Wednesday, October 31, 2018

When Do You Finish "Dreaded Jobs"?


As I told you previously, I joined Flylady for free email homemaking "nudges" when I had fallen behind, as many of us do when there are more demands on our time in other areas.  I noticed that Wednesday is "dreaded job day" and I appreciate having something tell me to take a few hours in the day to tackle the job that looks so formidable that I avoid it.  Today is the day to spend some time on a dreaded job, and I am going to enjoy it, whether I like it or not. After the regular daily work, I hope to tackle a dreaded job. 

I have so much homemaking and job debt. Do you?  Letter debt,  paper debt, mending and sewing debt, clothing debt, unused things debt, cleaning debt, a photograph debt.  The more I avoid them, the more the dreaded "interest" of increased accumulation mounts!  So today I am tackling one of those debts and going to erase all the interest, with God's help.

I think it is important when you have children around not to be harsh with them when they help around the house. Yelling and unpleasant attitudes on the part of the parent can spoil the ability to enjoy work and see its value and progress.  If anyone were to boss me or push me in my work, it would seriously hinder me.  We all like to be guided by word and deed, and people who are pushed are often not as motivated as those who develop motivation and abilities to do the best job possible.

And as an experienced parent, I feel obligated to tell you that when you are harsh with children they view it 10 times worse than you deliver it, and that you are building a relationship for the future, so endeavor to be gentle in your responses to your children. Avoid sarcasm and verbal entrapment, and point them to the right and the good in a kind and gentle way.

Mr. S. tackles dreaded jobs by scheduling them in 15 minute stages, and he eventually gets them finished. This is because he never allows himself to tire. He intersperses other jobs throughout the day so that he can restore his energy, and he stops and takes tea at least once a day.


He is providing my fashion column today with his one of his hats and a new plaid shirt which has all the autumn shades:  


I recently got some battery operated candles with timers from Walmart, and have kept them in the window throughout the night. They shut off after a number of hours. I get tired of electric lights and enjoy the softness of these kinds of lights.


Today is worth dressing up for, and by that, I don't mean formal clothing, but pretty clothing and a nice hair style.  The day is such a gift, is it not? We are so blessed to be alive and to have the chance to carry on the worthwhile work of the home. Let us dress up and make our homes the best we can, a shining light to our family and the street where we live. These are just a couple of ways to reflect our Redeemer to others and be a good influence.

If I were to have a daily homemaking email,, the one I would send out today would be to work on a spiritual area. Today would be compassion. Practice compassion by praying for your family members with all their faults and their physical ailments.  

I have a  lovely tea made of fresh herbs that someone sent me, and I'm going to have some. 

Some of you might like seeing the young English  Royals in Tonga.  and observe a few things. These people for the most part dress in a dignified and modest way. I do wish Harry had dressed up more and worn a tie but I don't suppose he is used to the climate. The dignitaries of the country were all rather well dressed. Note, they are wearing their national costumes, so some things are a bit unusual  to us.  I think you will notice the amount and hymns and prayers in the public ceremony.  I had not heard the words "Guide Me Oh Thou Great Redeemer" used in "Guide Me Oh Thou Great Jehovah" and I quite liked it, because it was so personal.  The speaker says the island is blessed by God even more today.  I think you will see the formality of these people and their respect for God. This is quite a long video but I recommended it for children because of the uplifting and dignified content.

At minute 30, the students sing the famous Lion song that my children enjoyed so much when they heard it on tapes we had.  I hope you enjoy it too.

At approximately minute 37 they sing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."

From Wikipedia:

Tongans are ardent church goers. Church service usually follows a call and response structure. Singing in the church is often done a cappella. Although a church attends primarily to the spiritual needs of the population, it also functions as the primary social hub.
   
I enjoyed walking around in Hobby Lobby and I noticed all the black and white check things there. As you remember, I sewed a dress from this fabric and was remarking about the pumpkins in HL made of the same material.  

