We have probably all heard of the importance of rehydrating our body with electrolytes after sweating and strenuous activities in the heat. But instead of reaching for Gatorade or your canister of fancy electroltye powder,… More
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How I Met My Hubby
This week marks the anniversary of our first date!❤️ Come along for the story….
How many of you caught your first glimpse of your future spouse at an international airport? And then boarded the same flight for the far north- The Last Frontier?
That was Jerald’s experience. I never saw him until baggage claim in Anchorage. And I thought he looked a little fierce. 🤭 I had never, in all my 23 years, ever saw such blonde eyebrows and eyelashes like this fellow had!
In September of 2008, I flew with my parents to Anchorage, Alaska, with our final destination being at a small church in Sterling. My dad had pastoral responsibilities at that church, and this weekend, they were having baptism. Jerald was also there that weekend so that he could be of assistance in flying with his elderly Grandpa, who wanted to attend the baptism of his two grandchildren, Jaden and Jessica.
Jerald immediately noticed this young lady from Alabama. As for her, she thought he was an average fellow. Wasn’t inspired by him or anything. Jerald flew home feeling sad because he wondered what chance will he have to ever meet her again?! I was Beachy, he was Mennonite. Not much chance for interaction. But he certainly didn’t forget! Instead, he prayed about her nearly every day for a whole year.
Almost a year later, August of 2009, the girl from Alabama was headed up to Sterling, Alaska once again. This time to teach at the small church school.
And how I remember that eventful trip! To be sure, I was in tears be-times. First off, our plane got way laid in Huntsville for whatever reason, thus missing my connecting flight in Atlanta. As I de-planed in Atlanta, I forgot to pick up my carry-on that was stowed under the aircraft until I was a good many steps away. Retrieving rapidly, thank God I found it! Then rushed on to my gate, wondering how in the world I’ll manage finding my way, besides re-booking a flight, all by myself! Atlanta Airport is not for the faint-hearted such as I, but what could be done?! Navigating trams and walkways and bustling humanity, I sped through the airport, trying to look dignified as possible, while anxieties clamored my brain, and the strap on my bag almost murdered my shoulder! I had way overstuffed my large duffle bag and was certainly paying for it! But I had a Heavenly Father who was watching over His flustered little girl. I don’t remember how long I waited, but my next flight was rescheduled yet for that day. And I flew first class with no extra charge!
Now I had never flown in first class before, so was quite unaccustomed to the flare. There was more than enough space to stretch my weary legs. I don’t remember the food that was served, but I do remember, partially through the flight, the attendants brought out warm, wet rags. I discreetly observed the man next to me as to how or what this was for. He washed his face, so I did the same. He tried visiting with me earlier and much as I endeavored to be social, the tears kept coming in my weary, emotional state. As I sat comfortably in my spacious seat, I remember opening cards that home folks had sent with me and money kept falling out. This brought tears as well because I certainly did not have financial security. But God was showing me, He will supply my needs!!
It was around midnight by the time I arrived in Anchorage, if I recall correctly. My cousins, Luis and Savilla came to pick me up in his dark green, crew cab diesel Ford, which was supposedly a cool truck. We had 2 hours to drive to Sterling. Fatigue was rampant and Luis got stopped by a police for weaving! Once again, God granted safety, and in the wee morning hours, we finally arrived at my uncle’s place, Calvin and Judith Yoder.
I remember entering the dark house and being shown where I would sleep. The cookstove put off a cozy warmth. Coming from the humid South, I marveled at needing heat in late August!
As I prepared for bed, I noticed my shoulders were black and blue; thanks to the overstuffed, aforementioned bag! But what was that to me? At last, I had arrived and could sink under the cozy covers.
And what do you know?! Once again Jerald and I met, but just barely. He was up there for a month or so that summer, helping build his uncle Marvin Schrock’s house. Particularly, he was working on finishing out the apartment above their garage for my co- teacher Norma Troyer and I to stay in. Hmmm, isn’t that sweet?? He was already preparing a place for me to live, long before we were married!
Jerald was scheduled to fly back home to Indiana about 2 days after I arrived. His intent was to ask me out when I arrived to the area. But the timing didn’t feel right. So he went home, more discouraged than ever. But still, he kept praying. I, of course, was completely oblivious to this all.
I honestly am not even sure I saw him that time. Perhaps a glance from a distance… I do remember Norma taking me over to Marvin’s that first evening. I think we toured the apartment, but it wasn’t totally completed yet.
There was a hub of activity around there with men putting in water lines or some sort of underground pipes. Children slopping around outside. I had to pay close attention to where I stepped because there was mud everywhere! Not an understatement. I was wearing new white sneakers, not muck boots! Everything was all so back-woodsy and down to earthish.
About nine-thirty or ten, someone suggests running out to town for McDonald’s ice cream cones. I believe they were 50 cents a cone for the summer. Whoever heard of striking out for town at this time of the night! But hey, we were in the land of the midnight sun, so why not! This was all jolting me into the, what have I gotten myself into, type of thoughts, but I joined in with a smile on my face and a tiredness within.
In about a week I settled into the newly finished apartment, and into the school routine. I had enough to keep me occupied and aside from getting homesick, I loved my life up north.
Mid-January (2010) rolls around and here comes Jerald Rhodes again, working for his uncle for another month. He had definite motives this time. After seeing him a couple times and listening to him having devotions at church once, I finally noticed him and began praying about him. I was always rather peeved at these young guys who would try so hard to act cool. I knew I didn’t want any of the sort. But this fellow had more to him! He seemed like a straight shooter. I enjoyed youth activities while he was there, but still, we basically ignored each other. My idea for this was, if I flirted with a guy before dating, how could I be sure this was really God’s will for me? Or was it only our infatuation of each other that was bringing us together? I didn’t want a lifetime of doubt to nag me if I had made the correct decision. I can confidently say I was not doing anything to get his attention. This was the Lord’s doings, and it was marvelous in our eyes!
And then it was February and Valentine’s day!
