Home Sweet Home

"Home Sweet Home"

All of us carry in our minds the image of our ideal home realized or not. It is a place where we feel we belong, a rightness, at-homeness, a knitting together of self and world. Home is a place to become yourself, to rest and surrender all pretense. As dear Mother used to say, "Home is the place to restore mind, body, and soul." It is a source of emotional nourishment. It's where you can close a door and open your heart.

If there is any meaning to existence, we are surely closest to it there. We often take our homes for granted. But when we steep ourselves in our home, a deep sense of place begins to emerge. Life becomes more meaningful. We begin to have a greater spiritual awareness of what our home is and should be.

Perhaps our most inspiring thought is that if our homes, if we are to live well in them, require and deserve a lifetime of the most careful attention. A home absorbs caretakeing like a sponge. All the hours we spend tending to it are never in vain, for everything we give to our home, is in turn, given back to us. Our homes will only be as generous and nurturing as the effort we invest in them.

--Miriam Lukken, Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping

Second post of the day. WOW

While browsing blogs today I stumbled across this amazing blog which is providing me with alot of encouragement in my walk as a Stay At Home Mom.

Currently she has a Fall Challenge I am going to participate in. This is my first blog challenge and I am excited.

Here are the details. Would love you to join me. Hope I am doing this right.


http://www.womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/

Being a grateful Stay at Home Mom

I have not updated everyone on the condition of my mom lately so am going to take the time to do that. My mom is leveling off on her health decline. She recently had her meds readjusted and my faithful father has been visiting with her 12 hours a day. We actually suspect that her medication was not being given properly which caused her to exhibit stroke like symptoms and more falling. The combination of med adjustment and my father's presence has remedied all that. God is so good.

I am really loving my choice to stay at home with Jake. I am loving being a mom and Dayne's help mate. One thing helping me is reading other women's blogs and seeing how they get so much JOY out of taking care of their family. I have always dreamt of being a homemaker but that has not been possible until now.

Jake and I are getting into a more predictable rhythm and this is helping me alot. I also have done some inner work and realize what a precious and important job I have to make my home a haven for my family. I realize that having a place for my family to receive rest and peace is every increasingly important.

Now the confession part of this post. I have no idea what I am doing. My mom was a SAHM and did the most fabulous job of anyone I know. Dayne's mom was a SAHM and from his description she shined at her calling as well. I must admit I never took the time to allow my mom to mentor me. I saw the fruits of her labor but did not stop long enough to learn HOW to do what she did. So I am trying to learn as much as I can about my calling to be a SAHM. I have alot of skills to learn but instead of being intimidated I am getting excited and grateful for all the women who have gone before me and are willing to show me the way.

I love the process of nurturing my family and providing a place of joy, peace, order. I love that Dayne is patient and loving and is encouraging me along the way. I love that he values what I do at home and tells me daily. That can make all the difference in the world.

Thanks for reading and allowing me to bear my soul again.

Three Mothers.

Three Masons

Once a man came upon three rock masons at work. "What are you doing?" he asked of them.


"I am carving these stones into the different sizes wanted," answered the first.
"I am earning six dollars a day," replied the second.
"I am helping to build a great cathedral," commented the last.

Only he had caught the vision of the great work that he was helping to do!


Three Mothers

Once a woman came upon three mothers at work. "What are you doing?" she asked of them.

"I am doing the weekly washing," answered the first.
"I am doing a bit of household drudgery," replied the second.
"I am mothering three young children who some day will fill important and useful spheres in life, and wash-day is a part of my grand task in caring for these souls who shall live forever," replied the third.

Only she had caught the vision of the great work she was doing!



(Taken from the book The Power of Motherhood by Nancy Campbell.

Day 6 of Trying: With a Heavy Heart

I am writing this post with a heavy heart. I debated with myself whether I would post or not. Since I began this blog long ago as a way to document my life I decided that I would post. Then when I added the fact that my first project for this blog was 30 days of trying, it was settled.

My heart is quite heavy because my dear mother is in declining health. Mom's health has been declining for some years but the rate of her decline is increasing at a speed I am not adjusting to.

My mom is 64 years old. She has been married to my father for 44 years. My mom stayed home with me and my 3 siblings and did the most incredible job. I truly remember every single day of my life at home as bright and cheerful and nurturing. There is no way anyone could have been a better mom to me.

About 9 years ago she began to experience memory loss. She was only 55 years old. Her mental status continued to decline, while at her young age her physical health showed no signs of slowing down. Two years ago my father and the family agreed to place her in a very wonderful assisted living. The employees there are tremendous and care deeply for my mom and my father who visits with her for a minimum of 4 hours a day. Each and every day.

The past 6 months my mom has experienced slipping out of her bed and onto the floor at night. By the grace of God, she has not been injured in any of these falls. My father even designed and built her a bed that was inches off the floor in order to minimize her chances of any injuries.

The past week, the doctors believe my mom may have experienced a small stroke. She seems very weak and is drooling more than usual. She has also increased her slips out of bed. We realize this is the natural progression of her illness ( dementia ) but it has rocked me to the core this week.

I guess it is that the physical decline feels more tangible to me and that is undeniable. I am feeling deeper loss than I have felt in awhile.

I want my mom. I want to be able to call her and ask for advice. I want to go shopping for fabric with mom. I want to cook a meal with my mom. I want to go get my haircut with my mom. I want to sew with my mom. I want to laugh with my mom. I want to eat a meal we prepared together. I want to walk around the block with my mom. I want my mom.

Day 5 of Trying

Day 5 of trying has been FUN, FUN, FUN. I decided I was going to dye clothing I had hanging in my closet for a while. I bought the clothes over time at Goodwill. They were all white. I love the cut and fabric of all but being a total stain maker, white is a BAD idea for me.

I was aware Kool-Aid dyeing so I first bought that. I came home jazzed and ready to jump in to my experiment. At that point, I decided to look on-line for directions. Not the best order of doing things. I discovered cotton and linen do not take Kool-Aid dye. OOOPPS. Back to the store.

I picked up Rit dye and read the directions. To be honest, I was intimidated. For some reason, I had anticipated throwing my clothes in the washer with the dye and running a load and all the work being done. NOPE.

Using Rit dye involves accurate timing of an extended wash cycle, multiple rinses,and a normal wash cycle. Next comes the drying cycle which thankfully does involve just throwing the dyed clothing in and pushing a button. OOHH one more step, the bottle of dye advises you to immediately wash your washing machine with hot water and bleach. Now that scared me. Will all my family's clothing get a purple tint if the bleach cycle fails?

I have to say I am thrilled with the results. This Day of trying was labor intensive for me with a 4 month old but I am happy with my 4 "new" pieces of clothing. I am really looking forward to wearing my new purple skirt. I think I will tomorrow, but now I am going to take a nap.

Decluttering today Day 4

Hello, I'm back. We have been battling the heat and teething in the household so I have been in hang on mode the last little bit. Imagine that.

I have decided that my new thing for today is a major declutter. I love the way that getting rid of stuff feels AFTER I have done it not before. I love the way my house feels when it is clear, minimal, and simple BUT I just seem to dream about accomplishing that.

Not today! I am going to conquer my STUFF today. YEAH!!