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Those New Dresses


 It is a relief that my computer is working and I'm able to post, because I have been in a kind of puzzle all day trying to get my phone to let me have my pictures on my blog. I finally found a back door way to it, I think.  

We have been through cameras and digital cameras, and now using phones, which sometimes give us fits: there is nothing like the panic of not having photos of your loved ones after an event, and the fear that those moments won't be recorded. I'll have to learn to do quick sketches of everything so these days can't get away from me.  

Do you miss the old ways when we sent the film away and got it back in the mail with all those nice photographs ready to put in an album under plastic pages?  I don't like being stuck in this photo-taking system, with each step dependent upon the other. 


Now on to the fashion photos. I think you should know these are not air brushed for the publication. You get to see my double chin, but I understand everyone likes reality shows much better these days.
I have been telling you about these Time and Tru rayon dresses, which have been going on sale in various Walmarts. The lowest price I've seen across the country on our travels has been $5.00 each and I have managed to get duplicates for my girls as we traveled across the country on our 10 day road trip. We stopped at a Walmart every day to stretch our legs  and get fresh food, so I was able to walk through the store (and I needed the walk after so many hours in the car).  The prices  of these dresses can be $16 full price, then reduced to $11.00 and in most places the lowest price is $9.00. I noticed even when I wear this dress in the store where I purchased it, that ladies ask me where I found it.  It is very easy to walk in and there are no cuts up the sides.

These dresses closely resemble April Cornell styles, above, and except for the gathers in the skirt, they are the same!


I wore the dress in the rain:
Do you see how colors of the dress and jacket co-ordinate with the nature scene?  

 These dresses are completely button down the front from the neck to the knee, and very comfortable to wear. 

Although I passed this one up several times because of the mustard yellow color, a shade that I never thought looked very good on me, I discovered that it actually was okay. I'm a "summer" and prefer the pale yellows and not the golds, but this dress  really made me feel happy and energetic because of the color.  In the photos I wore a lip balm called "blackberry" that looked okay with the burgundy roses on the print of the dress.

Here is my hint for making a dress look good on you if the color is not one that looks good next to your skin: wear a scarf, jacket, necklace, lip balm or hair accessory that repeats one of the other colors in the dress that compliments you better. In my case, I wore a plum corduroy blazer and blackberry lip balm, and a mauve colored hair tie. These colors will "bring out" your best color and make the other color recede.  I must say how surprised I am at how this color is on me, since I never wear yellows, browns, olives or oranges. Because of the burgundy roses, the color is fine with me.


It always looks better on the dress form/mannequin:
The dress has the look of the old fashioned house dress, and at first I thought it was rather plain and dowdy but after wearing it, I came to feel it was quite stylish and youthful. I wore it to a formal dinner  where everyone was dressed up,  and it fit right in with all the fancy outfits others were wearing.  

I wore it to rake leaves.

Mr. S. thinks he is quite dapper after church in his Sunday-go-to-meet'n' clothes.
He's an only child now, so I dote on him and take pictures of him. Maybe I can make a fashion icon out of him for men in their 70's. What do you think?

I wore the dress all day at home and I put the other two in a package to mail to my girls. 

If you buy one, I would strongly suggest taking two sizes--your regular size and one larger,  and  going  to the change room and try them on.  These dresses are made very roomy in the bustline but you do need to try them on. Note: the change room mirrors are always horribly deranged the way they make you look in new clothes, its a wonder anyone ever buys any thing after seeing themselves in those warped mirrors.  However do not let that discourage you if you are trying one on. Just go for how it fits and feels, not how it looks in those crazy mirrors that make you think you are ten times your size and 50 years older! The dress will look much better on you at home, and what's more, if you feel happy when you are wearing it, you'll be younger. Since they are all made the same style, you won't need to try one on every time you go to the store if you already did that and know which size fits best. 


I bought two other dresses in different prints, and both were the style of this one. It has a very loose fit, and that is why it looks so billowy in the outside pictures.