Now you must realize something. Jerald was not about to write a letter to ask me out. He would ask in person! And he didn’t need anybody’s help! He kept waiting for a chance to catch me alone. He so badly wanted to ask me on Valentine’s Day, which was also on a Sunday. But it didn’t work out! Remember, no help needed- he would not arrange anything through another person for me to meet him so he could ask me!
So he keeps waiting. And the time of his departure crept closer!!
At last! Tuesday morning he caught me!
He lived with Marvin’s in their shouse, while I lived in the apartment above the garage in the new house that was being built during this time which was just up the hill from their shouse. Jerald was up there working on the house every day. It always gave me a little adrenalin rush if I caught a glimpse of him whenever I arrived home from school.
On this morning, he heard my Jeep start up and knew I’d be leaving for school very shortly. I always let it run a bit to warm up while I ran back upstairs to finish my morning routines.
After brushing my teeth and gathering my bags, I hurried down the stairs. I thought I heard someone come into the garage while I was up there; I sorta hoped it was him. Not that we’d talk or anything, but maybe we could say hi.
I was slipping into my shoes when Jerald pounces on me with a hearty “good morning!” Immediately, he broaches the subject- “I was wondering, would you like to begin a special friendship with me?!“
And I- startled by this heavy question at 7:30 A.M. tried to keep my composure and calmly replied that I’d like to pray about it. I skiddled out the door, absolutely shocked and still reeling from the question! I mean, I had no idea! How could this be?!
I called my Dad as soon as I was headed out the lane. I started in on what just happened and burst out crying. Dad quickly assured me he knew all about it. Jerald had already asked for his blessing for a close friendship with his daughter. Dad felt comfortable in letting the decision up to me.
Throughout that day, I replayed that tiny interchange between Jerald and I dozens of times! I was thrilled! Somehow, it just felt right! Yet I hardly knew him! Definitely prayed much about it.
Nervously, I gave him my “yes” the next afternoon. I also gave him a poem that I had written about God’s unique ways of leading us together. We didn’t have much time before he would be flying back home. We had our first date very soon.
Now let me interject here. You may think that only a day and a half is a very short time to consider the quest for courtship. But when we are earnestly seeking God’s will for the unknowns in our lives, He will give clear answers at the appropriate time. Unbeknownst to either of us, we had both been doing just that. He had been praying about me every day for more than a year! And I had been praying more in earnest the previous year or two that if there was a decent fellow out there for me that God would bring him into my life. After talking with my dad and feeling a strong leading from the Lord, who was I to prolong the situation or the suspense of the fellow inquiring?! Now your situation may be different! However, when after seeking counsel from others and feeling a strong sense of God’s guidance (in any situation), why prolong the hours, days, or weeks to accomplish His plan?
It was exhilarating to be taken out for supper, who cares if we were driving my Jeep. He didn’t have a vehicle up there. We chatted but I soon figured out he wasn’t overly talkative. I was nervous in the silences. But he soon figured out when I get comfortable, is when I get really talkative.
After we ate our supper and went to pay, Jerald discovered his debit card would not work and he had no cash. Humbly, he asks me if I had any money. Grateful to be of service, I assured him I did! And so it is, I paid for our meal on our first date!! I can’t recall if he returned the money later or not, but we were in love just the same!
A week later, I sadly bid him goodbye after I dropped him off at the Keni airport. Now, we would simply write letters or possibly call once every week or two. I did not have texting on my phone. Yes, I assure you, it is possible to court without constant texting/messaging or seeing each other several times a week!! Reading his letters and cards, I constantly kept wondering how it could be that this nice fellow actually liked me?! I marveled when he told me how long he prayed about me before he ever managed to ask me!
The next time we saw each other was mid-May after I was back home in Alabama from teaching. Of course we were thrilled to see each other again!
It was a definite God thing how He brought us together. We dated a little over a year until we got married in May 2011. I moved to his community in Southern Indiana.
So there’s kinda alot of states involved in our situation. He from Indiana. I from Alabama. Met and began dating in Alaska. Got married in Alabama. Settled in Indiana for the first 7 years. And now we’re raising our family in Nebraska! (.. for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content! Philippines 4:11)
Who can know the mysterious ways of God?!
On a different note- the winner of the tuberoses was Mckensey Wise of Barbourville, KY! 🤗 Congratulations!!🎊
And a special thanks to all those who participated in the drawing! I always enjoy hearing from my readers! ❤️
Flower Giveaway!
We just survived some massive winter weather last month! We had subzero temperatures and copious amounts of snow blowing into substantial drifts. Our barn doorway was almost completely drifted over. County roads were unpassable. The snow plows finally quit going because the wind blew drifts stronger and faster than they could keep up. Most people who were housebound or should’ve been housebound! It was unwise to risk being caught off the road in this kind of weather. It wasn’t safe to be out longer than 10 or 15 minutes with the wind chill at 20-30 below zero! But we still went out for chicken chores and fresh air every day. I feel it’s a version of excitement to experience dipping temperatures for a short time.
To be sure, it was the kind of winter to keep in the memory department for storytelling to grandchildren. You know how grandparents always survived epically dramatic times. Well, we are now prepared for those kind of stories!
And now here we are; just a couple weeks later, with sunny skies and a warm 60 degree breeze that hints at spring! I know it can’t stay but we’ll enjoy it while it lasts! I’m airing my house at the moment – it feels absolutely delicious to replace those stale, germ laden particles with fresh, new sustance!
I’m not a garden geek. However, the freshness of earthy soil and spring flowers popping up are some of the simple pleasures in life that I think every soul loves. (At least, I’ve never heard one say, “Oh, those yellow tulips are soooo depressing! When I see them, I know winter is about gone, and it makes me weep to see those snow piles melting!”)
Back in the good old days when I was a spry, young bride, a friend graciously gave me a start of some of the most beautiful bulbs! Well, let’s say flowers. Bulbs aren’t necessarily lovely; we simply like what they promise!
Unless you’re from the south, I know we’re all a long way from planting flower bulbs! But virtuous gardeners always plan well in advance, don’t they? I’m attempting to be virtuous in getting this post out long before Spring.
