Kap & Pen Musings

Smart Ideas

2010-01-27T10:50:00.001-08:00

Received some of these today in an email. Thought they might be worth passing along!

Need a quick ruler? A dollar bill is about 6 1/8" long.

Spritz thread ends with hairspray to stiffen them for easier needle-threading.

A magnet in the sewing basket is handy for picking up dropped needles or pins.

When emailing directions to get to your house, include a photo of the house.

Before taking something apart to fix it, take digital photos along the way so you know how to put it all back together again.

Wash the interior of windows horizontally and the exterior vertically. If they streak, you'll know which side to redo.

Clean narrow, stained bottles and vases by filling them with water and dropping in a tablet of denture cleaner.

If you plant flower beds in a diamond pattern rather than in straight rows, they'll look fuller faster.

Unstick a zipper by rubbing a penceil along it. The graphite lubricates the teehh. A candle or other piece of wax works great, too.

Rub glassware with a cloth dipped in toothpaste to remove small scratches.

Rub bathroom mirrors with shaving cream and wipe off with soft cloth to cut down on post-shower fogging.

Overbaked cookies? Store in an airtight container and they'll soften after a day.

Dripping faucet making you nuts? Tie a string from the end of the faucet to the drain. The water will silently drip down the string and into the drain.

I know puting peanut butter on hair helps get out gum. And that was the suggestion in this list. But I also discovered that vegetable oil works just as well and it's less smelly and expensive than peanut butter.

Use a blow dryer to heat gum-backed labels for easy removal.

Freezing a candlestick will allow the wax to chip off easily.

INCREDIBLE Homeschool Source Sale!!! Check This OUT!!!

2010-01-23T09:08:00.000-08:00

Check this out: http://www.funfoodadventures.com/estes.htm

You will never find this many resources for so low a price ever again! This is the deal of the century and you REALLY need to go to this website and check it out!!

For a donation of $39 you receive over $300 in ebook materials!!!

What do you get?
Convention Audio Package from Value’s Driven Family
Three titles from Kap & Pen: Eating Better Than Beans and Cabbage, Father’s Birthday & the Great Chicago Fire, and How to Have a Successful Treasure Hunt
World of Animals Storybuilder by Kim Kautzer
Ballistic Homeschooling by Melanie Young
Mother Encouragement Packet from Teach Magazine
Baby Steps to Better Health and Learning for the Littles by Sheri Graham
Short and Sweet A Collection of Short Stories from Christian Perspective
Lapbook e-book of your choice from A Journey Through Learning
Redeeming the Time Journal & Choose Ye This Day from Me & My House Ministries
Fifty Stories Retold from Yesterday’s Classics
Supermom’s Simple Guide to Healthier Eating for Beginners and Beyong by Erica Johns
We Three Kings of Orient Are Copywork e-book by Jennifer Bogart
$10.00 Gift Card from Hands & Hearts Homeschool, Inc.
The Bread by Hand e-book by Kimberly Eddy
Listening Lunch: The How and Why of Audio for Homeschoolers by Kathy Grubb
E-books: What do I do with them all? By Michelle Geffkin
This Book is Being Read By: Bookmarks by Elisabeth Geffkin
Artful Advent: Celebrate the Season with Art by Michelle Geffkin
How Flat is Your Homeschool World? by Phyllis Wheeler
Fox Kids Recipes, Overcoming Obstacles While Homeschooling, and Seeing God even through the Stitches by Tami Fox
History & Holidays: Tips, Tricks, and Projects e-book by Maggie Hogan

THAT’S $330 worth of ebooks!!!

Then, The Old Schoolhouse is offering a great subscription deal ~ you get ALL the above PLUS the TOS special for a $57 donation.

BUT IT GETS BETTER YET! These are donation suggestions ~ If you donate MORE than the $39 for the first deal, they have an additional thank you gift worth $150!!! AND You get entered into a drawing to win almost $900 worth of goodies that will be mailed to the winners!!!! INCREDIBLE!

Why are they doing all this? Here it is in a nutshell. Jim and Kate Estes and their children are a homeschooling, self-publishing Christian family. One of their children has had extraordinary physical needs, spending weeks at a time in the hospital. He’s only three but has already had over a dozen operations. Their family is a testimony of God’s grace through great trials. Jim believes firmly in living debt-free. His job was downsized many months back and he has been unable to find employment. They had a retirement fund, etc., but now all of that has been used. He has a business opportunity that would meet the needs of his familiy's financial needs and give them the flexibility they require due to Noah’s extended hospital stays. But, he needs start-up money to do it. Kate came to the self-pulishing community to ask how to have an inventory liquidation sale. They were simply going to sell all they had in their self-publishing business to try and raise the finances for this new opportunity. However, MANY of us in the CSP loop offered instead to donate our products to them for use in a huge fire sale. This allows them to stay in the self-publishing business while at the same time earning enough to start the new business, keep up with medical expenses, and be able to stay living in their family home. All those of us who donated are receiving a blessing by helping this family and we are getting our business names out there. It’s great for us and great for them!

I really, really want to encourage all of you to consider going to the web site I posted and check it out. You will never find a package like this offered for this price again. Such tremendous resources for homeschoolers!

Excellent Email About Social Security

2010-01-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

Received today:

Your Social Security

Just in case some of you didn't know this. It's easy to check out, if you don't believe it.

Be sure and show it to your kids. They need a little history lesson on what's what and it doesn't matter whether you are Democrat or Republican. Facts are Facts!!!

Our Social Security

Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised:

1.) That participation in the Program would be completely voluntary,

No longer Voluntary

2.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the Program,

Now 7.65%

3.) That the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year,

No longer tax deductible

4.) That the money the participants put into the independent 'Trust Fund' rather than into the general operating fund, and therefore would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no other Government program, and,

Under Johnson the money was moved to The General Fund and Spent

5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.

Under Clinton & Gore up to 85% of your Social Security can be taxed

Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a social scurity check every month -- and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of
the money we paid to the Federal government to 'put away' -- you may be interested in the following:

Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the independent 'Trust Fund' and put it into the general fund so that Congress could spend it?

A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically controlled House and Senate.

Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?

A: The Democratic Party.

Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security annuities?

A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the 'tie-breaking' deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice President of the US

Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants?

A: That's right! Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party. Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive Social Security payments! The
Democratic Party gave these payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it!

Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!

And the worst part about it is uninformed citizens believe it!

If enough people see this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe changes will evolve. Maybe not, some Democrats are awfully sure of what isn't so.

AND CONGRESS GIVES THEMSELVES 100% RETIREMENT FOR ONLY SERVING ONE TERM!!!

----A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.-----Thomas Jefferson

Thinking I'll keep this blog active...

2010-01-01T12:08:00.001-08:00

I'm going to be posting a HUGE blog report regarding my unsuccessful attempts to correct a situation with the Golden Strip Career Center in Greenville County, SC. However, I'm waiting until January 15, when Alyssa will be officially done with the class. That time period also gives two weeks to the school for someone to either tell me who to appeal to or grant Alyssa and the other students the credits they earned.

Keep posted...it will be very illuminating to see what happens.

All I can say is, I am not a quiet, sit by and let things go parent...so if that's what the school is hoping will happen, they are sadly mistaken.

So far, I have contacted the teacher, the guidance counselor, a liason at Greenville Tech, the VP at Greenville Tech, the Hillcrest PTA, and the SBTEC. Next stops include the Board of Education, our state representative, and local radio and newspapers. Someone is going to listen and make sure this situation doesn't happen again. And hopefully I will draw attention for the parents and students who are being affected and apparently have no voice.

And people wonder why we homeschool.....

NEW ADDRESS FOR MY BLOG

2009-06-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

Hi - I have a new address for my blog - it's now officially attached to my website. Tim Joiner fixed it all up for me and redesigned my website. We're very excited about it, but we've been so swamped with orders and other activities I haven't had a chance to blog about it!!!

Here's my new blog address:

www.kapandpen.com/blog

See you there!!!!

Ah Parenthood

2009-05-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

I was emailing my mother-in-law yesterday, bringing her up to date on the antics of my youngest, and I realized after reviewing what I wrote that others might find it a comfort to know they are not alone in the Terrible Twos.

Gideon, as many of you know, is our precocious caboose. Each of my children has had an area in which they excelled at a very early age. With Ginni, it was learning - she could recite boatloads of information when she was three. With Elly, it was obedience - she has always been the one to obey right away. CJ was the handyman - taking the half door of his room off its hinges when he was barely two feet tall, while Elly looked on in awe. Alyssa grasped reading at a very early age. Isaiah was a comedian from the time he could crawl. Phoebe has proven to have an incredible imagination since she could put two words together. And now we have Gideon.

Ah yes, Gideon. The child that God could have given me when I was 25 and fit and instead I have him when I am 45 and fat. He is the most incredible child! Before he was a year, he figured out how to climb over baby gates and climb out of his crib. Spankings were useless - he was going to do it anyway. At 18 months he was letting himself out of the house and running across the backyard. So we put on a different doorknob. That lasted less than 6 months. We put on a lock after that. He turned two in February. We put doorknob covers on the doorknobs...the kind you have to squeeze together at opposing sides in order to open the door. No problem for Gideon. He can now unsnap the things and simply remove them. He is lightning fast - capable of standing next to me one minute and being halfway to the dog yard the next. Obviously, he requires constant supervision.

Gideon is currently sporting a very contemporary neo-Picasso haircut because he found the clippers just minutes after I finished cutting his hair. I'm washing my hands at the kitchen sink when I hear "WHIRRRRRRRR" in the next room. Yep. Nice "W" carved just above his ear. I remove the clippers from his grasp. Next day, I go to check on him while he is napping. I notice my bed is covered in hair. I think, "Wow...how did that get here? Did I wipe up the stuff on the floor last night with a towel and drop it here by accident?" Hmm...not too far away are Curt's mustache clippers. Odd. Where did those come from? Well...after Gideon wakes up from his nap, I immediately see where the mustache clippers did their work and why there is hair on my bed. Gideon is sporting three new "stripes" of near-baldness...right through my fantastic haircut of the previous evening. Apparently carving the "W" was not sufficient. He had to come back for seconds. I refused to make it all the same length because he would have been almost completely bald.

He has figured out he can stand on his potty chair and turn on the water faucet in the bathroom and that he can turn on the water in the bathtub and have it running at the same time. This was discovered within two minutes of the haircutting discoveries. While I was sweeping up the hair he had just removed from his pate, the water began running in the bathroom.

He knows the toilet bowl brush is for scrubbing the toilet, and once he's done with that, it must be used for brushing his hair while walking through the living room. (I was turning off the water in the bathroom when he came through the living room with the toilet brush.)

I have to buy organic household cleaners because he can climb on anything and grabs whatever he can. Upon more than one occasion we have discovered him "cleaning" the sink, the bathroom, the toilet, his hair, the cat...basically whatever doesn't move away from him quickly enough.

He has figured out screwdrivers and tries to take things apart. After watching Daddy and CJ put his motorized car together for his birthday, instead of taking it for a spin, he immediately sought out the screwdriver and inserted it into the proper holes, trying to take it apart. He now knows how to remove the seat.

He learned about unscrewing the tops on things like the salt and pepper shakers and spices...oh yes I've been sweeping up all sorts of lovely stuff recently!

He discovered permanent markers work great on his skin, the couch cushions, and the front glass window. Lovely designs. Very chic.

He learned that dominoes fit quite snugly into the vent grates in the t.v. room. We've noticed a distinct drop in air circulation in that room since his discoveries.

He has learned that headphones, headbands, and sunglasses are quite easily snapped into two pieces.

Oh yes, this child is quite the entertainer.

Montana Gun Law & State Sovereignty

2009-05-06T12:40:00.001-07:00

Well, May is starting off to be a politically interesting month!

Montana passed a new gun law which protects the rights of its citizens to own and operate guns which are purchased in Montana - regardless of Federal law!! Go Montana!! They are prepared to consider secession if necessary.

Utah is seriously considering doing the same, according to an article on ksl.com news. One of Utah's congressmen plans to submit a piece of legislation similar to Montana's early next year.

Tennessee's State Senate voted unanimously supporting a resolution which tells the federal government it has "overstepped its Constitutional bounds" and that the fed is violating the 10th Amendment. (www.tenthamendmentcenter.com)

Oklahoma's House passed HCR-1028 for State Sovereignty 73-22. From www.tenthamendmentcenter.com: "Introduced on April 29, 2009, HCR1028 is “A Concurrent Resolution claiming sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over certain powers; serving notice to the federal government to cease and desist certain mandates; providing that certain federal legislation be prohibited or repealed; and directing distribution.” (h/t AxXiom for Liberty)"

Other states in various stages of sovereignty resolutions include Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Indiana, Wyoming, Oregon, Minnesota, Arkansas, and Maine. It is estimated at least 25 states will have similar resolutions up for voting this year. Some states are focusing on specific issues, like abortion or gun rights, in a similar manner that Montana did with gun rights.

Governors Mark Sanford (SC) and Rick Perry (TX) have taken a lot of heat for turning down the stimulus money from the Federal government. I think both of them deserve a large round of applause for taking a stand like that - it obviously is a highly controversial issue. However, I think more governors need to have the courage to see beyond their own political picture and see the national picture. This incredible spending is bound to bankrupt the nation, yet so many leaders don't seem to care. I'm glad to see some leaders stepping out and trying to do something!

Well...I have to sign off - we have severe thunderstorms heading this way, so I'll have to unplug the computer....

Looking for Viewpoints

2009-04-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that as I get older, I meet more and more folks who grew up in a fundamental Christian home but now embrace much more contemporory church settings in their adulthood.

Conversely, I meet a lot of folks who were not raised in a Christian home at all, got saved in their late teens or early 20's, and they are seeking to establish traditional fundamental Christian homes.