Once again, here are the other dresses from web pictures:
They come in XXl and extra small, as well


This red check one is what I wore the first day of our road trip to the southwest.  If the sleeve bands on these dresses feel too tight, they loosen up after a good washing and drying. They are actually longer than shown on the models. This is probably because the models are so thin, they wear the smaller sizes. I like the length of mine.
I should get a commission for all the plugs I've done on these rayon dresses.

Outside of the US and Canada, Walmart has different names so check your local stores.

It is nearly bedtime now, and I have spent all afternoon trying to get the computer and phone to work, but I am glad I finally got to see you all and post for you.

Thank you for those two kind ladies who made donations this month and thank you all for your comments.  I do hope to make a video soon and I would like to learn to make videos around the house about things I do daily or other subjects, however, I am thinking of going to podcasts because they take less space when downloading, and you can listen while you do other things. 

I hope you in the northern hemisphere will do what you can to be cheerful in the dark winter months and think of  good things. You might be able to make a list of things you would like to do and things you need to do, and work a little bit on one of them each day. By the time summer arrives you will be awfully glad everything is sorted out and cleaned and you have more time for summer activities. I usually  put a scented wax melt on the warmer and put on a favorite video in the background and then start on the most grueling jobs, and it helps ease the pain ;-)

Maybe you wonder what you can do in this life when it seems that the world does not really need you or you feel invisible. One thing that is within your power is to look your best. It doesn't take an extreme makeover to get a new dress and fix up your hair, even if only your family will see you.  This is so important for your morale and to brighten the dark days for your family. We know of course as homemakers, we are likely to see other people throughout the day, because it is impossible not to. We have to go to the grocery store, and other places, so we might as well make it nice for others by looking as good as we possibly can. I've shown you a very affordable way you can do it with dresses like these. 

In countries outside of the US and Canada, Walmart is the equivalent of Big W and other names.

Last year I gave out a few hand made cards with the words "Low Tea" on them, offering tea time for those who feel low or depressed. I had not heard a word from anyone, and today I was in the grocery store and the lady in the florist department saw me and said, "I almost called you yesterday, as I had such an awful day."  I told her the offer was still there. I better keep that front room and the tea table company ready!



Saturday, October 27, 2018

Will-O-The-Wisp and Other Lights

Mr. S. and I sometimes walk around in the evening and notice orbs (balls) of light which are blue. We also see a glow of light around the lower edges of the house which look like stage lights in a theatre.  Once we watched as some light traveled from the ground to the roof and over to the other side of the house in a flame!  We have seen these cold flames in trees at night and on the outside walls of the sheds, and houses. The lights are also white or yellow.

They are seen close to the evening and more often in the pitch darkness, when most of us are asleep.

 We always wondered what it was, until recently someone sent us some information about the will-o'-the-wisps, which were often seen around damp areas with dead leaves, swamp lands, lakes,  foggy areas, and many other places. We live in an area that used to be a river, and now is an old river bed, so naturally there will be a vapor that comes at night.

 After learning more about the ignis-fatuus, an atmospheric light created by a combination of humidity, coldness and darkness, it does not seem so mysterious. Studies have been made of these "lesser lights"  and information on their science began back in the 1700's and more is available now.

These lights get their name from the appearance of someone carrying a lantern and the way the light bobs up and down as someone is walking along.  "Will" was apparently a name, and he was supposed to be carrying  some lighted wisps of hay, which looked like someone walking with a lantern: William of the wisps. Just the right amount of air around the ball of light can make it appear to be a lantern being carried along by someone.

Some sources say the will-o'-the-wisps,  a completely natural occurance, were also the origin of the name "jack-o'-lantern" because it looked like a man carrying a lantern: o' being a contraction of the word "of." Jack, of the lantern. These lights are seen in the autumn, which is generally darker, wetter and colder, creating the right condition for these dancing lights;  hence the superstitious celebrations in that season.

