Sunday Menu

Sunday dinner is fairly traditional around here. Some variation of Roast Beef, Pork , Ham or Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, w/ gravy, hot veggie, salad, dinner rolls and whatever dessert strikes me on Sat. prep time!

This past Sunday my 13 yrld daughter and I were playing around with taking pics of dinner. So just thought I'd share a few,.

Call it "Any Sunday at the Household of Orchids and Laundry" :)

 

This Sunday's menu was

This Sunday's menu was Roast Pork w/ Cranberry Sauce, Mashed Potatoes w/Pork gravy, German Green Beans, Tossed Salad, Apple Pecan Crumble w/ Vanilla Ice cream

                              German Green Beans
(or sometimes called Amish Green Beans, our favorite preparation for canned beans)

Two cans or 1 qt Green Beans (drained)
1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. diced onion
3 T. vinegar
1/4 c. Brown sugar
1/8 tsp black pepper
dash of salt

Saute onions briefly with butter in skillet. Add green beans. Drizzle with vinegar, Stir through quickly. Sprinkle with br sugar , pepper and salt. Stir. Simmer until all liquid is gone, stirring occasionally.
Feel free to adjust to your tastes! :) I never measure ....:)

Enjoyed "sharing" dinner with you!

Musings...

Just pondering today...not sure it is a really cohesive thought....

Is  expressing our most intimate experiences with God in public format , good or bad?

When we blurt about for any or all to hear and/or read of our most private moments with Him, I think it somehow mars the special relationship as much as it would if I would blat everything precious and private in my relationship with my husband.

Somehow it seems like the world's philosophy of "free love" and "open relationship" has begun to creep into our union with God. Nothing is sacred anymore.

Along with that and perhaps more at the heart of my ponderings is the "new-fangled" way of expressing that.

Somehow all this trying to make God so "human" ,so "just my favorite bud", so "warm fuzzy" disturbs me....

Am I the old-fashioned one? Am I too stuck in "King James" as they say?

I am all for a very real , intimate, breathing, living, relationship with God that goes way beyond the sterility of most just "church" experience, but ......somehow some of what this has become bothers me.

He is after all a Holy God. One whom Moses needed to take off his shoes to approach. One who's face we are not even able to see because of it's glory.

The fact that HE, My Creator, My God desires me as His child is awesomely wonderful . That He says we can call Him, Abba, Father, is absolutely precious. That His son has told us we are no longer servants but friends is a beautiful sustaining truth and reality.

But does that all mean that I need to be trying to always think of him as a "man" as just like me? Jesus became as flesh, as human, while here on earth. That was a dramatic change for Him. That was not who He was before nor who He is now.

When I see people trying to make things from scripture or their relationship with Him fit into the same type of relationship I would have with my  "coffee pal" that bothers me.

Am I the weird one?

Average?

When I peruse other blogs I find all manner of delightful , cutesy ,widgets, gadgets, pictures, and links. I find blogs on any subject under the sun; homemaking, homeschooling, politics, religion, homesteading, gardening, sewing, scrapbooking, child training, ministry, witchcraft, household hints,baking, cooking, canning ,travel, home business, cake decorating, floral arranging and on and on it goes.


After awhile I begin to feel very ordinary.

I feel uninspired.

Instead of getting tips and how-tos, I shake my head and wonder how you ever find time to do all that and blog about it too.

I feel like a very ordinary housekeeper, mom and wife.

I feel average. Average cook, average baker, average seamstress, average homeschool teacher, average wife etc etc....nothing extra-ordinary.

And I wonder how does one go from doing to talking about doing and showing others how to do. And I wonder how one feels like they have the answers enough to make how-to videos for others.

So I wonder, perhaps, the problem lies in my view of myself. Should I feel bold enough to blog a lot of "how-tos".....

