Donna's Journey

I have taken it easy this summer as I have worked to heal. Now the summer is ending and our lives have changed. New rhythms are in order. I worked out the logical order in which I wanted to run my day. Click here to see our proposed new schedule:Fall 2010. Notice I kept with large time blocks, because I was structuring the time.

What happens during family work? There are daily needs of a tidy home and some tasks do not need to be done more than weekly or monthly, both inside and outside. We take care of that first. Then I have the home divided into zones. We spend some time each day in deep cleaning and restoring the zone we are working on. Then there is mending, bread baking, sewing, and other domestic tasks. Sometimes these tasks take priority over zones, extending the completion of a zone by several days. This may happen when we are preserving foods, or finishing a major sewing project.

Zones
More on zones– Some zones may take only a few days, others a week or longer. I am not worried with trying to complete it all in a month. While we are working a zone, we clean and fix everything we can. If the paint needs a touch-up repair that is the time to do it. Zone one is the master bedroom and other bedrooms. Our rooms should be inviting retreats that engender rest, contemplation and the release of stress, and not a cave full of clutter. Then comes the storage areas. Seriously, they need a thorough going through on a regular basis. Why store stuff we never use? Seasons change about every ninety days. So, new things go into storage and others come out for use. If I am deep cleaning, I will find things that need to be stored. I do not want storage clogged with over burden. I need to bless someone else with it. Then I can start the rest of the zones with curb appeal and then through the main living areas of the house. The Living room, the kitchen, etc. I like this zone process, as I know that the house gets a thorough once over in a deep way, at least once or twice each season!

Leisure to Learn
Leisure to learn is time for me to inspire, but not require learning. I get to share my passion for learning and introduce my children to new knowledge, experiences, and learning relationships. A great time for reading aloud, Sowing Seeds of Greatness, a once a month circle luncheon, a once a week “Wild Day” nature walk, or a Crazy Day field trip!

Leisure to Learn, Create, and Play
Leisure to learn, create and play is the next category. This is a time where we have more choices. I may team teach a sewing class with my daughter. My son or daughter may choose to read, play with a friend, or create with their hands or minds. I may work on my Princess Academies or Moor House Academy websites, teach classes, create etc.

As we begin using and tweaking the rhythms, I will be posting over on Mahalo, Donna under the label of “8. Donna’s Cottage School.” I do not do it all, all the time. I keep variety withing the regular daily blocks of time. It can be as simple and slow paced as I need it to be. It can become as complex as I permit it to be. The key is, I need to be constantly aware and open to epiphanies within each block. Right now, this mom can hardly wait for school to start again!!!! Let the dance of time begin!

I read the headgates. A headgate is an irrigation diversion device. A way to take water coming along an irrigation canal and divert it for the good purpose of watering a specific area. If left open too long or in the wrong place it can cause more damage than good. My father in law lived at the end of an irrigation canal. Others would open headgates and water when it was his turn, not theirs and he would not get water. That was a disaster to his garden. What about the headgates in our lives. Are some of things getting more diversion to their cause than is wholesome and good? Are other areas of our lives being dried up because the wrong headgates are open? A little thought and pondering can help us come up with a workable plan whereby the right headgates are open, at an optimum time, and for wise duration. The answers will most likely come on our knees to our hearts and minds. No doubt about it, it will cause us to have to make sacrifices of effort and change our paradigm before we are done.

I have been a little hampered in my plans this summer to get the ditches in my life cleaned out so that I can close some headgates and open others. A severe respiratory illness followed by a fall with a brain-stem concussion has slowed me down, quite a bit. I did close some headgates dealing with where I spend my time, by consolidating and rethinking how I could better serve others in the homeschool community online. Especially by doing less, so I can do more in a meaningful way, with less time.

I really think that the first headgates to open or close should be our own personal ones. Then when we have become the change we wish to see (or at least have a good start in that direction), we can prayerfully discuss it with our spouse and consider what headgates are undermining our parenting, our family’s growth, and our and our children’s education.

