Amish-ish

  My friend Emily, says she would be happy being Amish-ish.  Well, I just visited an Amish family on Tuesday.  I would have to say that the Amish I visited with is, Amish-ish.  No, they are not Mennonites.  They are Amish.  It made me sad to see how our worldly ways are encroaching on their way of life.  The Miller family does not have electricity.  Everything is powered by a gas generator.   I wasn't disappointed with the gas, but how the Amish have found a way around their Amish traditions.  Mrs. Miller had two sewing machines from Wal-Mart, that were converted to a treadle machine.  The living room had two floor lamps that had been converted to gas.  Floor lamps like I would use!!!  We were given a tour of their house and the upstairs bedrooms.  They were a nice large size.  The boys shared a bed, but the 2 younger girls each had their own bed.  The older daughter, Barbara, is 16, and has a job.  Her bedroom looked like something out of a magazine!  The walls were painted chocolate brown, with lots of pictures on the wall.  She had pictures on her dresser of all her girlfriends.  Each bedroom had a large mirror.  Which is odd.  Amish are supposed to not have mirrors.

  While talking with my friend AJ, I told her the Amish-ish people made me sad.  Sad, that our life is overlapping into the quiet ways.  AJ said, the Amish make their own choices.  Yes, they do,,,,,,,,,,,but.  But, we are getting in their way.  Even my own children are being lured away from our life.  I try to keep things as quiet and low-key as possible.  Not really that easy.  iPods, and iPads, my computerized sewing machine.  Just to name a few. 

  One thing that was the same in the Miller family and the Alsteen family.  John Miller is 12, and has deep dimples with twinkly mischievous eyes.  Joe Alsteen, 12, naughty green eyes.  These two boys hit it off immediately.  It was a pretty cool thing to see.  My JoJo, in his striped v-neck and baggy jeans.  John, bowl cut hair, homemade pants and shirt, (with buttons!)  The boys brought out a basketball and ran around throwing the ball.  Then they discovered a batch of new kittens in the barn.  After that they moved onto scaring the crap out of the 60 chickens in the shed.  Typical boys.  John asked if he could give my children a buggy ride.  He hitched up the horse, called "Move Over."  Then the Alsteen children jumped in.  As they drove away  Mrs.  Miller shouted, "Drive slowly, John!"  Then she shook her head and said to me, "as soon as John is out of my eyesight he drives as fast as he can!"  I laughed out loud.  I guess it doesn't matter if it has 4 legs or 4 tires, boys just need to do things FAST!!

  I think I could be Amish-ish.  As long as my computerized sewing machine could be converted to a treadle.

Home sweet home!

It is wonderful to be back in my own home.  My friend AJ,  calls it, "cul-de-sac life."  I live on a dead end street.  I call it my "bubble."  I am protected here from outside sources.  But most of all, in my own home, I can cook and eat when we want.  No dinner at 8:30 in my house!! 

  Sunday night's meal was pork and beef roast with mashed potatoes.  This is my husband's favorite meal.  Last night was my favorite meal, spaghetti and meatballs.  I had also made fresh sourdough bread.  I love to cook and I love to make things as fresh and organic as possible.  I think that is what I missed the most while in Florida.  Not being allowed to cook for us.

  When I got home Saturday night, I immediately went to the neighbors house and got my sourdough starter, that she was babysitting for me.  Mmmm, the smell of sourdough is so wonderful!  Then I started some homemade yogurt.  I eat a ton of yogurt and making my own is $2.65 to make 5 quarts.  Pretty economical.  After all that, I moved on to my kombucha.  I could not find "booch" anywhere in Florida!  I was excited to get home and drink my own brand of kombucha.  If you don't know what kombucha is, google it.  I like the website Kombucha Kamp. 

  So breakfast this morning consisted of plain homemade yogurt with a splash of vanilla, sourdough bread with honey, and coffee!  Yummo!

Vacation

  We have been in Florida for the past 7 days.  My dad and his wife live in Naples in the winter.  It is such a different life with them.  A life of no money worries, a life of no children, and most importantly, a life of sunshine and warmth!  It was 88-90 degrees and sunny.  Every single day!  Gorgeous!

  What I mean by a life of no children, is they don't have children.  This is a life that is completely foreign to me.  They live day to day, dictated by their whims.  They eat dinner at 8:30 at night!  WOW!  What a concept!  My children go to bed at 9.  So it was an interesting week.  Because my dad and his wife are so removed from our lifestyle, I tried very very hard to understand their lifestyle.  I still don't get them. 

  A few examples,  they used only plastic plates for us to eat off of.  Because they didn't want chipped plates or bowls.  Really??  Chairs couldn't be dragged across the floor, it would cause scratches on the tiles.  Chairs at the counter were not for spinning around on.  Really??  Even I sit at a counter and spin!!  I mean I do understand the rules, it's just, really??  They are kids!  They want to eat as fast as they can to go play in the pool!  They drag their chairs to get closer to PaPa.  Counter chairs are magical spinning rides.  Everything in front of them is to jump into, push across, or try and figure out another use for.  I love how kids minds work.  They are always thinking. 


  I don't mean to sound whiny and ungrateful.  Sorry if I do.  A week in a gorgeous home with a pool.  Fishing every day.  We went to beaches and museums.  Ate fantastic meals, (at 8:30 at night!).  It's just that being there was like being in a foreign country.  A country that doesn't have children and doesn't want to either!  My 3 children handled things very well.  It bothered me way more than it did them.  They don't know a life that doesn't revolve completely around them and their schedules.  So does that mean my children are oblivious to all this or does it mean they are happy and well adjusted kids?  Hopefully, they are well adjusted kids.

