers look to the more veteran homeschoolers and want to emulate their lifestyle. There are many reasons for this but amongst fear and doubt is also a certain sense of security. Yet it is false security as it is not found in Christ but in a lifestyle.

Boundaries may be necessary for an individual to put in their life (As in the case of an alcoholic, drug addict, gambler, etc) and I’m not disputing that at all. At times, these boundaries have been ropes of grace in my life. So long as I acknowledge that they are my boundaries set in place because of my weakness. I shouldn’t impose those boundaries upon others nor presume that they aren’t spiritual because they don’t have my boundaries. These boundaries are not freedom or liberty, but neither are they the ‘the narrow way’ nor does it mean that I am living a life of ‘greater obedience’. It may just mean that I am weak in my faith. The difficulty comes when we look at others and see their weaknesses and subsequent boundaries and mistake them for spirituality and we try to emulate that in our own lives. When we do that, we are not living as Christ called us to live.

Living out Romans 14

We need to be clear in using Scripture to divide what is holy, mature and ‘the narrow way’ and what is obedience, freedom and liberty.

I am fully convinced in my own mind of how I live. I try to not do things which conflict with my conscience. My faith guides me in matters of personal freedom but these matters are not the norm or the standard for the homeschool community or any other family. (As if )

I’m trying to be careful in what I proclaim from my blog. I can’t tell someone else what to do, (other than repent and turn to Christ) how they should teach English, what method to use, to avoid all meat or cover their head or observe every Saturday as the Lord’s Day. The difficulty with sharing my daily walk online is that it may be fine for people who follow my blog or know me in real life. But for those who simply stumble onto the blog, they might read something, which can then be taken out of context, and use it in a way that does not bring freedom.

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
1 Corinthians 8:8

It’s one thing to speak, knowing who I am speaking to face-to-face, being able to clarify my words if need be. It’s another thing to write, not knowing who will read it. If I can’t see the reader or communicate with them, then I don’t know if the reader is picking up what I’m putting down. I guess that’s concern that all believers face but I’m struggling with it of late.

Do you struggle with this too or have you reconciled it in your own mind?

Mini MasterChef: Lasagne

Last night (Friday evening) Master J cooked a scrumptious meal for his first meal in our Mini MasterChef competition. It’s always a bit tricky when cooking a traditional family favourite because we have something to compare it to…but he did a fantastic job! And with so little help!

‘Susan’s go-to Lasagne‘ followed by Caramel Orange Slices with a hint of Ginger and a dollop of Ice Cream. (Go-to is a softball term, meaning one’s best pitch or the pitch that one throws when they’re in need of a no-fail pitch)

Unfortunately, I forgot (bad homeschool mama) to take photos of it all. Luckily Master C (good homeschool son) got into the act and tried to take a few shots. However Master J was not impressed with the photographer getting in the way so we don’t have too many photos. We were all so impatient to tuck into our dessert that we also forgot to take photos. Maybe next time.

(Click the picture to open it in a light box at full size)

Preparing the sauce.

The Béchamel sauce, a fancy way of saying a white sauce with cheese added.

The end product…looks good enough to eat. 😉

My serve, lovingly plated.

The difficulty in this dish is that in itself it isn’t hard…except that I don’t use a recipe so Master J was trying to grasp the whole idea with me saying “Oh, just a little bit of this… and a little bit of that” . I used a recipe when I first made a lasagne but since then the dish has evolved and matured. I haven’t used a lasagne recipe for years. None of them seem to taste as good as when I improvise or ‘wing it’. This was the difficult part in teaching Master J: there was no recipe for him to study. I tried my best to write out a recipe at a base level…from here many ingredients can be added for variation- depending upon season, flavour desired, time and/or expense. So he made the basic version but already has a few ideas for how he wants to change it for next time.

He plans to add some form of salad when he prepares this again (to tell the truth, this was not his idea but a suggestion from one of the judges: Miss A). Once he has mastered the technique and *idea* behind the lasagne we will teach the boys to make their own lasagne sheets…as we have taught the girls. If you have not had lasagne with fresh pasta sheets, you have not really had lasagne.

Hmmm delizioso! John is certainly is for some treats when he returns home in 4 weeks time.

Eat Fat to Lose Fat?

I’ve recently finished reading Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fat, by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. It’s an interesting and helpful read.

Eat fat lose fat

Eat Fat, Lose Fat is similar to “Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats”. They both support the consumption of real food: tasty, nutritious, organic, good quality, traditional, seasonal and local foods as opposed to foods that are processed, fast-foods, dead foods, old, has additives or preservatives or comes prepackaged.