Have you heard of tuberoses? Some might call them tubelilies. They are little pearl type of blooms, clumped together on a stem. The bottom ones always open first, while the top blooms are still squeezed shut. It’s a sorrow they don’t all bloom at once! But I pluck them anyway, discarding the bottom blooms as the upper ones open.
The tuberose is actually a southern flower that grows well in hardiness zones 7-11. Here in Nebraska we are zone 5b so they have to be dug up each fall or they will freeze in the winter. They take the heat well but do enjoy frequent watering and will grow to a height of 2-3′. Be sure to plant them where you can conveniently sniff the luscious fragrance!
Each summer, I highly anticipate these delicate, fragrant blooms! I go out in the golden, evening sunlight, sniffing and snipping. I promise you, they always smell strongest in the evening! Even when I have bouquets in my house, they give off the most fragrance at night. I’m not wise enough to give the science behind that, though.
I have given starts of these tuberoses away multiple times. It’s one of those things in life that keep multiplying as you give it away. Kind of like Love. Which reminds me of Valentines day, which tells me it’s already February!! Who’s sad to see winter disappear? Anybody? See, what did I tell you?! Silence gives consent. Let’s get on to the Spring topic at hand.
If you would like a chance at growing some, then you’re at the right place! It’s been a while since I did a giveaway, so I have decided to bless someone with a start of these through a drawing. To participate, please take the following actions-
- Send an email to jeraldsflower@gmail.com with your full name and mailing address.
- Share with me what you enjoy most about the blog.
- Do not put your info in the comments section of this post. If subscribed via email, do not respond to this email. You will need to send your name and address to the email above.
- I will only ship to a US address.
- All entries must be submitted by February 10, 2024
Keep dreaming of Spring!
Margin
It’s January, folks! Who’s housecleaning and decluttering this month? Clutter free, restful spaces are so worth the effort it takes to achieve them! In fact, if your house is cluttered, there’s a very good chance your life and brain are cluttered as well. You can read more about decluttering and minimalism here.
Years ago, I was reading a book on organization. The writer brought out the point of how necessary it is to have margin in our spaces if we want things to be organized. This thought has always stuck with me.
The dictionary defines margin as a spare amount or measure allowed or given for contingencies or special situations.
So imagine with me that the pages in a book had no margin but were completely crammed full to the brim with words. No extra space was given. Would it be pleasing to read such a book? Indeed not! It would be totally overwhelming!
Or think of a book shelf that’s crammed so tightly, you can’t even slide a book in its rightful place. Few people will take the time to carefully pull the books apart to find a spot to slide it in place. The most popular method is to simply plop the book on top of the other books and expect magic (or mom) to put it away properly.
But what if you kept that spare amount of space beyond what is needed, and that shelf is only three-fourths of the way full? Now you can easily slide the book in its place, no problem. Plus, the looks of that shelf are pleasant to the eyes.
If we have every spot in our homes filled to the brim, it will become crowded and overwhelming. For most of us, the truth is that we don’t need a bigger house; we need less stuff!
As we keep margin in our drawers, closets and pantries, we will find it much easier to keep organization in place. That extra space beyond what is needed will go a long way to keeping it orderly. Sure, we still need to maintain our spaces and keep after those stray pieces floating around. But it’s much easier to quickly organize things a bit when you’ve got extra space to work with! If you don’t believe me, try organizing clutter in a tiny spot. Remember, if you’re not willing to part with any clutter, you will simply be “stuff shifting” instead of organizing. I love the saying- the easiest way to organize your stuff is to get rid of most of it! There’s a lot of truth to that!
I’m going to share a couple of pictures around our home that display margin.
So what if we gave ourselves margin not only in our houses but also in our calendars and schedules? Giving ourselves margin in our lives gives us permission to pause and enjoy the golden sunbeams streaming in the window. To look in your child’s eyes and listen closely to their chattery talk. Unhurried. To chat with our neighbor or spend extra time with a friend who needs a listening ear. To embrace the moment. We can even tend to the tasks at hand with more love and detail. All because we are not hurried and harried!
This is something I’m trying to implement in my life. How much more smooth and less stressful things are when we give ourselves those 10 extra minutes to get to town. Those 5 extra minutes to get everyone out the door or those extra minutes alotted to supper preparations are so worth it! One way we ourselves practice this is to arrive at church by 9:15. This gives us 15 minutes of margin, should we have delays.
Avoid over filling your social calendar. Make you and your family’s life as stable and predictable as possible. Children thrive and feel most secure in normalcy! And dare I say most adults do too?! There may be the peculiar few who love the “fly by night” experiences on a regular basis, but most of us do well on routines and schedules!
When we’ve already been gone two days this week, can we say “no” to another day of being gone? There is a fine line between sacrifice and selfishness, and I’m not advocating that we always put our own needs first. But it is good to remember that our own families are our first responsibility and shouldn’t be shrugged off easily. When we give ourselves that needed space to stay home and take care of our responsibilities, it does much to lower stress.
But it takes intentionality to keep our schedules from overload! Can we say “no” to another shopping day or coffee date with friends? I hope so! I realize though, that many times, there are legitimate reasons for our days of being gone. Church and school related activities are beyond our control. And we certainly should support these events if at all possible. Prioritizing is super important when it comes to those busy seasons. Then is when it’s necessary to keep projects at home to a minimum so we’re able to give our support to the church.
I set up a daily schedule for myself to try this year, with plenty of margin. (I’m not perfect with it) and it takes discipline to follow, but how much better my days go when I do! It takes discipline to stop my work and go take a nap. To stop that sewing (which I love) and go start cooking supper (which I don’t particularly love.)
I’m not talking about a schedule so rigid we can’t deviate- we do need to be flexible. And that’s what margin is for. As we allow extra time for those interruptions and unexpected things that come up, we can handle the day with lower levels of blood pressure and stress.
Whether it’s in our homes or schedules, overload generally happens by default. Margin, on the other hand, involves action and discipline to achieve and maintain. But oh, the freedom it brings!
Let all things be done decently and in order.