I find these two situations intriguing, perhaps because they represent opposite ends of a pendulum.

I would be interested to hear the whys and wherefores of these decisions from people in both camps.

I've already begun doing some research into this topic, but I imagine this is going to be a while in the works. Depending upon what my research finds and what responses I get to my questions, I may at some point compile my findings into a book format. Any and all comments would be kept anonymous - I wouldn't want to use anything that could in any way be attributed to a specific person or be hurtful to anyone. But I think knowing why people make the decisions they do could prove useful to church leaders trying to reach their communities.

It's just an idea.

Certainly, you do not have to post anything on here if you do not want to. You may email me at kapandpen@bellsouth.net. I am very interested in your opinions and comments.

Thanks!

Susan Boyle and Paul Potts...Beauty Where It Counts

2009-04-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard the incredible vocal abilities of Susan Boyle or Paul Potts, you should google their names and get an earful. Paul Potts won Britain's Got Talent a couple of years ago, and has since produced two CD's. He has a superb voice, gifted for opera.

Susan Boyle is the most recent hit from Britain's Got Talent. Within hours of her flawless performance, web sites and fan clubs were bursting from internetland. She sang "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables.

What do these two talented and previously "unknown" people have in common? They have both been gifted by God with absolutely incredible, beautiful voices. They both led normal, fame-free, neighbor-next-door existences until their talents were recognized. They were both bullied in school. They have both been portrayed as, how can I say this politely, less than model-perfect in their physical appearance. This is my subject matter for this post.

When is our infatuation with beauty ever going to reach further than the surface of one's physical make-up? I have read so many articles about Susan Boyle...referring to her as the "ugly duckling" making it big. Why do writers have to use such words when describing another human? Why does it matter what a talented person looks like? When someone like Paul or Susan has such a beautiful, awe-inspiring voice, why do writers focus on what they look like? Hello? Their talent, the part of them that they are choosing to share with the rest of the world, is their voice, not their body or their smile or their hair or whatever other feature critics choose to attack. None of the other stuff is important anyway - beauty is fleeting.

Has anyone noticed that the once incredibly good-looking male actors and singers of the 1950's and 1960's are aging, getting fatter, getting greyer, getting balder, getting "wrinklier," getting old? Their female counterparts pay gross sums of money to have their bodies sucked and tucked and plumped and filled in order to stay looking "young." For what purpose? Does the exterior make the interior? Of course not. There is SO MUCH MORE to a human being than their looks! When the book of Genesis says God created man in His image, it does not say He only creates the "pretty" people in His image. We need to learn to see past the physical - to see the real person. Sometimes the "pretty" people have ugly personalities: they are selfish, cruel, unfeeling, haughty, shallow, and filled with pride. So what if they are handsome or gorgeous? Yet we continue to judge a person by their exterior, without taking the time to know their inner person.

I, for one, hope many things for Susan Boyle. I hope she wins Britain's Got Talent, I hope she makes a ton of money from CD's (I'll buy some!), I hope she travels and enjoys the blessings God bestows on her, and I hope God protects her from miscreant suitors who would have never given her a second look before her fame. I hope she remains the obviously caring person she has been; she looked after her mother until her death two years ago. She volunteers with her church. She's done things for charity. This is Susan Boyle's beauty. This is her character. I hope God protects her from those that would use her for their own fame and rank. I hope Susan Boyle recognizes that her talent comes from the Lord, Who loves her and gave Himself for her. I hope He gives her wisdom and true friends and the ability to judge rightly and not be hurt or used.

True beauty stems from within a person. It is their character, their moral standard, their kindness, their compassion, their ability to feel and help their fellow man. For those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it is His beauty that flows and reaches out to others, spreading the Gospel and reconciling sinful man to their Holy Creator.

Are we not yet filled to overflowing with fake beauties who live for their next hair appointment and wouldn't consider a humanitarian task which might cause them to break a nail?

I have told my children for years, and will continue to do so until they are all married, that beauty is fleeting. The Bible says beauty is short-lived. The book of Ecclesiastes says all is vanity, and truly we are a people obsessed with vanity.

When you find someone to marry, do it for the person inside, not the outside. We live in a sin-cursed world, which is why God the Creator had to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die and pay for our sins. Because of the nature of man and the curse of sin, bad things happen. The Scriptures say that it rains on the just and on the unjust. Accidents, birth defects, illness, and disease happen to people of all races, ages, nationalities, denominations, color, and financial position. If you marry a woman because she is beautiful, and then she suffers an accident and her beauty is gone, does that change who she is? No. Yet so many men will divorce or obtain a mistress because "the wife" is no longer lovely to behold. The same is true of women when a husband loses his looks. What that really reveals is the extreme shallow character of the one who was not marred.

God has made each and every human being on the planet. The Bible says He knew us before we were formed. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says He hath made every thing beautiful in his time. Why then do we stand and judge that which God has created? Yes, some of us are not "lovely" by a dictionary definition to look upon while others are exceedingly beautiful. Most of us are average. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble. But does it matter? God says we are created in His image. Is that not beauty enough? We are to live for Him, to bring honor and glory to Him. A beautiful voice can be a tremendous way to bring honor and glory to the Creator.

I hope that many people will see Susan Boyle and Paul Potts and see that there is so much more to behold than just the outward appearance. Scripture says man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart. May our hearts be right before God.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

TEA PARTY DAY TODAY!!!!

2009-04-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

Attend a tea party rally near you, if you can!!! This report from AFA Action Alert:

Mainstream media say TEA Party Day rallies in over 2,014 cities not worthy of coverage!

Take the pledge not to vote for any politician who votes to raise taxes or increase spending.

April 15, 2009

Dear Curt,

The mainstream media have not covered today's TEA Party rallies because they are fearful that coverage would hurt President Obama and the liberals' chances of getting a $1 trillion tax increase passed.

Despite the fact that AFA-sponsored TEA Party Day rallies are being held in more than 2,014 cities, the mainstream media have ignored it. Why? Let a member of the media tell you.

Leslie Marshall, a nationally syndicated liberal radio host, said the mainstream media are not covering the rallies because they're not worthy of coverage.

How about that! Small rallies in 10 cities protesting the war get extensive coverage, but the biggest tax protest in the history of America is ignored! If you are against higher taxes and increased spending, apparently your views are not important! But you can bet your bottom dollar (before taxes get it) that the mainstream will do all they can to get Congress to pass President Obama's trillion dollar tax raise.

2009-04-14T15:30:00.001-07:00

Obama's ideas are not original to him - see this political cartoon from 1934!

In case you can't read all the tiny print, here's what everything says:

The little character of Stalin on the bottom right corner is saying "How red the sunrise is getting!"

The wagon says, "Depleting the resources of the soundest government in the world"

Prominent political figures are dumping dollars out of the wagon as fast as they can shovel.

The little guy in the bottom left is saying, "It worked in Russia!" and he's writing out the plan of action for the U.S. "Spend! Spend! Spend: Under the guise of recovery - bust the government - blame the capitalists for the failure - junk the Constitution and declare a dictatorship"

The Young Pinkies from Columbia and Harvard are the guys in black graduation gowns and motorboards, getting drunk on a bottle that says "power."

Great Lunch or Dinner Idea

2009-04-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Soups/Stews

We are huge fans of soups and stews. I could eat them all year ‘round, but my family prefers them in the cooler months. I have a vegetable beef soup base to which I add any number of items I have on hand. So far, no combination has been rejected. Every time I make a pot of soup, the kids say, “Oh, Mamma, that looks/smells GOOD! When’s dinner?”

The beauty of the soup/stew base is that it is SO EASY to use and add to! You do not have to spend hours chopping and dicing vegetables!

Base: Campbell’s Vegetable Beef condensed soup, either 2 small cans or 1 large family-size can. To this I add any combination of the following:

1 can blackeyed peas, not drained
1 can whole kernel corn, not drained
1 can carrots, not drained
1 can kidney beans (any color), drained
1 can peas, not drained
1-2 cans diced potatoes, not drained
1 large or 2 small cubes of beef builllon
(frozen peas, carrots, corn, or green beans can be substituted for the canned items)
1 can corned beef hash or about 1 cup of cooked ground beef
Seasoning to taste

You can add 1-2 cups of water for a soupier consistency, or drain some of the vegetables before adding for a more stew-like consistency.

Serve with crackers. The soup costs about 75 cents a can. The veggies are usually about 50 cents a can in my area. The corned beef is about $1 a can. Ground beef is generally $2.25 a pound. I can make a huge pot of soup that will feed 8-10 people or more for about $6.00. Crackers are $2.00/box, and we would use ½ box. Total cost: $7.00 (88 cpp if serving 8 people)

If you prefer a stew, you can serve it over rice.

Of course, if you have special dietary needs which require less fat or sodium, you can buy the healthier soup versions and canned vegetables which are available. The price will go up some, but it is still cheaper than eating out!

Eating Better Than Beans! Sneak Preview of My New ebook

2009-04-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

I'm putting together a new freebie (well - it will be free for a limited time!). It's an ebook on how we feed our family of 8 for about $600 a month.

I realize $600 is not record-breaking cheap - I've read many articles on families who only spend $30-$50 a week on food, but that's because they eat a TON of dried beans and cornbread. $600 is cheap for a huge portion of the population. Statistics for average spending for a family of four range from $560 to a whopping $1100 per month! So $600 is pretty good!

We eat a wide variety of food around here, and we eat meat. We are not vegetarians and I make no apology for that. I do like dried beans; I use beans several times a month. But I don't use them 3-4 times a week. I also don't make pan after pan of cornbread and biscuits.

Anyway, I thought I would share some recipes with my faithful readers over the next few days. I'll start with Breakfast Items:

cpp = cents per person

Apple Raisin Oatmeal

Prepare oatmeal for 8 people as directed on the package. Add 1 small jar applesauce, ½ box raisins, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon. Stir well. Serve.

Costs: ¼ lg. round container of oatmeal ~ 50 cents) + 1 sm. jar applesauce ~ $1.00 + ½ box raisins ~ $1.00 + .20 (sugar) + .10 (cinnamon) = $2.80 (35 cpp)

Pancakes

I used to make my own mix. Now I buy a box mix. There are several brands, and they all work about the same. Just add water, mix well, and pour onto a hot griddle. It’s a fast and simple hot breakfast. Serve with butter, jam, peanut butter, or syrup.

Box mixes usually cost ~ $2.00 and last my family for 2 breakfasts.
1 Bottle of maple syrup ~ $2.00 and lasts about 4 breakfasts.
Butter costs ~ $2.39 for 4 sticks
Jam ~ $1.50 a jar, lasts for 4 breakfasts
peanut butter ~ $3 a jar. lasts for many breakfasts

Costs: ½ box mix + ¼ bottle syrup + ¼ box butter = $2.10 to make enough pancakes for 8 people. (26 cpp)

Waffles

Usually the pancake mixes will also be used for making waffles, simply by adding an egg or two and by substituting milk for water. This may increase the above cost of pancakes by about 25 cents, or .03 cpp.

Kielbasa Toss with Scrambled Eggs

Fry together:
One pound sliced kielbasa sausage
1 diced onion
1 diced green pepper

In another frying pan, fry up scrambled eggs, using 12 eggs and ½ cup milk, whisked together. Salt and pepper to taste.

Costs: Kielbasa ~ $2.60 + Onion ~ .30 + Bell pepper ~ .60 + Dozen eggs ~ 1.25 + Milk ~ .13 = $4.88. Serves 8. (61 cpp)

Facebook homeschooling page

2009-04-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

From a fellow self-publsiher:

I'd like to invite you all to the new "Homeschooling" Facebook page (4817
fans now).

Here's the URL of the page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Homeschooling/45899427713

Discuss homeschooling with like-minded families, post family photos and
homeschool videos, and read posts from numerous publishers who write about
their materials. Homeschooling sends out freebies every Friday to all the
fans - they go out as Updates and arrive in the fan's Update box.

I'd love to have your input on the page.

Laurie Bluedorn

Ebook Review: EXCELLENT Resource for Audio Learning by Amy Blevins

2009-03-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Amy Blevins is the creative author of a fantastic ebook called Listening to Learn! Using Audio Files in Your Homeschool.

Due to a breathing disorder, this homeschooling mom was forced to find a way to teach her children in a wide variety of subjects without having to do a lot of reading out loud. She discovered the wonderful world of audio files!

Listening to Learn! is written in a simple, “coffee table” format which is easy to understand. The author begins with an introduction of what audio files are and how they can be used. She also provides detailed graphics and information for using a wide variety of electronic devices, such as mp3 players, speakers, car audio cassette adaptors, and FM transmitters. Amy provides charts and logs for keeping track of files which a family desires to listen to.

One of the things I liked best was that she includes actual graphics of computer screens when explaining how to download items. The colors are great and the clarity is quite good.

She explains how to use your local library’s audio files and lending procedures, including information on Overdrive – a great way to download files in your own home.

Probably the most outstanding feature of the book is the extensive list of resources which Amy provides. Each resource is listed with a brief description. She also describes the benefits of podcasts for homeschoolers, explains how to use them, and lists 16 of her recommendations.

Listening to Learn! covers free music files, poetry files, Scripture memory, math memory, several pages of history files, holiday files, speech and communication files, children’s books, and classical books. She also has a section devoted to encouraging homeschooling moms. This sections lists several on-line places moms can go for help and tips, listen to homeschool conferences, and more.

To summarize: If you have been wondering how to get more school time into your busy day, you should really consider audio learning. Amy brings out how to jam-pack your children’s lives with interesting stories, facts, history, music, great literature, and more – all while doing chores or driving to appointments. “Down” time can be learning time – and it’s fun! Children won’t even realize they’re learning, it’ll be so much fun!