Death of a Pet.

I tend to take on more than I can handle.  My friend told me the other day, "You can't take care of everybody."   Well, I try to.  Which includes animals.  My husband says I collect people and animals.  Today, I have 3 extra people.  One of which is a crawling puking baby.  The other, is a friend that has hit a rough spot in her life.  The other is a sassy attitude teen.  Easy right?  Uumm, no.  Not really.  Top that off with a dog that has low self esteem and loud and noisy guinea pig.  And usually we have a very raucous bird named, Killer.  My youngest daughter came and said that Killer was laying on the bottom of his cage.  She thought he was sleeping.  My son, took Killer out of the cage and held his pet against his chest.  So for about an hour, my son held his favorite pet and cried and cried.  Tears and snot and a convulsing bird.  All the people in the house gathered to pay our last respects.  And that danged bird opened his eyes and sat, looking like he might make a comeback!!  He didn't.  Ok, crying children, snot, tears, extra people, food burning?  Not a good day.  My favorite Scripture verse lately is, "Do not grow weary in doing good."  I am weary, Lord.  So weary.  I want to argue and complain.  But, I am venting and taking a break.  Trying to refresh.  And go out and buy another bird.

Blue haired lady

It  hasn't occurred to me  that I am considered old!  Yes, OLD!!  When the heck did that happen??  Recently, I have been mistaken for my young friends mother.  My friend, AJ, is 32.  I guess I could be her biological parent.  We don't really look alike.  Except,,,,,I have white hair.  Tactless people ask if I am AJ's mother.  My friends all think it is hysterical!!  Of course they think it's funny!  They are all in their 30's.  I will be 49.  Still young, in my thinking.

  This  morning I spoke at a church Bible study about an outreach I am involved in.  As I drove out of the parking lot, I thought about how sweet those "blue haired ladies" are.  One blue hair gave me some money for our outreach.  Oh, those blue hairs are just the nicest ladies!  I smiled to myself.  Then, I saw myself in the rear view mirror.  Oh my gosh!!!  I AM one of those sweet old blue hairs!!! 

  My husband thinks I should go back to the unnatural color of red.  I don't like coloring my hair.  I feel it is a waste of my time and his money.  I can think of better ways to spend $60!!  I actually enjoy my white hair.  I like that I can wear vibrant lipstick.  (Bright lipstick is one way to spend $60!)  This is how God made me.  To be prematurely gray.  I am happy with this season of life.  I just wish other people would stop asking me how old I am.  I am the age I need to be!  Thank you God, for having me at the place I need to be!

My children

  My oldest daughter came home yesterday, for a short visit.  She and her husband live in Minnesota.  She and I had a few rough years while she was a teen.  About the age of 19, we became great friends.  I have been missing her company, so when she told me she had Spring Break this week, I asked her to come home.  She and I sat on the couch all afternoon, while the other 3 children drifted in and out of the living room.  Oldest and I talked and laughed and hung out.  Sometimes, she would hang out her younger siblings.  So peaceful, so wonderful to watch them!  After dinner, youngest daughter, went up to my room to watch tv.  Then I came upstairs, then came daughter #3, and then oldest daughter came up.  By 8:00, Oldest and I were in my bed, snuggled up.  Youngest, laid across the bottom of the bed, and #3, sat in various comfortable spots.  I sat in my bed, and looked at all 3 of my girls and marveled.  How awesome in God??!!  I can see all 3 girls in different seasons of life!  Young married, 13 year old teen, 9 year old daughter.  Makes me tear up, just thinking about our blessings in life!  Oldest and 13 year old, are the mirror image of each other.  Our youngest is the only child of the 5, that looks like my husband.  I like to look at all 5 of my children and enjoy each season of their life with them.  Someone once asked me, why we had so many children with such a huge age span?  I think that age span is the coolest thing EVER!!  I can look at my 22 year and see what is coming up next for my 13 year old.  I look at my 20 year old son, and watch the path my 11 year old boy is headed.  So cool, how God has allowed me to see some of the possibilities for my children.  Each child makes choices, but at least I feel a little prepared for the next season each one is headed for.

Food

  I have food issues.  Well, what woman doesn't?  I don't eat anything with wheat.  I try not to ingest anything with excess amounts of chemicals either.  If the list of ingredients is longer than my little finger, I don't eat it.  My 13 year old calls me a" hippie."  I have been called "crunchy" also.  This week I tried some new recipes.  Mostly Turkish food.  One of my friends is homesick for her Turkish food.  So I thought I would tackle it.  We had stuffed grape leaves, hummus, spicy spinach yogurt dip, and homemade baklava.  I could eat everything except the baklava.  Baklava is made with phyllo leaves, which has wheat in it.  But, my grandma used to make baklava all the time for us, when we were little.  I loved it!  So on Tuesday, I ate 3 pieces.  Wednesday, I had just a few aches and pains.  Thursday, I ate about 5 pieces. On Friday, the headaches started.  But, there were only 3 pieces left.  Of course I ate them all!!!  They were SO good!!!  Friday night, the aching knees started and then I could feel a migraine coming.  Before bed, I doused myself in peppermint oil.  That usually gets rid of my headaches.  I woke up Saturday morning, unable to bend my fingers, my head pounding, and feeling like I was going to puke.  Most of the day, I laid on the couch wondering why I eat junk??  Then remembering the wonderful taste and the sticky goodness of all the nuts and honey.  Oh my gosh!  So worth the pain!!!!  My husband asks when will I learn??  Probably never!  Sometimes it's worth feeling like crap!