According to history, will-o'-the-wisps were wispy bundles of sticks or hay that were lit and glowed in the dark, usually in marshy areas, water logged places, etc. Old poems, songs and stories contained references to the will-o'-the-wisp, often turning it into the source of mystery lights and folk tales. People going on walks at night would see it but not understand where the fire was coming from, but it was quite commonly observed until more of the swamps were drained and turned into farmland. Still, it is possible to see this combustion-like display  between two trees where it is damp and there are a lot of fallen leaves.

A few winters ago we had a very foggy season, and a friend of mine told me I was the only person she ever knew that created a season and a fashion from fog. You might recall my fog capes, fog tea and fog celebrations.  I wonder what I could do with the will-o'-the wisp!  I must think I have nothing better to do!  I think I'll give that one a pass.

Popular songs of the 1920's  through the 1950's contained romantic references to the will-o'-the wisps.

As they occur at night, in country areas (swamps, wet land, woods), in cold weather, in the dark and in wet conditions, it is possible that many of you have never seen them,


Quite a few things that are still today viewed as mysterious, have nothing to do with anything sinister at all, and I think the will-o'-the-wisp falls into the natural science category. The old McGuffey Readers for Christian Schools had a reference to the will-o'-the-wisps. I think it is good to know some things about it so you can reassure frightened people that it is something natural.

While they appear to be flames or balls of fire, they are not hot, and never burn anything. They are a natural phenomenon that comes from certain atmospheric conditions which produce cold fire that appears to go out as soon as anything warm comes close to it.

The will-o-the-wisp does not prove other kinds of lights with people's shadows that show up at night on outside walls. That sort of thing has yet to be explained.

  Mr. S. is fascinated with these natural night-lights that appear as flames  (some people are fond of a good blaze) but I would rather be inside the house at night looking at the cold computer screen.








Friday, October 26, 2018

Rest at Home


Hello Ladies,  

A friend and I were discussing ideas for having a day off in the home. Usually around my house, it is a day off for the one who has a birthday. We were talking about how the whole family could have a day off from their usual chores.

Painting by Albert Lynch

Taking time off would require some careful planning, particularly for meals and cleanup. Food could be prepared the previous day. 

Children would be free to do whatever interested them, from having adventures within the realm of home and yard, to painting a picture, and just about any thing as long as it didn't prevent some other family member from having a peaceful day of rest.
Morgan Westling (American)

Ladies who take a little time for water color or some other quick art or craft have lowered their blood pressure,  decreased anxiety and developed confidence and physical stamina.



Spend a little time gathering some things to spoil yourself with for your time off at home. You might want to locate your favorite books and teas, bath products, craft and art supplies, movies and music and other things.

Another friend of mine said she gets a pile of reading material and sits in a comfortable chair with a blanket , then proceeds to read to her heart's content.

I wondered how I would take a day off without planning a schedule for it, but it naturally fell into place. I did have to make sure the kitchen was clean and the laundry caught up so that I could truly relax. It was hard for me because I do not like to sit still for very long. 

I want to share with you what someone told me about the importance of rest for women, to prevent strain on their backs and to promote good health in other areas:

Never stand, when you can sit, 
and never sit when you can lay down.
Ilya Repin

I can certainly understand that. We go, go, go, like we are racing to a finish line and we imagine it promotes good health, but some of us have found out it is not good at all, and that rest is just as health-giving as exercise.  You might notice after only a minute or two of rest, how your body seems to revive and refresh! You may ask, "How long should I recline and rest?"
 but you do not really have to ask that, because your body will begin to "tell" you when you have had enough rest and you will feel a good urge to do something after only a few minute's recumbency.

Someone else told me she loves to sit in her reclining chair and look through cookbooks.  That is such a great idea, since one does not often look through a cookbook unless desperately trying to find a recipe for a certain occasion.  Leisurely looking through these books is a lot more relaxing, and then you will become more familiar with where the menus and recipes are.