The up side is that while I have been off my feet recuperating, I have been simplifying my perspective and commitments. While doing so, the stress has dropped significantly and with that the stress induced weight gain has begun to drop, as well. I was so afraid that with over 60 days of not being able to go walking I would balloon. I was so happy to watch the scale move in the other direction!

None the less, there is much to do, cupboards to go through, much to simplify, and I am yet unable to do those things, yet. Yes, an consider what toys and things to have around for grandchildren, as my youngest child is 11.5 and she is not interested in toys, She is interested in games so we need to consider the game closet. Perhaps a little more focus and pondering I can figure out how I will proceed, in a slow and steady pace. I am healing and I know a lot will happen in the next six weeks.

It is important to consider what headgates are flodding our children and distracting them from growth and development. What headgates are not being opened because the prominence of other headgates that are open. For most of us it is too many possession to maintain and distract us. What if we had to leave and live in a tent for a year, what would we really need and what could we really take?

We do need to help our children understand what is important in life and possessions and self indulgence is not it. If grandparents contribute to the problem and feel that buying love is how it is done, suggest an alternative, a good book, a classic movie (for movie night), tickets to the planetarium, recording their story, recording their voice reading their favorite book (complete with a whistle, jingle of a bell, or some other indication to change the page), tools to build with, sewing tools, cooking tools, etc. Something that fill their need and desire to grow up and develop skills. Swimming lessons. Garden tools or seeds for the kids to develop their own little plot of land. These are things that will endure in their lives longer than any toy. At Chirstmas children can make things instead of thinking that presents come from the store.

During the past two months I have not watched TV or movies. It is in the family room down stairs. Unfortunately, I feel that at least one of my children has had more viewing time than is prudent and that is a headgate that will need to close, not completely, as we do have ability to record worthy shows. Yet, the headgate needs to be closed during work and free time, in order to open the headgates to worthier work and leisure. I really feel that as our new rhythms take shape, more interesting and important things will crowd out the unnecessary kinds and times of TV viewing. However, if new rhythms are not established other ways of wasting or passing the time will creep in that are not so ennobling.

I kind of touched on computers before. We need to spend our precious time very wisely. Computers are an interesting headgate. They can be used to educate the ignorant, free the captive, heal the sick, cloth the naked, etc. or they can be a time suck. There is genealogy that can be done, indexing, correspondence, sharing. How are our computer moments spent? Do we need to close this headgate during times of the day so that the vital and important can flourish in our lives?

I do not think we need to go to a space where there are no toys, tv or computer, but I do think that serious consideration should be given to when those headgates should be open and closed. I also think we need to learn the difference between entertainment/amusement and leisure/recreation. Entertainment and amusement is a distraction and is meant to be so. Leisure is what you choose to do with your free or spare time when not working. Recreation means to rest and restore. It is a time to do things that re- create the vital energy within us. One is passive distraction, the other I see as an active though restful restoration. it could include a daily constitutional (daily physical activity like walking), swimming, playing a board game that causes us to think, gardening, even reading and learning. Yes, reading can fall under either category, it depends on how it is used.

So, yes, I do have headgates on my mind and in my heart. One thing that has come from this healing process, I have become more observant and am beginning to see what headgates need to open and close so that our House of learning and growth can flourish.

I think the last five posts gave you a view into my life. A recap since graduation…
* I did not move. We stayed.
* My oldest daughter got engaged to an awesome young man.

* I slipped on the ice while doing Bridal Boot Camp with my daughter and injured both wrists.
* My second daughter gave birth to my first grand daughter (at my home).

* My oldest daughter married and we catered the wedding.