1 Corinthians 14:40
Redeemer Of Hearts
Some weeks ago, I was shopping in Hobby Lobby. This is one store that can rapidly bring on ‘needs’ that we were quite unaware we had before entering. The store also has a sly way of bringing on discontent, if we’re not careful. (Yes, discontent, not discount as my auto correct thought I wanted!) Although they have that as well, which tends to increase the ‘needs’!
I wasn’t looking for much; I wanted to browse their Christmas decor and look for placemats to make pillow covers for the couch. I was pleased to find some on sale with a touch of Christmas color.
To transform from placemat to pillow cover, simply rip open one of the narrow ends, zigzag the two edges to keep from fraying, sew velcro at the opening, insert pillow and voila’, you’ve got a new look for your pillow!
As I strolled the aisles, the Christmas grinch was all over in the decorations. How disgusting. As if Santa and the reindeer, trees, ornaments and socks aren’t enough to distract from the real reason of Christmas, now there’s the ugly, old grinch yet too! Ok, he was around before, but this is the first year I noticed him. I can certainly make do quite well without him!
Satan doesn’t care what distracts us from Jesus. As long as he distracts us, he’s pleased. Maybe we don’t have all the fanfare of Christmas displays as our neighbors do, but what about the fanfare of overloaded schedules and dining tables? The overload of gifts, the stress of baking every single kind of cookie because that’s just how we’ve always done it!
For far too many people, Christmas has become a god of pleasure seeking, inordinate gift buying, (and may I say inordinate food making and eating?!) stress, discontent, hurry and worry. Certainly, we can enjoy special foods we only make for the holidays, but we don’t need to make every kind of special food every year, do we?!
It’s not my intention to cause guilt for anyone. There are circumstances that we can not control. But there are things we can control, and one of those is the issues of our own heart. Guard your heart with active intentionality! Cut out unnecessary activities and senseless decorating. If you’re feeling irritated at the overloaded schedule, ask Jesus what you could cut out. What is most important to Him? He will give wisdom and direction if we ask.
It saddens me how much Santa, gifts, lights, trees and festivities have become the focus of Christmas more than that of Jesus’ birth!
Christmas is Jesus leaving His heavenly throne; coming to earth through the miraculous virgin birth, as a tiny, helpless babe, to save His people from their sins!
Jesus is the Redeemer of hearts! He’s the Bringer of peace, the Healer of the sick, the God of all Comfort! There’s no greater gift than the gift of Jesus, our Saviour, redeeming sinful man! Praise to God for this gift of all gifts!
Is Jesus your Redeemer?
Gifting Outside The Box
With the rapid approach of the biggest holiday of the year, how many thousands of people are spending millions of dollars on gift giving?
Gift giving is not wrong. In fact, a giving heart is a character trait of God’s children. Giving gifts doesn’t automatically make one a Christian, but as God’s children, we will be giving people. Who doesn’t love kindhearted, generous people?
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17
Our heavenly Father loves to bestow His children with abundant gifts. He is truly the best gift Giver there ever was or ever will be! He gave His absolute best gift when He sent His only begotten son into the world. Let’s never forget the sacrifice He made when He sent heaven’s best and allowed Him to die for us poor sinners! He’s done so much for us; can we not pass His love on to others?
It’s the lavish hoarding of things here in the ease of the American lifestyle that repulses me! When there are millions of people around the globe living without the bare necessities! Could we, instead of spending so much money on things nobody really needs, give that amount of money to go towards the needy around us or in other countries? The Lord sees your heart and will bless you for giving!
In today’s post, I would like to explore two methods of giving that will not break the bank and will not add more clutter into the life of the receiver. Far too many of the gifts given today are simply unnecessary gadgets, toys, etc that we don’t really need and only add clutter to our homes and lives (minimalism anyone?) Read on to find new ways of giving that will truly bless the lives of others!
Acts of Service
Acts of Service are small (or large) deeds of kindness that only require a loving heart and physical effort. They don’t break the bank and often times these gifts are far more appreciated than material items that are so often given. And don’t forget these are not limited to the holiday season; they can be done year round!
- Give someone a compliment.
- Give someone an encouraging card. Yes, take time to write it out and send it the old-fashioned way. Postal service still works!
- Bless someone with encouragement in a text message.
- Offer to take another person’s turn cleaning the church house.
- Bless a Mama by offering to babysit her children for a day or a couple hours. Not because she’s busy but because she’s a mama. (You won’t be turned down!)
- Make a list of things you appreciate about a person and give it to them.
- Offer to take the children to school for a busy family for a week or couple days.
- Clean windows for an elderly couple. (Or anyone!) Who wouldn’t enjoy clean windows without exerting the energy involved!
- Offer to babysit your minister’s children some evening so they can enjoy a date night. The hassle of lining up a sitter or feeling guilty for bothering someone is a real thing.
- Print or design (if you’re good with creative writing) a Bible verse on card stock. Bless someone with an inspiration to display in their home or work place.
- Bless someone with a casserole or main dish just because. Don’t procrastinate because you don’t have time to make a full meal. When you are preparing a meal for your family, just double the recipe and you have a gift ready for giving! You could even stick it in the freezer to give to someone at a later date. To make it more special, buy a pretty casserole dish to put it in and tell them it’s theirs to keep.
Consumable Gifts
Consumable gifts are a great way to gift someone with a tangible gift that does not create clutter or require storage for long term (ever think about that gift you got that you didn’t need so you put it in storage where you don’t even use or enjoy it? Minimalism anyone?!) Consumable gifts can often fulfill an immediate need in the life of the receiver. Again, these ideas are not limited to the holiday season, you can give them year round.
- Drop off a special drink for someone going through a difficult time, or just because
- A box of groceries for a family struggling financially
- Order pizza for a family and send it via pizza delivery or door dash. Have fun texting them that their supper will be delivered!
- Fill a gallon size ziploc with water bottle, gospel tracts, McDonald’s gift card, toothbrush and toothpaste, pair of socks, pair of gloves, granola bars etc. Keep these in your vehicle and pass out to the homeless beggars on the street corners.