To order a copy of her book, go to:
http://bowofbronze.com/listeningtolearn.html

Mt. Sinai Revival (Pickens, SC) Going into 9th Week!

2009-03-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

So many folks have been able to attend one or more of these wonderful meetings! I just wanted to let you all know that they are in their 9th week this week! I have received a few notes from some of the members (they've seen my blog). Each one is so excited to be a part of this moving of the Holy Spirit! Here's a portion of today's email, from a member who has been at Mt. Sinai for 20 years:

"This is the most amazing Revival I have ever been in.. we have had many, but we have never seen God settle in like this... We are more than Honored. For the first 4 weeks it was like we were all just in a daze. Now we are going into our 9th week and its like we just started. Everyone is just so excited to get to Church and after the service is over no one wants to go leave.. I have heard and read about those kind of Revivals but never thought I would be in the middle of one. This far 109 souls have been saved, 8 called to preach, 1 to the mission field. and countless folks have got help. I run into people everywhere who tell me how the Lord has just revived their soul. praise God. One of our young men was reading in pslams and God gave him this verse.

Psalms:118:23: This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes."

The theme song they've been using for their revival services is "God's Been Good" and these are the words, in case you've never heard it:

God's Been Good!

Verse 1
Lately I've been looking back, along this winding road
To the old familiar markers of the mercies I have known
I know it may sound simple but it's more than a cliche
There's no better way to tell you, than to say

Chorus
God's been good in my life
I feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams when I go to sleep each night
And though I've had my share of hard times, I wouldn't change them if I could
'Cause through it all, God's been good

Verse 2
Times replay and I can see that I've cried some bitter tears
But I felt His arms around me, as I faced my greatest fears
You see I've had more gains than losses and I've known more joy than hurt
As His grace rolled down upon me undeserved

Bridge
For God has been my Father, my Savior and my Friend
His love was my beginning, and His love will be my end
I could spend forever trying to tell you everything He is
But the best that I can say it is this

Chorus
God's been good in my life
I feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams when I go to sleep each night
And though I've had my share of hard times, I wouldn't change them if I could
'Cause through it all, God's been good.

Rainy Days - Beautiful Days!

2009-03-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is still raining here in SC. I love to say those words. I love to write those words. I love to read those words. It's raining in SC!!! To those of you suffering from the swollen rivers in the Northwest, I'm sure you cannot appreciate the thrill in my saying, "It's raining!" But to all of us living through this multi-year drought in the Southeast, this is an incredible blessing from Heaven.

For instance - there is actually water running more than an ankle deep in the local Reedy River. That's a miracle! A few years after moving here, my husband and I canoed down part of the Reedy, not too far from our home. We haven't been able to do that for years, the water has been so low. Maybe, just maybe, a canoe will be seen again soon...

Small creeks and springs have been drying up all over the South. There is a pond on our way to Simpsonville which used to be quite large and beautiful. For the past five years the water level has continued to drop. The farmer finally had to put a fence around the pond because the bacteria level was so high and the water level so low, he was losing cattle. Now, the water level is actually rising! What a blessing!

Many homeowners here in SC have had to drill new wells because the old ones dried up. Folks on city water may think, "Okay, what's the big deal about drilling a new well?" I know one family that paid over $6,000 to finally reach water; then discovered it was unsuitable for drinking because the parts per million of a certain metal were too high. Drilling a new well is an expensive gamble, but one many families have no choice but to do. Having it rain and rain and rain will slowly bring up the underground water levels and probably spare hundreds from having to re-drill this summer.

I am praising the Lord for the rain!!! May He let it continue to rain and bring up our lake levels. May He bless us with good crops this year. Praise the Lord and pass the rain barrels!!!

Family Photo

2009-03-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

This is Curt and I with our children, son-in-law, and grandchildren.

Seventh Week of Revival at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Pickens, SC

2009-03-19T00:36:00.000-07:00

This is the seventh straight week of services at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church and they've had 5 saved so far this week. Since the revival began: almost 90 salvations, 4 men called to preach, 1 person surrendered for the mission field.

For the 2nd time since their revival begain, our Pastor moved our Wednesday night service to Mt. Sinai. The first time, there were 7 other churches present that Wed. eve. Tonight, only 3 churches did, so there was more seating space. We got there 30 minutes early, giving me a little more time to count. There were at least 120 in the pews and about 50 in the choir. My guess is that on Mon, Tue, Thur, and Fri they are averaging 275-300 people in their sanctuary.

Tonight, the pastor mentioned a church called State Line that's been holding week long revival services since the beginning of the year! Last night they had standing room only! And the pastor there told the pastor at Mt. Sinai that their church had been praying for the revival going on at Mt. Sinai! Isn't that GOOD! That's the way sister churches are supposed to be - not worrying about sheep-stealing but playing on the same team!! Wahoo!

I love to watch the choir sing. First, though, you need an understanding of what's been going on there. Every week night for 7 weeks they've been at church. Saturday night the teens have a special time of prayer for revival. Sunday they have services and their own pastor preaches, while Mark Stroud preaches in his own church. (Yes, I finally learned his last name!) The choir sings anywhere from 2-4 songs when we've been there. I assume they are singing as usual on Sundays. That means the choir is singing 15-25 songs a WEEK. Then there are folks doing specials. Then part of the regular choir is also part of the teen choir, and they sing every night. The theme song is "God's Been Good" and He sure has! He's been sustaining the choir, the choir director, and all the folks from Mt. Sinai who have been present for some 33 revival services, plus regular services on Sundays, and he's sustaining the preacher. Folks, these people have got to be getting tired physically, but you can't tell it when you see them sing and testify!

And I have to point out here that these are not professional singers - this is not what they do for a living. This is just a regular church choir. They are also not enticing people to attend services because they have a "rocking praise and worship team" complete with blaring rock music. This is South Carolina, these are Southern people, and they sing Southern, Gospel, Christ-centered hymns. The kind of songs that reach down and touch your heart and leave your toes alone!

In the back row of the choir, there's an older gentleman near the end. That man smiles through most every song he sings. Tonight they are singing a song in which we are compelled to lean on Christ, and he periodically raises his hand for a couple seconds, signifying "AMEN" to a particular phrase he's singing. I'm guessing he's seen enough of life to know there's no Other One to lean on. There are a lot of choir members smiling tonight. Tired? They have to be. But they are electrified and upheld by the Spirit of God, rejoicing that the Lord has chosen this church in this sleepy hollow of SC to bless with a revival.

As they begin a second song, I notice hands around the sanctuary are briefly lifted from time to time in testimony of God's promises, which the choir sings about. One line says something like, "we've often failed the Lord but He's never failed us" and many raise their hand or say "Amen." But it's not loud and distracting or confusing. It's simply a testimony of truth and faithfulness.

Before the preacher comes, I'm struck with this thought: Revival has not come to this church because they have a multi-million dollar campus, although they do have a beautiful sanctuary. Revival has not come because they have hired in professional singers or a nationally known preacher, although the singing is whole and true and the preacher is without question being used by God. Revival didn't come to this church because the members are all rich; indeed, I do not feel out of place at all, and folks who know us know we are far from being considered "rich." It's "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." (Zec.4:6) This is not of man. This is not manufactured or faked or put on for television. This is God moving in the hearts of His people. And it all started because the teens started praying some 9 or 10 weeks ago.

The atmosphere is more quiet tonight than in some of the other services we've attended, some 4-5 by now. But God speaks in a still small voice when He speaks to your heart. The preacher chose as his text Isaiah 6:1-11. When King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw God high and lifted up and he saw himself as a man of unclean lips, unworthy. In spite of our current national needs, of which there are many, we can still see God high and lifted up.

He talked about the Glory of God and what it can do in our hearts and lives, and how it should be evident on our faces. He said we need glory and not T-shirts and bracelets! I loved that.

What will fix our country? 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

This is revival. I'm watching a true revival. Not something faked for attention. Oh I've been in enough services where the hootin' and hollerin' brought lots of attention on the hooter and hollerer, but not to God. This is not like that. Yes, some of the services have had some shouting, but it's never drowned out the preaching of the Word of God.

Here's something else: The preacher does not demand the babies be removed from the sanctuary. As a matter of fact, I didn't realize until a week or so ago they even had a nursery available because there are many children in the service. For the most part, they are quiet. If they become loud, the parent steps into the foyer with them, but they can still hear the message. These little ones are experiencing a great moving of God. Will they remember this? Maybe, maybe not. But I'm going to remind my 2-yr-old of the revival services he was in when he grows old enough to understand. He sits with us. Only once have I had to take him out.

Also, the preachers aren't following a formal "program." They follow the leading of the Lord. The pastor of the church opens the services, and the order from there has been different every time. Sometimes the youth choir sings, then there's handshaking, sometimes not, sometimes the youth choir sings last, sometimes the specials come before the offering sometimes not, sometimes Bro. Stroud preaches and sometimes he just talks... Can you picture too many churches today doing that? But every time, the Lord is using the service to reach hearts.

One couple was close to divorce. They came to a service and got saved and their marriage is restored. One girl was ready to give up on life, but decided to give God her final try. He saved her - He not only spared her physical life, but He's granted her eternal life. Teens who've grown up in church are getting saved. Couples are getting right - women are submitting to their husbands, husbands are loving their wives, children and parents are setting things right. Teens are being called to be faithful in prayer and witnessing and devotions. They are expressing genuine concern over the souls of their family members. Grown men are crying and giving public testimonies of what God has done in their lives. I guess that last one impresses me a lot. I often wonder "where are the men in America's churches?" So many of them stay home, watching football or whatever. Our nation is falling apart and they'd rather be cushy couch potatoes than get right before God and beg God to right our country and save their neighbors and family members. But in this revival I'm watching the Spirit of God move on men - MEN! - and draw them to Him. Boy is that exciting!!!

I guess the only thing that's more exciting than that is watching the number of teens that seem completely sold out for God in this revival. Folks, this is the next generation. If God doesn't draw them to Himself, we're going to lose an entire generation. That's the future of the church. I'm so excited to see these young people on fire, having the incredible privilege of watching a moving of God in their midst.

If they go for an eighth week I hope to be able to attend another service. I would love to live closer. I would love even more for this to spread throughout the upstate of South Carolina, across the southeast, and across the country.

God offers Himself to us freely. Why are we settling for the world's fake copies? Our churches are becoming impotent against the floods of sin and immorality. We need revival to sweep our country. We need to pray. To seek God. I mean really seek God. Not just say it. God's stirring up our country for a reason. We better get on board.

Ammunition Costs Will Be Sky-high Soon

2009-03-18T08:49:00.001-07:00

I realize not everyone reading this post is a gun-enthusiast. However, I think most of you will agree that the Constitution protects our rights to own weapons. Obama obviously disagrees with this opinion. Of course! Why would someone who wants socialism to be the "New Deal" be interested in arming his citizens?! This article came to me today via an email. I have to share it. If you think you might EVER need a gun and ammunition, you better run as fast as you can to buy all you will ever need...at least until we get some conservatives in office to right all these wrongs.

We went to a gun show earlier this year - prices for regular handguns and rifles had already doubled from the previous year. It's only going to get worse, folks.

*********************************************************

Obama Administration policy to force ammo prices through the roof
Defense Dept. to stop sale of once-fired brass

March 17, 2009 - We have verified through multiple sources that the Department of Defense is suspending the sale of all once-fired brass cartridge cases.

This will drastically reduce the availability of inexpensive ammunition, and is bound to drive up the already rising cost of ammunition.

From Georgia Arms:

"Effective immediately DOD Surplus, LLC, will be implementing new requirements for mutilation of fired shell casings. The new DRMS requirement calls for DOD Surplus personnel to witness the mutilation of the property and sign the Certificate of Destruction. Mutilation of the property can be done at the DRMO, if permitted by the Government, or it may be mutilated at a site chosen by the buyer. Mutilation means that the property will be destroyed to the extent prevents its reuse or reconstruction. DOD Surplus personnel will determine when property has been sufficiently mutilated to meet the requirements of the Government. "

What's at stake?
The price of target ammunition is not the only issue at stake. By mutilating once-fired brass cartridge cases, the government will lose 80% of the value of the cartridge cases as a commodity.

According to Denver Bullet, a company that reloads once-fired military brass, a pound of once-fired government brass runs around $2.00, while that same pound of scrap brass sells for $0.35. With international commodity prices falling, the price of scrap brass could fall even lower. In addition to the loss of value of brass cartridge cases as a commodity, the government will pay to ship and melt the mutilated once-fired brass to smelting furnaces in places like Alabama.

This massive mismanagement of taxpayer funds is clearly a policy decision driven by the Obama Administration's war on gun owners, rather than sound fiscal policy.

What you can do?
Contact your member of congress and members of the Armed Services Committee.

Congressional Democrats are very conscious of their position with gun owners. This makes them even more conscious of the demands and desires of their constituents. Many attribute the 1994 Republican take over of Congress to gun owners outrage over the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban.

From the New York Times:

But there is one issue that retains the power to leave Democrats quivering: gun rights. Gun issues still persistently tie the party in knots and have been used by Republicans to stall two major bills this year, with more likely to come.

“It is a hot-button issue,” said Representative Allen Boyd, Democrat of Florida, a longtime hunter and one of the moderates who typically split from the more liberal wing of the party to support the rights of gun owners. “Some people around here know they can use it as a wedge issue, and they try to do that.”

It is a particularly hot-button topic with veteran Congressional Democrats who believe the party's strong support for a 1994 assault weapons ban was the real reason they lost control of the House that year — not the House bank scandal, the failed health care initiative, the Contract with America or Newt Gingrich.