* My daughter-in-law in California gave birth to her fourth son, my sixth grandson.
* I stepped on a twig while wearing heels, rolling my heel and sprained my ankle.
* I launched Princess Academies with my two married daughters!
* I launched the Princess Academies website, which I added most of the content.
* I tripped trying to step over a box barrier and separated my AC.
* I started teaching art classes in my home, through Moor House Academy. We had fun and my youngest was in the classes.
* My oldest daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter (at my home as well).

* I had four children move in a three week period and I assisted the new mom in her move and you guessed it, I tripped in the new apartment and fell. That night I went home and got sick.
Many of the above things were just part of being a mom.

Whew! Exhausted yet? I was!

* I got really sick with bronchitis and after 60 days am finally beginning to recover! At this point I began take stock. As I did, I began to cut way back. About this time I read Headgates.. This got me thinking deeper. I started this series of posts.

I closed down the discussion on my yahoo groups. I consolidated my blogs into Mahalo, Donna. I kept this blog and my Donna’s Recipe Box blogs. I taught at UHEA. I finished my art classes and did not start new ones. I started saying “no,” more often to outside things, so I can say yes more often at home. I switched lanes.

Sunday was my last Sunday as a missionary working at the BYU Family History center. I was called for a year. Has it been that long already?

Trusting God to care for our family. Though my husband is working hard on a project, no income yet. Things are in God’s hands. No, we did not get a tax refund. No we did not get stimulus money. No we are not on welfare, government or church. I am grateful for the Lord’s tender mercies, day to day miracles, and daily blessings. I realize our present situation is temporary. We will overcome. Challenges are where we gain the tools/skills needed for our journey. Meanwhile, I focus on changing lanes, slowing down, simplifying.

Yet, I have a little break. No more babies due in the near future, at least until 2011. No moves scheduled for the near future. I have two boys. One is living and working to earn the money to go on a mission. The other is 15. Their sister is 11, so it will be a while before another wedding.

Apparently, I needed more time doing less and less. I took a hike with my husband in the mountains, a short one, not strenuous. However, I tripped on a leaf covered root and fell headlong down hill and suffered a brainstem concussion and a twisted knee. I am so very grateful it was not worse! The concussion healed. The knee is taking longer, but is healing. Most of the simplifying has come by way of reducing outside commitments and having the rest of life grind to almost a halt. Lots of time to contemplate. Being ill and hurting has not lent itself to heroic efforts of decluttering and simplifying routines. Little by little, even those areas are visited as I change lanes and reconsider the rearing of my last two at home, our family rhythms, traditions, and possessions.

This last year has not been good on my health, with several trips and falls. However, that is just a drop in the bucket compared to the stress of last several years. I shall not enumerate them here as I think most peoples heads might spin. I was looking to this summer as a time to rebuild my health and that it shall be.

Many of you know I have been ill since the end of April. Thursday a week ago I felt impressed to contact my old NUCCA doctor, Dr. Chris Chapman and make an appointment. Then Tuesday following I was taking a very short hike with my husband, my foot caught a root and headlong downhill I went. Well, my appointment was Friday and boy was I in rough shape. Apparently, I had a brainstem concussion. On his blog he said that my “Atlas was severely subluxated —in other words, “not in the right place”, and that was causing the following:

* a slight distortion of the spinal cord,
* interference in the vascular supply and drainage to and from the brain,
* and broad primary muscular imbalances of the entire spine and pelvis.
He was able to help me on the road to healing. Things improved when the pressure was removed by his gentle adjustment. But later I woke up to the worst pain I ever had as I feel swelling had come. I contacted him afraid that maybe I did something in my sleep, actually I was afraid of my brain swelling. He reassured me that I was on the road to healing. Over the course of the day, today, the swelling began to subside and a lot of the pain.