- Give gift cards and/or cash to a family with a loved one in the hospital. It takes a lot of gas and food for being in and out of a hospital for an extended time.
- Another idea is to give a basket filled with easy mixes/quick meals and fun foods (for the children) if there’s a family member hospitalized.
- Ask a friend (or anyone you want to improve relationship with) to meet you for coffee/breakfast/ lunch to simply chat and listen to what’s going on in their lives. Then pay for their food.
- Give money or gift cards to a missionary family for use on their furlough.
- If you do your own butchering and have plenty of meat on hand, bless a needy family (or anyone) with a few pounds of fresh beef, sausage, or venison.
- Give money to pay a seamstress for new dresses (or sew them yourself) for a struggling or busy family
- Tell your neighbor to meet you at the gas station and you will pay to fill their tank.
Christmas Plates
Do you like to give your neighbors and friends a Christmas food plate? There’s already an endless supply of sweets and chocolates this time of year, so why not give something “outside the box”? Many elderly are diabetic or have special diets so keep that in mind and try to give accordingly.
- Basket of fresh fruit
- Jar of homemade granola
- Jar of homemade soup
- Jar of homemade (or boughten) relish or pepper jelly, along with a box of crackers
- Homemade bread or dinner rolls along with a jar of jam
- Jar of mixed nuts- although be considerate of the elderly or someone with false teeth. This will not be a good gift for them.
- Homemade casserole in foil pan
- Special spices – someone who enjoys cooking would love this!
- Body products such as sugar scrubs, soap bars, lip butters, bath bombs, etc. Homemade always makes it special, but if that’s not your thing, there are plenty of safe, clean body products available without the typical synthetics.
- Sweet tea, green tea, or iced coffee concentrate
The ideas in this post are collected from a couple different resources, with some of them my own experiences. But just to clarify, although I enjoy practical, consumable gifting, I’ve certainly not done all these. Just so nobody thinks I’m this astronomical giver!😂
Gluten Free Flour
Here’s to a quick post about the gluten-free cup-4-cup flour mix I have been using for quite some time.
I use it in so many recipes because it can be replaced cup for cup for all purpose flour! How wonderful is that?! This recipe is not original with me, and I give credit to Tina Hershberger, author of two wonderful cook books, Simple Foods and Simple Cooking. She has very worthwhile information in her books, besides many simple, tasty recipes! I also like that she spells out the recipes in a simple manner. I despise complicated looking, mile long instructions or ingredient lists for recipes!
Simple Foods has also created a line of healthy mixes such as pancake, cornbread, brownie, and cakes. All gluten free! You can also purchase this cup-4-cup flour from Simple Foods if you prefer that above mixing it yourself.
I’ve found that one, 1 lb. 8 oz.package of Bob’s Red Mill brown rice flour equals 5 cups. Also, one, 1 lb. package Bob’s Red Mill brand Tapioca flour equals 3 ¹/³ cups.
I’ve successfully used this flour as a replacement in many recipes. I even use it to thicken gravy, although it is a bit gritty. I haven’t used it in yeast recipes yet, but want to try it out sometime.
And I have two favorite recipes of ours that I wanted to share in time for the holidays. Although a bit last minute for Thanksgiving, I admit.
First off is a delicious pumpkin coffee cake recipe I revised. It is super moist and so melt in your mouth delicious!
This pecan pie bar recipe is one I tried out many times to get it to perfection. Ok, it’s not absolutely perfect, but I’m thrilled to have a delicious pecan pie bar recipe without using corn syrup!! And these are 100% husband approved!
Days In My Life
It feels like the playful temperatures of Indian summer have indeed left us for the fierceness of winter. Still, the dreary, chilled days make it feel cozy inside with warmth of heat and the ambiance of candles. I’ve started burning my favorite Welsh Mountain Candles. I love their clean wax and essential oil scents.
My stomach ulcer has been flared up considerably the last 2 months. Anytime I have too much going on, it gets worse. My brain tells my body I can’t handle much stress. We have intentionally needed to cancel some events and plans to lighten things up for me. It feels rather intimidating when others can be busy and going full throttle, yet they don’t seem worse for the wear. But then I have to watch my thoughts, or I’ll be slipping down the well-worn tracks of despondency at an alarming speed, for this treads closely to comparison. And, comparison is the thief of joy. But more than that, the Bible admonishes us that we are not to compare ourselves among ourselves. (1 Corinthians 10:12) Nobody is superwoman anyone, right?! Even when it may look like it from a distance.
And so it is, I’ve been puttering around home trying to rest both mind and body. There’s still the daily care of my family and house work, but prioritizing naps and saying “no” to big projects has felt amazing. I’ve definitely not been doing major things like fall house cleaning or sewing or decluttering or the like. I did very little canning this fall too. And this restful mode has felt so so good! I get a sort of panicky feeling when my week fills up with lots of outside obligations. Anyone else know what I mean, or am I the only weirdo?
So here’s a glimpse into what I have been doing. If you get bored, you’ve got full permission to read other people’s posts with more flare.
With the fall season, there seemed to be a need for pumpkin pies. Two weeks ago, I made two pies and took one to carry in dinner at church. It felt like minimal work since I had crusts in the freezer. Plus, I also baked 2 dishes with only filling because we don’t eat much gluten around here. I don’t know how to adequately describe the lusciousness of my mom’s pumpkin pie recipe, but I’ll have to say it’s the best there is! Rich, creamy, and comforting goodness! Mom always made large batches of this pie when I was growing up. Large as in a dozen pies! It’s like, if you’re going to the bother of making pie, make it worth your time and make a bunch! (I still like big batch cooking for efficiency.) She frequently made pumpkin pie for company, plus, I had 5 big brothers who ate a lot of food! The boys loved when the basement refrigerator was stocked with extra pies because this is one kind of pie you can sneak and eat on your way out to do chores! To this day, it is a favorite for me and all my siblings.
We don’t have the brilliant display of leaves in this area like the trees up north. Ours are more dull colors of rust, gold and pale yellow. This has its own kind of beauty, but I miss the mountains with their dazzling splendor of maples in autumn garb.