When you contact your member of Congress, tell them that taxpayers and gun owners deserve more than platitudes and policy driven grudges from the Obama Administration.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Colorado's Congressional Delegation

Senators:

Senator Mark Udall
Party: Democrat
Address: B40E Dirksen Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5941
Fax: (202) 224-6471

Senator Mike Bennett
Party: Democrat
Address: 702 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5852
Fax: (202) 224-5036

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

U.S. House of Representatives:

Representative Diana DeGette
District: 1
Party: Democrat
Address: 2421 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4431
Fax: (202) 225-5657

Representative Jared Polis
District: 2
Party: Democrat
Address: 501 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2161
Fax: (202) 226-7840

Representative John Salazar
District: 3
Party: Democrat
Address: 326 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4761
Fax: (202) 226-9669

Representative Betsy Markey
District: 4
Party: Democrat
Address: 1229 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4676
Fax: (202) 225-5870

Representative Doug Lamborn (a member of Armed Services)
District: 5
Party: Republican
Address: 437 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4422
Fax: (202) 226-2638

Representative Mike Coffman
District: 6
Party: Republican
Address: 1508 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-7882
Fax: (202) 226-4623

Representative Ed Perlmutter
District: 7
Party: Democrat
Address: 415 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2645
Fax: (202) 225-5278

Cleaning Up

2009-03-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

Cleaning Up My Pantry:
Everything is organized again! I can find the food again, and the containers, and the glass jars, and the coffee. My kitchen is happy, I'm happy, my family is happy. This will last less than one week.

Cleaning Up My Chickens:
Oh yes-all 18 of them. I have chicks in my bathtub. Well, they've outgrown the box...and it's too cold to put them outside yet-so where else can they go? The tub is kind of convenient anyway. I can take them out and rinse out the tub and put them back after it's dry.

Cleaning Up My Time:
Spring cleaning...ah, yes. There's nothing like the scent of fresh air, disinfectant, and warm computer cables. Wait - what was that? Warm computer cables? Well, yes. See, I've been wasting entirely too much time on facebook applications. I love facebook - I have nothing against it as a means of keeping in touch with folks. But all the applications...well...let's just say I spent more time on them than was necessary. So I deleted them today. It's actually quite a liberating feeling. Now I can just go check updates and photos and see what's new with family and friends-and be off!

Cleaning Up Facebook for Employment:
Speaking of facebook, I am continually amazed at what some people will post, either as a status, a comment, or in photo format. The photos really scare me. What goes on in the heads of folks that post embarassing or exceedingly immodest photos? (Fortunately, I don't have a lot of friends on facebook with that problem, but I know others who do.) Employers are starting to look at facebook to see what a potential employee is really like. Not fair? Well, perhaps. But look at it from the employer's point of view: Do I want to hire this well-dressed, professional lady or gentleman...who blatantly advertises her/his use of drugs, alcohol, or worse, on facebook? Probably not. If I'm an employer, I'm going to be looking for someone with character and at least some standards. If a potential employee is going to advertise publicly what he or she does in his or her private life, then I'm as entitled as anyone else to view what is posted and make my decision from there. Let the potential employees out there beware - if you make yourself look foolish or irresponsible on facebook, myspace, youtube, etc., don't be surprised when the best jobs pass you by.

BOSTON TEA PARTY - Parties Across the USA

2009-03-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

Okay - we had a "Boston" Tea Party in Greenville, SC, a few weeks ago. This is a great uprising of taxpayers who are demanding accountability from our federal government. Rallies were held in dozens of US cities. Now, here's something more - what a neat idea! I'm doing this! I received this email this week...

For more information on this topic, Google: The New American Tea Party.

On April 1, 2009, all Americans are asked to send ONE TEABAG to Washington, D.C. You do not have to enclose a note or any other information unless you so desire. Just a TEABAG. Your one voice will become a roar when joined with millions of others that feel the same way.

'New American Tea Pary' site survey showed over 90% of thousands said they would send the teabag on April 1. Why, April 1?? We want them to reach Washington by April 15. Will you do it? I will. Send it to: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C. 20500.

Ha ha ha - what a great idea. No, I did NOT check this on snopes to see if it was valid - I think it's a great idea, regardless!

REVIVAL IN PICKENS, SC - MT. SINAI BAPTIST CHURCH

2009-02-27T06:55:00.000-08:00

I have a TON of editing waiting for me to finish - but I HAVE to write about this NOW!

Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Pickens, SC (not too far from Easley if you are looking at a map), is experiencing a true revival. I cannot explain it, but the presence of God is very real in these services. Over 60 people have been saved thus far.

They started having a regular revival meeting for their church of about 140 people...4 weeks ago! The Lord started moving and people were getting saved and attendance kept climbing, new folks were coming...so they extended it a week. Then another, then another - they announced yesterday they will start a 5th week on Monday.

We attended a Monday night service there last week. There were probably 240 people present. This isn't about some big name preacher they've paid big bucks to bring in (They pass an offering plate quickly, but there's no emphasis on giving money) - I can't even recall the preacher's last name. His first name is Mark and he pastors a church in NC. He's married and he has two (?) little kids. That's all I know about him. He doesn't talk about himself much - he just preaches. Nothing "new" or "enlightening" - just the simple truths of the Word of God. But the power of the Lord is at work all over the building. That night we were there we saw 6 teens and adults get saved, including a grandpa! One man came up to me and said, "I can't remember the last time I couldn't wait for work to be over so I could get to church!" These folks are really excited about what's happening.

We went again last night, partly because CJ asked if we could go again. I had wanted to attend another meeting there, but it's an hour drive for us. But if you have a teenager who is ASKING to attend a revival service, parent, you better make time to go!

Parking was everywhere! On the grass across from the church, down the road - I'm telling you, that building cannot hold all the people who are coming. We arrived 30 minutes ahead of service, and the sanctuary was packed! There were about 50 people who raised their hands as having never been there before. One lady said she'd arrived at 6:35 (services start at 7:30) and she had trouble finding seating. We can't all sit together - our teens sat in chairs set up in the vestibule and Curt and I sat in chairs along the back wall of the sanctuary. At a rough guess, I'd say there were close to 300 there last night.

Now I've been to tent meetings and I attended a Nazarene college and they get a little "active" -- but I've never seen what I saw last night. Folks were going forward and getting saved during the song service! All night long, people were popping up and getting right with God or their fellow Christians, rededicating their lives to Christ - and the preacher never even ended up preaching his message. He talked a lot about the Lord and what He's been doing, there were some testimonies of God's goodness, good music, a psalm (46 I think) was quoted by one gentleman and Scripture verses were quoted, but it was the Spirit of God moving in people's hearts. I felt transported in time, as if I could close my eyes and picture myself at an old-time revival - one where folks got up and got saved without needing an invitation.

Pastor Stafford and Jan attended a meeting last night in Landrum, SC, and they are apparently witnessing a similar moving of the Spirit.

Wouldn't it be awesome if this is just the beginning - perhaps we can see true revival spread through our land once again!

Great Raffle Going on at HomeschoolChristian.com

2009-02-24T08:41:00.001-08:00

Hey folks - all you homeschoolers - the above site is having a raffle and they are giving away the neatest things! I had not seen this website before, but Martha Robinson of HomeschoolChristian.com is on my Christian Self-Publishing Loop. She sent out an invite to all of us self-publishers, asking us if we'd like to contribute something for the raffle. Of course, I said yes! So, among the vast array of items are two of my own - the Grains Unit Study and the Kitchen and Cooking Terminology Study. Everything she is raffling off is either individually worth about $20 or more, or she has "packages" of two or more items, totaling $20 or more. In any event - the values are fantastic and it's a fun way to try and win a bunch of cool stuff. Thought I would let you all know!
Gail

Christian Work at Home

2009-02-17T19:00:00.001-08:00

CWAHM.com Announces Work At Home 101
A FREE online 3 week course designed to give moms a work-at-home starting place.

Most people are curious about working from home. We know others do it, but aren't sure how they do it.

CWAHM.com's Work at Home 101 is designed to give you an overview of the choices available that will allow you to work from home. This online course will give you the starting place you've been searching for.

Best of all - it's completely free! CLICK HERE!

Some of the things covered during Work at Home 101:

* Where to Start
* Telecommuting
* Home-Based Businesses
* Avoiding Scams
* Entrepreneur Tips
*AND MUCH MORE!

Jesus Loves Me

2009-02-16T12:54:00.000-08:00

This was good. Got it today in an email:

A 92-year old retired preacher was asked to speak to the congregation and tell them what the greatest lesson was that he'd learned after 50+ years of preaching. This is what he said:

Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
We are weak but He is strong.....
Yes, Jesus loves me...
The Bible tells me so.'

A pastor once stated he'd noticed it was the adults who sing "Jesus Loves Me" the loudest because they
knew it the best.

Senior version of Jesus Loves Me:

JESUS LOVES ME:
Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I'll go
On through life, let come what may,
He'll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song.
Telling me in words so clear,
Have no fear, for I am near.
(CHORUS)

When my work on earth is done,
And life's victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I'll understand His love
(CHORUS)

I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.

Random Thoughts on Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

Last night was the Valentine Banquet at our church. We decorated (I'll post pictures as soon as I find the cable for my photo card reader!) and it was lovely! We all enjoyed sitting down in the candlelit atmosphere, chatting with good friends and enjoying one another's company. My wonderful hubby bought me a dozen roses, a super-soft teddy bear, and a helium balloon!

Eleonore and Willie attended, too. That was the first time Elly has had a date for a Valentine Banquet - and she's attending one with him tonight at his church, too! They sure are enjoying each other's company! Curt and I are very happy the Lord has brought them together and that they are taking their time getting to know each other. Willie is great about spending time with our family and all the kids really like having him around.

Tim Joiner brought a great devotional for the group. He recommended a book by a man whose first name escapes me, but his last name is Vinney. He wrote a book on the ministry of marriage - looks like a great book, and I'm anxious to read it. He brought out some very great points. As most of know, marriage is a symbol of Christ's relationship for the church. Our marriages are to bring honor and glory to God. This can be extremely difficult at times, but our heart's desire should always be to honor and glorify God. Does this desire begin at the marraige altar? It shouldn't. It should begin when a young man or a young woman first begins to seek a mate.

This is one of the reasons Curt and I now promote courtship and not traditional dating. On some points, the two may seem very similar, causing some to say, "So what's the big difference?" However, there is a big difference, starting from the very beginning. Our oldest child did not wish to have any of our involvement in her dating relationships, but the next three have expressed a desire to comply with our ideas of courtship and marriage. Consequently, they are watching Elly very closely.

Traditional dating, which many parents allow to begin at age 13 or 14, is not best on a variety of levels. First, you begin an endless stream of "falling in love" and "breaking up" - practice runs for multiple marriages and divorces. We believe there is no point in "dating" unless you are of an age to consider marriage. Why allow children to have all the emotional ups and downs associated with traditional dating, when they shouldn't even consider marriage until they are finished with high school? When you really stop to consider it, young teen dating is very irresponsible - it does nothing to benefit the teen, and many times only causes hurt, grief, regret, and sorrow over lost emotional and/or physical purity.

Some folks criticize courtship, saying, "Oh - I'm not having my parents pick who I'm going to marry!" We don't "pick" who our children will marry. But we do offer advice, concerns about someone's character, point out positives or negatives, etc. We've learned a lot about Willie. So far, we approve of all his answers and his character seems to bear out his beliefs. So, we have approved of him seeing our daughter. If at any point along the way, Elly had said, "Mom, I'm not really interested in him that way," we would simply have told him that, relieving Elly of any emotional burdens. But, she has been as interested in him as he is in her. We want what is best for both of them - we want each to know God's will for their lives. I think Willie has a lot of character because he is willing to come to my husband and talk. So many young men today wouldn't dream of such a thing. Yet it shows incredible respect for both Elly and her familiy! Why wouldn't parents want that? Why wouldn't wouldn't a girl want that?

Well, I'm sure there will be more to post on this topic as time progresses. But for now, I'm glad Elly sees the importance of honoring God in her relationship with Willie. If more young couples would seek to honor Christ while "dating" or "courting" then there would be more young married couples doing likewise.

Sue's Wedding Quilt Pictures

2009-01-23T15:04:00.001-08:00

Here are some close-ups of some of the squares. Like a dunce - I didn't take a single photo of this before we gave it to her. These were taken at the reception. As you can see, it was used to display the gift table, so some of the squares are not visible on the photos. There were a total of 25 squares. Susan is supposed to be taking pictures of all of them and giving them to me. I'll add those to this post whenever I get them.
Thanks to all our friends who participated!!! She got squares from folks here in SC as well as some from Illionois and Louisiana!

FINALLY - Sue's wedding pictures!!!!

2009-01-22T22:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry - these loaded out of order and I don't know how to fix that!

Curt gives Susan away

Announcing Mr. and Mrs. Joey Curado!

The flower girls in sepia photo shot.

waiting for the bride's entrance

lighting the unity candle

looking on....from left to right: Rachel Curado, Hannah (Curado) don't know her married name, Tamatha Redmond, me, Phoebe. (Hannah's daughter had already sat down by this point).

exchanging vows

the entrance

the quilt

the happy couple just after the ceremony, ready to greet guests

Susan

the quilt

feeding cake

Susan with Joey and Auntie Zena

Joey with some of his children. His oldest daughter, Hanna is on the far left, then Sue, then Joey, then Hanna's hubby, then Rachel.

Elizabeth and Paul were at the wedding but for some reason, we didn't get a shot of them. Oldest son Adam was unable to attend.

Happy couple!

Attendants
Tamatha, Phoebe, Gail, Susan, Hannah, Grace, Rachel

Detailed quilt photos will be in next posting!

CINNAMON & HONEY FOR YOUR HEALTH

2009-01-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

I have no idea how accurate this is, but I thought it was interesting.... I plan to try using this combination and see what happens!