I have come to realize that there are no quick fixes when it comes to health and even after the swelling is down and the pain subsides I have a long journey ahead. I was already looking at this summer as a time of healing, centering, simplifying…healthy time in the slow lane with the ones I so dearly love. I am looking forward to the new rhythms. But first, I need to heal enough to stabilize so I have a solid foundation to build health on. Meanwhile, I have plenty of time to think and ponder my course in life from here, at least for the summer, taking time to celebrate life. Health comes drip by drip, day by day, in how we chose to live our life and how we chose to respond to what comes into our life.

Wow! What a transition!!!

Over the last few weeks we have been transitioning Moor House Academy, its moodle site, and this blog to a new host, the same one that hosts my Princess Academies. All of which is outside my present technological abilities. Somehow, everything transferred easily except this blog. So, for now, this blog is connected to the Princess Academies domain instead of the Moor House Academy domain.

While Aaron, my former administrator and David, my present administrator worked things through, I have spent my time going through transitions of my own. I have spent the last 10 days sick. No fun I assure you. However, it has given me a lot of time to think, ponder and bring new order to my life.

I have given notice to my yahoo groups that I am moving away from yahoo as a tool. I will leave my two yahoo groups up for a time, so their archives will be available.

I am keeping this bog, my hope chest journey blog (because it is a community blog), and my Donna’s Recipe Box blog at http://donnasrecipebox.blogspot.com/.

I am consolidating my other blogs into one, Mahalo, Donna found at: http://donnagoff.blogspot.com/. So far I have integrated the following:
* Called to Liber is now found under this label: 1. Liber (87) This is where I post about books I have read and epistles I have written to my children about such.
* Going Neo-georgic can now be found under this label: 2. Neo-Georgic (67) This is where I write about family business, gardening and provident living.
* Joyous Help Meet can now be found under this label: 3. Help meet (17) Is where I write about being an Ezer K’negdo.
* My Father’s Study can now be found under this label: 4. His Study (4) Is about nature studies.
* Rejoicing Texts can now be found under this label: 5.Rejoicing Texts (23)
I still need to consolidate:
* Donna Goff’s Cottage School- about homeschooling and education.
* Sons of Valor- about a class that I offered and about raising sons
* Princess Academies- about a class I offered that has turned into an international organization, and about raising daughters
* What’s There To Lose- about my journey back to health

Yes, it appears that I had too many blogs, all of which were pretty low volume and worked more like index tabs to my main blog. Now they will be all in one place. Part of one narrative. Simplifying!

Isabella Sacred Groves, the little princess, has arrived. She was 10 days early and weighed in at 7 lbs. 8 oz. and 21 inches of absolute sweetness. Isabella’s mother, Julia, was attended by three fabulous midwives, Dianne, Lisa, and Ash. She was also supported by her husband Rory, her mother, her sister, Jennifer, and her dear friend/ sister-in-law Heather. Women helping women, and supported by her husband, encircled in love! Julia’s sister Jennifer and her family had been here most of the day, Monday and Tuesday. Even Julia’s oldest brother, Adam, came to bring Heather and Andy’s toddler to us and was able to join the anticipated arrival Isabella. Julia and Rory usually join Heather and Andy’s family and Adam’s family for family home evening each week. What a family home evening this swelled to be!!!

On Monday, when everyone arrived, I sent the men out to the yard to do yard work and then I joined them. They raked the flowerbeds, trimmed bushes, and dad tilled the garden. We have crocuses in bloom, blue starts, and a stately collection of daffodils gathering the rain spout, huddling to gather to drink from its spring floods at their feet. My butterfly bushes are budding new leaves, the promise of summer delights to come! after the beds were raked the leaves of the emerging violets became obvious, more promise of things to come. Isabella means God’s promise.

We had not abandoned Julia. Heather sat and chatted with Julia during the early stages of labor. Rory came home early to join us. Labor slowed. So we then sent the boys for an hour, around the corner to the church to play dodge ball. It was good for them to get out that energy.