I was hankering for fall colors inside my house the other week, So one afternoon, I decided to bring fall foliage inside to spruce things up. I parked the Yukon and climbed up the bank beside our road and feverishly cut weeds with a scissors that was much too small. It was windy and cloudy with a chill and beginning to rain. I fervently hoped no one would come along and ask if I needed help because I didn’t. It just looked like I did. Of course, someone had to stop just as I was getting back into my vehicle. I quickly informed them of my mission but figured they probably questioned my words. I mean, who would be out picking crusty bouquets in this weather?!
One day the other week, I met a friend at a cute coffee shop to chat about life. It was such a refreshing time. I came away grateful and thanking God for the privilege of friendship!
I felt very accomplished to be able to defrost both my freezers in the last weeks. That and the pumpkin canning I’ll tell you about later, are the biggest jobs I’ve done the last month. Defrosting freezers is a job I hate. But find it’s best to do it twice a year to simplify the process. What really irritated me was that the very week I cleaned my chest freezer, was the week we put in our jugs of apple cider. About half of the jugs spilled out their stickiness and made a brown river down the center of the freezer! It was like the rest of the freezer items whispered cold secrets to the cider that they were in a freshly cleaned space. And the cider decides it should do its share of “mess- making” in an effort to give the housewife job security. I’ll admit I re-cleaned the freezer with plenty of groaning and moaning as I saw the entirety of the mess and all the food that was required to move to clean underneath! At last, my freezer and I can both rest in peace!
Here’s a few tips for freezer cleaning:
* Unplug the freezer. (In case your blonde and might forget this step)
* Use ice chests or coolers to stack in the majority of the food.
* Set up a table to pile other things on that don’t matter to set out for a few hours.
* When it’s totally empty, get a rag and a bucket of hot water and a scraper of some sort. Soak the frosty spots with hot water and scrape off chunks the best you can.
* When all the sides are cleaned of frost, get a dust pan and scoop up the water and pour into your bucket. This is a quick way to rid all that water and ice chunks.
* When it’s mostly emptied of liquid, get rags to wipe out remaining moisture. Lastly, get dry rags to wipe down the whole freezer.
* Now you get to organize and stack your foods back in. I love the dividers and baskets that came with this freezer. But in our upright freezer, I find it very beneficial to use baskets to keep the variety of meats and things separated. Adding labels is always a good idea.
* Plug in the freezer and enjoy your chill food space!
I was also pleased to restock my freezer with Sunday dinner mashed potatoes last week. I made a tremendous batch that should last until the end of the year. This includes a Sunday or two of being gone plus carry in at church 2 Sundays. And oh, yes! I must tell you I changed up my recipe again🤭 We had red garden potatoes that needed to be used up, so I cooked up a batch of mashed potatoes without peeling! Still added the cream cheese and sourcream, etc. They freeze fine, and we don’t mind the peelings and little chunks of potatoes in it. We all love these potatoes just as much or better than the instant ones. After eating these a couple of Sundays, I got kinda convicted about eating instant potatoes on a regular basis. Not peeling them is key to speed, which is why I decided I could go this route. You won’t catch me peeling 10 lbs of potatoes on a regular basis.
One evening when Jerald was gone, I mixed up a batch of Caramel popcorn. The children enjoy making popcorn, but the Caramel makes it extra yummy. It’s a special treat now and then, and the reason it’s special to me is that it does not have corn syrup in it! The children sat coloring at the bar while the popcorn toasted in the oven. Along with stories, the evening passed rapidly. With the ages of my children, I enjoy doing these sort of things with them. They both get so excited about being all coo-zzy inside on a cold or rainy day/evening. Playing games, reading stories and drinking hot chocolate rate high on their list of all things cozy! It’s these kind of moments we all want our children to remember in years to come, isn’t it? And so much of it is up to us moms to make those moments happen.
With the recent freezing temperatures, I brought in our butternut squash and pumpkins that we had for fall displays. I bit off more work than I expected when I started this project. The squash was minimal effort- the pumpkins a different story. I baked the squash and scooped out the meat. Reece and I have been eating it for lunch topped with butter, salt, and nutritional yeast. We deem it tasty and nutritious!
I wanted to be this frugal, virtuous, homesteading sort of wife. So I thought I ought to save those pumpkins to can. After all, we had paid good money for them at the Pumpkin stand. (Honestly, if I was truly homesteadish and frugal, the pumpkins would have been homegrown.) But if I could can them, it would help combat the cost. I had two hefty ones that I cut in halves and baked. Three of the pumpkins were the kind without much flesh; I was awfully grateful I didn’t need to process all 5!
I placed pumpkin halves on cookie sheets and added water, not realizing how much liquid they make as they bake. And did I have a mess! Two of the cookie sheets were just at the brim of overflowing when I caught it. So imagine trying to dip out or dump water off a cookie sheet with hot temperatures all around, without creating a flood in the bottom of the oven or scalding my hands in the process! I had both ovens going and had the privilege of cleaning them both too! Scooping out the flesh was easy. But then I had to put it all through the blender and fill jars. Out of those two pumpkins, I got only 14 pints.
But the labor was not over. The dishes kept cropping up as if thrilled to be adding to the workload. The pumpkin skins had to be taken out to the pigs and chickens to keep up with this homesteading life. My son and I traipsed down together laden with slop. Ah, but the animals were so grateful! And I was glad to contribute to their joy, for it could not be anything but dismal to be an animal out in an old cold barn. At least we got fresh air and a bit of exercise to benefit us. But now on to the next step.
I rinsed the seeds to save for roasting. I read how they must be thoroughly dry or they won’t crisp up well. So I spread them on a towel and ran a fan over them for an hour or two. Finally, I divided them in bowls and made 3 different flavors. They crisped up pretty well and they look great stored in glass jars on the counter. But. I’m sorry to say, they have more to their looks than their taste. Actually, two of the flavors are pretty good. Perhaps it’s more the way they gum up in your mouth. We find ourselves chewing them, and depending who the chewer is, we have the need to spit them back out, which is not frugal at all!
