Earth Day Celebration

 Today is Earth Day.

🌎

"The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it..."  - Psalm 24:1

We're honoring Mother Nature by celebrating!

"Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice..."  - Psalm 96:11

I got the idea for an "Earth Day Celebration" several weeks ago and jotted down my inspiration...

I thought it'd be fun to frost and decorate cookies, plant flowers, and go on a nature walk.

We invited a few friends who were happy to play along, and had a lovely time together.

We started the day with a poetry recitation...

Homeschoolers always seem to have large amounts of poetry and Bible verses memorized, so it was no extra hassle. Just a fun time of sharing with others what we've been learning this year.

"See! The winter is past;

the rains are over and gone.

Flowers appear on the earth;

the season of singing has come.

The cooing of doves is heard in our land."

- Song of Songs 2:11-12

🌷

The value of reciting poetry is that we can share emotions and perspectives that are meaningful, even if they are not ours.

But there were a few original poems recited today that were creative and fun!

Next, we moved into the kitchen for a festive time of cookie decorating.

The kids seemed to really enjoy it!

Lunch in the dining room was next...

The menu was simple:

-Egg salad on croissants

-Crustless peanut butter sandwiches

-Fresh fruit

-Pickles and chips

-Lemonade and chocolate milk

-Our freshly frosted cookies for dessert

The kids colored their Earth Day coloring pages while I read to them a quick science lesson.

(It was still a school day, after all.)

We learned about negative ions in nature.

Ions are molecules created from how sunlight reacts to moving air and water.

Negative ions create positive vibes in humans. They boost our mood!

Since they are far more prevalent in outdoor air than indoor air, we were anxious to get outside for our mood-lifting air bath of negative ions!

(I prayed the Lord would hold the rain back for us and He did!)

There is probably no better way to spend Earth Day than to plant a tree or flower...

Everyone got to plant a flower to take home.

These sweet girls are dear friends, and their mamas are such good friends to me, that we all feel so blessed.

We finished our celebration with a brisk walk on our trails, stopping to ooh and ahh over the tiny buds on the trees.

We thank the Lord for springtime and friendships.

And all the mamas said, "The kids will sleep good tonight!"

🌱 🌎 🌱

Happy Earth Day!

~ Courtney 

Fifteen Years

 Today is my wedding anniversary!

✨ 💍 ✨

This stunning bouquet was awaiting me this morning.

Fifteen roses. 

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One for each year we've been married.

I am battling a mild head cold, and the weather's been gloomy and rainy.

That's a perfect combination for a melancholy day.

But before I let today slip into the ordinary, I better take a moment to make it special by "marking" it with a photo and a few sentiments. 

I have been reading through the book of Ecclesiastes lately, which is good timing since it seems to contain a fair amount of wisdom for life, marriage, and happiness.

I have always appreciated King Solomon's frankness in this book.

As someone who has been on the hamster wheel of laundry, meals, and homeschool lessons, I can relate to his outcry of, "Meaningless! Meaningless!"

But then he comes around to a more comforting viewpoint and admits that, "There is nothing better than to be happy and do good while you live." -Ecc. 3:12. To, "... accept your lot and be happy." -Ecc. 4:19

Marriage and family life will have its hard times, and its pleasant times.

"When times are good, be happy, but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other." -Ecc. 7:14

Tomorrow morning we leave for a short trip to celebrate.

I am looking forward to it very much!

When we get away just the two of us, which is usually every anniversary, we like to talk about our kids and our vision for our family.

We talk about each of our children's strengths, weaknesses, talents, and how we can help them grow their skills.

Micah and I have similar values, and our beliefs are practically identical. This has made raising kids together so easy!

I completely trust him and his character, and for that I feel the children and I are quite blessed.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return on their work." -Ecc. 4:9

We have had a good fifteen years, and I have felt the hand of the Lord strongly upon our marriage.

"A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." -Ecc. 4:12

(Friday, March 23, 2007)

💐

~ Courtney 

A Short Story for Victoria Magazine

   

I follow Victoria magazine on social media.