Heather observed how the first 42 hours of labor seemed more of a social, family gathering. (This should have been titled the Birth Day Party). People playing board games in the living room, Rory setting up his Wii to keep the children and adult men occupied. Jeremy worked as the Kitchen on call to provide a sumptuous delectable delights to feed the hungry masses. He made home pan popped butter popcorn, banana berry smoothies and the best steak sandwiches! Heather’s husband Andy took the kids to the kitchen when labor picked up. There, Andy distracted them by teaching them how to make tortillas from scratch! Heather came up and made Julia’s Pink Lemonade pie to celebrate the birth. Heather was the official chronicler of the event, taking pictures, and video interviewing family about the birth of the little princess, Isabella.

During the day, there were bouts of napping, laboring, and socializing. Andy and Heather spent the night on Monday, Jennifer and Alan went home, as they live really close. Jennifer returned again on Tuesday and Alan went to take college exams and joined us in the evening. I made Beef Barley soup on Monday Night and Taco soup Tuesday night.

All in all we worked to conserve energy and let gentle labor progress the work. Though labor was long it was needed to let her body do as much work as possible before the very active stage arrived. She has struggled with mitral valve prolapse syndrome that responds to magnesium supplementation and with toxemia for about a month. Slow patient labor kept the blood pressure in check and permitted her body time to rid itself of toxins and fluid retention, before the strain of the advance active labor. Her midwives were careful, deliberate, and skilled in dealing with the challenges. We knew of their policies and knew if her blood pressure went up and could not be coaxed down it would mean transporting. We were so blessed through their skillfully applied knowledge and the blessings of slow and patient progress. The last six hours were intense, but Julia was able to labor in a sterile heated tub and that helped quite a bit.

Then at 4:21 am, this morning, Isabella Sacred Groves, who had already entered into our lives and hearts, entered the encirclement of our arms, as she chose to make her debut into mortality at grandma’s home. She was born in the library. How fitting for a girl who will receive a refining liberal arts education from a mother who knows.!

Today is the 80th day of the year. 100 Days from now will be June 29th. I will give a fudge factor of a few days, to end on 1 July. Going crazy Wanna Come Along? How far will I get? Will I come close to finishing? Will I get stuck in Denver? Actually, the walking will be here in my area. This is real basic. Scriptures, walking, and journaling. I still get to do all the other things I need to do.

100 Day Scripture Challenge is to read all four standard works:
KJV Bible- 1590 (has footnotes so there are more pages)
Doctrine and Covenants- 294
Pearl of great Prince- 61
Book of Mormon- 531
for a total of 2476 pages or 24.75 pages a day. I can read this in the morning before others arise.

100 Day Journey to Zion 2010 Physical Challenge
1113 miles divided by 100 days is 11.3 miles a day, or 13.18 a day 6 days a week. I can divide this in half and walk in the morning and evening, and maybe even after lunch on some days. Every hour of pool work out is equal to 4.5 miles walking. I wonder how far I will get? Sidney, Nebraska is about the half way point at 556 miles. My low average of daily walks was around 5 miles. My high average was 10 miles a day. I know I am not expected to go faster than is needful.

If I do not make my goal in 100 days, I wonder how long it will take me to complete them. As the summer grows hotter I know my time will be abbreviated and relegated to cooler times.

Journal the Journey Victory List here.

“My biggest concern is having my 2 1/2 year old just hang around me all day till she’s 8…I just worry about the things she should be learning but isn’t. Are there any ideas of things to do with her?”

I am not surprised that you are concerned. The current trend of pre-schools and kindergarten academics were not always the case.

I was born in 1955. When I was a child, most children stayed home with mom, like families have done since time began. Pre-schools were called nursery schools. Kindergartens were non-academic. Preschools have been sold to Americans and quite frankly our educational performance has been declining, not improving.

Once upon a time children learned and internalized a work ethic, quality, finishing, rhythms, and more, working with their parents, instead of for them. Children working along side of parents gain far more, than those who are merely assigned and nagged to work. I feel we rush independence before these values are formed.