Maybe you cannot take a full day off, but you can take "moments off" throughout the day. Recently while sewing for an entire day, I tried it. I sewed "step one" on the sewing instruction sheet, and then got up from the chair for a refreshing drink and a walk around the house, inside or out.  After sewing "step two" on the instruction sheet, I arose from the sewing chair and put in a load of laundry. After step 3, I put dishes into the dishwasher, and after step 4, I cleaned the bathroom sink.  After other steps in the sewing project, I relaxed with a little bit of gentle rocking on my outdoor swing, and after sewing a seam,  I was able to walk outside,  breathing in the lovely scents of the season. I was quite surprised that the sewing project was finished in a day. I usually try to sit and sew until something is finished but it is very tiring. 

We bring nice things into our homes to make the place comfortable for everyone, and yet for vacations we want to get away from it. This is a way to make those investments pay off.  

Mr. S. gets so much done, I am always trying to figure out how he does it. I finally observed that he does things for ten or twenty minutes and then gets up and does  something on his list that requires physical activity. He completes a lot of things without tiredness setting in. 

The free online homemaking coach called Flylady suggests taking 15 minutes to work on a room where there are things that need to be sorted through, instead of trying to complete it all at once. In a busy home where there are meals to be made and floors to be swept, and people to look after, this makes time for everything else. I have done this when I was painting walls. I painted one wall and then put the paint supplies away.  Years ago I would take a week off to paint and make myself miserable, but now I am experiencing the success of doing things in increments. 

As I was asking around about taking time to rest at home, one lady told me she makes sure she has a day to spend time taking  care of her hair and her skin. I knew immediately that was why she was looking so vibrant and healthy!

Take time to look out the window, walk outside, sit on the porch, smell the scents, and really listen to the children. The resting times make the rest of you function a lot better. The more often you rest, the more it combats the world's stress. Rest builds strength physically and emotionally.
  
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. Isaiah  30:15

Frank Weston Benson


Take a little time also and look up the artists and the paintings for many more. Morgan Westling had a lot of paintings of women in creating relaxation, painting, reading, writing, etc.



Monday, October 22, 2018

Hostess Award

A Caller  by Thomas Cantrelle Dugdale

I do not want to allow too much more time to go by since my visit to Roxy of Living From Glory to Glory blog (see my sidebar) because I want to present this air-hostess-award to her.

She did not pay me to say this:

Her warm home and her quiet and gentle hospitality, though very simple, was perfect for extremely weary travellers.  I noticed some things I want to mention here, because they added so much to the ambiance of her home.   I also have a few pictures I want to show you.
I told  her I wanted to see this on her blog. 

Aren't these just the best idea?


In the middle of brown prairie land she made a plush green meadow around her house.

The guest room has the same blanket set I have in  one of my guest rooms.



  • She has the cutest metal pumpkin on the hearth from Hobby Lobby. I regret not taking a picture of the beautiful red oil lamps with hanging crystals at each end of her mantel. She said the fireplace was included in the house, and can you imagine that some people whose house had the same kind of fireplace removed it? I can't recall if it is an electric fireplace but it seems as though it was. I like that it was situated neatly in a corner of the room.
She uses these liners for her slow-cooker and saves herself a lot of labor cleaning it. Slow cookers are very heavy and hard to wash. I did not know about these!

Things I did not get a photo of:
-a Better Homes pumpkin spice candle glowing in the kitchen
-a library area with a table and chair set in front of it where she studies herhBible,  reads and writes letters.
-pretty led-lite pillar candles turned on in the evening
-witty sayings on magnets on the fridge
-A book of her own water color paintings put in plastic sleeves.
-a basket in the guest room with things to use that I absconded on the way out: shampoo and soap

In the kitchen her recipes, hand written, some on cards, some from other people, and perhaps some clipped from magazines were: drum roll please:  all put neatly inside plastic pages in a binder! Oh that I could be so organized!