Like NT, the book challenges the reader to look at the dietary practices of indigenous cultures and compares them to today’s modern scientific methods. Interestingly, today’s modern, scientific, new information is starting to catch up! 😉

Chapter One dispels the myths surrounding coconut oil. Chapter Two is more of a scientific chapter as the authors explain what ‘fat’ is and its relationship to heart disease and cholesterol. I’ve learned that fats aren’t all the same. In fact, healthy fats are essential to protect the heart from disease. Not useful but essential. The next chapter goes into detail about various fats and their effects upon the body and the major organs and body systems. Following this is the section that informs why low fat diets re so unhealthy and dangerous and it examines the danger in many of the past but popular diets such as Atkins Diet, The Zone Diet, The South Beach Diet, juice fasting and ever Weight Watchers! A must read chapter!

Chapter Five looks at the principles of traditional, healthy diets. many things are discusses from MSG, fermentation, raw versus cooked foods, and superfoods. The next chapter details the four basic principles of the recommended eating lifestyle plan. There is a helpful section with loads of tips on how to take coconut oil. This section also contains shopping lists and menu plans. A large section of the book contains resources and recipes- featuring the star of the book – coconut oil!

This book is very similar to Nourishing Traditions but more laid out in what to do each day and each week. Some things I learned new and other things I knew but applying them is a different story.

Always, always, always eat breakfast.
Eat loads more coconut oil.
Take Cod Liver Oil.
Focus more on nutrition, especially good fats rather than calorie restriction. If you supply the body with necessary, good fats, the body is more likely to release the stored fat instead of going into ‘famine mode’.

I cook a lot with coconut oil. We’ve been using it for years, much to the dismay of John’s army nutritionist. However, combined with green smoothies and moderate exercise, it has helped to lower his cholesterol level and heal his fatty liver. So with that in mind I set about buying myself some Cod Liver Oil and have just started adding that to my diet. I actually find it easier to take than coconut oil, which I cook with but can’t take straight.

Do you take Coconut Oil or Cod Liver oil to help meet your nutritional needs? What brands do you use? How long have you used it? Do you find it beneficial? I’d love to hear about it, especially those who use Cod Liver Oil.

Open Kofta

As part of our Mini MasterChef competition, Master C (aged 11.11yrs) treated us to open Kofta’s, inspired by the MasterClass recipe. You can watch the MasterClass video demonstration and/or download the printable pdf version of the recipe.

Miss A (aged 18yrs) taught him how to do the entire meal. Next time he prepares it, he will do it completely by himself but under supervision.
(I’m not too great with taking photos, nor uploading them to the web so apologies in advance)

Ingredients
1 tbs coriander seeds
1 tbs cumin seeds
4 French shallots, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 bunch coriander
500g topside beef mince
1 lemon, rind finely grated
1 egg
5 tbs soft white breadcrumbs
1 tbs seeded mustard
1 piece pita bread
½ small red onion, peeled
Extra virgin olive oil
Pinch salt
2 baby cucumbers
Thick Greek yoghurt, coriander sprigs & deep fried shallots, to serve

Method

Toasting the seeds

Spoon coriander and cumin seeds into a frying pan and toast over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.

Grinding spices produces a gorgeous aroma

Tip into a mortar and use pestle to finely grind the warm spices.

Cooking onions

Cover base of frying pan with olive oil and add shallots and garlic, cook over low heat until soft and translucent. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate until cold. Wash coriander root well then finely chop 6cm of the root and stem, set top half of the bunch aside for later.

Grating the lemon rind

Lightly beating the eggs

Mix meat, onions & spices

Combine mince, lemon rind, egg, breadcrumbs, mustard, shallot and garlic mixture, spices and salt and pepper in a bowl. Use clean hands to mix until well combined. Preheat oven grill to medium-high.

Uncooked and assembled

Press beef mixture onto a 22cm round flat bread, leaving a 1cm border around the outer edge.

Lightly cook underside of pita bread

Heat a little oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium heat, add pita bread and cook 1 minute. Transfer the pan to the oven and grill 4-5 minutes until just cooked through. Remove from the oven. Check the under-side of the bread is golden and crisp if not cook a few minutes on the stove top over high heat.

Dress with yoghurt and salad

Meanwhile, finely slice the onion into a bowl using a mandolin. Season with salt and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Thinly slice the cucumbers on the angle and place into a bowl. Season with salt and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

A finished open kofta

Remove the kofta from the pan. Spread generously with yoghurt. Top with onion salad, cucumber, coriander sprigs and deep fried shallots to serve.