What can you do? Plenty! These are things I suggest…

First, consider your family rhythms. Are they done by mood or by design? If by mood, might I suggest that you consider systematizing those tasks that are done more than once? Establish those rhythms. Have your sweet daughter learn and develop capacities working by your side.

Second, take time to lap read with her everyday from the scriptures. This is leadership and discipleship. This helps children learn to read, without detracting and pulling away from the vital lessons of the core phase. They learn to read without reading stealing the focus. Then lap read aloud from other books.

Three, help your daughter write a journal. At first you write for her, but soon she wil want to on her own.

Four, work with your child so they learn every aspect of running a home. Not just until they “know how.” Keep it up until it becomes their basic fiber. Working side by side, share memories, look for object lessons and teaching moments.

Five, have your child help you do service, whether visiting the Elderly, weeding a shut in’s yard, baking bread.

Six, live in a quantitatively rich home. Count towels as you fold together, help her understand weights and measures as you cook together. Count place settings, as you set the table. Get a face clock and help her learn to read it when you check it. Take her shopping with you and explain why you buy a particular product and why it is a great buy.Lap read the page numbers when looking up hymns.

My daughter visited when we had out of town guests. The mom was pregnant and exhausted. So my daughter took the 15 and 28 month olds in to the kitchen. She got out a recipe and had them look at the ingredient and then they matched it with something in the spice drawer. She explained the fraction as she measured.

Yes, it takes time to mother like this. However, it educates in a very incidental way. What’s more, they internalize it better.

Seven, make daily walks a priority, Great for your health. Great to dissipate extra energy! Walk to the park or drive to one so she can climb, swing, crawl, and slide.

Eight, get a large map of the US and one of the world. Place on the dinning table you eat most meals at. Lay them out and use a blow dryer to relax the maps flat. Cover with medium weight clear vinyl. Share where you and different family and ancestors were born. Use the map when discussing news and the scriptures.

Nine, get art supplies and keep them high in a closet until she is old enough to understand what surfaces she should write in and which she should not. Draw, finger pain, paint, work with clay.

Ten, sing to and with your child. Play classical music in the home.

Eleven, memorize poems, quotes, and scriptures with her.

Twelve, play games with her.

Thirteen, invite others into your home. While you visit with the mothers, let the children be in a supervised play.

Fourteen, make sure there are regular meal and bedtime rhythms.

Fifteen, take her to museums, concerts, plays, craft fairs, etc.

There you have it. Core phase with no academics. Yet, through lifestyle like this, most children learn to read, write, do arithmetic, become aware of geography, develop the ability to draw and sing.

All this with no stress of nagging, no unnatural curriculum juggling, and it is practical. I dare say, I have listed so much that can be done! By the time love of learning phase comes along, she will probably be reading, writing, understanding arithmetic, know the world she lives in, and be cultured beyond her peers. Eight will come and go.

It only appears like chaos on the surface, a deeper look says that life has subdivided and now there is an opportunity to guide life and help evolve it to a higher order. Translation, many things have happened in the past 18 months, a daughter married, I had a five month respiratory illness, an almost move to Monticello (our house did not sell, go figure, at the time it was on the market, almost no one could get a loan), a thesis completed (whew, after 80 hour weeks last summer), graduation from graduate school, a slip on ice and injured wrists, a granddaughter born, another daughter married, a grandson born, a business launched, a sprained ankle, and separated AC. All of these things change the variables of my life. Yes, change is inevitable. I am adaptable. To survive and thrive one needs to be aware of the opportunities and Carpe Diem “Seize the Day!”

I am rethinking the order of my life to meet life as it is. I crave order. My creativity craves an ordered life. I felt helpless as my landscape began to change. I needed order but why establish new order and then have to pack, move, and have to establish new order? Sanity maybe? Last night as I waited on the curb for my husband to pick me up at the university, it hit me, my solution. Have a Winter Quarters mentality. When the people with Brigham Young were at Winter Quarters, they planted and carried on life as if they would stay, but were prepared and ready if they had to move on. I need order now.