I liked the fact her grandchildren and their parents came over every evening from next door to tell her goodnight. That's a dream for all grandparents and grandchildren, and she's living that dream.


  • She gave me permission to steal her ideas for improving the atmosphere in my own home.l


If you see a post on her blog declaring me the perfect guest, I paid her to say it ;-)

True Facts About Breastfeeding

Mother and Child by Mary Cassatt

Upon my arrival home after a road trip, my in-box had several letters informing me of articles that were written in the last month online, and asked me to refute some of the false teachings in them. I don't like to do that, as I don't want to start any kind of a war, but I can see that things are sliding back into ignorance I just want to point out a few true facts about breastfeeding. If you did not breast feed, please do not take offense!

In the late 1960's and early 1970's, until the present time, there was a  huge rejection of the way babies were delivered and fed. People (including those of my generation) wanted to go back to the most natural way possible that provided the most health for the mothers and babies, and so the practice of Midwifery and the La Leche League was formed to give help to women who wanted to have a more gentle birth, and breast feed their infants.  

In the 1950's, pregnancy and birth was largely controlled by doctors, who were in my opinion, quite Spartan* in their approach to bringing children into the world and feeding them. In the western world, this was quite a modern way of letting babies cry and howl with hunger, because it wasn't on the schedule for them to eat, or letting babies cry themselves to sleep because they were cold or needed to have the comfort of their mother's body near their body.  This was discouraged, but many women sought a better and more peaceful, kind and loving way, through breastfeeding when the baby was hungry, and through keeping them close to the mother during infancy.
Mother and Child Mary Cassett 1880

For a few decades, the midwives and nursing coaches made good progress in helping the medical profession and the hospitals become more aware of the true facts about the natural science of infant feeding and sleeping, and many hospitals began providing birthing rooms, and rooms where the infant was kept beside the mother at all times. It was good to see that the midwives had even gone through legal channels to make midwifery legal, and that doctors were no longer pushing the painful and unnatural procedures, and were even strongly advocating more education about breast feeding. Most doctor's offices provided videos about breastfeeding for expectant mothers. An entire generation was changed by this, and many dangerous birthing procedures and infant feeding customs were replaced by the God-given (natural) ways that existed from the beginning.

Recently it is very sad to see that again, the old doctor type of delivery and feeding has made a comeback, and young women are not aware of the old paths where the good walk is. They accept everything that doctors tell them, and they do not seek any other information.  It may be that they are anxious to return to work, so they want to follow the doctor's orders to put their babies on a schedule and pump their milk instead of having breast contact with the baby.  It also may be due to some of the modern religious books that are on the market now, telling them to put the baby on a schedule and not allow the baby in the bed with the mother.  Someone sent me a book where it told how it would "harm your marriage" if the infant was in bed with the mother. The only way this would "harm" a marriage is if the husband was extremely demanding, selfish or ignorant of the intricate process of breastfeeding.  


One thing I want to say about this is that an infant is helpless and totally dependent upon the care of his mother. She must never allow anything to come between that. People who put demands on the nursing mother to get up and go to work, or even do more housework, are truly selfish.  My mother had 7 children and my father always did the cooking and housework when she had an infant. We also helped, but my father never demanded she recover quickly and get back to her work. That baby was her occupation for the time being.

So before you decide you do not like what I just wrote, please go here https://www.bellybelly.com.au/breastfeeding/how-does-breastfeeding-work/ to read more about the scientific way the breasts and the baby function together.  In a nutshell, the baby shows these signs  called "hunger cues" when it is time to suck,  and the mother's milk begins to descend and her breasts tingle with urgency to be emptied by the baby. When someone tries to stop that natural procedure, the breasts become painfully engorged.  Of course there is "pumping" but that was not available in the past, so the mothers milk was always given fresh to the baby.  One thing that naturally happens, is when an infant cries, the breast milk begins to come forth, and you can feel it. Sometimes the father or someone else who is not educated on the matter, will taken the baby out of the room away from the mother and try to "discipline" it to stop crying!  