And would you like to know how beat out I was, when my husband comes along and asks me what the price is of a can of store bought pumpkin?!! He quickly did the math and obviously, my ambitions completely missed it when it came to being frugal! A dollar and twenty-two cents for a 15 oz. generic brand of pumpkin is not unreasonable. My precious, home canned pints of pumpkin came to about 3 or 4 dollars a jar! And to think of all the time and energy I put into my attempts at being frugal! There may be more reasons I don’t can all kinds of food. But I’m hoping my hard, honest toil would allow me to be ranked among the virtuous.
If you’re interested in the canning process, here it is: Simply fill your pints, wipe the rim, and add lids and rings. Place jars on bread/cookie racks on top of your oven rack. (This adds stability to the jars) Turn oven to 250*. Bake for 4 hours. Turn oven off and let set until cooled- at least 10-11 hours. I got mine started around 4:30 pm and turned it off at 8:30. The next morning, I got them out around 7.
My pressure canner sits neglected on the shelf since I’ve learned the ease of oven canning.
Cider Pressing
What better way to celebrate Fall than getting together to make fresh apple cider?!
Last Friday night our church did just that. We got together for a big evening of pressing apples. There were truckloads and many buckets filled with apples! The weather was crisp and clear, making it perfect for the event!
There isn’t a recipe or scientific method for making the cider. Each family simply makes it a point to gather up apples the week leading up to the event. Many of us scavenge our neighborhoods gleaning from old neglected apple trees. There does seem to be an abundance of them around here and most of the old homesteads will have upwards of 8 trees. Our next-door neighbor has over 10 trees that he graciously let us pick from! One of the locals told Jerald that this corner of Nebraska was widely known for its apple orchards in the early 1900s.
Norman and Kathryn Farmwald graciously allowed the use of their shop area for making cider. It’s an ideal place because they have a sloped concrete pad out front where all the excess water can run off. Then they have a sink and a bit of seating area in the shop too.
So back to the recipe (or lack of)- we all bring apples of all shapes, colors, and varieties and they inadvertently get mixed as they are quartered and ran through the chopper and press. The resulting cider can be summed up in one word- luscious!
There’s always a hubbub of working people all around. Even a bunch of the men were snagged into washing and cutting spots off the apples, because there were not enough men type of jobs for them all. Then there’s also the kind of people- (some little and some big!) who need to hold down chairs, sample hot drinks and exercise their vocal cords. (And we need them too!)
I started out filling jugs, but then actually spent the evening simply organizing everybody’s jugs, while two other ladies filled them. It kept me hopping for sure! I found out the amount each family wanted, unlidded (is that a word?!) their jugs, and kept their jugs separate from the next person’s. Also wiped down the jugs and capped them. As soon as one person’s were filled, I marked down their amount of gallons, and told that person their jugs were ready to be hauled out to their vehicle, so as not to get confused with the next person’s. Most everybody brings their own used jugs, so there is one grand conglomeration of jugs to be filled and kept straight. I absolutely love to organize, so I was in my element doing my job!
Jerald and I got this idea that we’d like to make a vegetable stew over the fire for supper that night. It’s something he grew up with on the Schrock side of the family. Every October, they’d get together to cook apple butter over the fire, then they’d cook this stew over the fire for lunch. He had been wanting to try it sometime and this was the prefect opportunity!
So Thursday I hauled off to town to fetch the vegetables and Jerald ordered in and picked up the stew meat and beef bones. Friday morning I spent about 3 hours peeling, and dicing vegetables and frying up the meat. I must say I felt like I’d nearly done a day’s work by the time that was accomplished. After all my hustling with the cider jugs that night, I was completely exhausted. I didn’t actually feel that bad because I was running on adrenalin. It was midnight till we dropped into bed!
I feel blessed to be part of a good church family, where we are able to spend an enjoyable evening working together like this! In this day and age of independancy and loss of love for God and our brothers and sisters in Christ, this is a definite privilege!
Photo credits- Drusilla Halteman, Kathryn Farmwald, and Jerald Rhodes
Pack It Healthy
Here we are, already well into the month of September! With it comes the arrival of school and lunch boxes. What you pack, impacts your child’s brain and health. And what a job it is to pack nutrition instead of prepackaged foods! It definitely takes intentionality and a good deal of preparation.
I want to share some ideas and recipes to inspire those lunch boxes. Some of these ideas will not likely be new, but maybe it can be a twist of inspiration one way or another.
Be Organized
Here is how I feel most prepared for the daily packing: I keep my freezer compartment of the fridge well stocked with healthy baked goods/protein bars/leftovers/homemade pizza or pizza cups etc. I like keeping a variety of cookies and bars pre-bagged and ready to grab. I then slide all these into a gallon ziploc bag. Some days I’m also packing for Jerald and am always grateful for my supply stash.
I keep a clear organizer on a low shelf in my fridge, stocked with fresh fruit. Often things like apples, grapes, small oranges and the like. Another clear organizer holds cheese and cheese sticks. This makes for easy access for snacks or lunch packing, plus, the children can help themselves. I’d much rather they see fruit, cheese sticks or yogurt cups when they need snacks than going to the pantry looking for snacky things! Not that I keep many snacky things around, but even healthy cookies don’t need to be the first option when they’re hungry!
A couple years ago, I took out 2 of my fridge drawers and use the lower shelves for my Tupperware Fridge Smart containers and the fruit/cheese organizer bins. I like this so much better than drawers! I like the easy access for already washed veggies options. Pepper or cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes or carrot sticks are the most frequent vegetables I pack. Sometimes I’ll do celery with peanut butter. Or for a different twist, fill celery with cream cheese and sprinkle with Nutritional yeast. I happen to like the last option better than my daughter. 😉
Most times I pack leftovers for Josie’s main dish, which they heat in the oven at school. (I don’t advocate microwave use) I also do this for the days I pack Jerald’s lunch. I find this much more simple and healthy than constantly packing sandwiches. I rarely have boughten deli meats on hand, simply because they are not good for you! They are filled with nitrates, flavorings, or other carcinogens.