If you want to talk kids.. I have 9.
If you want to talk homeschooling...I have for 10 yrs.
If you want to talk cooking...I was raised in a family of 11 and have a family of 11 so I of necessity have homecooked since I have no idea how old....I was also raised in a family who owned a catering business so I've cooked for thousands.
If you want to talk canning...my folks were of the mind "get all you can, can all you get..." and we put up 1500-2000 qts of everything imaginable every year and I now can for my own family.
If you want to talk baking....the family I was raised in also operated a bakery so I have baked since before I can remember and now bake all my own bread and any goodies or what not.
If you want to talk sewing ...I sewed my first dress by myself at 12.
If you want to talk home business...my family owned and operated home businesses all mym life and my hubby and I have owned several since we've been married.

The list could go on and on....but what would be the point...?

I still wonder how I would be able to feel that is note-worthy enough to make a how-to blog about. I wonder how many of these blogs are more about bragging than simply sharing hints and helps.

But then I wonder if there is another side.....


 I wonder why I feel so average. Certainly, some of it is because when you come from a big family and have a big family you become very self-sufficient and "can-do" and "make-do" and a lot of these things are just ordinary life.

But......I think again and I think perhaps I shouldn't feel so ordinary, so average. Maybe I should feel more talented, more skilled, more capable....maybe I shouldn't take myself and my life experiences so much for granted .

Maybe...just maybe....I should thank God for all that life experiences have taught me and maybe.... just maybe I should feel more confident of myself ...
And maybe...just maybe there is someone that I, "little ole , ordinary me"...could help....


Mom's menu- Beef Rice Pilaf, Corn, Applesauce

Looking Back

In looking through some old posts ,I found this one from my xanga page 5 yrs ago today! :)

"So...I'm a Liberal...."
As my hubby said near the end of this conversation "You never know what may spark a heated discussion in this household".
The breakfast discussion began with a description by hubby of what "water intoxication" really is. It seems he was adding to an earlier discussion between himself and the boys. Well, it seemed rather off the wall to me, so I asked for the reason behind this subject. It turns out that some 28 yr old mother is dead because some radio station instigated a contest to win a playstation. The rules were "who can drink the most water without using the restroom". Well this lady drank, drank, too much got a headache, went home , was later found dead of "water intoxication". Sad story. But here's where the debate around here began...
I said " I'll bet that radio station gets sued, how stupid!" (Let me insert here I most definitely do not advocate suing) immediately my dear eldest two sons wanted to know why I thought that radio station should be in any way responsible. I tried to explain that while I didn't necessarily feel they were responsible, that was a very irresponsible contest, and therefore I'm sure some lawyer somewhere would agee with me and a suit is likely to be the outcome. Well... they proclaimed me a "ravin liberal". As they say " that's the problem with everybody now a days . No one takes responsibility for their own mistakes. She didn't have to drink so much. Ok, I agree but I still say the radio station should feel somewhat responsible.
The conversation continued with a lot of different scenarios that someone could dream up for contests and whether or not they should be called irresponsible for doing so. Mom again made an unpopular observation that anyone using the airwaves should feel responsible for what they fed into peoples brains. There's a lot of ignorant, undisciplined people out there that don't think for themselves. Well.... I was further proclaimed a liberal and they even started quoting Rush " hey, they can reach up and turn the dial".
We finally reached some agreement on the fact that before God anyone definitely has a moral responsibility for any thing he feeds into someones ear.
We also agree that definitely the lady is the one ultimately rsponsible for her own folly. As I said before I do not agree with all this suing. This world be a much beter place if everyone wasn't so quick to blame others for their problems. But..... I still contend this particular radio station should be held somewhat responsible for such a stupid contest.... Ok, so I'm a "ravin' liberal".....


Moms Menu- Fried Eggs, "Cinnamon Roll" Broiled English Muffins, Milk

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"How deep the Father's LOVE for me..."