Some modern writers think so lowly of the mother and infant that they advocate separation from the beginning, not allowing them to breastfeed in bed. Feeding the infant is the mother's job at this time, and it is so important that she have a sense of well-being and be able to relax and have plenty of rest and food and liquids, and to be able to feed her baby when he needs it. It is unfortunate that the word "demand" is used in the phrase "feeding on demand" because infants are not being "demanding". They are in need and are responding to that urgent need. It should be called "feeding urgency."  The words "feeding on demand" somehow brings up the idea that an infant is selfish and demanding and that he needs regulation. So I'm changing the phrase to something else. If you can think of something better than the word "demand, " please leave me a comment!

You cannot put an infant on a schedule or use breastfeeding as a matter of discipline. Infants do not need discipline because all they know is what their bodies are signaling.  This modern advice from the new marriage and child rearing books is nothing but the old advice from the 1950's when doctors took over the midwive's jobs. 

Of course I don't want to demean you in any way if you did not breastfeed, but I also don't want the ignorance to continue.  It is like whenever I was a poor housekeeper:  I didn't think people who were promoting good housekeeping were condemning me or trying to put guilt on me. I wanted to know the best way.

It is not up to a husband to forbid breastfeeding. It is not his realm at all. To do so is a show of great ignorance of the way a mother's breasts function during pregnancy and after birth. He doesn't guide and guard the home: the woman does: (Ist Timothy 5:14)  He cannot "command" a different way than what God has already said in his word. Knowing this, some immature and selfish men will put a lot of pressure and strong influence on their wives to allow the neglect of infants, and the wife feels powerless to overcome his dominance. But it is right and good to care for an infant and to become aware of the suffering of infants.  It is not good to put them on a schedule or put them away from the mother to sleep, and you will find they eventually develop a schedule where they are predictably feeding at certain times.

 In the Old Testament there are indications that families slept in the same room together. There was no command to do this, but it was simply a custom. Bedding was rolled up and used for seating during the day, and rolled into the bedding for sleeping. Parents were told to teach their children "as you sit in your house and as you lie down." Of course, I am a Christian, and do not follow any Jewish law or custom, but I just wanted to point out the ancient way of sleeping was considered normal at that time. When my children were little we would lie down with them to help them go to sleep and tell them Bible stories and other things.  I'm not saying we all must sleep in the same room, but I am using that as an example that the infants were sleeping very close to the mothers.

Breastfeeding and keeping the infant  in close physical contact also helps the health of the mother, because she has grown close to the child in pregnancy and now still needs him near her. Her body is healed faster by breastfeeding.  Her breasts will develop health, and the baby's mouth, tongue, eyesight, and a lot of other things are involved! Things will gradually change as the infant grows but to circumvent this natural process with advice from child-training books and marriage books is not good for the emotional and physical well-being of either the mother or the child and is not a good example to others in the family.

Before you hate me and before I "lose votes" (a quote from Wives and Daughters), please go to this link https://www.bellybelly.com.au/baby/baby-hunger-cues/ and read it well, and then to this link,  "How Does Breastfeeding Work" and educate yourself.  Husbands should read these links too.

I was hesitant to address this because I don't want to seem to be retaliating to anyone who believes the opposite, but I just want to give young women the chance to understand the God-given way things work between infants and their mothers. The infant is not "sinful" or bad because it cries or needs its mother.  This is the way God designed it.  I hope you will read these links!  I realize, as Lady Harriot said in "Wives and Daughters" that I will "lose votes"!  The process of infant feeding is a closely aligned relationship between the crying and the milk coming in. Each one signals the other!

Here is another good link called "Six Ways Your Breast Milk Changes for Your Baby's Needs." This is certainly interesting, since no formula exactly does this.