6 Lunchbox Recipes
Ham or Egg Salad
We are blessed to raise our own organic hogs. A local friend from church butchers them for us and we get lunch meat ham from that. Totally cured but without those harmful additives! What I most often make with that ham instead of a plain sandwich, is ham salad. I dice the ham very small, add homemade mayonnaise and presto- delicious ham salad! Josie loves this with crackers. Sometimes I also make egg or chicken salad. Same idea- shred the cooked chicken or boiled eggs, add mayonnaise and salt. Super simple! Occasionally she eats these ‘salads’ on sourdough bread instead of crackers. When I have no leftovers or nothing else around, I resort to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich which she enjoys, but I don’t like to do it often.
Homemade Mayonnaise
This takes so little time and is so much better for you than the store bought stuff!
In a wide mouth quart jar, break 2 room temperature eggs (I often set the eggs in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. This helps them dissolve into the oil better)
Add: 2 teaspoons white vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, ¹/² teaspoon mustard and 2 cups oil. Avocado oil makes the best but since it’s s so pricey, I sometimes use a mix of avocado and olive oil. Using only olive oil makes for a really strong tasting flavor, which I don’t care for. I use an immersion blender until it’s well combined and emulsified. Throw on a lid, add the date and refrigerate. Remember, this has no preservatives. But that’s OK! This is real, unprocessed food! Using fresh eggs will help it to last longer.
You can also make this in a regular blender. Just blend everything else while drizzling in the oil. I hate the greasy mess to clean up though. Absolutely recommend the immersion blender!
Pizza Cups
Use your choice of biscuits, bisquick mix or homemade dough. Press into well greased muffin tins. (I make a gluten free version for my crust.)
Fry 1 lb. Sausage. Drain and cool, then stir in 1 pint pizza sauce and 1 cup shredded cheese. Fill dough lined muffins. Bake at 350* for about 20 minutes or until crust is baked. This amount of meat mixture makes 2 dozen pizza cups. These are delicious and freeze well! My family loves them.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Beat together: 1 C. peanut butter, 1/2 C maple syrup or honey, 1 Tablespoon vanilla. Then add: 1 C. oatmeal, 2 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Beat well. Very last stir in 3/4 c. chocolate chips. Drop on greased or lined baking sheet. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes. Super delicious and easy!
Chocolate Protein bars
Melt together: 1 C. Peanut butter, 1/2 C. Coconut oil, 1 C. maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons vanilla. Whisk to combine.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 ¹/² C. collagen powder and ¹/² C. Cocoa powder. Whisk to dissolve. Pour over 8 C. Rice Krispies. Stir well. Press into a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Set in freezer to chill. Cut into bars and keep refrigerated or frozen.
My family loves these bars! Credit to my friend Valerie for giving me the idea to swap out protein powder in the original recipe, for collagen. I have learned some things about protein powder that make me skeptical about using it.
Protein Finger Jello
In a saucepan, pour in 2 C. 100% Juice. (We love grape sweetened with stevia) Sprinkle 4 Tablespoons beef gelatin (grass-fed pasture raised) over the juice and let bloom for about 5 minutes. Whisk, and heat on medium until completely dissolved. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 C. Heavy whipping creme. Remove from heat and Whisk well. Pour into lightly greased medium sized glass dish. Set in fridge to chill until set, then cut into squares.
Additional Lunch Ideas
If you buy bushels of peaches to freeze, reserve some to fill small disposable cups with lids, for a handy lunch option. I like the ones from Walmart. You can find them in the aisle of disposable tableware.
Or make a large batch fruit slush and do the same thing. I’ve done both of these, plus last year I froze applesauce in these cups for another option. But so often, the slush or peaches came home again simply because Josie was tired of it. So this year I decided I’m not going to bother with doing that.
A side note on a delicious way to freeze peaches with out sugar is this. Use straight orange juice concentrate to stir over the peaches. I use 1 12 oz. concentrate to about 10-11 quarts peaches. The orange juice keeps the peaches from turning brown. When I pull a pint out of the freezer, I sprinkle with stevia to taste.
Yogurt is often a lunch option, but don’t be fooled thinking all yogurt is healthy. It can be, but you must be careful when purchasing yogurt or you will easily be consuming way too much sugar and/or food colorings, carrageenan, aspartame or sucralose. I usually buy a plain yogurt with a very low sugar content, then I sweeten it with stevia. Oikos and Chobani are good brands of Greek yogurt with a better ingredient list. But I still recommend checking the label, because it will vary depending on flavors or some contain a topping of sorts that may not be of the best ingredients. There’s been many times I have stood at the yogurt cooler studying ingredients, puffing with disgust! Of course, making your own homemade yogurt would be a great option too!
Another delicious recipe are these peanut butter banana muffins! I often make a double batch and fill a large cookie sheet instead of muffins. I like efficiency!
I’m sure there are more good ideas out there! Tell me what your healthy favorites are.
Pack to impact your family’s health!🍎
Summer’s End Photo Journal
Is there anyone else frantically savoring the fragments that remain of sweet summer days? Maybe there’s no such thing as frantically savoring. But I’ve been doing something of the sort…
I used to get peeved at people who roared loud and long about all the glories of summer. I mean, summer also means sweltering heat, and ugly things like ticks and weeds. But I’ve come to appreciate summer. (If the heat stays in moderation.) My mental health needs the warmth and light of sunshine! The coming winter and all its grayness can look a tad intimidating. But as I say goodbye to summer, I’ll anticipate basking in the autumn sunshine and crunching orchard fresh apples before I meditate on the harshness of winter.
Here are some highlights of our Summer:
Late July, we were back to Southern Indiana for Jerald’s brother’s wedding. The four wedding pictures are credits of Jamie Lynn Photography.
and sticks.
Intentionally pick yourself a bouquet of summer flowers, sit outside in the gathering dusk and remember the day’s blessings. Just because summer brings bountiful blessings, does not mean the next season won’t. God’s gifts are always abundant, no matter what season we’re in. When we choose to pause and reflect, we will be sure to find the blessings! 🤍
of windowsills and breezy hills 