It is by far my favorite magazine.

I still have some of my mother's editions from the 1980's and 90's.

Their more recent ones are just as elegant and beautiful. 

I have always appreciated that they seem to have remained loyal to traditional decor, and not succumbed to the modern trends. 

A week or so ago I saw a post from Victoria's Facebook site inviting short stories from readers to be submitted for possible publication.

The thought of writing a short story and submitting it to Victoria seemed luxurious, and besides, what do I have to lose?

I couldn't resist!

After a trip down memory lane, and about an hour at my computer, I was clicking "submit."

What they wanted was very short, only around 600-700 words. But it was very satisfying!

Who knows if I'll ever hear from them, so I thought I'd better save my story somewhere. 

I decided to park it here on my blog for safekeeping.

Here is my short story for your enjoyment, and also "for the record," as I always say.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

As a young city girl, visits to Grandma and Grandpa's were a real treat. In a quaint town, on a sparkling river, their yellow farmhouse stood, ready to invite me into an adventure. There were kittens in the barn waiting to be named. My mother's childhood box of Barbies waiting to be played with. The hammock between the pines waiting to be swung on.

My grandparents, being ahead of their time, bought the place in run-down condition, renovating it themselves long before it was fashionable. By the time my grandmother was done with it, elegant rose wallpaper hung in the bright, cheerful kitchen where she cooked for us every visit. Oil on canvas still lifes in antique frames hung in the dining room where we ate at a beautifully set table every Christmas. White upholstered couches faced the wood burning fireplace where I sat on the floor to play while the adults chatted.

I didn't know it then, but that house was wrapping its magical web around my heart. The more memories I made there, the more I became entangled. It was a comfortable house, but beautiful. Warmth and love lived there.

Sometimes I would be invited for a sleepover. These visits were extra exciting and very much anticipated. In the summertime it meant trips to the beach that was just across the street. Followed by a walk down to the ice cream store to enjoy a scoop of Blue Moon on a waffle cone while my suit air dried in the breeze.

Once bathed and back home, Grandma's four poster canopy bed with chenille quilt embraced me as I crawled into it so she could read Little Red Riding Hood to me for the hundredth time. In the morning, Grandpa, a gentle man who was not much for words, would pour me a glass of orange juice, and himself a cup of black coffee. Then he would sit down at the kitchen table next to me, newspaper in hand, while we quietly waited together for Grandma to wake up. 

It was in those reflective, morning moments that the value of a peace-filled homelife made its etch upon my heart.

In time, however, my grandparents sold the yellow farmhouse to move on to their next endeavor. For the first time in my young life I knew what it meant to grieve over a house. I was growing up and moving on myself. But the memories that were made there remained dormant deep within me.

Years later they surfaced. As all childhoods must one day come to an end, I married, and a few years after my husband and I bought a farmhouse of our own. It, too, was in run-down condition and we threw ourselves into restoring it. (The apple must not have fallen far from the tree, because this also was during a time before it was fashionable.)

By the time I was done with it, rose paper and oil on canvas paintings graced my walls. White couches faced the fireplace, and strong coffee was being made in abundance.

We are still in this house, raising our four children on antiques, barn cats, and beautifully set Christmas tables. With the hope that our homelife will etch itself upon their hearts. And that they will one day say, "It was a comfortable house, but beautiful. Warmth and love lived there."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

🌷🏡🌷

~ Courtney 

Owl Wallpaper

 I have recently completed a fun project in my bedroom.

I am quite pleased with the result.

It all started when we upgraded to a king size bed. A decorating dilemma presented itself... I found I was not attracted to the king size headboards currently on the market.

Why do we need a headboard?

Ultimately the decision was made that we would just use this architectural salvage mantlepiece we already had.

One thing led to another, as the wall behind the bed still seemed a bit empty, and I found this monochromatic owl wallpaper.

I know it's not to everyone's taste, but it felt charming and whimsical to me.