Cinnamon & Honey

I received all this information in an anonymous email - so if I'm plaigerizing, it's not intentional.

I am reticent to say any of these below suggestions are actually "cures" but they may very well help the ailments they are reported to "cure." It is certainly worth a try!

Facts on honey and cinnamon:
It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a "Ram Ban" (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases. Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients.

Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada , in its issue dated 17 January, 1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily, morning, and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

TOOTHACHE: Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be applied three times a day until the tooth stops aching.

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey wit h 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root. GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural Ingredient which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increases and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

PIMPLES: Three tablespoon s of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root. SKIN INFECTIONS: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS: Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three times a day.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than! than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week

BAD BREATH: People of South America , first thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restore hearing.

Miscellaneous Events.....Plus an Announcement!

2009-01-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

That's where I'm at - I'm miscellaneous today! Hahahaha

Hmm ... I have a lot of editing I need to get caught up on. Must get to that.

Helping Phoebe finish up a math book - yeah!!! 6 weeks early! That's my Phoebe!

Watching Jo and CJ clean up the dog yard. Nothing like shoveling dog manure....

Keeping track of Gideon, my almost-two-year-old son, and Austin, my almost three-year-old grandson. He's here for a visit - we sure enjoy having him come over!!! They are so adorable together. Austin has a 5-month-old sister and he's expecting a new sibling this coming September!!! Wahoo!!! That's the announcement, in case you didn't guess!!

We attended the wedding of Marywhite Smith and Walter Griffith on Saturday. It was quite beautiful. The bride entered from an upstairs hallway off an addition to the historic church, so you could watch her walk the hall then down the stairs and up the aisle. It was a beautiful wedding, attended by at least 400 people, most of whom I had never met. But I was very glad we were able to attend.

Elly is happy these days....she's keeping busy working two days at GBS, helping me keep the house clean, .............. visiting and texting................ ;-)

Isaiah is enjoying the microscope we FINALLY received for his birthday. We bid on a billion before we finally won one. (Okay. I tend to exaggerate. But it seemed like a billion!)

Well, just wanted to pop on a post ...

Oh - I have a sale coming up on TOS on the 23rd - it's a buy one get one. Anyone who buys a Bible Journal receives a free Geography ebook!!! I'm so excited - the Bible Journals are Elly's, so I hope she sells a whole bunch!!!!

Okay - that's all for today!

Christmas Tidings ... Things Change, But Christ Is Always the Same

2008-12-28T23:11:00.001-08:00

Whew! What a wonderful week!

Tuesday we had my niece, Carla, and her family over for lunch.

Wednesday afternoon we spent with my niece, Ginger, and her family. Curt, John, Ginger, and I all visited indoors while the young people all played football outdoors! The weather was great, about 60 degrees, and it just seemed a perfect Christmas Eve.

That evening we had a Christmas Eve service at our church, and my nephew, Johne, and Elly's friend, Willie, also came for services. We had a beautiful candlelight service! Then we (my family + Johne and Willie) came back home, ate dinner, played some games, and headed over to Hampton Park Baptist Church for their 11:00p.m. service. This is the "things change" part. Sadly, this was the last years we will be going to Hampton Park.

Years ago, Curt and I started attending Hampton Park's late Christmas Eve services. They were breathtaking for us. We would drive the 40 minutes to the church, wait in line with traffic to get a parking space, and finally be seated in the balcony. I loved the balcony! We could look down on the auditorium and see the sea of people below. The church would be lit by candlelight and white Christmas lights. The service consisted mainly of specials - solos, duets, trios, choir arrangements, instrumentals, and some congregational songs. The pastor would have a short message. At the very end of the choir songs, they would invite anyone in the audience who wanted to, to come up and join the choir and they would sing the Hallelujah Chorus. It was absolutely the best way ever to end a Christmas Eve. I loved hearing the sound of almost 1,000 people singing praises to God during the congregational songs. Sometimes I would just close my eyes and listen for a verse. We go to a very small Baptist church, only about 35-40 congregants, and so once a year hearing all those people sing together was really special. (I don't care for crowds, so I couldn't join a church that size, but for one day a year, I really loved it!) There were many years when we couldn't go because our church was having a late Christmas Eve service or some of our children were too small to take or someone would be sick, etc., etc. But any year we could go, we did go. It was always a highlight of the season for me.

However, in recent years, the late services have changed. We went a year or two ago to the 7:00 p.m. service and there were only about three specials and a few congregational songs, and a regular message. We figured the 7:00p.m. service was just different from the 11:00p.m., so planned on coming to the later one the next time. So, we did just that.

Imagine our surprise when we pulled into the parking lot and there were not more than 3 dozen cars there. Parking was certainly not a problem. We walked in, and the balcony was not a seating option. We entered into the main auditorium, and there was only a small crowd near the front. The decorations were still beautiful, as were the lights and the candles...but much of the element was gone without the throngs of people. Where was everybody? There were a few congregational songs, a couple of instrumental specials, a story reading, a solo, a really nice duet, and a short message. No choir songs. No choir. No Hallelujah Chorus.

They did serve the Lord's Supper....but in a way that made us rather uncomfortable. Again, I guess I can't really say it was wrong, and yet it just didn't fit into the way we've always seen it done, not just in my current church, but in other Fundamental Independent Baptist Churches. They had the elements at the front and it was a "serve yourself" situation...no formal blessing or prayer of thanksgiving for the juice or the bread, no final prayer of thanksgiving...it was just very different.

I make no apologies for being a Fundamental, Independent, KJV, Baptist. I am uncomfortable in "contemporary" services, and I really feel that's the trend Hampton Park has taken. The songleader was dressed casually, as was the pastor, who wore a suitcoat over a turtleneck...he looked nice, but it's not really my definition of pulpit-wear. Except for the congregational songs, I didn't recognize most of the specials. They were fine...I can't really say there was anything wrong with them....but they just weren't what I was used to hearing from previous years at that church. And, their verses on the walls....are no longer in the KJV. As I looked around and considered the HUGE loss in attendance over what I remembered and enjoyed from previous years, I can't help but wonder if their shift to a more contemporary service has been a poor choice for them.

Regardless, Christ is Always the Same - Yesterday, Today, and Forever! He will never disappoint us, though our friends, families, ~ and churches ~ may from time to time. We still had a wonderful day. I'm still thankful we got to hear the Word preached and Christ proclaimed. I'm so thankful Christ was willing to leave the splendor of Heaven and come to earth to save sinful mankind. I'm so thankful I don't have to pay for my own sins - that Christ was willing to suffer my awful punishment for me, so that I might one day spend eternity with Him in heaven. If you are reading this and you are not saved - I beg you to confess your sins to God and ask Christ to save you. Believe in your heart that God has accepted Christ's death as payment for your sin, that Christ resurrected from the dead and sits on the right hand of the Father in heaven, and that by trusting in Christ, we are assured of a home in Heaven if we but repent and believe.

Christmas Day, we had a wonderful time! We slept in late, made lunch, had Willie come for lunch and to spend the afternoon and evening with us (he even made a homemade cheesecake for us! YUM!), ran by my niece's house for a quick hello and a game of football (again!) and then ran back to the house because my oldest daughter, Ginni, and her husband, Scott, were coming over for the evening with the children, my grandson, Austin, and my granddaughter, Danica. Ginni worked really hard making a lot of homemade gifts for her siblings - she's becoming quite the seamstress! We had a lot of fun, and after Ginni and Scott went home, Willie stayed and we all put a puzzle together until two in the morning!!! It was a really, really nice way to spend the evening. We all had a wonderful day!

Friday, we went over to Marlee and Taylor's house (another niece of mine!) for dinner. We got to see Susan and Joey, just back from their honeymoon. It was really a lot of fun. We ate, played a game, had a family devotional, visited...all around a great evening.

Well, as you can see, we managed to s-t-r-e-t-c-h Christmas over 4 days! We sure praise the Lord for all His blessings!

Sneak Peek at Sue's Wedding Photos

2008-12-22T19:27:00.001-08:00

The Joiners were wonderful! They sent me a few photos to pick from in order to include one family photo in our Christmas Kappenman Chronicles. So - I'm sharing with all of you! (I'm pathetic - we rarely have a family photo taken so I rarely have one to send anyone!!!)

From left to right:

Our daughter Alyssa, Curt holding Gideon, Isaiah with Phoebe standing in front of him (she was a flower girl), me next to Isaiah, Susan (the blushing bride!) and standing behind her is Joey, the tall and gallant groom in gray; my son, C.J. in the black suit, my daughter Ginni in the back, my daughter Eleonore in the front, and Ginni's husband, Scott, holding their daughter, Danica. The only immediate family member not present in the photo is Ginni's son, Austin, who was unable to attend the wedding.

REDNECK YARD DECOR

2008-12-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help myself. It began with an idea, then it verbalized itself as a joke. The next thing I knew, we were planning it out. Then CJ was off and running the execute the plan while Elly Jo was saying, "I cannot believe my family is going to do this!"

We've never done anything like this before. We may or may not ever do it again. But we did it this year. For those of you reading this post who are unfamiliar with our neighborhood, we live in a quiet residential area where each home sits on at least 1 acre of ground. The homes range in size from 1,400 sq.ft. to 2,400 sq.ft. The homes range in age from 30 years to brand new. There are no mobile homes here and they are almost all well kept and tasteful. Those who choose to decorate their homes exterior do it in a nice manner, as we have done in years past.

And then came The Idea.

Behold, our Redneck Christmas Sleigh. It begins with "Rudolph," our rototiller, swathed in red lights. The bicycles, lawnmowers, and other yard implements are all "reined" in together with strings of lights. The trailer, where we throw our trash until it goes to the dump once a month, is covered in netting lights.

No end of comments have been forthcoming since the arrival of the Redneck Sleigh in the Kappenman's front yard. The neighbors who have offered an opinion have laughed and said it's great! One of the guys from the fire department loves it. He said sometimes he drives by and just slows down to look at it. hee hee hee. I have to admit this is worth every laugh. I have no shame.

Two days ago, a red and white pickup pulled up in the driveway. Two gentlemen climbed out. The larger of the two greeted us with, "Are y'all the ones selling the lawnmowers out there?" We laughed and said no, that they were part of our yard decorations. He said, "You ain't sellin' them? Well you owe me a half a tank o'gas - I drove all the way from Spartanburg 'cause I heard you had a yard full of lawnmowers you were sellin'. Your sign out there says 'For Sale.' " Well, we explained that the HOUSE is for sale, not the lawnmowers. Disappointed, they drove away.

Well. That's it for now. Greetings from the Redneck Sleigh people!!!

Catching My Breath

2008-12-17T15:04:00.001-08:00

Well, this has certainly been a busy and exciting past few weeks.

We worked a LOT on decorating and sewing and making sure everything would be perfect for Susan's big day - and it was! It was one of the lovliest weddings I've ever been to. Everything ran quite smoothly and I even got to watch them open their gifts!! How about that?! One of my pet peaves is that nobody opens their gifts at weddings anymore. But they did, and I was glad to be able to see what they received.

One of the sweetest things was watching them kiss after Pastor pronounced them man and wife. Prior to that moment, they had never kissed. They never even held hands while they were dating, believing the Scriptures to be true when it says it is good for a man not to touch a woman (who is not his wife). I believe God will honor their respect for one another during their courtship.

This topic actually was brought up recently among several young people with whom we are acquainted and/or related. Elly and one of her male cousins could honestly say they had never kissed anyone yetm surprising some of the others in the room. But both of them believe it will be the most special thing to wait and give their very first kiss to the one they will be with their entire lives. They are both waiting on the Lord to show them who that will one day be. Would to God more young people would feel the same way! I pray each of them will continue to stay true to their convictions. So many of us made so many mistakes when we were young. Now we see the error and folly of doing things our way instead of the way the Scriptures teach. Yet, there are still young people who refuse to learn from the mistakes of their elders, and simply repeat history's mistakes. It is very sad. Perhaps that is why in Scripture Wisdom is said to be such a prize - so few actually seek it.

We've been printing away on books for Martha - her Homekeepers Yearbooks are very popular, but they really only sell between November and February, so this is a busy printing time for us. I've also been happy to obtain several new editing clients!

Elly got her driver's license and has been driving herself everywhere! She works twice a week at GBS Lumber, so it's a blessing for her to be able to drive herself to and from work. CJ has his learner's permit and is looking forward to April - in SC there is a 6-month wait between permit and license.

Well, I've got to get supper on the table - it's Wednesday and prayer meeting will be in 45 mintues. There are number of things to be very thankful for tonight! My good friend, Gena, was robbed at her place of employment in broad daylight! They took her purse and the company's deposit. Praise the Lord she was not harmed!!!! Also, today, another friend from church, Marc, was driving on the highway and a semi changed lanes too quickly, causing a chain reaction in the drivers behind him. Marc didn't hit anyone else, but he did run into a cement wall in trying to avoid a collision. His car was totalled, but he is fine!! Praise the Lord again for His protection!!!

Til the next time....

SUPER SALE going on at: http://frommeandmyhouse.com

2008-11-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone - there's a great sale going on from November 15-30th at the website of Me and My House, a great homeschooling resource, specializing in L.E.D. (Lifestyle Education through Discipleship). Plus, they are giving away a bunch of bonus gifts for ordering this month. Go to their website and check them out! They are big on bonuses - so if you've been looking for a good deal, time's a-wasting - head over to http://frommeandmyhouse.com today!

FREEBIE THIS MONTH!!!!

2008-11-14T23:38:00.001-08:00

Hey Folks ~

I'm a big believer in celebrating one holiday at a time, and the next one is Thanksgiving. We each have much to be thankful for, and I encourage everyone to make a Blessings List and then sit down with your family and thank the Lord Jesus Christ for all the wonderful gifts He bestows on each of us.

