An Unwelcome Guest

This blatant bully has been skulking around lately.  

He stealthily stalks, striking fear in the hearts of the Blossoms.

Ever so patiently, he lies in wait.

With menacing talons and shrewd all-seeing eyes, this sharp-shinned hawk is an unwelcome guest,

Until the raucous noises arise and he escapes to another homestead to scope out the mealtime scene.

Lately, I've Been

I've been sipping:

~ Christmas black tea and my own "half-caf" blend of an herbal Chai and black tea.

I've been reading:
~ Christmas novels by Melody Carlson.  I particularly enjoyed the Christmas Joy Ride  An elderly lady and her young neighbor traipse cross country blessing folks in a festive Christmas camper.  I found myself inspired to bless others, whilst laughing out loud.  The Christmas Pony was another good one.  It was a cheery and innocent rendition of a little girl's prayer for a pony.  Blossom1 even enjoyed it.

~ Micah, Nahum and Habakkuk
These obscure books tend to get overlooked in the Bible, but there's good stuff in them.  Nahum 1:7 says, "... He is close to those who trust in Him."  I found myself rolling this over in my mind the other day.  CLOSE matters to me.  I lean on Him, trusting His character and find that we are close.

I've been cooking:
~ in my new Instant Pot!  Everybody here was excited when I cooked rabbit and vegetables in it.  It sealed in the flavor so well.  I de-boned it, made a gravy, made a pie crust, and turned out the most flavorful Rabbit Pie I've ever made!

I've been noticing:
~ Feathery gray skies, promising cozy winter weather.

I've been wearing:
~ Vests and tall boots!  They're making up classy outfits in frigid winter weather.

I've been listening:
~ to lots of Fine Arts music.  Blossom1 and Blossom2 are preparing for a big performance in a few weeks.  They are a part of several group entries.  We've been listening to the vocal harmony parts while doing dishes and kitchen work.  I'm finding it fun to challenge myself a little to learn the part also.

I've been loving:
~ having finished 4-H presentations!  The girls gave their presentations last Tuesday in their club meeting.  I was so pleased that Blossom1, Blossom2 and Blossom3 spoke clearly, looked the audience in the eye and succinctly shared important small animal information.  It was a testament to how far they've come in their public speaking abilities.  Nights like that help me realize that education is about equipping your children with real life skills.  Blossom4 stayed home and regaled the Rugged Mountain Man on her future life plans ~ plans that include three dogs, a blue jeep, and a camper.

Dominique

Check out other "Lately" posts here.

Voila! The Vest!

Some simple outfits I've been piecing together lately go right along with my motto ~

Boots, class, and a little bit of sass!

For warmth, I layered a tee under a long sleeve, tunic length shirt.  I finished it with a structured vest, a voluptuous scarf and complementary accessories.   



I was wearing the above middle outfit at a potluck luncheon and chatting with my classy fashion friend when I discovered her affinity for vests. 

She affirmed, "The vest really adds a lot to an outfit."  Having thrifted a few vests to add some spice to her closet, she found herself donning her new-to-her pieces frequently.

Try adding a vest today!  They're an inexpensive way to add interest, structure, warmth and style. 

Dominique

I Get To Be Here

Despite my best efforts, I am often tired.  

Despite my best efforts, I sometimes wonder if I am being effective what I do.  

This morning, I awoke and snuggled in my chair with my tea, journal, and Bible.  It was chilly and I felt like sleeping, not slaying another day.  

My thoughts meandered to my teens and twenties and suddenly, I realized, 

"I am doing what I wanted to do."  

...a dream that I feel God gave me.

I was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude that I could be here, doing this.  

I am grateful, though I don't always feel grateful.  

When I dwelt on this privilege, I breathed, 

"Thank You, Lord, that I GET to do this.  

Thank You, Lord, that I can stay at home with the girls. 

Thank You, Lord, that I can teach them.  

Thank You, Lord, that we can be together every day.  

Thank You, Lord, that I GET to be here."  

This privilege is such a blessing to me. 

The perspective was fresh in my mind, the same principle I was taught as a child ~  

"You don't HAVE to; you GET to."

We mamas may be weary, but we GET to be here.  That's a beautiful gift that weariness can eclipse if we let it.  

The reminder to be thankful that I GET to be here shifted everything around in my perspective today.  

I'm still marveling at the blessing of getting to be here today.

Dominique

Please Let Me Bless You

Earlier this week, I hosted a co-op planning meeting.   My favorite bunch of super women homeschool moms who work hard, plow through, and give it their best shot every day sat around my dining room table, which I had set with fine china and our great grandmother's silver. 

Not to celebrate how I've got it all together.  (I don't.)

Not to show off. 

To bless.

To say, "I'm so glad you're here." 

To say, "I think you're valuable."  

To say, "I just want you to know that someone noticed you." 

When you come to my house, and there is tea time or touches of thoughtful hospitality here and there, please smile.  Let your heart be warmed. 

Please let me bless you.

Because you're worth it. 

Dominique

Sadly, I forgot to snap a pic of Monday's meeting.  The snapshot above is when the little Blossoms and I were recently celebrating a regular evening.  The white tablecloth was salvaged from our great grandmother's things and the beautiful demitasse (miniature tea) cups were given to us by my sister in law.  She thought the girls would enjoy them.  Combined with a quaint half-sized tea pot from my sister, our quick tea times have taken on a more delicate and festive air.  

Behold, the Sackpack!

A good friend made a great recommendation to me:

Behold, the sackpack!

Much more durable than the string backpacks that little league teams give away or you occasionally find as freebies, these babies are HARDY.

I gave several as gifts and outfitted the Blossoms with their own carefully curated versions.  

Blossom1 and Blossom2 were thrilled that their sackpacks match brand new pairs of Converse they received for Christmas this year. They love to match as much as I do.

The Adidas sackpacks are made of VERY thick, durable fabric with thicker and more comfortable cording than other sackpacks.  

They have two outside water bottle or small gear pockets, a zipper "media" pocket and large inside compartment.  They come in a plethora of colors, suitable for any personality.  (It's easier to see the all the colors, if you view from a mobile device.)

THEY ARE AFFORDABLE.  

Some days a backpack just is too much, but sackpacks allow the Blossoms to carry their own essential gear when we're on the go.  When we headed to a Teen Bible Quiz match last week, I notified the Little Blossoms that I would not be packing my usual entertainment bag.  They should pack quiet forms of entertainment and carry their own essentials.  This worked SO well.  

Just like their backpacks, we keep these in an easy to grab locations.  Add in the fact that Grandma did personalized water bottles for them for Christmas and it's been so convenient!

Dominique

A Few Notes on Tea

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." 

~ C.S. Lewis

I thoroughly enjoy tea time... 

any time... 

all the time!  I especially enjoy loose leaf teas.  The flavor is superior to that of pre-bagged teas, though I can hardly be considered a snob.  I still drink it pre-bagged too!  

There's a ritualistic quality to preparing loose leaf teas in the morning and I enjoy that.  I purchase the most basic varieties from my local Amish health food store, flavors like English Breakfast and plain Black tea.  I love to order teas from The Herb Shop.  Doing a bulk order a few times a year keeps it affordable.  Their Irish Breakfast tea is one of my absolute favorites!  Over the past month, I've savored several cups of their Christmas Spice blend.  It's cozy spicy notes are perfect for this season.

A friend gave me the most exquisite Earl Grey loose leaf blend as a thank you when she returned from the shore a few months ago.  It's like drinking the creme de la creme!  I was sorry to see the end of that little paper bag.

I don't like to fiddle around with too many gadgets that need to be cleaned after my relaxing cuppa, so I prefer to use these paper tea bags.  They make drinking loose leaf tea much more enjoyable and much less work!  Be careful not to order the large size by accident though!

Since tea is an all day affair here, purchasing an electric tea kettle about four years ago has been a good decision.  This little work horse gets heated up at least four times a day.

Especially on our busy Thursdays, I love to take some tea along on our errands.  This travel mug keeps it hot for a LONG time.  The reviews are excellent and the price is affordable.  I also gave some as gifts this year because they came so highly recommended.  I love mine!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put the water on.  The wind and snow are blustering outside and a cup of Christmas Spice is calling.

Dominique

A Holiday Hike

I know how hard it is to get outside in the winter.  

At least, I think I know... but I wonder why I let myself think it's that hard.  I've already shared my Layers Guide and that's really helped us around here.  The weather has been mostly mild these days, so getting outside is more about making myself get up and walk out the door... 

and enforce the Layers Guide. 

(I realize a mom of littles wonders if 30 minutes of monkey wrestling is worth the inevitable 30 minutes of whining about the cold that will follow.  I'm looking straight at my younger self and saying that the vitamin D will be worth it, for them AND for you.)

The Rugged Mountain Man mentioned that he wanted to do some scouting and get the dogs out.  Jake and Rory tend to fall down the priorities list over hunting season.  I'm busy managing the Blossoms and the homestead. The Rugged Mountain Man is juggling hunting, processing meat, work piling up at his day job AND around home. 

 

Plus, throw in all of the holiday hustle, bustle, details and festivities and our canine crew is RARIN' to go here... early and always.  

I declared that we'd join him.  

You'd think being a hunting family, I'd remember to wear the orange, but I had to prance back inside to gather up the mandatory orange.  Better safe than sorry.

(Zoom in, Rory has an affinity for jumping.)

It was only about 1.5 hour jaunt.  For the second half, there wasn't even a trail.  Yes, there was some whining from the Blossoms.  This is a real family, after all.

We just keep going, with reminders to stop complaining and look around.

Eventually, the satisfaction of a misty mountain view eclipses whatever made whining seems so essential in the mind of our youngsters.

I'm looking at the New Year, hoping to do more of this.

Dominique

In the Kitchen

Fruit salad?

No worries...

I've got my army on it. 

When the Blossoms help me in the kitchen, it seriously makes my heart happy.  It also lightens my load, which was a huge blessing on a day that I didn't feel so swift. 

Happy New Year!

Dominique