So I ordered a sample.

First, I walked the sample around my house. I knew the paper would only be in my bedroom, but it's important to me that my whole house flows and makes sense. If a pattern or color works in one area, I want it to work everywhere.

Then the sample lived taped onto my bedroom wall for about a week as I watched how the light hit it throughout the day and how it made me feel.

Wallpaper can be expensive and tricky to install, but there are some plus sides to it. Once you get the hang of it, it's instant gratification. Unlike paint, there's no dry time or second coat needed. Once it's up, it's done! But one should be warned that, because of pattern repeats, there is a lot of waste with wallpaper. There's no way around it. Always order more than you think you need.

(Note: if you receive any gifts from me wrapped in this owl paper, you will know why! 😂)

My room was in a bit of an upheaval while I worked on the project...

And I was a total stress ball hanging the mantlepiece and pictures back on this wall after all my hard work!

But I'm very happy I did it.

To me it feels soothing, and like a layer of richness was added to the room.

I am very lucky Micah lets me do what I want to the house. I personally think men should. If a woman spends most of her life at home, she should have it fixed up how she likes it.

This house has been very patient with me over the years. We have put her through many design triumphs as well as some defeats. But with all our renovations my goal has always been to create a home suitable for this 100-year old farmhouse. 

If walls could talk I would like to think she would tell me she's pleased.

🏡

Thanks for stopping by my blog today, friends.

xo,

~ Courtney 

Favorite Books for Small Children

I was just searching my children's book collection for a few favorites to take to church tomorrow. 

Nola and I volunteer in the twos and threes nursery room once a month, and I like to bring something from home that I think the kids might like. Usually it's books. I love reading to babies and toddlers.

As I scanned through the books, and put my selection for tomorrow in a stack, I began to feel what I usually feel when I look through our bookshelves... a twinge of grief and regret.

Even though I stayed home with all my children and read to them each and every day, I still wish I had done more! I know it was not possible for me to have done more, since as moms we all do our best every day. So maybe what I feel is just a longing for those years. I miss Corduroy, Curious George, and Nurse Nancy!

That's probably why I enjoy serving in the nursery at church once in a while. It takes me back to those years. I remember when my kids were at that stage and it was all about finger paints, play doh, and silly games and songs. 

Well, peeking through our books today made me realize my kids have outgrown some of them, which makes me sad. But looking at their covers brings to mind many warm memories of reading them and absorbing their lesson with my children.

Most children can sense if we're trying too hard to pound in a moral or lesson, so they zone out. 

As Charlotte Mason wrote, "Many a revolt has been brought about by the undo rubbing-in of the Bible, in season and out of season, even in nursery days." She advises to, "Let the teaching, moral or spiritual, reach them naturally."

That's probably why Aesop was careful to only use animals, not people, when teaching character. It's far less abrasive that way.

Here are a few of my favorite books for small children that impart a valuable lesson, as books can sometimes influence far beyond our own words...

I think everyone should read Scuffy the Tugboat!

In this book children see the danger and uncertainty Scuffy endures all because he thought he deserved better. He had a family who loved him but he became "too big for his britches" and ran away. In the end, of course, he realizes he belongs at home where he is safe and loved. I appreciate this book's warning to those who may be tempted to betray their family and think, "I was meant for bigger things," like Scuffy thought.

A Good Life is about an orphan boy who sets out on a quest to find the meaning of life. Many people along the way offer their advice and opinion, but in the end he discovers that life is a gift, and giving our lives for others is the best way to enjoy that gift.

We all know this one, don't we? Chicken Little and her frantic, "The sky is falling!" uproar. 

This story shows, through how quick Chicken Little's friends believed her story, the foolishness of those who lack good judgement. Proverbs 14:15 says, "A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps." Children should be taught to reject what is false and think for themselves.