Lydia

*Spartan:
synonyms:austereharshhardfrugalstringentrigorousstrictsternsevere

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Returning Home With Ease

Cottage Garden by Henry Sutton Palmer, English, 1834-1953

Before we departed on our 11 day road trip, I planned our return so that it could be done with a minimal amount of cutter. Our bags therefore were carried directly into a room out of sight, so that I could put things away the next day without making a major mess all over the place.

Another thing that I did before we left, was to make sure all trash was taken out, the trash containers washed and aired out and scented with essential oils, all the sinks and drains were sanitized and clean, the floors swept, all surfaces wiped with a damp cloth sprinkled with scented oil of my preference. Cotton balls with a little orange essential oil were placed inside closets and shelves. Lavender from the garden was placed on window sills, and there were eucalyptus branches in the far corners of all the rooms. I emptied the refrigerator so that food would not have a chance to spoil over a long period of time.  I dreaded coming home to a house that had not been opened for 11 days, but was relieved at the fresh scented house. 

The beds were all made, and the bathroom looked like it was prepared for guests, with new toothbrushes, soap, towels, shampoo, line-dried crispy clean terry towels folded on the edge of the tub,  as well as a clean set of sleepwear hanging on the door. This was such a pleasant thing, since I came home at one o'clock in the morning with a bit of a headache and was loathe to dig around in a bag for all those things.  My plan was to make the house an inn for weary travelers and I was certainly glad I went to the extra trouble before leaving.  I felt as though we were arriving in a vacation home after our road trip.

Because this plan was set into place, it has taken me very little time to get unpacked and back into the business of home.

Going over all those passes in the dark and in the rain or snow, made even the most daunting plans and tasks at home seem light, so when we arrived home, our pressing responsibilities seemed less formidable.  No longer did I dread doing something that I had been putting off, because all I had to do was think of driving through a pass, and then I was happy that all I had to do was clean up a hoarder's mess in the laundry room. 

In my next video I hope to share with you some delightful things I learned while away from home.

Thank you Roxy in Colorado and Amy and Bob in Idaho for inviting us into your homes. Thank you to all of you for praying for us, especially me, who was always hanging on the the door on the passenger side when I was not driving.  Once, I told Mr. S. that the reason I never accompanied him on his yearly trips across the desert, is that he and his brother usually drive the speed limit, which is 90 mph in some long stretches.  I told him while riding with him that I wish he would slow down; that it seemed like he was doing 75 mph, but he said, "My dear, I wish you would not make false accusations against me.  I'm NOT going 75! I'm going 90."

Lydia

Friday, October 19, 2018

Road Trip Day 9 & 10

On day 9 we traveled through Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Idaho, and now on Day 10 are enjoying plush, green, English garden Oregon.

      The rock formations in Utah:

We met up with a favorite couple who worship with us in the church where we serve in Oregon and traveled across Colorado, and Wyoming. We stayed in Idaho and had breakfast together before we parted. They went back a different route. They were returning from a trip.

The hair pin curves in eastern Oregon were troublesome, enhanced by the alarming fact that the brakes on the passenger side were not working.

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Road Trip Day 8

Day 7, 8 and 9 are being spent in Colorado at Roxy's (Living From Glory to Glory) wonderful place. Raton Pass was sunny and clear yesterday when we drove through, and it was the place we were the most hesitant about.

Roxy said she caught an elk and made a stew. I am a sea captain's daughter and the word "caught" refers to fish, but the stew was still good.

Here are some pictures from her charming house.  I like the vignette on her coffee table. She painted the table and all the smaller tables, chairs and shelves blue and white. I have done the same thing this year with mint green and white.



Roxy is recovering from surgery so we are using the opportunity to sit around, read books, exchange ideas, inspire each other, count our blessings, watch movies and sleep. I am getting ever so many ideas from the way she has furnished her home.

While she was resting, her grandchildren wanted to know if she would play football but she told them she would put it in her planner for another time.

Mr. S and I  have been letting our memories catch up of the trip.