So...I'm having a Thanks and Giving Giveaway! I'm truly thankful that the Lord has blessed our business this year. The extra editing customers I've picked up have been a real blessing to our home, as well. As many of you know, my husband was let go from his school district job this past June. He has decided to go back into business for himself, but as many of you also know, that can take a while to build clientele. So - the money we are making from editing and selling books and ebooks has really come in handy! SO --- since I'm thankful, I'm going to give something away!

I know many are thinking ahead to the holiday of Christmas, and because many do not have a lot of extra cash floating around for buying gifts, I thought I would help someone make a Merry Christmas for someone else! I may even do this a few more times between now and Christmas, with different products!

Between now and the end of November, I'm going to be collecting names for a drawing.
I'm going to be giving away a FREE BOY'S HANDYBOOK (value $19.95) to someone on the last day of this month (November 2008). Here's how to enter your name for the drawing:

Simply go to my website, www.kapandpen.com, and find a product you think looks interesting, or suggest an ebook idea you would be interested in seeing offered, and then leave me an email about it at kapandpen@bellsouth.net. In the subject box, put NOVEMBER FREEBIE so I can put all the replies in one folder. Make sure you sign your name so I know who goes with what email address!! One name will be chosen at random. Make sure you tell all your friends, relatives, co-workers, customers - whoever! - so they can participate, too!

If this goes well - look for more giveaways in December! The more emails I get....the more I'll give away!!!! Tell everyone!!!!

Going with God

2008-11-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

Recently, there was a dear 69-year old lady in our church who passed away due to lung cancer. Mrs. Barbara Thompson was a tremendous blessing and an example of Christian character all the way to her last conscious moments.

Going to and from her radiation and/or chemotherapy treatments, she trusted the Lord He would do what was best for her - regardless of whether or not it was healing. She fully knew and understood that it might be God's will to allow this disease to bring her into His presence, and she accepted that with grace and dignity.

She told me once a few weeks ago that when she went in for her radiation treatments, there were all these sad and down-in-the-mouth cancer patients up there with her, waiting or receiving their treatments, too. She understood their sadness, but did not wish to participate in it. She said she'd march in there and say things like, "Hey - put on a happier face - we're gonna beat this together!" She said she tried to make the others smile and think about things beside the disease that was slowly killing them. She tried to tell them of the Lord and all that He's done for her.

Mrs. Thompson's trust in the face of death reminded me of another dear lady I had the privilege of knowing many years ago. Her name was Theresa Bartlett and she was one of the most godly women I've ever known. She developed leukemia when she was in her mid-40's. She would try and witness to the nurses and the doctors while she was in the hospital. When she wasn't really conscious and would mumble in her sleep, the nurses said she quoted Bible verses. I have a tape somewhere of her singing, and it still causes me to cry - I still miss her, and I can't wait to see her again!

What a Friend we have in Jesus - what joy and peace in knowing we will see our brothers and sisters in the Lord one day. As this old world becomes more and more ready to receive a decieving one-world leader, (anti-Christ), we know each day brings us closer to our forever home with Jesus! What a glad day of reunions that will be - seeing all our loved ones who died of diseases like cancer having brand new glorified bodies and running the streets of heaven!! And we'll have new bodies too-no more creaky joints and arthritic hands and glasses and dentures and whatever else we may have to deal with - everything will be new and maintenance-free!!!

If you think of it - please pray for Mr. Thompson. He's almost 89 and he's an incredible man, but he deeply misses Mrs. Thompson, and this time of transition will be very hard on him. I think he shows incredible character and strength...Barbara was his second wife; he buried his first wife when she was only 50. I couldn't help but think how terribly difficult it must be for him...having to go through the loss of a spouse not once, but twice in his lifetime. He's a very dear man - we are thankful we have the opportunity to know him and be his friend!

I wonder...

2008-10-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

I wonder, Why do people use milk in their cold cereal and then throw away the milk? Do they do that with soup, too? Just eat the veggies and meat and pour the broth down the drain? What do they do with cream soups? Hmmm.

I wonder, Why do people sweat the little things? Why have a nervous breakdown over whether or not the purple shoes match precisely with the purple purse?

I wonder, Why cats scratch on the glass to be let in, and then turn around five minutes later and scratch on the glass to be let out? Can't they just stay one place or the other for a while?

I wonder, Why do dogs like to tear up trash bags and spread the contents around the neighborhood? Why can't they be happy with the food they receive?

I wonder, Why do Greenville technical colleges give passing grades to people who turn in papers with improper spellings, words that are not even words, missing punctuation, sentence fragments, sentence run-ons, and other general grammar mistakes?

I wonder, Why can't I ever find a pair of baby shoes? I have one baby in the house. He's not quite two. He owns several pairs of shoes. Well...that's not quite accurate. He owned several pairs of shoes. Now he owns several individual shoes that do not match. Where does the matching shoe go? One is a camoflage tennis shoe. I guess it's hiding from me.

I wonder, Do other moms wonder the same things? I suppose if my life was devoid of dogs, cats, and children, much of my wonderings would not exist. However, I wouldn't enjoy life if I had no children, so that's not an option. (The dogs and the cat, I have discovered, I could definitely live without. Especially when I had to lay out mouse traps recently. Helloooo? Cat? You are supposed to be earning your keep around here!!!)

Responsibility Bears the Pain

2008-10-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

Ah youth! The crispness of the fall air, the leaves turning hues of orange at every turn of the head, the thrill of the souped-up go-cart...

My just about 18-yr old son, C.J., was taking our neighbor's son for a spin around the block. However, the go-cart is in need of a few minor repairs...and a new set of tires. Something with a little tread left on it would do nicely, I think.

Oh...I should mention that he rolled it once in our garden before he later took it for the spin around the block. The one his father has been telling him NOT to do....

Now, to misquote from a favorite ballad, "Then a whine and a jolt and a great roadside roar, and it laid my Curtis James on that cold asphalt floor."

Well, when the skidding stopped and the dust settled and my son and Eli crawled back up the hill, CJ was quite a mess. But he managed to walk back to the house.

I have to say, I'm very proud of him. No, not for crashing the go-cart (which actually doesn't even belong to us - he was fixing it for someone else!). But he showed a great deal of responsibility in relation to the neighbor's son. When he realized they were going to roll, he placed himself between Eli and the pavement. Eli sustained a few bruises; C.J. removed several layers of skin on the palm of his hand and on the backside of his leg. The pants were trashed, and we actually cut them up while he was in them so his sister could doctor his leg while I tended his hand. I was glad that he was concerned enough for Eli that he didn't want him to get hurt. Now... if only he had been thinking more responsibly before leaving the yard, he wouldn't have been hurt. But, I think he learned a valuable, albeit painful, lesson.

Funny Turkey Poem

2008-10-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

From Lori Hayward:
Need a new Turkey recipe??
The turkey shot out of the oven
and rocketed into the air,
it knocked every plate off the table
and partly demolished a chair.
It ricocheted into a corner
and burst with a deafening boom,
then splattered all over the kitchen,
completely obscuring the room.
It stuck to the walls and the windows,
it totally coated the floor,
there was turkey attached to the ceiling,
where there'd never been turkey before.
It blanketed every appliance,
It smeared every saucer and bowl,
there wasn't a way I could stop it,
that turkey was out of control.
I scraped and I scrubbed with displeasure,
and thought with chagrin as I mopped,
that I'd never again stuff a turkey
with popcorn that hadn't been popped.

Excellent blog post on vaccines - see link

2008-10-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

This was a very well presented article. It states both sides of the vaccine issue, yet stresses the point that deciding whether or not to vaccinate should be a PARENTAL choice not a governmental mandate.

Here's the link: http://www.parentalrights.org/blog/parents/vaccines-autism-and-parents#comment-39749

If you want to take about 6 mintues of your day to read this, it's a good article.

I'm a firm believer that this is a choice issue. If you feel, (after doing research - not just blindly following what we've all been told for 30 years), that vaccinating is a safe and protective procedure for your child, then go for it! If, after doing research, you feel your child may be put at greater risk by receiving the vaccines offered, then you should have the right to decline. It's as simple as that.

After reading this article, if I lived in NJ and had to use public day cares...I'd move out of state.

50 years? Congratulations!

2008-10-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

In this day and age of mass divorces, I LOVE to hear about folks married 50 years and beyond.

We are joyful about seeing Dick and Shirley Meyer celebrate 50 years this coming October 25th. Can't wait for the party!!

My daughters and I have been talking alot about marriage and love recently (likely due to our friend Susan getting married in December!) and the following thought is recurring:
Love is not just a "feeling" - it is a choice, every day, every minute, every second.

A spouse chooses to love their mate, in spite of their dirty socks, pack-rate habits, bad breath, curlers in their hair, unshaven face, unshaven armpits, loud t.v., lack of conversation, etc.

They choose to love even though their spouse is going bald or growing hair on their upper lip.

They choose to love even if their spouse is going deaf or getting fat.

They choose to love even if they've heard that story 40 billion times.

They choose to love even when their spouse gets mad and says things that are hurtful.

Good times, bad times, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health.

It's a vow, not a feeling.

God chose to love us. The Bible says while we were yet unlovely, while our works were nothing buy filthy rags, while our best was rotten, God still chose to love us, His creation, and send His only Begotten Son to die and pay for the sins we committed, and will commit. We were unworthy, yet He died for us to show His love for us. He chose that. It wasn't a mushy feeling that might go away one day. It was a choice. I praise the Lord He made that choice so that I might have salvation, and that you might have salvation, through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

God bless all of our friends and relatives who are sticking it out, even when it's been unpleasant. Even when it hurts. Even when it's wonderful! Through it all - they're still together.

Praise the Lord!

Birthday Blessings

2008-10-11T12:42:00.001-07:00

Well, I have been enjoying all the little emails and posts on facebook and phone calls - whew! I'm very thankful so many people have thought of me today!

It's a good day. My oldest brother called and we talked for 2 hours!!!! That was fun!!!

I have the three youngest home with me today; Curt took the three oldest to Farm Fest Day sponsored by Bob Jones University. It's an overcast day, windy, lovely temperature; in truth, the perfect fall day. The kids and I ran a couple errands and came home and Isaiah helped bake my cake.

God sent me flowers today, via my new neighbors. The Reinas have been very kind to us since moving into the neighborhood, and Phoebe and Isaiah went down there with a thank-you card for some items recently given to Phoebe. For their return trip home, they were given some snacks and a HUGE dark orange mini-mum plant. It's simply gorgeous! Of course, the neighbors had no idea it was my birthday, they were just being kind, as always! But, God knew it was my birthday, and now I have a wonderful spray of color for my kitchen. Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Reina!

I have a sleeping baby, a mug of delicious coffee (with cream and sugar, of course!), and a lazy afternoon of doing whatever I want. What more could I possibly ask for?!

Grammar Cue: Then or Than

2008-10-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

Here's one I believe is rooted in pronunciation. Writers often use "then" when they mean "than." I think this is because people do not pronounce words clearly. The two sound similar, though they mean different things.

For example:
He was happier then he had been in a long time.
The writer means "than." However, when speaking, it often sounds like someone is saying "then" - and they very well may be, if they don't know any better. "Than" is a comparative idea - in comparison to how happy he had been up until this point in time, he was now happier.

"Then" is a time word, used when showing a sequence of events. For example:
First we went shopping, then we went to the salon, and finally we arrived home.

Make sure you are using the correct word!

Grammar cue:That is that and that's too much of that!!!!

2008-10-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, some have suggested blogging about specific topics, especially as they pertain to a home business. Well, my home businesses are editing and publishing. It dawned on me I had information which would profit not only my writers, but also fellow homeschoolers. So, I will endeavor to make several posts a week pertaining to writing, grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.

This is the first!

We are going to discuss the complete and total overuse of the word "that." This word, far above all others, is used as a "filler" in sentences, similar to speakers who use "um" or "like" because they can't think of the next real word.

For example:
The next day that came around, I found myslef wishing that I had an apple tree. That would be so convenient. That I could go right outside my door and pick apples would be great! I hope that I will be able to plant an apple tree that will grow lots of apples that can be turned into pies.

Obviously, you are reading the above, thinking, "Okay - who would write a paragraph in such a manner?" Well, my friends, you would be surprised! Read the following and see if it doesn't sound much better:

The next day, I found myself wishing I had an apple tree. It would be so convenient. I could go right outside my door and pick apples! I hope I will be able to plant an apple tree capable of growing many apples; then I could bake apple pies.

You see, you can rewrite a sentence to make it clear without using "that" at all. Now, sometimes it is appropriate to use it, and it can add clarity to a sentence. However, the vast majority of folks tend to use it entirely too often. Look over the next letter you write or the next report your child writes for school. If you come across the word "that" determine if it is truly needed for the sentence to make sense. If not, remove it!

Excercising Brings the Family Together

2008-09-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

Okay - guess what we've been doing at night recently? No, not jogging. I cannot imagine getting this forty-something body moving faster than a brisk walk.

No, it's not golf. Although I do enjoy a good round of golf. Mostly I like to drive the cart at top speed.

No, it's not hunting. I tried pulling the string back on my hubby's compound bow, and if I hadn't seem him do it, I would have sworn they were teeny-tiny metal bars and not strings. I coudn't move them.

No, it's not horsebackriding. My children would be in heaven if it were, but then, so would I. Quite literally. Because the only way they would be able to afford horses is if they were collecting on my life insurance.

Okay, okay you give up. We have been "tennising" recently. That is my new word; I "verbed" the noun and I will be submitting it to Webster next year for inclusion in future volumes.

The Fountain Inn tennis courts have lights and the Staffords, Kappenmans, and Gistingers have been descending upon the courts and batting balls around for several nights, displaying incredible feats of athletic prowess. Well....a few have anyway. Some of us just run back and forth in a rather small section of the court....but I am returning more and more balls every time I play!!! Cool, huh?