Christmas, end of year ,beginning a new year....it makes me reflective....
I was thinking of the good news, the glad tidings ,what the earth gained but at what cost to heaven.
I ws thinking of my daughter.
I was thinking of the song "How deep the Father's love for me".
I'll start with the story of my daughter. Several years ago one of our young daughters had some extremely bad dental problems. It brought about a trip to the Children's hospital in Denver.
She was a very, very, shy child and it worried me greatly as to how this was all going to affect her. I stressed over and over again to the drs. and nurses that I had to be with her at ALL times. As that was impossible ,of course, for surgery they allowed me to hold her until she went under and assured me I would be called before she woke up. She clung to me as I told her she would take a nap and I would be right beside her when she awoke. Then she went limp in my arms.
We waited what seemed waaaayy too long and then they urgently called me to recovery. As I walked through the door, I heard a child's frantic, ragged ,screams of terror, "mommy, mommy, mommy mommy!".
It is hard to describe my feelings as I knew that voice to be my daughters and I RAN to her side!!! She was sitting up in bed ,wild-eyed (very much awake!) and reaching for me!
The she sobbed, "mommy you weren't here!"
I was angry, very angry at what they had done to her. I hurt; a deep, searing hurt for my daughter and for the fact that she saw me as having lied to her.
The only comfort I could find was holding, squeezing her, and murmuring over and over "mommy's here, mommy's here. you're okay."
"My God,My God why hast thou forsaken me! "
"The Father turns His face away..."
How could a father do that!!!
Do you understand what that meant for the Father?
Do you understand that mankind's joy at the birth of a baby brought such pain to heaven?
I'm reminded again of an old song that impressed when I first heard it as a child, "His birth was but a path to Calvary".
The Father knew that.
The angels sang "Good tidings" and HE sent them to say that because the love the Father felt for the lost children of mankind over- rode what he knew was the cost to Him and His Son.
"How deep the Father's love for us."
How long has it been since you really contemplated the "Glorious Wondrousness" behind the Joy of this time we celebrate as Christmas!?

Just thinking...

I've been thinking about posting more often again on here. I kept a xanga very faithfully for a few years but xanga's site just has so many offensive things popping up, that I have grown weary of it.
It seems I never really take time for blog posts any more and I miss it. sometimes there are things that just cannot be said quite the same verbally as they can with writing them out. I suppose somehow it's because when we write we take the time to be sure we are saying what we really feel and/or mean instead of just blurting out the first thing that comes to mind.
But... that very thing is kinda my dilemma now.... I want to write but I really am full of too many conflicting emotions to know how to express myself.
My oldest "little" girl is getting married in 8 days....how am I supposed to feel?
If I was really good with words or the computer I would post a big long post with lots of pictures of her throughout life and lots of all the right words....but...... I really don't even know where to begin.
Mostly, you just wonder have you been the sort of Mom she really needed? Have you taught her all she needed to know? Did she really truly "get it" that nothing really matters except God?
And.... you look forward to the happiness of sharing housekeeping and "wife-ly" tips with her and you look forward to holding her little babies and you look forward to a new son and....
.......you look forward...... to the unknown future in the hands of a known Guide!

Nailing Jesus to The Cross

 I found this in my xanga blog archives and it touched me again.....

It was an ordinary day, with ordinary duties and conversation.Then out of the mouth of the 4 yr old it came, "Mom, if I tell a lie, is that just like nailing Jesus to the cross again?" His little voice was very serious.
I stopped... Now that is a good question! In trying to understand where the question came from, it became apparent he had overheard conversation on Heb. 4:6 "...seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame." and Heb.10:29..."who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing..."
As I attempted to put into 4 yr old language the concept of those verses, suddenly the day was no longer ordinary. What an awesome concept and leave it to a little child to see it in its simplicity. How often have I stopped to really put that into perspective against my sin?
What could I say? Yes, really it is that simple. We, as adults try to distance ourselves from these verses by saying that means the hardened,unrepentant sinner. Why not make it more personal? When I sin, I may as well be nailing my Saviour to the cross again. He bore my sin once and for all to grant me forgiveness and freedom from sin. Why do act as if that wasn't sufficient? Why do I shame Him by treating that great sacrifice of so little consequence that I can't even get victory over those same pesky "little " things that cloud my life over and over?
It was a gem of truth in an otherwise ordinary day. There are so, many, many reasons Jesus said " ye must become as little children". Thank You, my son, thank you, my Father!