Is there a better children's story for discreetly teaching capitalism than The Little Red Hen? Haha

2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." The Little Red Hen was not wrong in refusing her bread to her friends in the end. Children see the consequences of laziness contrasted with the sense of accomplishment and self-esteem after a hard day's work in this classic book.

The Country Mouse and the City Mouse teaches that living a simple, contented life is a richer life than one may imagine. 

Of course we all know there's nothing wrong with living in the city. But Annie was lured away from her "dull country life" by the promise that city life was dazzlingly exciting. Only she spent her time there in constant danger and fear. Upon arriving safely back at home in the country, she tells her friends, "I would rather lead a simple life than dine on riches, and live in fear."

Elsa and I just read The Velveteen Rabbit together quite recently. It is just so touching and beautifully written. 

All small children go through a time when they believe their stuffed animals are real. I remember Nola, when she was around four or five, giving me strict instructions not to hold her animals by the neck or fling them into toy bins when I would tidy up. I am glad now I allowed those imaginations. Some people believe children should not be given fairy tales to read. But my own personal feeling on the matter is children have room in their lives for all sorts of miracles. Deep down they are able to distinguish between reality and make believe. And if they cannot, like in the example of Nola and her "real" stuffed animals, I can attest to the fact that only a little time is needed for a child to mature and sort it out on their own.

I know this was a tiny sampling of just a few favorites I've read to my kids over the years. But if you have babies and toddlers I hope I've given you one or two ideas for books with spiritual substance you can add to your family's library. Books can be a great tool for teaching a child to think, to develop character, to give high ideals, to inspire integrity, and to, "Train up a child in the way he should go." (Proverbs 22:6 ) Because, "Great literature has a way of building people." - Gladys Hunt

~ Courtney 

My Social Media Journey

 I have taken quite the minimalistic approach to social media.

For years I resisted ever becoming a part of it in the first place.

I just didn't think it'd be for me.

By the time I created a Facebook account for myself, everyone I knew had already been in Facebook Land for ten years!

I also started this blog around the same time.

I viewed it as sort of a scrapbook, or creative writing outlet.

I loved it because my favorite part of school when I was a child was a portion of our Language Arts hour called, Writer's Workshop. We all had a special notebook just for it, and were allowed to sit and write anything we wanted. It was wonderful! I would write my heart out during those times. Any flowery poem or wild story plot that would enter my mind, Writer's Workshop gave me the quiet, creative space for it to bubble to the surface and flow out onto paper. By the time I was done there'd be a complex character I had proudly created, or moody setting in some foreign, far off land I had intricately described. 

I found it very satisfying.

I still find writing satisfying.

There's a verse in the New Testament that says, "We write this to make our joy complete."

That's how writers feel!

But even though I loved writing on this blog, my hunch about Facebook was becoming true.

I like to be private, so it would make me nervous to see friend requests, questions, and comments from people I barely knew.

I would get hundreds of page views on every blog post I published. And whenever someone "shared" a post, it would open me up to even more strangers! Knowing how hostile the world can be towards people with conservative views, it all would make me very uneasy. 

I just didn't want to draw a lot of attention to myself.

Not to mention, there seemed to be a lot of "brand building" going on. Well, since I'm an absolute nobody, this idea of trying to become a somebody was completely lost on me.

So sure enough, it didn't take long for me to conclude what I already knew was true.... Facebook wasn't for me.

I decided to deactivate my Facebook account.

I went happily on my way like this for over a year and a half!

I never missed it!

I still wrote on this blog though, and noticed my page views absolutely plummeted.

But since I was never in it for "likes" or followers in the first place, that never bothered me.

It actually is of very little concern to me whatsoever if anyone reads my blog.

I've always done it just for the fun of it, and also "for the record," as they say.

So I continued writing to the twenty or thirty people that were still checking in on my blog.

I've always been a quality over quantity person anyway.

And that's when I got an idea...

Why can't I reinstate my Facebook account but keep my numbers down and make it work for me?

Why did I think before that to be a part of Facebook meant I had to go along with their program and do it the way everyone else was doing it?