OH -guess what? You actually have a muscle in your arm that runs from your elbow area to your wrist. I'm including that information for all my couch-potato friends who may be like me and all your muscles have atrophied by this point in your middle-age dotage. GET OFF THE COUCH! Tennis is actually quite fun. We've been having a blast! And it is DEFINITELY waaaaaaaaay more fun than jogging.

We were playing tennis at the brand-new school just a breath from our house, but they locked the courts. Can you believe it? And after we fixed their dumb gate, too. Yes, you read that right. This is our tax dollars at work. The gate to the tennis court was always unlocked, so we were going down there and playing. But the gate hung caterwalled (preventing it from locking) and balls could roll out underneath. So one day a couple weeks ago, my hubby took his tool kit with him and fixed the gate so it hung right and shut right. The next evening we were rewarded for his efforts by having a lock on the gate...something they couldn't do before because it didn't line up right! Now, if they were so concerned about having the gate fixed so they could lock it, I don't understand why the maintenance guy who always sat on the back dock, smoking his cigarettes and watching us play, didn't get off his lazy hind end and fix it, but he didn't. In fact, I'll wager he even told the folks in charge that the gate now works and is lockable. Oh well. We like Fountain Inn better because it has lights.

So, if you go looking for us of an evening, you might try the Fountain Inn tennis courts. Love-love!

I'm participating in The Hopeful Farm Foundation Benefit.

2008-09-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

Well - I have a long way to go before I can support my family off my bloggging! Hahahaha.
I keep hearing about folks who have super-popular blogs and so many people read them that advertisers pay big bucks to be on their blog. That's not the case with me. Yet. I may be there someday. Then all of you faithful readers can say, "I knew her blog when...."

I've been a busy beaver, trying to promote our publications through various new avenues. Success is slow, but I am being rewarded for my endeavors.

One of the places I was able to promote our business through was for a great cause. I donated use of one of our unit studies to this benefit. Please read all about it below:

The Hopeful Farm Foundation is for special needs children and their families. They have an awesome ministry, with horses, a farm, and all kinds of really cool activities and buildings perfect for retreats. The benefit is to raise money for this foundation to be used for the special needs children and their families. The benefit ends in just a few days - October 5th. I'd encourage you to follow the links listed below.

Please consider blessing a family impacted by special needs by making a donation – and in return, you’ll receive some of the best products the homeschool community has to offer.
If you would like to hear what Hopeful Farm is all about, you can access an online interview by Cindy Rushton with Claire and Jill Novak at www.hopefulfarmfoundation.org/interview.html
You can find all the details here:
www.hopefulfarmfoundation.org/benefit.htm

Where Have We Been

2008-09-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

Oh brother - it's been forever since a post! But actually, I WAS blogging - just doing it in secret...

We were on vacation for 4 weeks. Even though we had someone staying at the house, I tend toward not wanting to hang a sign out for would-be robbers, so I didn't want to post out here that we were gone.

To see a daily blog of all our adventures for four weeks, go to trip.kapandpen.com and you'll be able to read all about the neat stuff we got to see and do.

Now that we are back home, we are gearing up for our busiest time of year - the pre-Christmas printing season.

Whew!

2008-07-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

Puppies began selling on the 27th, and there are only 2 left. We are hoping they find a good home soon. The eight we sold went pretty fast and only one person tried negotiating us down, so Elly made a fair amount of money this time around, even if we don't make much on these last two. It will help her with her expenses for quite a while.

Oh - such a lot to do around here. We are thinking of getting a professional appraisal on our home. Then we'll know once and for all what it really is worth, and then we can go from there. We've had agents who wanted to list it for more than I thought it was worth, a few who want to sell it for a lot less than we think it's worth, and few in the middle. Perhaps we aren't supposed to sell it after all. We've thought about just buying land ... who knows!

I don't know what to do about all the stuff we've packed away everywhere....part of me thinks we ought to dig it all back out this fall and go through it....give some away, sell some on ebay. Most of it is going to be in decent condition since we sorted stuff once before we even packed it up!

In the meantime, book sales have been on the up around here! I advertised in Homeschool Enrichment and I started selling stuff on ebay again, and I'm drawing some new business. That's pretty exciting!

CJ has been keeping very busy with lawn jobs. Yesterday he helped run barbed wire for a new fence. He's been blessed to find several people within 6 miles of the house who want him to do work for them.

Susan is still engaged, for all you who might be wondering. And the date is still set for December 14. What she's doing with the trailer remains to be seen. She's got a couple feelers out, letting people know that it will be available for sale soon. I don't know where she's going to put all her stuff though!

I've got a ton of stuff to do, and I'm highly unmotivated - why does that happen that way? I need motivation! But it's so much more fun to sit here and type......

2008-06-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are, inundated with hungry little mouths and wagging little tails! But everyone loves puppies and we are sure to see some sold soon!
Already, Elly has had several phone calls and some retainer money
so we know they will all be gone soon!

Here's my mother-in-law, MaryLou Kappenman, missionary to San Luis Potosi, Mexico, playing with puppies and grandchildren! What a combo! Isaiah, Phoebe, and Gideon are in this photo.

Here's one of Gideon trying his best to pick one up!

We'll have to post some new photos of the backyard once we burn off our HUGE burn pile! The woods behind us sold a few months back, and now we have a house....no woods. So everyone driving up and down the road can see all the junk we have been storing behind the barn! We've been busily cleaning out the junk and burning the excess, the rotted, the no-longer-going-to use, and the underbrush, the poison ivy, the poison oak....pretty much anything that will burn. It looks much better!

itscamptimeagain

2008-06-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

Oh brother! When it's Summer Bible Camp Time around here, there is nothing else to talk about.

The kids run their sentences together. Something like the title of this blog. "Oh!Mama!Ican'tbelievecampisalmostherecanyoufixmyculottes?" It's absurd - but lots of fun! I'm so glad the children have this opportunity.

If you ever want to check out a really great camp, look up Harvest Time Bible Camp. It's located near Shelby, NC. They have horseback riding, campfires, beautiful cabins, swimming, crafts, preaching 2x's a day, 3 meals a day, a snack shack, lots of games and competitions, fishing, boating on their pond...just a lot of fun! And, get this, it's only $50 for Monday-Friday! The kids check in about 10:00 a.m. on Monday morning, and the leave just before lunchtime on Friday morning. Most families can barely feed a teenager for $50 a week - this is a great deal!

Jo's puppies are already receiving phone calls - we are very pleased. I hope they will all sell quickly again for her. They're so cute - Jo just got done remulching their yard so they have lots of clean-smelling mulch to run around in.

My mother-in-law is here for a visit! We are so happy to have her stay with us. I have the coolest mom-in-law on the planet! We can't wait til later this summer - we are still planning our trip out west, and mom is coming with us, camping all the way! Yay!

Well, got books to put together - lots of orders coming in these days.....

It's Summer Down South

2008-06-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well, we've finally stopped having the cool, springtime days and we are into a full-fledged summer, complete with heat! Near 100 temps for the past couple days. There are positives and negatives to being in yet another drought - since it is so dry, the humidity is not high, making the heat considerably more bearable. At least for me - I have not found it objectionable yet.

Susan and her beau have set a date already! They certainly didn't waste any time, did they? We are looking forward to a December wedding!

Elly's puppies are growing great - they've moved outside! YEAH! (After a couple weeks of being in the house, it doesn't matter how many baths they get and how many times we disinfect the whelping box, the floor, everything....dog smell is dog smell. I'm thankful they are old enough to be outside now! We posted an ad on the AKC site stating they will be for sale starting June 27 and we've already had a phone call about them. I hope they sell fast!

Curt is doing some side jobs for a friend at church, so he is staying busy. He also has a final paper due this week for one of his classes.

We had a PartyLite party last night - that was fun! I think they have the most beautiful candle holders....it was a LOT of fun to have some of our friends show up - it's nice to just sit and visit!

Elly is planning a spa party this Saturday - complete with foot bath and sea salts and body butters to try out - my house ought to smell WONDERFUL by about 6:00 in the evening!!!

My teens are all looking forward to camp next week. They love going to Harvest Time Bible Camp near Shelby, NC. We will be enjoying a visit with Curt's mom while they are at camp. Think it strange they are going to camp instead of visiting with Gram? Don't fret - they'll be seeing her for 4 weeks this summer, Lord willing!

We are wishing Alyssa a HAPPY BIRTHDAY today - she turned 15! Can you beleive it? Time really flies by around here.

Uh - oh - Isaiah just presented me with a baby in desperate need of a diaper change! Guess that's all for today!!!!

Who Knows What A Day (or a week!) May Bring Forth?

2008-06-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

WOW! So much has been happening recently!! Some can be perceived as good news and some as bad, but we prefer to look at everything as simply the Lord's will in our lives....

Where do I begin?

Let's start with Susan. Most of you who will be reading this know Susan Goldberg. You will also recall that she has never been married, though she would like to be. Well, a few months ago, we had some special meetings at our church. Dr. Hughes preached, and his wife was with him for all the services. They happened to be at another church last week, and Mrs. Hughes mentioned to someone that she knew Sue and told them a little about her, etc., and one thing led to another, and a 26-yr old daughter said, "I wonder if she'd like to meet my widowed father." Well, Sue and this man met Saturday. He's a pastor of a very tiny church near Columbia, SC (about two hours from where we live) and they are getting along fabulously! I'm so happy for her!! Perhaps we'll be hearing wedding bells by the end of the year....

Next.....
A few days ago, Curt received word that he qualified for some educational grants that do not have to be repaid!! He has been going back to school at night to get his B.S. He has earned several sought-after computer certifications, but he never actually got his degree. So, he has been working on that. We qualified for student loans, which are really nice because you don't have to start paying them back until after you finish your schooling and they are very willing to make workable payment arrangements. But we were thrilled that the Lord allowed us to qualify for some of the grants - that reduces the amount we will be responsible to pay back. I'm thankful when once in a while our tax dollars come back to us in a small way!

And then...
Yesterday, my niece Marlee came over and told me her sister Carla was at the hospital getting an MRI. Of course, I was surprised and Marlee told me that last weekend, Carla was down for the count with a terrible headache for several hours. When the headache left, she had lost part of her vision out of one eye. They are trying to determine now what happened and what this may be a pre-cursor of, if anything. The vision loss has a strong chance of being permanent. I'm thrilled to say Carla's testimony in all of this was, "It's all in God's hands. I'm not going to worry over it." Praise the Lord she is trusting Him! Our families, of course, appreciate your prayers for her at this time.

Also.....
Some of my readers may know that for quite a while, Curt has had periodic conflicts with the guy at work who is the "middleman/supervisor" for the technicians. Sometimes things have gone well; other times, Curt has been very stressed by the situation.
A job opportunity arose at the district in which Curt could move up and out from under this gentleman. He interviewed for the position last week, and has been waiting word for the outcome. Well, he was brought into a consultation yesterday......and was asked to resign from the district! This supervisor was present. It is apparent to Curt that after he discovered Curt was trying to get out from under him, he simply didn't want Curt working for him any longer.
Personally - I'm glad. Curt has tried so hard to do a good job for this district, and in recent months, it seems in vain. His closed calls were almost always higher than anyone else's, yet they never praised him for it; his supervisor sought only to find fault with him, and I believe that has put a lot of stress on Curt. Because he has all of us at home, I think maybe he didn't feel he had the freedom to quit and look for a less stressful work environment. Well - now he can!!
SO, praise the Lord - God is good, He is in control, and yes, we are still trusting the Lord to provide so we can take the children on the vacation we have been planning. This may even be the Lord's way to provide extra funds for us - if Curt gets employed again quickly, even if it's through a temp agency, we will actually be ahead for awhile, because the district has to pay him all his unused vacation days to date, and the district is three weeks in arrears when it comes to cutting paychecks. So, terminated or retired employees continue to receive paychecks covering three weeks after their last work week. All total, Curt should be receiving a regular check for the next month or so. We appreciate your prayers in God's leading! We are very excited to see what God has in store for Curt - I hope he gets a job he really loves and where there will be little or no stress for him.

Well - guess that's it for this posting - thanks for stopping by!

Balloons

2008-05-31T08:35:00.001-07:00

2008-05-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

Oh boy! Where to start, huh? Well, first off: We had puppies born on the 16th of May. Jo's lab, Opal, had 11 puppies. She was in labor all day, much longer than usual (this was her 4th litter). We were beginning to get concerned. Jo even called the vet and they said that sometimes it just takes longer. Well, about 8 that evening, we figured out the problem. She had her first puppy and it was stillborn; it was huge and severely deformed. It was the size of a two-week old puppy - no wonder she had a hard time getting it out! Anyway, all was sadness as we had to bury the little thing. But soon we were rejoicing because the other ten were perfectly healthy and well-formed. They are two weeks old now and trying to stand. They just opened their eyes. Next week, they will slowly be introduced to the outside, once they can stand and walk around a little. We have 4 black, 3 white, and 3 chocolate.

On the 19th, Elly got her braces put on the top row of teeth (no wires yet, just posts). She chose blue rubber bands. They actually look cute on her. Next week she is going to get contacts. This will be a good choice for her as the girl in the vision center at Wal-Mart recognizes Elly -- she's in there frequently to get her glasses fixed! She likes to play games outside and invariably, someone accidentally bumps her and breaks her glasses. The insurance we pay at time of purchase pays off over and over and over.....