The events of the past 18 months have resulted in Chaos, some caused by fewer people and the changes that necessitates. Other challenges because of resulting selective neglect, as I am but one woman and my family life was impacted by several very time intensive experiences. It all adds up and systems have slipped into disuse.

Time for the Georgic in me to reawaken. I need to come out of my pastoral stage of grazing. Georgics need to actively create (plan) and then work to exercise dominion over the elements of their property that they may obtain life from their property. Georgic thinking will move me forward into my creative space, where I thrive.

I need to go through everything I own, including books, activities, things that pull my time and mental energy, etc., and decide whether to keep, share, or toss. If I stay here in this house for a long time, the new order and extra space it provides will be a great blessing. If I ever have to pack up and move, I will have a home ready for show and I won’t have to sort as I pack, nor will I have to move things I no longer need.

As I go through each thing, I can really think how I can systematize and make less work for the future. This simplification creates space for creativity to flourish, energy to be renewed, and peace. Ah, the Hebrew word for create, bara is also translated as organize. He says that His house is a house of order. The press has circulated the idea of disorganized genius. That is only a part of the picture. Some may be so focused that they neglect other areas. Others had someone in their lives that took care of the periphery. Others still were very organized. Like a pregnant woman may crave exotic or wild foods, the creative craves order that they may have space for creative ideas to flourish and time to explore, experiment, and discover. Disorder is a distraction and distraction can cripple creativity. So, I am on a quest.

Order is not a project but a process, and is a continuum. My female brain has so many cross overs through my corpus callosum that I can see how the periphery can affect the important. Ordering will help move things forward. If this makes any sense to you, what are you waiting for? Go georgic! Take charge of your life. Exercise your ability to create. More later as I create…

This morning, in the quiet hours, long before the rays of the sun illuminated the earth with its bright and cheery rays, I began my day. I rolled over to watch my husband struggle to sleep, startling and resuming his breathing a=every few seconds. No wonder he awakes tired and tends towards afternoon naps. It is called obstructive sleep apnea.

I arose and changed another laundry load, pulling fresh smelling whites from the dryer and hung up shirts. Then placed a load of wet towels in the washer. Our water line to the refrigerator ice maker had leaked, but providentially filled a bucket. The last time we had a leak it destroyed my floor, buckling it. In fixing the errant line this time, my husband had to clean up water on the tile. So, with the heat of summer I thought I ought to wash them before they sour. I delayed the starting of the washer, as soon, my husband arose, I knew he wanted a hot shower, and while he did, I made him breakfast.

Before the sunrise, we knelt in prayer, he gave me a kiss and a hug, descended the stairs to the driveway, and drove off in the darkness of the before twilight morning. He was going to pick up his older brother, Larry, and drive to Washington today. This will be a time to share with Larry before Larry leaves for his mission to Cape Verde in September. I know Roger will be back tomorrow evening, but as I waved, tears filled my eyes. I hate separation and the empty bed. Thankfully his brother Larry is with him, to give him driving relief to rest along the way of their 15 hour drive today, and 15 hours back tomorrow.

I needed to be here. Here with my family, to care and see after my children. Jeremy will have all four wisdom teeth removed tomorrow. He needs me here. I will gladly serve him. Mary is ill and she needs me here. I will gladly serve her. James is here, I will enlist him in the caring. So, here I am, to nurture and care for my family. I stand beside my husband in caring for this family, though he may be physically far away.

I found my mood bolstered in reading A Holy Experience this morning. Ann Voskamp writes of her faith and life on the Canadian prairie, with her soybean farmer husband and homeschooling her six children.
The music on her site has refreshed me, her words have been edifying.

The sun is up and now I start a Joyous Journey of a new day. “This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein.” Psalms 118:24