Why can't I use it on my terms and tweak it to fit my program?

(For some reason I have always been of the school of thought that if everyone is doing something, there must be something wrong with it!)

So, I went back on with these goals in mind:

I would no longer get yanked around, I would make Facebook accommodate me and my vision.

 I would get control of my friend's list by taking it down to one hundred.

I would unfollow anyone who didn't inspire me or share my values.

I would only post that which would cast a positive light on homeschooling and homemaking.

With that being said, I do have several "friends" on Facebook who hold to different political and religious views from me. But they are not obnoxious about it. Plus, I figure I can be an example to them. I don't mean that in an arrogant way, but in a "light of the world" way. (Matt. 5:14)

Add in the few home decorating and homeschooling groups that I am a part of, and Facebook has become a very mellow and peaceful pastime for me.

I've never had Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram. 

Facebook and this blog are all the social media I care to manage. 

Once you learn how to make it work for you, you can manage and enjoy it comfortably.

💐

~ Courtney 

A Dark Green Bedroom

 Roman's been asking, for probably a year now, to paint his room dark green.

I ignored the request for a while, thinking he would forget about it and move on, but he was persistent!

I didn't want a dark green room in my house! I had worked hard through the years to make our house light and airy. I tried to explain to Roman a dark green room would make him feel closed in, like he was living in a cave.

Eventually he wore me down and I agreed to stop at the paint store for samples.

The tipping point was when he finally said, "Mom, it's just one room." I realized that was reasonable, and maybe I was being too controlling. It is his room after all. Well, his and Soren's. They share the room. 

Soren was all in. So I decided, being a mother who delights in seeing children happy, that I was going all in, too.

Our home belongs to all of us, so... team green!

💚💚

I soon learned that agreeing to a dark green bedroom was the easy part. What followed was about a week of agonizing over paint choices!

20 dollars for samples and four trips to Home Depot later, I still didn't know which green to choose!

I finally grew so tired of my indecision that in defeated reluctance I sighed, "Roman, you choose!"

I was apprehensive but this was his idea and his vision. It's just paint, I told myself. He picked "Vine Leaf" by Behr. A very dark, rich, manly green. 

I made sure there were no yellow undertones because I didn't want pea green. I also made sure there were no brown undertones because I didn't want a muddy green.

Oh, the anxiety!

But the moment I got the first brush stroke on the walls all my anxiety melted away...

I loved it!! It's deep, dramatic, and looks emerald in some light.

It makes the white shelf pop and the original woodwork sing.

The room is fairly large with windows on two sides, receiving morning light. So it isn't stuffy or cave-like at all! 

I didn't want to go dark green because I didn't think I'd like it. But now I'm converted. Dark green is the new white! Haha.

Decorating was the fun part!

We wanted a warm, handsome outcome, using books, live plants, and brass accents.

We are over the moon with the result!

The boys' room, before and during...

The boys' room after...

Roman built this table and painted it using one of the sample paints we bought. It was nice to know at least one of those sample jars didn't go to waste. I think it turned out very nice.

I allowed the boys a lot of personal expression in this room.

They each decorated their bedside tables...

As well as the shelf that wraps around the room with their favorite artwork, toys, and books.

This gave me the opportunity to share with them my number one decorating rule, which is: for greatest impact, show restraint! 

I also allowed them to each select one decor item from Hobby Lobby, which they found quite fun!

Other than that, the room was cobbled together using what we already had.

Their Hobby Lobby selections were this tree and bear silhouette...

And leopard throw pillows.

The purpose for this freedom of expression is that hopefully they will feel a sort of jurisdiction over the room, and keep it well and tidy.

Now I'm glad I was pestered into doing this! I love their newly painted room so much! Even though the process involved giving Roman our beloved antique brass bed.

It's ok. Micah and I upgraded to a king size bed, which we are enjoying very much, but has opened a can of decorating worms. That means the master bedroom will be my next project, keeping me plenty busy this winter.

😊

~ Courtney