On the 20th, Alyssa and I went in to have our hair highlighted. Elly had had hers done a week or two prior, and it came out really nice, very natural looking. Well, the beautician, whom we really like (Vicki), starts with Alyssa. She gets her all done and sets her in a chair while she starts on me and after 10 minutes she checks on Alyssa. Lys's hair is almost white! "ACH" We need to get this washed out NOW!" So Vicki starts washing out Lys's hair, and I'm kinda freaked, seeing tiger stripes on my daughter. Vicki is amazed - it usually takes at least 20 minutes to get a color change. Elly's took about 25. Lys should have been stopped at 5 and it is just surprising the hairsylist all to pieces! (Me, too!) Anyway, after the initial shock had passed and her hair was dried, etc., the streaks didn't look SO bad. Vicki assured us that they would mellow over a couple weeks time, but that if we really didn't like it, to come back and she'd change the color. Well, it has blended and Alyssa likes it a lot, and it doesn't look nearly as unnatural as when it was first done. Now mine, on the other hand, only lightened up very slightly after 45 minutes! So, next time I go for highlighting, we'll actually have to add a little bleach to lighten it. Amazing how people's hair can differ from one to another.

On the 25th, we took the kids to watch the balloons for Freedom weekend aloft. We love that! This year, some of the balloons were having problems getting enough life, and the canopies bumped into each other a few times. I have to say there is a lot of skill involved in not letting the gondolas bump into each other.

Susan had the opportunity to share her testimony of salvation to a church in Atlanta that is trying to reach Jews for Christ. On her way home Sunday, the car started making funny noises and spewing steam so she pulled over. The car had to be towed home and we let her borrow Curt's Sable. The bad news: she needs a new engine. The worse news? She still owes money on the car, so she can't go buy a new one yet. So, we are letting her borrow the Sable for a while. The only damper is that I have to drive the 15 passenger now if I have to go anywhere - what a gas hog! We try to save using it only for family trips.

The 26th - we celebrated Memorial Day at the pastor's house.

This week I've started editing for the summer issue of Seasons At Home - looks like it will be another great issue! I'm trying to light a fire under Alyssa and Elly to finish the illustrations for my children's book - I really want it to be in print before we go on vacation.

Help - I'm burried alive in filing!

2008-05-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Ugh. I HAD to clean up my office space - couldn't even move around in here. So I found the floor - and now I have to do my least favorite job: file. It just seems I have too much paperwork!

I have to get the filing done fast as my new articles are starting to trickle in! I'm editing articles for a new magazine (it comes out three times a year and it's really beautiful. It's called Seasons at Home, and it's published by Theresa Powers. This will be the 4th issue, I believe.) And, in this particular issue, Elly will have an article on why she has chosen to be a stay-at-home maiden, doing businesses from home instead of choosing college and a career. Also, one of the guys scheduled to write an astronomy article had to back out at the last minute, so my dear hubby is trying his hand at writing an article to fill it in! Of course, I'll be "cleaning up" both of their articles and making them pretty, but I'm excited they both have an opportunity to see their name in print! ;-) I will probably copy and paste their articles here so everyone else can read them.

So...if no one hears from me for the next couple of days, you might want to look in the office. Feel free to send down bread and water to the bottom of the pile - I'll be wallowing around down there somewhere...trying to climb out...

Whew! What a Week!

2008-05-10T10:23:00.001-07:00

Well - I am REALLY glad today is Saturday! Where did my week go?

Eleonore and I took a 3-day Publisher class together Tuesday-Thursday. That was awesome! We had so much fun. The first couple of hours, we were following along with the teacher and doing exactly as the examples showed. But then, once we got the concepts down, we were off and running! One time, we were supposed to be making a menu and following the example in the text. But, instead, we made a menu for my niece. (I'm trying to convince her she now owns the PERFECT house for a tea room! She could make scones and crumpets and serve in her dining room or on her completely wonderful and large front porch. She could do it by reservation only, so it wouldn't occupy all of her week....well, maybe in time, anyway!)

To get on with my story, the teacher got to where when he was walking around looking over shoulders to see how the student's were doing, he'd stop and ask Elly and I what we were doing now! We added extra graphics to a lot of the projects and just had great time. The professor was very good-natured and didn't mind at all. Most of the other students were teachers who were in there getting re-certified, and they really enjoyed Elly because she caught on so quick to everything, she was able to scoot over on her many-wheeled office chair and help them catch up or fix something. The teacher was glad for her doing that, as well, since he's only one person. I was very proud of her! She did the same thing two weeks earlier when she took an Excel class (I didn't go to that one). She's a lot like Curt - just understands the computer right off!

In the afternoons, I thought I would have time to get a lot done at home....wrongo! Susan was scheduled to move her trailer Thursday. But when Curt and CJ went over to secure things inside, Curt said it was in no way ready. Poor Sue - she never moved a trailer before, so she didn't know stuff had to be laid down, etc. So, Elly and I went over Tuesday afternoon and spent 5 hours packing stuff up for her (she was at work) and laying down shelves and other furniture. Then we loaded the minivan with stuff to store at the church, just in case something went wrong and the trailer tipped during the move. I didn't want her antiques, etc. to be ruined.

Wednesday afternoon, CJ and the kids and I had to go over to the trailer and take down a large awning over her window, disconnect her electricity to the trailer and the air conditioning unit, disconnect the water pipes, cut down some small trees that were in the way, and haul the awnings to the new site location.

I didn't know CJ knew how to do the electric thing, and I was really nervous about him getting toasted, since the power had not been shut off yet. He assured me he knew what he was doing. When he asked me if I wanted to go watch, I said yes and grabbed a 4 x 4 post and took it with me. He said, "Mom, what is that for?" I said, "To knock you away from the electric box if you start to get zapped." He said I made him nervous, standing there at the ready to knock him away, but he did a great job and my post wasn't needed after all. Praise the Lord! I was really impressed he knew how to do all he did that day, especially with the electrical box.

Thursday, poor CJ sat and waited on the mover ALL DAY and found out in the afternoon that the driver had gotten lost and the mover couldn't find CJ's cell phone to tell him. Jo and I had gone strawberry picking again after class, then had to stop by Curt at one of the schools and pick up CJ's weedeater that Curt had gotten the parts for, and come home. We had to race back home to get things in mail because.......while we were at class, we sold over $100 worth of Boy's HandyBooks and Bible Journals! Can you believe that? The teachers asked us why we were taking the class and we chatted and told them all about our homeschooling and the business that Elly and CJ have doing yard work and housecleaning and about our home publishing business and suddenly about three people wanted to see some of the books. Well, one thing led to another, and we were making sales after classes!

Friday the mover met CJ at the Fire Department nearby so he couldn't get lost, drove out to Sue's, and said, "We can't move the trailer until that carport comes down." Duh. I'd only been saying that since January! Why he didn't say that before, when he had been over looking at the job initially, I have no idea. Anyway, CJ called for me to come get him, and the property owners set to removing the carport.

Friday afternoon we had a tea party for Phoebe (she turned 7) with three of her little friends. It was fun and relaxed - just right! Of course, we made a large fresh strawberry shortcake for dessert! That night we had a special dinner for her with our family and she enjoyed her gifts and we played puzzles and watched a movie.

Today is Saturday. The trailer is actually, as I type, in the process of being moved! Finally! And I am looking forward to enjoying a pleasant and not-so-hectic Mother's Day tomorrow!

Strawberry Pickin'

2008-05-05T06:53:00.001-07:00

My niece, Marlee, lives in Slater, SC, about 1/2 mile from Beechwood Farms. She called all the family together to meet at her house on Saturday - and we set out strawberry pickin'. It was a wonderful day! Slightly overcast with a chance of rain, so the sun wasn't beating down upon us. Much of my kin had never been berry picking before, so this was a new experience for them. After seeing the usual-size strawberries available year round in the produce section of our local groceries, they were amazed at finding so many palm-sized strawberries!

We took loads of pictures as all the children scrambled over the berry mounds, piling berries into their cardboard gallon containers.

Of course, my husband pointed out it's a very good thing they don't weigh the pickers on the way in and again on the way out! The children loved eating berries while they were busy filling their containers.

It didn't take long - there were a lot of us and a lot of berries. After about a half hour, a dozen containers were filled to overflowing with the succulent red bundles of vitamin C....as were most of the children's tummies!

The baby even got in on the act - we didn't let him pick any, but he reaped the benefit our labors!

I came home and made some cream cheese strawberry pies. Very easy! Here's how:

In a mixing bowl with beaters, mix 2 packages softened cream cheese, 1 medium container softened Cool Whip, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, and a large handful of sliced strawberries. Beat until smooth. Spoon into two graham cracker pie shells, making sure you completely cover the graham cracker shell about 1/4" thick. Place in refrigerator to get slightly solid.

Meanwhile, boil 2 cups water. Stir in two small packages of strawberry jello. Allow to cool a while, then stir in about 4 cups of sliced strawberries. Pour this into the chilled pie shells. Place back in refrigerator for a few hours. Top with Cool Whip or spray Redi-Whip all over the top of the pies. Slice and serve!

They look beautiful, as you have a graham cracker bottom, then a layer of strawberry cream cheese, then a layer of strawberries in jello, then a layer of white whipped cream. Mmmm!

Whenever you go strawberry picking - think of others you know who might like to be blessed with some berries! We picked a couple extra gallons just so we could share them with some of our neighbors and our Pastor's family. "We've been blessed to be a blessing!" Not my original words, but true, true, true!

Good days!

2008-04-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well, the trip to the dentist on Friday went well - Isaiah had two molars pulled and two cavities filled, so his bottom row of teeth are fixed. In a couple weeks, we will be tackling the top row - then he should be good for a while. All this is at least helping him understand the importance of brushing his teeth. Yeah! I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't cost as much as I was expecting, either. I had previously been to dentists who quoted me about twice what I paid, so that was a wonderful surprise.

Also on this day, I lost another pound! I am hoping to one day have a "normal" body again!

The next day, I received payment from one of my wholesale accounts - several days earlier than expected! They usually pay exactly 30 days from date of invoice, and I received payment almost 10 days ahead of schedule!

This weekend we determined that Elly's dog, Opal, is really pregnant this time, and not just getting fat! Elly should be having little puppies running around in about 3 weeks. They will be ready to sell around the 4th of July, and we are hoping they will sell quickly. Otherwise, we will have to have someone help sell them because we are planning a vacation in the middle of July!

We had a really nice 45th church anniversary this weekend. (Our church turned 45 on April 26, 2008.) We had one of the original pastors come and speak in our morning service, and he had some tales to tell about the early days of Gospel Baptist. Then we had dinner on the grounds. It was a lot of fun!

Our littlest angel, Gideon, is starting to "talk" a bit - it's so cute to listen to him! I dearly love this time as he is growing and learning.

Well.....I guess I have to go...my duties are calling me to a position other than the one I am currently occupying in front of my monitor.....

continuation from previous post

2008-04-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

Okay - I'm learning here....wanted to post a picture and had to figure out how! This is one of Elly's Bible Journals.

Guess who the photographer is? My dear hubby! Curt likes to take pictures, then I play around with them until they make an interesting cover.

Wahoo and Away We Go!

2008-04-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

Okay - this is for all my loving friends and relatives who enjoy reading my yearly KappenChronicles and want MORE!!! You might not get a LOT more because I lead an exceptionally busy life, and I don't always have time to blog away, but I am going to try!

What's new around the place? Well, let me tell you!

First, Elly is getting braces. We are currently in the "mouth-widener" cycle. This consists of a little piece of metal fitted near the roof of her mouth. Every three days, we put a little "key" in the center hole of the appliance and give it one turn. This slowly spreads her top jaw a little bit. Sounds painful, but it really isn't. I had one when I had braces several millenia ago. It was kinda cool - by the time they were finished widening my top teeth, I could put a pencil between my two front teeth! They then used all that extra space to move my teeth around. Anyway, that's the same plan with Jo - to try and create more space without removing any teeth.

Isaiah goes to the dentist today to start getting fillings. He has a horrible problem with cavities. The rest of the children don't...but he sure does!

I finished my first children's reading book, and I'm waiting for Alyssa to finish up my illustrations - this is a family project! I'll be sure and post a photo of the completed book when it's published.

Elly had a great idea for a really neat Bible Journal for young ladies, and I helped her design it. It's been selling really well - it's available in three colors. The best part about it is the missionary section. That section contains clear plastic sleeves into which you can place missionary prayer cards. Every two pages is divided by a sleeve, so you can write all about a missionary family, their birthdays, prayer requests, field of service, etc., and see them at the same time you are remembering them. Then turn the sleeve over, and view a different family and the page adjacent has all that family's information. Neat, huh?

We are still trying to sell our house. We were not getting any nibbles with the real estate agent, so we are doing it on our own again, and we lowered the price a bunch. Curt really wants the house to be sold this summer so we can finally get some land. We've been playing around with the idea for years, but now he's serious about wanting to move.

I went to see my niece's new house yesterday. It's about 50 minutes from here. Huge 80-old boarding house, 8 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms! They want to eventually make a stairway up to the attic because you can walk around up there, but the only entrance right now is through a tiny hole in a closet. Remarkably, there doesn't appear to be any flooring or anything up there, so for the past 80 years, I guess no one has stored anything up there. They have an enormous crawl space, and part of that was divided up into "rooms" per se, so I guess that's what they used for storing stuff. They have a tiny yard, but it's filled with all sorts of flowers. She even has peonies and a spirea bush!! I haven't seen spirea since we left Illinois. Peonies aren't all that common around here, either, though people do have them. They seem to grow much smaller here. Must have something to do with the heat? In any event, her house has inspired me for a new children's book series, so I'm hoping to start on that this summer....maybe while we are on vacation.

We are planning a trip out West this summer - complete with my mother-in-law!! We are very excited about having her go camping with us. The kids can't wait - I'm sure they will be arguing over who gets to sleep in Grandma's tent each night!

Well, this is it for my preliminary blog - don't want to write all I know the first time out or it'll be three weeks before I think of something else!