Open Beef Kofta on Grilled Mushroom

Miss A and I preferred not to have a pita bread so we used a large mushroom instead. It was yummy but obviously a different texture to a pita bread.

Our recipe book

We all love this meal. It is fairly quick and easy, not too expensive but also nutritious. The recipe uses a lot of meat whereas we work on approximately 100grams of meat per person. There is minimal cleanup after the meal, which is always a bonus. Whatever you do, do not skip the toasting of the seeds and spices. Oh, the aroma is just divine- a true sensory experience!

Oh yes! Master C scored pretty well on this dish. 🙂

Our Mini MasterChef Competition

Some people might be lazy. Others might feel that spending too much time in the kitchen is a waste of time. Still, others just might not enjoy cooking but none of those are my reasons. My reasons for not spending too much time in the kitchen are purely noble. I have done it for my children. For their good. See, I really am a good mum eh?

This story obviously needs a little history so I won’t mind if you go get a fresh cuppa. Right now? Let’s move on…

My father was a chef…and a pretty good one at that too! I loved nothing more than working with my dad when he had a big catering job, not because I loved the cleaning up after him but just because I loved working with him. Anyway as I said, he was a chef. He married a woman (my mum) who hated cooking, largely because she never had much money to cook variety and taste…but she did manage to put meat and three veg on the table every night. Regular readers may remember that as a child I was doted upon: left, right and centre. Never did a thing for myself until I got married. Once John and I became engaged to be married I wanted to do a crash course in cooking but in my 18 years of youth I lacked the patience to stay in the kitchen. Every attempt failed because of my impatience. The bottom line was that I simply didn’t need to know how to cook. After being married and teaching myself how to cook (and clean up after myself) I determined to not raise my children the same way (hmm, isn’t that a familiar story?) So, due to the innate sense of self preservation and survival my children have learned and are learning how to cook!

The girls are pretty good cooks and we regularly enjoy meals prepared by them. However, the boys aren’t quite up to the same speed. Not because they are boys, more likely because they are five and six in the family order! There are 4 and 5 other people ahead of them who will cook, so there doesn’t seem to be the same sense of urgency or necessity. However, they can’t live on toast, omelets, cereal and baked beans forever! So with John away for 6 weeks I thought I’d have everyone in the house cook one meal per week. The idea took hold… and grew! Possibly due in part to our fascination with good cooking shows, the current one being MasterChef. Initially we didn’t like it as we preferred the British version of MC but this series has grown on us. However, we also like Jamie Oliver, Nigella, Bill Grainger, Lydia’s Kitchen and many more! Anyway, we are now hosting our very own mini MasterChef competition!

Each week, the boys have to prepare and cook a meal for those of us here at home. They can repeat this meal two weeks later. Then, they can also cook it for the family once John returns home. 6 weeks should mean they have at least two to three meals under their belts. Those of us who are eating the meal have the chance to ‘score’ the meal: presentation, flavour and nutrition. When John returns and the boys cook for the family, the winner will be decided then.

However, this just isn’t about slapping a meal on the table. One has to plan the nutrition of the meal, make sure it is visually appealing with colour and so on. Then, comes the shopping! Master C (aged 11.5yrs) went shopping the other day and asked what Gouda cheese was…Miss A said she didn’t know but suggested that they go and find out. So they did! (In fact, she did know but she is helping to develop a sense of curiosity and also skills of researching in them) Then, they had to look at prices and determine quality and decide whether or not we wanted the cheese we wanted to eat…or the cheese we’d rather pay for! 😉 Then they had to decide which cucumber to buy and what the differences are and if they will be important to the dish. Ah, lessons in decision making and budgeting, discernment and finances!

Then, came buying the mince meat. Premium mince, regular mince, beef, pork, veal or lamb mince or slimmers mince? What’s an 11 yo boy to do? Thankfully, we have a patient butcher who explained the difference between premium and slimmers. We decided to go half and half- half premium and half low-fat mince. We’re experimenting as we usually stick to kangaroo mince but thought it might be a little too ‘gamey’ in flavour.

With an 18yo daughter, who is an excellent cook but is not at home as much now, I am not being as well fed… I’ll have to do something about that. I’ll get these boys up to speed yet. 😉

My lack of cooking has led my children to be wonderful, creative, enthusiastic cooks. See, I told you the reason for my lack of cooking over the years was purely for the childrens’ sake. O:-)

One down, five left to go

One week down only five more weeks to go.

The house is clean, tidy and everything has a place and (here’s the real miracle) everything is actually in its place! A few weeks ago, my dad visited and stayed with us for 3 weeks. During that time Damian also popped over and stayed for a few nights. So in this fairly small house that barely fits six of us, there were 8 people! Chaotic, unruly, disorganised…doesn’t even begin to describe it. Now, however it is clean and tidy. But missing many people. My dad and Damian went home. John has gone to Victoria for a 6 week course and Miss R is not at home.

Our tidy, clean lounge room

It’s quiet, too quiet. It’s clean; too clean. I’m reminded of that saying: When something seems too good to be true, it usually is. There are only four of us in the house. No wonder it’s clean!

I have nothing to write! Well, that’s not exactly true. I have a mind that is overwhelmed with thoughts, ideas and questions but nothing fit for public web consumption. I’m not feeling terribly encouraged in anything at the moment…so it’s probably best for me to be quiet during such times. I become cynical when I read many of the popular parenting blogs or articles. I just don’t have the joy, joy, joy deep in my heart at the moment like so many others do. I don’t have a husband who does everything for me- housework, yardwork, finances, cooking, etc while I sit at the table and instruct the children in the ways of the Lord. I just don’t have perfect children who hardly ever need guidance and correction.

Now I love my husband and my children very much…and in reality I’m not complaining about them or my lot in life. I am speaking about how I feel when I read too many books or blogs where everyone else life seems so perfect and hunky dory…where a post isn’t written without one quoting Scripture that apparently ties in with the theme. Pffftt! Don’t give me a throw away line from the Bible. Tell me what it really means to you. Tell me what you learned from it or how it impacted your life. Don’t just shove it in at the end of a post and think that you’ve written an encouraging blog post! Sometimes I wonder if some Christians aren’t so overly spiritual that they’re of no earthly use!

Yes I do have joy- deep seated joy at knowing I have been given eternal life with the Father God…but that isn’t the same as being happy, happy, happy in everyday circumstances. Is it?

Hmm, I’m frustrated. With life. My life. I want to meet more people. I want to serve people. I want to have relationships, more relationships. I think I’m hungry…hungry for true fellowship – giving and receiving.

What am I doing with my life? With my time? What will stay and be remembered or what will have impacted people long after I’m gone? My blog? AussieHomeschool? A book? A clean house?

Another angle

Argh, I’m longing for some adult conversation…I usually talk with John. He is my best friend, my lover, confidante and my play-mate. If you’ve ever seen us work on our computers together you’ll know what I mean by play-mate. But you can see why I need adult conversation- to mull over the thoughts in my head. John isn’t here so I’ll blog it, which isn’t as good but it will have to do. Maybe short, rambly, incoherent posts that show the maniacal thoughts of a Christian homeschool mum will still be able to give glory to God, in a small way…even if there is not a scripture quote splattered at the end or lovely pictures of well behaved and immaculately dressed children accompanying every post. 😉

Surviving a Book Fair

A repost from 2005

Book Fairs? Curriculum Fairs? Don’t you love them? I do!
But, I had to devise a strategy so that I could get the most from them. Here are the things that I try to do in order to survive a book fair.

Check with friends as to their *must-have* books. Devise plan of action so that we do not fight 😉

Have a pre-arranged amount of spending money and know that I will stick to it.

Take esky and/or thermos for drinks and sandwiches and also doubles as a stool.

Backpack containing : Sandwiches. Water bottles. Snacks for kids.Thermos of tea. Lego or other toys for kids.

Large bags for books. (Red & White stripey bags) Or bag on wheels. (Gee, a shopping trolley would be ideal eh?)

Wear layers of clothing- t-shirt, jumper, etc. I have to be comfortable. Wear comfy shoes.

Take my glasses!

Assign ‘Miss R’ and ‘Miss A’ to areas. Devise their booklists. (‘Miss A’ takes cooking and literature while Miss R takes Rare, Children’s and Nature)

Find suitable area for younger kids to settle.

Go up and down the aisles so that I can read the spines of books.

After collecting and gathering, sit down with a cuppa and go through them all. Weed them out and see if other homeschoolers want to go through discard pile. Ask other homeschoolers if I can peruse their discard pile 🙂

Sort books by category- HB, PB, etc

Queue in lines and pay. Accepts credit and eftpos but take cash!

Have pizza delivery slips on table for easy access or we starve that night because Mum won’t be cooking!

Have table cleaned down to peruse my new books with a fresh cuppa.

I wrote this back in 2004…posted it to on my blog in 2005 so I’m sure that many of you have many more great ideas! (Especially now that some of us have a little more experience now) Feel free to share your book fair survival tips!