Seasons

Thinking Spring

photo credit :: Lilacs :: Robin :: Baker Creek :: Planting :: Eggs :: Kite flying :: Sugaring :: Starting Seeds

“Enjoy Every Idle Hour”

goldenmomentss

A Winter Manifesto

1. Make mini gingerbread houses 2. Make Fire Cider 3. Make a snowflake curtain 4. Hand write letters 5. Read by the fire 6. Go sledding 7. See the ice flows on Lake Michigan 8. R oast chestnuts Photo credits: snowflake, “Winter”

In raising children, every parent hopes about what days will be like throughout the stages of life. I always envision myself as a mother who is in tune with the seasons, exploring with my children the land around us, and taking advantage of everything that nature has to offer us. My vision for our future always consist of a slower pace, offering us the time required to cherish and love life together as a family. Each year, I make a promise to myself that next year will be different. Next year, I’ll be the mom that I want to be, living the life that I want to live. Yet, here I sit, the last week of October, and once again, I feel that familiar panic rising in my heart over one more autumn that is slipping by without me being present.

My children are 9 & 10 this year, which is quite old if you ask me. That’s 10 years of envisioning a life with my children that I have yet to actually embrace. I ask myself, what is keeping me from making these dreams a reality, and in a word the answer is busyness.

What on Earth am I so busy doing? Put simply, I’m preparing for the future. Our family homeschools, so a large part of my time is spent preparing my children for their future. Daily, I have conversations with my children about what the future may hold for them, and what skills they must learn to prepare for life as an adult. I also busy myself working to earn money. Granted, I love the work that I do. However, there is pressure to store up treasures in an effort to secure a better future. I am so busy preparing for tomorrow that the every day moments fly right past me without a notice.

Isn’t this why God has told us not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (Mat. 6:34)? I know that my God will provide for me. I know that “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know that He watches me”. My faith is in Him, yet I continue to toil in an effort to secure a better future for my family. What promise do we have that the securities we work to put in place today will brighten our tomorrow? What promise do we have of there even being a tomorrow? None. We do however, have God’s promise that He will provide for our needs. This week my challenge for myself & you as well, is to trust God. Not just in word, but in how I choose to live life.

Lessons In Fiber Art

This fall I have been teaching some handwork classes to the kids at the homeschool co-op our family is apart of. We started of with cleaning raw wool & cotton fibers. Then we hand carded & spun the fibers into yarn. We did some wet felting & we made some natural dyes using walnut, tumeric, & black beans. Now the kids are working to weave the fibers we dyed. I have been so happy with how the projects are turning out. Mostly it’s been a great reason to try out all of these amazing projects that I’ve been meaning to try for years.

I’ll have more pictures of the finished weaving projects soon.

Danmalas by Kathy Klein

With summer just around the corner, I find myself spending more time gazing the flowers around me. I love what Kathy Klein is doing with her “danmalas”. I will most definitely being playing around with making some of these this summer.

What inspires you today?

Danmalas by Kathy Klein

What inspires you today?

Hello March . . .

March is has got to be my least favorite month of the year. It is a time of restless cabin fever, with temperatures changing from bitter cold to warm, to cold again. This is the time of year when I feel the most restless. I become discontent. I dream of traveling. I start to set lofty goals and then rearranging the furniture, as my frustration builds. My skin starts to crawl and I want to climb the walls. I am so ready to feel warmth as the sun touches my skin. Thankfully there are a few things to look forward to as March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb.