Still Waters Garden

Crazy logic, or could it really work?

2005-06-07T06:12:00.000-04:00

If every wife who has a full time job returned back to the home, wouldn't it open up more jobs for men? Wouldn't it put workers in higher demand, thus raising pay and benefits? Or have we gone too far for that?

KA

Living Wholly/Holy for Him

2005-06-06T19:16:00.000-04:00

I've been struck today. I watched the Disney movie "Other Side of Heaven." I never thought I'd be touched by a Disney movie, nor one about a Mormon missionary. I am not Mormon, but somehow I was touched. It is based on a true story of a young Mormon lad fulfilling his missionary requirement to the Tongo in the 1950's. Letters from his true love back in America helped keep him going. In one letter she writes that she wishes him to lose his life in order to gain it (she does not mean die, she means to give up all worldly cares and focus on Him), to stop thinking on her so much and just give himself up to the Lord. Then when he returns home, she will find she is in love with the man God designed him to be. That got me thinking. And then I read a passage in my Daily Bread devotionals booklet. I suddenly felt I needed to really REALLY give myself up to God. I want in my life, to be truly and only focused on Him!

I think that's a problem when we become Christians at such a young age, as I did. We get used to Christianity and "being good." Things go stale and rhythmic in our relationship with the Lord. We get comfortable in our salvation and just let ourselves go. I feel I have let myself go. I've gotten caught up in worldly things under the guise of Christendom! For example, I'm an at-home wife and running the home proficently like a good Proverbs 31 wife should. However, I'm doing it disconnected from God. I'm doing it because He said so, not because it's a ministry, a form of worship and a way to honor Him.

I think it's time to let God back into this home, and into His temple......me. I want every corner of my mind to think like a Christian, to focus on Him and not on worldly things. It's time to give myself up to the Lord and be the woman he designed me to be!

KA

Equality

2005-05-26T13:35:00.000-04:00

Why is it such a big deal whether or not a husband and wife are equals? I thought when we got married, we became ONE, not two competing with each other for equality.

My husband being the provider and my taking care of the home completes the circle and we are ONE. How can he be better than me or me better than him if we're the same unit? A unit can't be better than itself!

KA

Saddness in the store

2005-05-26T13:31:00.000-04:00

I have been bothered by this lately. I've seen it quite often in the stores. It's either a senior-citizens couple or a gen-x/younger baby-boomer couple with similar problems:

I often hear an elderly man speaking very curtly and sharply and even downright mean-ly to his wife.

On the other hand, I often hear a gen-x/younger baby-boomer wife talking down and bossing her husband.

It certainly makes me examine my own behavior towards my spouse and gives me something to pray about.

KA

Save the Environment-Be a Housewife

2005-05-25T08:02:00.000-04:00

Being an old-fashioned housewife is actually good for the environment!

1. We don't have outside jobs, so we don't pollute the air and use up natural resources driving to and from work every day.

2. We buy in bulk and make from scratch using less packaging and using fewer food products that require extensive manufacturing that pollutes the air and water.

3. Living on one income, we're naturally more frugal and tend to keep electrical use at a minimum, we keep our heating/cooling low, expending less energy.

4. We tend to keep our homes clean consistantly so we don't have to use harsh chemicals to cut through the dirt and grime once we find a day off to clean our homes.

5. If our children are homeschooled all resources are kept at home, rather than expending energy and resources to keep a large and inefficiant school building running at code.

6. Some of us use cloth pads and cloth diapers, not only saving money, but saving the landfills from filling up too fast.

7. We have time to recycle and we naturally reuse and since we have to live in it, we reduce.

8. We have vegetable gardens and sometimes even fruit trees and bushes and preserve our products in reusable glass jars. We also have flower gardens and trees which are all good for the environment.

9. One word: COMPOST It's cheaper to create our own compost piles than it is to buy fertilizers in plastic bags

10. Since we live on one income, we tend to have more modest houses that suit our needs rather than large manses that have more bathrooms than people living there.

11. If we own an SUV, it's because we have enough children to fill it, not enough money to flaunt it.... But we're more likely to own a van, minivan or station wagon...and get whatever has the best gas milage. (It boggles my mind why people with only a couple children or none at all get automobiles that seat 8)

I'm not saying that career people aren't environmentally sound, nor are all housewives environmentally sound. I'm just making a cute point. :)

KA

Please Don't Tickle the Katherine

2005-05-23T15:20:00.000-04:00

Go ahead, laugh at this post. What a silly post for a blog about the home and femininity, but I just have to post this. Tickling someone who's quite ticklish is dangerous. Even though the ticklee is laughing and the tickler is just having some innocent fun, it's actually a type of stressful torture. Take it from someone who's very ticklish. Some parents like to think that when their child asks you to stop tickling while being they're being tickled, they only mean to want to be tickled some more. This is like saying a girl who says "no" to s*x really means yes. I remember as a child screaming for mercy, but the tickling would continue. Once the attack was done, I'd lay on the floor, gasping for breath like an asthmatic, trying not the pee my pants, and feeling all worn out, stressed out, and yes, even in tears from the pain and agony of it.

The terrible thing was, when people found out I was/am ticklish, they would all try their hand at tickling me. It got to the point where I couldn't even be touched at all. And some people would even get mad when I'd run and hide to avoid being tickled. No one understood how torturous it was for me.

Now I'm not saying no one should tickle or be tickled, but use some better judgement. Tickling can be harmful.

KA

America's youth cannot speak

2005-05-16T06:38:00.000-04:00

**Warning: this post may contain language that may offend more sensative readers**

What happened to education, thought and speech being important factors in developing oneself? I was listening to an interview on a local Clear Channel station. The talk show host was interviewing a young lady who just graduated with high honors from a good teaching college in our state's capital. Her answers to the host's questions consisted of school girl giggles, valley girl "like" after every other word ("Like, you know, it was like totally hard, but I like made it through ok, 'cause I like studied instead of partied all the time?") and an inability to come up with more accurate words for her feelings and thoughts. I thought, "This is who is going to be teaching America's children?"

Granted, not everyone who comes out of higher education talks like they didn't have any education at all, but I've still noticed a decline in the ability to communicate. My thoughts were confirmed by an article I read in the paper. It spoke of how today's youth, high schoolers and college students are finding it more difficult to communicate because jargon, slang and cursing has replaced the English language. Learning language skills, literature, math and science has been replaced with computer technology, cleaning one's bong, and how soon can I get in someone else's bed. In the article (and I wish I remembered who wrote it so I could reference it) the author gave an example of this generic jargon that replaces the English language. Today's teens often use the term "pissed off." However, it lacks communication because "pissed off" could mean anything from annoyed to saddened to enraged. Which is it? How can anyone be of service to you when they are unsure just how "pissed off" you are? Also, that multitude of four letter words doesn't help the situation any.

We no longer feel the need to articulate. It has become "uncool" to be intelligent and well-spoken. In the meantime, we scratch our heads wondering why we can't communicate. Webster gave us a lovely dictionary filled with words. I bet we hardly use half of them now, and many of the words we use either aren't in the dictionary or are labeled under slang.

Please learn to speak, children. Schools, please encourage vocabulary.

KA

The Way to a Man's Heart....

2005-05-13T07:08:00.000-04:00

Some say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Today, I'm musing about another way to a man's heart. The way to a man's heart is through handiwork like sewing or embroidery! Do you find that hard to believe.

Oh, we all know that feeding a man's stomach makes him physically happy. Men seem to love nothing more than flop back on the couch and pat their stuffed tummy and smile at the little lady who fed him all that good food. My husband does that often. I always know it's a good dinner when he's prostrate afterwards with an enlarged abdomen asking me why I make him eat that "junk." :)

But what does needlework have to do with satisfying a man? It doesn't satisfy him physically like eating does. It satisfies him emotionally....something men don't seem to get a lot of.

I like to do needlework and will often bring it with me places, like waiting rooms or picnics. It's amazing how it seems to calm men down. They seem kinder, gentler and softer as they watch me move the needle in and out of the fabric. I wondered why until one gentleman actually approached me and said very softly and sweetly that it was a beautiful to see a woman doing handiwork and that the last time he saw a woman embroidering (like I was) was his grandmother back at the turn of the 20th century! It's nice to see a woman doing something feminine rather than acting like a guy.

And their hearts explode when you make them something! My father has a scarf that's well over 30 years old and the out-of-fashion colors of the era. It's moth eaten and well worn but he keeps it and wears it proudly. Why? Because my mother made it for him before they were married.

I know, in our own house, I catch dearest husband watching me intently as I stitch a button onto his shirt, or mend a tear in his pants. Then, he proudly displays my handiwork from the mended tear to the homemade curtains to the dressing robe I made him mostly by hand.

It makes me wonder....back in the old days, after a hard day's work a man would come in from the fields, eat dinner and then relax by the fireplace. His little wife would sit near him and do some darning, knitting, spinning, or some form of needlework. Was it therapy for that man? Did it help him sleep at night? Did he cherish his little wife for those fingers that are never idle?

KA

Why I haven't been blogging

2005-05-12T16:27:00.000-04:00

It seems strange to be blogging about not blogging, but some of my dear readers have been wondering where I've been.

I'm usually a varitable think-tank. I tend to think all the time. I like to sit in quiet and just think. Some people like background noise and play music or have the TV on. I like to listen to myself think and when I have a good, solid thought, I like to blog it here. That's why I started this blog; to have a place to put down my thoughts.

Unfortunatly, lately I haven't had any steady thoughts. It's been busy and I haven't had a moment to myself. I guess spring does that with cleaning, planting, tidying and general business, but I'll try and do better. :) I do want to write a Part 2 to "What's in my Garden" on Lily of the Valley.

Don't give up on my blog yet! I'm still out there. :)

God bless,

KA

Stay-at-home wifehood: is it the same anymore?

2005-05-03T15:01:00.000-04:00

I had a thought today. This thought has been building in my mind for a long time and really started coming to fruition after I read an article in a recent issues of "Ladies Home Journal." It was an article about a woman, a wife and mother, who decided she was under appreciated and decided to go on strike. She did nothing but concentrate on her work (freelance writing). I didn't get to finish the article, but I read some quotes from her husband that broke my heart. He was forced to pick up the slack and take on extra chores and burdens. Although, it did help him see that what she did at home wasn't "sitting on the couch eating bonbons and watching soaps," it helped ME see how under appreciated her husband felt. He worked outside the home and he told her, "Sometimes I feel like I'm living poor so you can live rich." He was refferring to her being able to stay home and take care of the children and pursue her dream career as a writer while he toiled day in and day out in a job that wasn't quite what he wanted to do.

Since women's lib, and especially in recent decades, the role of housewife has been through the ringer. Women's lib deemed it unfair, and unequal and undermining of women. Us steadfast ladies who believe it isn't unfair, unqual and undermining have helped recreate the role of housewife into something almost accepted or at least tolerated in today's world (especially if you have young children.)

However, I've been thinking lately, is today's role as housewife really the same as it was for our fore-mothers? Is there some truth in the remaining criticism against it? Do husbands want their wives to work and "be equals" because being a housewife isn't equal to a money-making job anymore?

A recent study showed that stay-at-home moms should earn an income of over $100,000.00 just being stay-at-home moms. I still feel that perhaps it's just not viewed the same way it was say 100 years ago.

Back in history, a man worked the farm or in the mines or some other form of business and the wife made the home and hearth. This was the way, and the way formed a team that got the job done. That job simply being a day-to-day existance. If the woman quit the home, the husband had no food, clothing, shelter or proginy to assist him in doing his job. If the man quit the job, the woman had no income, support, or means to do her job. They were a team. One didn't do any more or less than the other (when the team was perfect....I'm not talking about illnesses or abuses that put kinks in the workings).

Today, we have the means to exist without a wife. I realized this once when I thought that being a stay-at-home wife, I'd have a hard time living without my husband, but materially, he could live fine without me! (Emotionally is a different story.) I don't make his clothes, or have to go out and feed, then kill chickens for dinner. Everything he needs is at the nearest Super Walmart. Clothes, food, etc. Mind you, I'm only talking materially. My dearest husband is the first to say how much he needs me and the first to compliment me on the work I do to make his life easier.

From my own at-home perspective, I have machines that do laundry and dishes for me. I can buy meat already killed, plucked and butchered, and even already prepared! We buy our clothes at the store. I don't have to make them. Frankly, I DON'T feel I do enough work to merit myself an equal to my husband like wives of history could. Some may argue that in old days women had servants....but not all women did, and those who had servants often either became idle or plunged themselves into the business or social world....away from the home.

Perhaps that's the pressure he feels, much like the man in the article. He's living poorly so I can live rich. He works hard all day so I can stay home and type silly musings on the computer whenever I choose.

Granted, I will be pulling more of my share once our sweet babes are old enough for home schooling, but for now, I don't feel as if I'm doing my share. Do I need to earn a living to feel as if I'm an equal....I don't think so. I just think we stay-at-home wives need to really make sure we're putting forth that effort to be the best we can be.

God CALLED us to the home. In recent years, being home has become quite easy. So easy, many of us fall into depression, laziness, and gluttony. We wile away hours doing needless things. We sleep in while our husbands face rush-hour traffic to work. The TV babysits our children so we can do what we WANT to do....take another nap, read a novel we don't have to read, pop online to surf and send silly e-mails.... And at the end of the day, the house is still messy, the children sloppy, we're frumpy and just as exhausted and cross as hubby, but he's the one who worked steadily all day away from home (remember, just being away from home is stressful enough). No wonder he feels as if he's pulling the lion's share and we're not.

Being a housewife today IS NOT being an equal to our husband like a career woman may be because many of us don't work at it as hard as a career woman works at her job. We need to prove that being a stay-at-home is worthy and worthwhile.

Yes, I DO believe the home is our first priority as women. I do NOT believe we should all dump our homes and get jobs. But we DO need to take back that equality that was either taken from us or that we gave up somewhere along the lines.

It doesn't matter if I feel like my husband's equal, but it should matter that he feels like mine....like we're a team and that between his working at his job and me tending the home, we are getting that job called "life" done and done well...together.

KA

Merry Month of May

2005-05-01T19:38:00.000-04:00

May is my favorite month! Everything is so new and fresh here in our woods, and the temperature is just right....not too hot, not too cold. I will be able to start planting outdoors soon, but many "wild" plants have already emerged and flowered! Blossoms will be abundant shortly.

I feel so revived this May 1st! Everything is renewed! I thank God for Mays.

KA

My Garage Sale-ing efforts

2005-04-30T20:45:00.000-04:00

Well, it was an ok weekend for garage/estate/yard sales. Most of the stuff was way over priced, though. One lady was selling her children's clothing at prices that matched new clothes in Walmart!

I started out Friday hitting a jackpot of 5 or 6 yard sales on one road. I saw a man walk out with a lovely bench, but I didn't fare so well. I did manage to get a book of old songs, an antique cast iron fireplace shovel, and a little avon jewelry box that's rather hard to describe, so don't ask please. Total: $3.50. The next sale, I fared better by getting a matching Revere Ware Silver tea pot and coffee pot for $10.00 and a really unique victorian silver plated butter dish with lid and knife rest for $3.00.

Saturday, I hit two estate sales. Furniture galore, but not enough money to buy the lovely pieces. I walked away from the first one with just a book "Victoria's Words of Love Volume One" It's a lovely book that comes in a very lovely case. It's full of poems and beautiful victorian prints. That was 50 cents. The next estate sale had a lovely twin sized 4 poster bed complete with mattresses for a very reasonable, but still unaffordable price. There was also a really cute little writing desk for $45.00, but I just couldn't cut it without hubby's permission. So, I walked away with a $5.00 shabby chic bench. Unfortunately, when I brought it home, dearest husband was NOT amused with it. I promised him I plan on changing the upholstery, which is currently a crazy quilt top and that it's probably going in the spare bedroom.

Next week is my own yard sale, so I won't be able to do any more damage...until the week after, that is. :)

KA

2005-04-29T08:06:00.000-04:00

Get ready, get set, GO! It's garage sale season!! I'm starting out today in just about 1/2 an hour. I've got a purse full of small bills and loose change and an eager outlook on what treasure I might find in someone else's junk! I actually scout out vintage clothing, old furniture I can restore and reuse, antiques and cute collectables my family may like. I've also got my eye out for clean, high quality baby items since many friends and family are expecting! Plus, my church could use another high chair.

Hmmm.....maybe I should bring more money.

I'm very eager for tomorrow because there's supposed to be a big estate sale in the area. I LOVE estate sales because it's not just junk, it's someone's household items. You can paw through their closets and cupboards and buy just about anything! I'm eager to hit upon a cache of vintage clothing. This local one has a secretary desk and other antiques. I'd love to see those.

So, I better take it easy today. Tomorrow might prove better!

Next weekend, I host my own garage sale.

KA

What's missing in "Ray"

2005-04-26T12:45:00.000-04:00

I just finished watching the movie "Ray" about Ray Charles. It was good as far as any biography is interesting and Jamie Foxx's acting was wonderful. The movie said a lot about Ray Charles' addiction and recovery from heroin. They made a lot of points of how bad and dangerous heroin is. However, they completely sugar coated and blew over his addiction to women! They made it look and seem like it's just natural and expected for a celebrity to be unfaithful and have many partners. Hollywood does it again, making deviant sexual behavior look normal and ok. They seemed to praise him that he didn't "leave his family." However, I did like how one of his mistresses put it when he said he wouldn't leave his family. Paraphrasing: Between your me, the dope and your music, you already left your family. And he did. I just would have liked it more if I knew he gave up women with the drugs, or if his wife suffered through years of emotional ulcers while he was out on the road.

I suppose I shouldn't speak ill of the dead. After all, this is just a Hollywood movie and not specifically a biography. I just can't stand the blatent sugar-coating of such behavior.

KA

Pope Benedict XVI

2005-04-21T07:04:00.000-04:00

I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to my Catholic readers for the choosing of a new Pope. I prayed for your church and I am happy with the choice made. The Pope is very important to the Christian church as a whole. May God bless Pope Benedict XVI!

KA

Earth Day Musings

2005-04-21T06:50:00.000-04:00

Friday is Earth Day. Although I am against the worshipping and upholding of "mother earth" and extreme environmentalism, I do believe that God wants us to be stewards of His planet and good conservationalists.

It bothers me that some Christians are very poor stewards of this earth. Some are just caught up in the mainstream. Some are afraid of being associated with "environmentalist wackos." Some believe that Christ is returning soon, so it's ok to trash the earth. But as Christians ESPECIALLY we should be good stewards and take care of this earth. This isn't some evolutionary accident we're living on. This is God's creation! Christians should be for conservation.

So, if you're not recycling, reducing and reusing, start now. If you've started, explore how you can improve! Make it a game to see how little garbage your family can produce. Start a garden and compost heap if you're in an area that will allow it. Avoid harsh, destructive chemicals. Don't dump medicine into the toilet or sink (recent studies show there's an amazing amount of pharmacuticals in our water system from people flushing old meds). Conserve water and electricity and fuel.

You don't have to hug a tree on Earth Day, but how about thanking God for earth.

KA

Oh My!

2005-04-20T12:10:00.000-04:00

Am I being sensative or judgemental? Today, as I went grocery shopping after a successful and painless dentist visit, I really seemed to notice how people were dressed. Maybe it's because I took extra care in my dress today. Maybe it's because it's unusually hot and humid for April here. In Walmart alone, I saw a mother and her two daughters. The oldest girl must have been only 10 or 11 years old. The younger, 7 or 8. The older was wearing the typical short-shorts and t-shirt. The younger was wearing a denim miniskirt that was shockingly mini! It was so mini, it'd be a mini on a toddler! Then in front of me in the check-out line were two teenage girls wearing tank tops with their bras showing and tummy's revealed. Then, I was heading back to my car, a plus-sized woman was heading in the opposite direction and was wearing a big red t-shirt that boldly read, "Yes, I know I'm Nasty!" Why would anyone want to wear that?

As she walked by, I wondered, am I being sensative or judgemental? I guess I'm sensative because it bothers and saddens me that so much of our God given bodies are shown and there's a disregard for a good reputation. Perhaps I'm judgemental because I'm still working on my wardrobe and style taste, and I'm sorry for that. But it was definately a learning experience to watch more what I wear!

KA

The dentist's chair

2005-04-20T07:54:00.000-04:00

I'm going to the dentist in just 1 1/2 hours. I need some cavities filled. As I doom and gloom the morning away, I'm reminded of little Pollyanna and her "glad game." What can I be glad about? The drill, the smells the needles, and that slippery dentist's chair that I always slide down in. I start sitting up, but I end up nearly flat on my back with my feet dangling off the end of the chair! What can I be glad about going to the dentist!?

I guess I can be glad that my teeth won't rot out of my head. :)

KA

God Made Flowers

2005-04-19T19:21:00.000-04:00

If there is no God, then why are there flowers? Flowers are fairly useless. Some are good for herbal remedies and some can be eaten, but in general, flowers aren't productive members of the natural society to keep all other living things going. You'd think that under evolution, flowers would be very basic and limited. A bee is attracted to a simple tomato blossom and a beautiful rose, so why does the rose have to be so beautiful?

God made flowers to please Himself and to please us. So many different blooms, lovely, simple, fragrent, sweet; God created them all.

KA
picture from Victorian Trading Company www.victoriantradingco.com

Praying for a Pope

2005-04-18T07:05:00.000-04:00

I'm not Catholic, but I think it is very important for all Christians to pray for God's hand in the choosing of a new Pope. The Pope is a very influential man both religiously and politically and although he is of the Catholic church, he does represent Christianity in the world. I hear on the radio and in the news that many Catholics wish for a more liberal Pope. I find this dismaying. Some speculate that the new Pope may be a globalist and I find that frightening. I pray that the new Pope will be a King David, a man after God's own heart, a true follower of Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray that you will have your hand and your will upon the choosing of a new Pope. Please listen to the prayers of your people and bless the minds and hearts of those in the conclave who must choose a new Pope. I pray that the new Pope will be a true follower of your Son, Jesus Christ and that he will be a beacon of light in this ever-darkening world. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

KA

Not for me, for hubby

2005-04-18T06:57:00.000-04:00

I'm doing it for hubby, not for me. We're adopting a healthier lifestyle after dearest husband announced at our in-laws' house that he wants to be rid of his mid-life spread. He's very healthy and strong otherwise with very muscular arms and legs, but that tummy is a millstone (although, not nearly the size of one!). I, too, though healthy and still only a size 6, want to tone up and be stronger.

Let's admit it though....it's hard! All the doctors and fitness experts tell us not to change ourselves for our husbands, boyfriends, or society, but to do it for ourselves. However, I won't. I'll get lazy and bored and go back to my old ways. But, if I do it for hubby, to help inspire him and get him on the right track to a healthier lifestyle, I can do it!

We'll do it together.

KA

April Musings

2005-04-15T12:07:00.000-04:00

April has been a kind month here in our woods. The weather has been beautifully mild in the 50's and 60's and even creeping into the low 70's. The sun has been shining unabashedly for days and days and the newspaper doesn't report it stopping any time soon! Oh, I'm so thrilled with spring. It is definately my favorite season.

The snow has officially melted here in our little patch of earth God gave us. I am so eager to do more yardwork and really tidy up outside. The birds have been frequenting my feeder, so I splurged and bought more seed at the store. I love feeding the little birds. Chickadees are my favorite.

I was up at my church today. Yesterday, my dear mother volunteered to spring clean the lady's room and repaint an old windsor chair that decorates the room. She did a lovely job. The bathroom hasn't looked that good in years! As I left the building, I mused about how much I love walking up the worn sidewalk to the steps of that old building on Sunday mornings. I just love the comfort of that building, God's house, and when they ring that old bell in that beautiful steeple, I can't help but smile! I almost feel bad for people who have to attend church in modern buildings, store fronts, clubs or warehouses. There's just something special about those old churches of years ago...a design that can't be copied because of building codes. Of course, it's not where you worship, it's who and a congregation can be just as blessed in a store front as they can in the most beautiful of cathedrals.

This past Sunday was so nice, I wished we could have had service out of doors! It's a good thing we have stained glass windows in the sanctuary, or else I would have been caught gazing outside! Although, that's hard to do because my pastor preaches wonderful, spirit-filled sermons, and I take sermon notes.

KA

I'm a Desperate Housewife

2005-04-11T16:53:00.000-04:00

Are you shocked? Well, I am. I'm a housewife and I'm desperate to start my garden. I'm desperate for my husband to come home from work because I haven't kissed him since 5:30 am. I'm desperate to fill my home with many many babies. I'm desperate to have a stronger walk with Jesus. I'm desperate to finally have spring cleaning done. Of course, my desperation isn't anxiety-filled, it's looking-forward-to filled!!

Everyone's talking about "Desperate Housewives" on TV. It makes me glad I don't have TV. I haven't seen it, but from what I gathered it's an illicit-filled soap opera with only a hint of real truth average housewives can really relate to. Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps it is a help for some women who truly are desperate, but the answer to getting rid of desperation isn't in a TV show. It's in the Lord. I don't have the perfect marriage, and I'm not the perfect housewife. But the Lord is perfect and that is a comfort to me. Because of Him, the only things I have to be "desperate" for are such wonderful things like I listed above.

KA

Lovely Sunday

2005-04-11T06:40:00.000-04:00

It truly was a lovely Sunday yesterday. It was sunny and strangly warm for April here in our woods. After church, my dear husband and I puttered in our garden side by side, cleaning up for spring. There's still snow in some shady areas, but we worked around it. Someone up the road was having a BBQ and the smell put me in the mood for hotdogs and hamburgers. Children sped by on bicycles, getting the winter kinks out and enjoying the day. Dogs romped and played in the sun, eager to get out into nature. Neighbors stopped by for visits, coming down on foot, on lawn tractors, or on four wheelers, all offering a smile and a chat. The smell of the dirt, the breeze blowing my dress against my legs, the spring in my husband's step....what a lovely Sunday.

I mean not to offend, but I feel bad for people who believe they are not to do any chores or work on a Sunday. I believe God intends for us to relax and my Sunday busy in the yard was relaxing! Once again, what a lovely Sunday!

KA

Heather

2005-03-31T15:27:00.000-05:00

My dog's insistance and a sweet reward

2005-03-31T15:14:00.000-05:00

My dog has this issue now about needing the front door open. It allows her to go on the deck or in the house at her own free will. I gave in to her whimpering because I was getting tired of every 5 minutes leaping up from my chores to let her in or let her out. The temperature is going up, but the strong breeze was quite cool. I left the door open as long as I could stand, yet while I curled up on the couch trying to stay warm while sewing, a frequent breeze would blow in and...*sniff*...I would catch a whiff of something heavenly!

The other day, I splurged and bought a South African Heather plant. I would have prefered Scottish Heather, but one can't be picky about these things in such a limited market for Heather here. It is a beautiful plant with soft green needly leaves and tiny purple flower bells all over. I am enjoying this addition to my houseplants greatly.

Another breeze and I realize it IS the Heather plant that smells so sweet in the chilling wind!

In an instant, I was swept back to Scotland, tromping through the dewy Heather upon Culloden Battlefield. *sigh*

KA

May God Bless Terri's Family

2005-03-31T15:10:00.000-05:00

My heart goes out to the Schindlers who have not only suffered a great loss, but suffered it for 13 agonizing days. May God bless them for their goodness and long suffering. We may have lost the battle here on earth, but we win the war for eternity. People make mistakes, but God doesn't.

KA

Lawn Games....in Dresses!

2005-03-31T06:15:00.000-05:00

Dear ladies,

As Spring reveals more and more lawn beneathe the melting snow, I think of all that lush green carpeting God has given us. What a blessing an expanse of lawn can be, especially as a great source of exercise.

My three favorite lawn games also happen to be great games to play femininely: Croquet, Badminton, and Lawn Bowling (Bocce Ball). Can you just see it now? It's a lovely Spring afternoon under the shade of a giant oak over an expanse of rich green moss and grass, the ladies in muslins and lace play an invigorating game of badminton, a friendly game of lawn bowling, or a playfully competative game of Croquet.

You can probably go to any department store and buy all three sets for a fairly low price. Or just dig in your garage or shed and see if you still have that old one collecting dust. Start a tournament with your children and spouse this spring, or perhaps even with friends. Play a game or two during a nice day for some exercise, and for some added fun, dress up to do so!

KA

A Walk In Early Spring

2005-03-30T13:24:00.000-05:00

How sweet it was yesterday, enjoying the first day of the year that I could truly call Spring! It got up to around 52 degrees F, and I was able to throw open my front door and let the sunshine pour in. I sat on my deck in my shirt-sleeves basking in the sunshine, sipping water and thumbing through the catalogs I got in the mail. Oh, I get so many ideas from Victorian Papers catalogs!

Later that day, I took my first walk of the year out of doors. The snow had melted back enough that I could safely walk on the shoulder of the road. The sunshine was so warming and I loved the feel of the breeze blowing at my long skirt and I navigated the muddy roadside. I felt so full of energy when I returned home. I was renewed and enjoyed the much needed workout after a winter indoors.

Thank you, Jesus for such a lovely day!

KA

Entertaining Oneself....a lost art

2005-03-30T13:00:00.000-05:00

I am amazed at how many people can't entertain themselves. I am shocked by how many times I hear adults and children say, "I'm bored." I am appalled by how many people seem lost without TV, the entertainment industry, or other venues of purchasable fun. I am discusted by the number of people who believe fun can't be had unless alcohol is involved.

Whenever the power goes out where I live, my husband and I refuse to go the store because people are so lost without having the TV or sterio on entertaining them, that they have to go out shopping for another stimulus to keep them going. I've heard of people sitting in the dark, getting agitated as they stare at the walls waiting for the power to come on so they won't miss Seinfeld. I know of people who buy generators not to keep their fridge going, or to flush their toilets, but to turn on the TV. I see children in waiting rooms, with bloodshot eyes, playing their battery-powered video game. 99% of waiting rooms now have televisions to keep people from being bored. Even my local bank has a television in it, and Walmart! DVD players are now an option in cars so children won't become pests while driving down the road.

When I was a teen, my family hosted a young man from Europe for 10 days. He found his stay to be very boring because there weren't any decent pubs or bars he could go to in the evening. Later, my family hosted another family from Europe for a week. They would stare at us like lost lambs if we weren't stimulating them constantly with activities.

I sometimes find it hard to be a hostess because there are so many people who simply cannot entertain themselves.

It must be a lost art to get a good board game going, or to read a book, or play an instrument. I must be absured to expect people to explore new hobbies or to find something of interest to do.

My husband and I often visit friends out of state. They're usually still at work when we arrive at their home, but they allow us to come in and make ourselves at home. They do not have television or video games. Rather than sitting around, bored to tears, we often take walks, read books, feed the deer, examine the garden, and just plain chit chat.

People can no longer sit still and listen to a symphony. They no longer enjoy taking a turn about the garden.

If our celebrities aren't doing it for them, they can't be entertained. How sad is that?!

KA

Holding My Breath

2005-03-29T15:18:00.000-05:00

I cling to the radio and internet today. I feel like every hour, I'm waiting, holding my breath to find out if there's an end to the torture of Terri Shiavo. It is breaking my heart that this innocent woman is starving to death and I yearn to hear that the suffering has ended, preferably by restoration of her feeding tube. Yet, even if she dies instead, I will feel a sad relief that she's no longer suffering.

I can't believe this fine country is allowing this woman to suffer in the name of the law. I can't believe that people actually think that starving to death is a humane way to pass on. Why don't you ask a holocaust survivor if starving is gentle and humane?

My prayer is that her suffering will end.

KA

Signs of Spring in our Woods

2005-03-29T06:19:00.000-05:00

Oh, how lovely it was to hear the birds slowly, but not at all silently waking up this morning. As I went outside to place dear husband's lunch in his truck and turn it on to warm up, I could hear chirps and tweets in the woods surrounding. It has been a long time since I heard those sounds. Winter is over. Spring is here.

I had to set boards out in front of our front steps because the melting snow and pouring rain yesterday suddenly gave me lake-front property! :) This little housewife became an engineer as I constructed a workable bridge out of an old desk that I had previously cut up. Dear husband, who worked in puddles all day, was quite glad he didn't have to step in just one more before he entered the house for dinner. Winter is over. Mud season is here.

One of my African Violet plants bloomed recently. I enjoy the dainty purple flowers that little plant gives me. It lay dormant all winter, and suddenly, it soaked up the March sun and out popped several little blossoms.

For added color, the grocery store is selling spring heather plants. I may just get one on a slight splurge for a little added color and enjoyment. It will still be two months before I can plant. Although, spring is here, there's still a fair amount of snow on the ground and high snow banks to contend with.

But, spring is here!!

KA

Wisdom to Gain when Sin Happens

2005-03-28T12:28:00.000-05:00

As I see and hear more and more of unwed teenage pregnancies, and other trials along life's path, I am reminded of what a friend what a friend said when he found out his "little girl" was pregnant.

"People make mistakes, but God doesn't."

Blessings can come out of our poor decisions and sins. God can use bad for something good.

For example, a young man in our extended church community took his own life by shooting himself in the head. He was brain dead, but not totally dead upon arrival at the hospital. Many prayed over him, and despite the fact that he had very little actual brain matter left, just before he passed on, he asked out loud for salvation and forgiveness. The doctors were astonished because they had never seen anyone with that much brain loss ever speak out loud. It is medically impossible, but God performed a miracle so that this young man's parents know he is waiting for them in Heaven.

That young man made a mistake by willingly taking his own life, but through that sin, God used it to help this young man come to Christ.

We have consequences for our actions, but a wise person uses that to learn from and gives their broken life up to the Lord for an everlasting change! I wish every unwed pregnant woman who made her mistake does what is right and does not abort the child, but cares for it whether she decides to keep it or put it up for adoption. And, when it's all said and done, she abstains until marriage, giving her life and her urges up to the Lord. He will bless her far more than any young man with empty promises and sugary words.

This is my prayer for today.

KA

Pitter Patter

2005-03-28T06:30:00.000-05:00

For the first time in months, it's raining today and I'm enjoying it very much. It really is nice to hear the rain. No, I do not live in a drought zone, but it's been snow for months and months now. Rain, and not freezing rain but real rain really shows me that Spring is here! What a great Easter gift! If it wasn't only 34 degrees out, I'd throw open the windows and just listen to it pour!

Thank you, Jesus for this rainy day!

KA

Happy Ressurection Sunday

2005-03-27T07:31:00.000-05:00

Oh, there's nothing more glorious than Ressurection Sunday. In my heart, I do love Christmas more, but I'm learning to love more and more the miracle and sacrifice of Christ's death and rising up to save me from my sins and the holidays that surround that.

In my church, we try to call it Ressurection Sunday rather than Easter Sunday to separate it from the pagan origins. We sing songs and hymns of praise, upbeat but respectful tunes of hallelujahs because He is no longer dead, but risen and I am saved because of Him.

Today, after services, my family will gather together at my folk's house....aunts, uncle, cousins, new babies, grandparents, great-grandparents, in-laws, and courting couples.....and we'll have a time of dinner and fellowship, of thanks and rejoicing in honor of our King.

Christ the Lord has Risen Today!!

Thanks be to God!

I hope all of you who read this know the joy I do concerning this event, this holiday. I can't imagine my life without Christ. Please don't keep Him out of your life.

KA

Marilla Cuthbert Wisdom

2005-03-24T11:57:00.000-05:00

There is one line that stands out to me every time I watch Anne of Green Gables. Anne has just arrived at Green Gables and finds out she is not wanted because she is not a boy. Marilla decides she must keep her for just that one night and return her in the morning. Marilla offers Anne dinner, but Anne says she cannot eat because she's in the, "Depths of Despair." A few more lines of dialoge and Marilla says that line that seems to stick to me, "To despair is to turn your back on God."

Some may think Marilla was just trying to intimidate Anne, or perhaps is just a bit overzealous or "Victorian" in her religious beliefs. Yet, as I mulled over that sentance, I found extreme truth in it.

Flash back 6 years ago. I, too was in the depths of despair. In other words, I was depressed? Why? Simply because I didn't like how things were going. Rather than stepping up to the plate and changing them, I became depressed and let them change me. I fellow into a wallow of self-pity and self-worthlessness.

"Why isn't the world different?" "Why isn't my life different?" "I want this, I want that and I'm not getting it!" "I must not be worth it or else I'd be getting it."

It took quite a while, and a lot of rock bottom, and suddenly I realized many things about depression:

1. It is very selfish. It's not about me, it's about you....all of you, everyone else and mostly God.
2. I'm not a bratty child anymore. I'm an adult. Tantrums aren't going to change anything. I need to get up off my fanny and take initiative.
3. To despair, to be depressed is to turn your back on God. I turned my back on God and turned to my own sin of worshipping my own selfish desires and enjoying my pity party and relishing in my wants.

I often cried out to God and felt nothing in return. I thought He turned His back on me when I turned my back on Him. He was providing for me, and guiding me, but like a spoiled brat, I wouldn't hear of it.

"God doesn't care!" That phrase is perhaps right up there on top with ways to turn your back on Him. Didn't He promise, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Someone can give you pieces of cake and pieces of cake until you have the whole thing, but if you don't eat it, it doesn't do you any good.

My despair ate away at me. My health failed, my weight went up and down, I became lazy and would sleep for 15 or more hours a day. I was tired and headachy all the time.

I did go to church, and I did pray. I did believe in God and I would often try to ask my way out of the depression. I even did get out of it for a time of phony joy.....a time of sin that gives one a drug-like rush of phony happiness, a trap of Satan's.

But, I would just fall into those depths again and again.

Did I need medication? Perhaps something was wrong with me?

The only thing wrong with me was my own stubborn, selfish desires. My depression fed off of that and it fed off the sins that evolved from that.

It finally came down to where I was just plain sick of it all. The answer was easy and hard at the same time. I confessed my sins, rededicated my life to Christ, gave it all up to Him, and worked HARD not to allow myself bouts of laziness and self-pity.

"If the eye offends the body, pluck it out," the Bible says. So I did. No, I didn't pluck my own eye out, but getting rid of TV and smutty magazines and cutting off ties to those who hurt me emotionally helped build up my self-esteem. I forced myself to go to church, to pray and to worship and soon I was doing it willingly. I wouldn't allow myself an afternoon nap or to live in a dreamworld, but rather fill my day with joyful tasks and live in the here and now.

"Idle hands are the Devil's playground," the saying goes, and idle minds are the same way.

Women have been dealing with depression for centuries. I think it's because we allow ourselves to be prone to it. We're more emotional and things bother us more easily. But so long as you truly TRULY face God and don't turn your back on Him, you'll never be depressed.

If you find yourself depressed today, you may have turned your back on Him. So, turn around and face God again. I did and I've never been happier. I have found true Joy and Peace.

KA

Listening to Him Talk

2005-03-23T06:18:00.000-05:00

He comes home from work, gives you a feeble kiss, plunks his work gear on the floor and trudges up to the dinner table. Your husband has just come home from a long day at work. His face softens and he almost greedily licks his lips at the steaming meal before him. He almost seems to look at you like a starving man who looks at his hero chef. You sit down near him at the dinner table, clasp hands and say grace. Then as you start to dish out the meal, he starts to talk.

What's he talking about? You're not sure. It's about work and you have NO idea and no understanding about his work. So you kinda half-listen and offer nods and "that's nice, dear" or "that's terrible, dear." Or perhaps your husband has a rather grotesque job, like plumber, or police officer, or garbage man and you tune him out so you don't lose your appetite.

After a while, he senses that you're not truly listening and one day you find dinner to be awkwardly silent. "Why isn't he talking to me?" "Why does he just answer my questions in grunts?" "WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM!"

You become angry and complain to others that your husband "won't communicate." It's all his fault...or is it?

Communication works 2 ways...one speaks, the other listens.

I urge wives this day to listen to their husbands relate the day's labor. It is VERY important to them (especially if they're a police officer, doctor, EMT, fireman, or any other life-saving profession). My husband often tells me that he hates to bring his work home, but he really needs me as a sounding board to help unwind and not let it eat a hole in his stomach. When I ask him, "How was work?" I mean it (usually, after all I'm not perfect and this post is for me as well).

REALLY listen, too. Learn the terms, learn his co-workers' names. Ask specific questions so that he knows you've been listening.

Has the damage already been caused and have a grunting husband at the dinner table? Try and think back to conversations and remember specific terms and names and start asking more specific questions. For example:

"How was work?"
"fine"
"Did you get your project done?"
"yeah"
"How did it go?"
Fine.
"Did your boss like it?"
He thought it was alright
"Where are you going next (What's your next project)?"

Now, he starts talking. Keep helping him along, but note to see if he's getting weary of twenty questions or if he's actually opening up. It's not going to happen all at once, and there are days when he just doesn't want to talk.

"You look worn out, honey, but if you need to blow off steam about work, I'm listening."

He may walk away without a word, and you may go to bed and be just about asleep when he starts to get stuff off his chest, but keep your promise and listen.

If you're not his sounding board, the one he trusts exclusively with his issues, emotions, and dealings.....he'll find someone else or something else to relax with.

It is VERY important that a wife truly listens to her husband. I urge you to do so today.

KA

Hints of Spring, Urge to Clean

2005-03-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

What is it about Spring that makes me want to start everything fresh and new? Is there some sort of biological connection that God put in Woman to make her want to basically "nest?" (Clean the home and keep things neat and tidy and prepared).

March 20th marked the Spring Equinox, but here where I live, we're still buried in snow. After a couple of days of weather in the 40's and sunny, the snow and ice is beginning to melt. I can see much of my deck, part of my driveway (which is now a mudhole) and part of the dirt road I live on. There's even some spots where I can see grass. This lets me know that Spring is indeed here.

Yet, I still wonder, why the connection with cleaning? Could it be the increased sunshine show's every dust speck and dirt smudge? Could it be, we can soon throw open our windows and throw the dirt out? Could it be we've just accumlated so much muck over the winter, we're claustorphobic from it and just want it out?

Could it be the recent articles I've been reading about tidy homes on www.homeliving.blogspot.com?

Whatever it is, I'm glad this "instinct" is there. Now, it's time to hop offline and put it into practice!

KA

Strong to the Fin-ich

2005-03-22T06:47:00.000-05:00

Ok, I just HAVE to get on the soapbox for how good spinach is! I prefer it greatly over lettuce. Spinach has gotten me to enjoy salads. I can eat it plain with a touch of dressing. It's so good and so very good for me!

As a child, my only view of spinach was this cooked, green, bitter mush that would make Popeye's nose wrinkle. As an adult, I was introduced to spinach as a salad green, crisp, flavorfull, sweet delicious green! I love it, and I love that it's cheaper than romaine lettuce.

:)
KA

Changes

2005-03-17T06:31:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the same ol' blog with a new look. I didn't like the set-up of my old pink blog and the pink can be kinda hard on the eyes. This style is so classic and elegant, like something out of history. Enjoy!

KA

Marriage's Future

2005-03-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

I'm going to breech a sensative subject in today's society....gay marriage. I am not only saddened by the fact that marriage in the truest sense of the word (union between man and woman in the eyes of God) is being challenged, but I am scared of the changes it would bring. Frankly, when I tell someone I'm married, I don't want the to ask, "To what? A man or a woman?" When my daughter is courting age, I don't want people asking her if she's found that special man or woman yet. Today, when I say I'm married, people understand that it's to a man. I don't have to correct them. Male and female. Adam and Eve. Masculine and Feminine. HUSBAND AND WIFE! How can it work any other way?

KA

She Worketh Willingly With Her Hands Part 1 Washing Dishes

2005-03-16T08:07:00.000-05:00

At 5:15 AM this morning, I started washing dishes left over from last night. As I dipped my cold hands into the hot, sudsy water I actually thought that I liked washing dishes. I contemplated this as I circled a plate with the wash cloth. There is joy in this chore.

I admit, washing dishes has always been something I disliked doing. But I dislike having a pile of dirty dishes in my sink even more. I do have a dishwasher that came with the house when we bought it and it works just fine, but I gave up using it when I saw our electric bill! Plus, I couldn't stand the fact that I often had to run the dishes through twice to get all the gunk off or I just ended up washing the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. It became a waste. Now my dishwasher holds pots and pans that don't otherwise have a home and I am reduced to the old fashioned way of washing dishes in the kitchen sink.

As my hands warmed in that dishwater and the aroma of the soap was so soothing, I decided then and there that washing dishes will henceforth be a joy and that I will willing work with my hands to get the dishes done. I won't even mind dish-pan-hands because then I can pamper them with lotions and balms that add to the aroma-therepy.

Dishwashing is no longer a chore in the cruelest sense of the word. It is a joyful responsibility, like raising children or spring cleaning. The ends justifies the means. An empty sink, clean dishes and tidy kitchen are the rewards of my labor.

KA

Is the Lion going to sleep and the Lamb coming out?

2005-03-14T06:45:00.000-05:00

We all know the saying...March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I think the lion is finally allowing the lamb to come out. It is usually a fight, though. I'm sure we'll get some bits of nasty weather here and there, but the lamb always wins and spring arrives! It kind of makes me think of our Heavenly Lamb. Life may seem like a lion or like a bear but the Lamb always wins and a beautiful, peaceful season follows....an enternal spring.

KA

Soothing Sounds of the Home

2005-03-07T11:29:00.000-05:00

Did you ever just stop and listen to the sounds of your home during the day? They can be really soothing. I have ear troubles, so I have days where I don't put on a video or turn on the radio. While I'm sewing, I can just listen to the sounds of the home. Here are some of my favorite soothing sounds:

The washing machine. Ever since I was a child, I loved the sound of the washing machine. When I was sick and stayed home from school, I got to lay out on the sofa in the living room. Off of the living room was the bathroom which held the washing machine. I would just lay in the sunshine of the late morning and listen to the washing machine churn it's way through the cycles. I came from a large family, so there was a lot of laundry, so the sound was almost continuous throughout the day.

Breathing. I'm home alone most of the day so before we got married, my husband bought me a dog for company. It's amazing how soothing it is to hear her breathing while she sleeps in the sunbeam.

Rain. Nothing makes me feel cozy-er than the sound of rain outdoors when I'm dry indoors. In the summer, I'll throw open the windows and just listen to the rain come down.

Birds. We live in a rather small home, so one dog is enough. To quench my desire for another pet, I feed the wild birds. It makes me happy to hear them chirping and carrying on, having a grand feast at my feeders.

Beautiful quiet. Oh, how soothing it is. It relaxes the mind and gives it time to sort things out. It's one less intrusion on the senses that causes confusion and over stimulation.

So turn off that TV and radio and relax to the sounds of the home.

KA

Do you have comments about my posts?

2005-03-04T11:33:00.000-05:00

Hello readers,

If you have comments about my posts, and are part of blogger.com, then feel free to share them with me. If you're not a part of blogger.com, you can e-mail me your comments at:

stillwatersgarden at yahoo dot com

Although, I do ask that you stick to mom's old saying, "If you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything at all."

I appreciate comments, and even critiques, questions or educated disagreements. But if you're just going to be vulgar and disrespectful, then please save it for your own blog.

Thank you,

Katherine Alba

Come see what's in my garden Part 1

2005-03-04T11:15:00.000-05:00

There's a stream in my garden, and I thank God it's not the mainstream.....

The stream in my garden is not even a part of the mainstream. The stream in my garden is part of God's River.

God's River is like rivers of water in a dry place (Is. 32:2)
Is. 66:12 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream
John 8:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

I know what's at the end of the stream in my garden. I know what's at the end of the River of God. I know I'm safe along the way, even though I don't know what the journey will be like. Can you say that about the mainstream?

KA

homemade dinners

2005-03-03T06:17:00.000-05:00

When I mention my menu for dinner to someone, I often hear them reply, "wow!" Why the wow? It's because I tend to make homemade dinners. They're cheaper, healthier, and dearest husband expects it. In fact, I think he feels a loss when I don't make homemade dinners.

For example, Tuesday I made a simple boxed macaroni and cheese with ground beef. I usually have rehersals on Tuesday and don't have time to make and clean up a big dinner. Then yesterday, I made some Pepperridge Farms Potpies. I got them on sale with a coupon and I know dearest husband likes pot pies, but as he sat down to dinner, I noticed a look of disappointment on his face.

Women have told me that dearest husband shouldn't have me make him homemade dinners all the time. Some have even suggested he's abusive. Not once have I heard a woman say, "Wow, that must mean he loves your cooking. What a compliment." But I have heard men say just that. And it's the truth. I honestly LOVE making homemade dinners for my husband and seeing his eyes light up. I love knowing that when he comes home from a very long, hard day at work, he's comforted by the table set before him. Sure, he loves potpies, but he loves MY potpies. :-) It's extra special to him because not only is it natural and homemade, but it's because I put my time and love into it for him. It makes him proud and it makes him feel loved.

I am the very blessed wife of a very loving, and hard-working man. The least I could do for him is make him homemade dinners. I feel bad for husbands who's wives refuse to "slave over a stove" for him. I cringe when a woman says, "You've got legs, get up and get it yourself." It's not about being a servant to his every whim. It's about being a loving wife to my dearest husband.

Tonight, he's getting a well deserved steak!

KA

Enslaved by the TV

2005-03-02T06:31:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how much power that stupid box has over us. I live in a community and every evening, I can look up and down the road and see the telltale blue glow coming from windows that lets me know their TV is on. I know people who rarely turn their TV off. I know children who wouldn't even know if their house was on fire while the TV was on. I know a little girl who doesn't even care what's on TV. So long as it's on, she's GLUED and completely unaware of her surroundings. I know elderly people who are wasting away their health and their golden years watching soaps and games shows. I know people who don't know what to do with themselves when the power goes out and they don't have TV anymore.

I heave a sorry sigh and I shut my curtain and turn around to see my own TV on. We don't have TV channels at all, but we do have a set and a DVD player. Dearest husband likes to relax to a movie before he goes to bed. Sometimes, I like to watch a movie while I'm sewing. Other than that, our TV is off.

But the draw is still there. One day, I happened upon a station that came in fairly clearly. I actually sat down and watched infomercial until the dog walked in front of the TV and ruined the reception. For days after, I tried to get that station back. I even thought of getting an antenna....then I REALLY stopped and thought....do I REALLY want TV back in my life after 3 years without?

If I did have cable or sattelite, I'd have the TV on HGTV all the time! It wouldn't be off. And to me, that's giving up more than I want to. I don't want to be a slave to the TV. I enjoy having more time to do other things. And believe me, my days are FILLED to the brim without TV. I can't even imagine sitting and watching sitcom after sitcom in the evenings. I've also noticed that since dearest husband and I got rid of TV, my self-esteem has been higher, and I'm not so desensitizing to evil. Dearest husband and I talk more, and all I have to do is ask, and he'll quit watching a movie and play a card game or board game or dominoes with me.

I'd be so behind in my housework if I had TV. If I do sew while watching a movie, it often takes me longer to get the project done. There is just too much to sacrifice while watching the TV.

If you find yourself putting off your children because you don't want to be disturbed during your program, then turn off the TV.

If you find yourself at a loss when the power goes out and there's no TV, then keep it off.

Are you putting off housework just so you can watch TV, then turn it off.

Do you rush home (especially after church) so you won't miss a program, then turn it off.

Do you watch programs that features unedifying lives and unrepentive sinful lives, then turn off the TV.

Would you cancel or move and appointment if it conflicted with a TV program you wanted to see?

Did you actually buy TiVo so you wouldn't miss anything?

Do you deny yourself sleep because you want to watch something on late night TV?

Is the TV on while your family eats dinner? Or worse yet, does your family eat dinner in front of the TV?

Do your children sing commercial jingles?

Do your children suddenly announce they want a toy after watching a commercial?

Do you get upset if the remote is missing and yell at everyone in the house?

If the remote is missing, do you make your spouse or children get up and turn the channels for you?

Does company come over and you all spend more time watching TV than talking to each other?

If you've answered yes to any of these, turn off the TV. If you've answered yes to most of these, perhaps consider getting rid of TV.

No silly plastic box is worth what is given up to watch it.

KA

Hurry up spring, slow down life

2005-03-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

I have to laugh at myself for this contradiction. Here I am in the midst of a snowstorm practically begging for spring to arrive. Yet, I often marvel at how quickly time flies now that I'm no longer a child. When I was a child, time just creeped by. One day was forever, a year was eternity. Now that I'm an adult, one day is one day and a year is what has flown by so quickly.

I don't like that time is flying so fast. I want it to slow down and be enjoyed. How can I let it do that when I'm ordering the snow to melt?! :-)

So, I just laugh and shake my head at myself. And, yes, I force myself to enjoy what's left of winter, because before I know it, this too shall pass.....

KA

Learning to Love Sundays

2005-02-27T06:50:00.000-05:00

Every Sunday it's the same thing for me. I battle whether or not to go to church. I almost always win the battle, though, which is good....or should I say God always wins the battle. :) It's a struggle to get to those huge, solid wood doors of our 1830's church, but once I'm inside I'm glad I'm there. See, God DOES know best.

I told my pastor once that I always know when his sermons are going to be a special blessing to me (they're always a blessing, but sometimes they really apply to me) because there's an extra struggle to get to church....the enemy trying to convince me not to go and be blessed.

Sundays are a blessing and I DO love them! It's taken me a while to realize it, but I do love Sundays. I get to sleep in because church doesn't start until 10:30, unlike my normal days that start at 5:00 am. I get to spend a leisurly morning with my husband, reading the paper, doing some crossword puzzles and laughing over the comics. Then hiho hiho it's off the church I go to praise, worship and learn about my heavenly father, His Son my savior, and the blessing of the Holy Ghost. I get to greet my church family who's so loving and caring and always wear a smile. Then back home I go for a quick lunch a few neccessary chores and then off to visit my family.

What's not to love about Sundays when we use Sundays as our Sabbath? Haven't we realized that when we obey our Lord (remember the sabbath day and keep it holy) that we're blessed? Sundays keep me going the rest of the week. Sundays keep me on track. Sundays are renewing and rejuvinating. Why do so many people abuse them?

The way to love Sundays is to obey God's commandment about them.

KA

If you really loved me you'd get me.....appliances?

2005-02-24T16:23:00.000-05:00

Remember those comics, comedies, and perhaps even family history when a good-hearted husband brings home a toaster for her birthday, an iron for Christmas and a vaccuum for their anniversary? Remember how he'd have to buy her a really expensive apology afterwards? Diamonds, flowers, chocolates, a mink stole, a trip to Hawaii.....

Well, call me crazy but I WANT appliances for those special occassions. Get me a dehydrator for my birthday, a pressure canner for Christmas and bread machine for our anniversary and I'd be a happy woman. Of course, I'm already happy and am living well without those gadgets. Of course, I adore my dear husband and he chooses wonderful gifts and better yet, he spends precious time with me and listens to me and loves me. But, I wouldn't complain if I received an appliance as a gift.

You know what? Men never complain when we buy them appliances, I mean tools instead of a Rolex, expensive cigars, a steak dinner or a trip to Hawaii.... ;) So why should we. It's the thought the counts.

KA

Bikini Season? I call it Summer!

2005-02-24T11:07:00.000-05:00

It's the end of February. I am still buried in beautiful, white snow and the temperature lazily hangs below freezing. I have on my cozy ballet slipper-house slippers and a lavender 100% wool cardigan to keep warm. In my e-mail box, I find a spam ad for "getting ready for bikini season!" I have one un-lady-like word to say about that....UGH!

I'm not eager to get ready for "bikini" season, but I am eager for spring and summer to arrive! Bikini season, indeed....what about light-weight skirts, airy blouses, cute sandles, straw hats, garden aprons and cool comfortable linen dresses season?

Getting my body ready for "bikini" season for me is getting callouses back on my feet so I can walk outside barefoot.

The only ones here trying to get some sun or basking under artifical rays will be my seedlings.

Oh, I'm perfectly capable of getting into a bikini or short shorts and not offending the general public. But why should I when there are so many beautiful, feminine garments out there that won't offend anyone! Why look on display when I can look beautiful? Why burn my skin under a hot sun when I can be cooler and more protected in a light, lovely cotton or linen dress? Why be treated like an object when I can be treated like a queen? Why be eye-candy when I can be admired? Why turn heads when I can turn hearts?

KA

Shopping Cart Riding

2005-02-23T12:59:00.000-05:00

As I was pushing a cart of groceries from the store to my car, I had this strange urge to hop on for a ride. Do you know what I mean by cart riding? You see teenagers doing it all the time in the parking lots. They give the cart a healthy shove and hop on to the lower rung and ride the cart across the parking lot. I used to be scared to do it, or my mother would strictly disallow any cart riding. But now that I'm no longer scared, nor under the influence of my dear mother whilst shopping and have every opportunity to cart ride.........I'm just too lady-like to do it now.

What would it look like to other people? A grown woman who walks uprightly and tries to be as put together and lovely as possible suddenly mounting a run-away shopping cart for a youthful ride across the parking lot is just not.....right. So, there I was, slightly disappointed, but I strived to walk as lady-like as possible as I pushed my cart full of groceries.

KA

Out of Darkness

2005-02-23T06:39:00.000-05:00

As I grow in my walk with the Lord, I've noticed that I'm straying farther and farther away from things that are dark or seem dark. I thought, why is this? Why am I no longer interested in dark movies? Why do I feel anxious when I listen to dark music? Why do dark books gather dust on my shelves? Why doesn't night-life have that appeal? Why does anything dark bother me?

I feel it has to do with my walk in the Lord. After all, once I became a Christian I received God's light! 2 Cor. 4:6 God is light! John 8:12 When there is light, there is no darkness. Therefore, the dark things in my life hold no appeal anymore. In fact, God commanded us to cast off the works of darkness Rom 13:12 and to have no fellowship with it Eph. 5:11.

What do we associate with darkness and night? Isn't it usually hopelessness, sin, and negative things?
A lady of the night
Horror flicks are often praised as being dark
Depression is usually described as dark, you're in a dark mood

But light is LIFE.....When the sun goes down, we turn on the lights. Think of how down you feel when you've had a week of gloomy weather, and then how great you feel when the sun finally comes out! What do you do then? Do you draw the curtains close and sit in the dim room, or do you throw open the curtains and let the warm sunshine pour in? Or perhaps you even go outside and enjoy it. It's like that now that I'm a serious Christian. Now that I have God's light in me, I don't want to draw the curtains on it and sit in the dim "enjoying" dark things. I want to throw open the shades and fill myself with the light! I want to extend that joy into all I hear, see and do! I want to share it with others and help draw them out of darkness.

Let your light so shine before men....Matt. 5:16

KA

Beating afternoon Blahs

2005-02-22T14:17:00.000-05:00

Are you like me and come the afternoon you feel so tired all you feel like doing is plopping on the couch and watching something brainless? Thankfully, we don't have television here, but I still feel like plopping. This time of year the feeling is especially strong. Therefore, I'll let you know what I do to beat it!

Water, water and more water (or caffine free herbal tea). I don't believe in the quick fix of caffine and sugar. I believe in the long term effects of hydration. Make sure you're well hydrated after you wake up and throughout the day. This gave me an amazing amount of energy!

No naps, but a quick, quiet rest. I used to nap in the afternoon, but hated to waste the time and didn't like the groggy feeling I felt afterwards. Now, if I feel tired, I just lay down in my bedroom for 15 minutes. I don't sleep....I think. I think of things I'd like to accomplish, or something pleasant....usually doing this, I'm motivated and I feel more energized and I get up sooner than 15 minutes. Just being completely still and breathing deeply can be such an energy booster.

Afternoon exercise....Do some pilates or stretching exercises. If you feel really motivated, or need the workout, do something aerobic. Go for a walk, or dance to some upbeat tunes. You'd be amazed and the energy your body puts out when you exercise. It's enough to carry me through the rest of the day and sleep better at night.

Save your reading and sit-down activities for the evening when you need to relax. If I do a lot of handiwork during the day, I find my eyes get tired and the rest of me feels tired. If you have to do up close work during the day, give your eyes regular breaks and do some breathing exercises. Get up and move once in a while.

That is how I've beat the afternoon blahs.

Now for my fine-print. I am NOT a doctor or health-care person. I am just l'il ol' me, so don't take my word for medical advice. Nor should you exercise without contacting your physician first about what's best for you.

God bless,

KA

When being home is harder....

2005-02-22T13:34:00.000-05:00

Dearest ladies,

Did you ever notice that when you worked outside the home, you were active and energetic and got plenty done? And then, when you became a housewife, suddenly you became part sloth? Why is it so hard to stay motivated when you're home!?

Thinking back on my own life, I remember when I worked outside the home, I was a hard worker, but I yearned to be home and thought of how I could fill my day overflowing with activities. I thought of how neat I'd keep things and the hobbies I'd enjoy. When I became a housewife, I suddenly found myself staring at a messy house, unfinished projects, and an amazing lack of energy. Why oh why!

In the business world we have bosses and other employees breathing down our necks. We have competition and a paycheck to earn. We're spurred on daily to get the job done.

When we're home we're the "boss." There isn't competition, but there is distraction. Our day isn't set up in forced hours with regulated breaks. It's open and free and full of surprises. The only time we find ourselves doing something is when it HAS to be done because then you have that same pressure as you did in the business world. You HAVE to do the dishes because there's no more in the cupboards. You HAVE to vaccuum the floor because your child just spilled cheerios all over. You HAVE to clean the house because someone's stopping by in 10 minutes!!!

Oh, wouldn't it be great if we had that business motivation? Well, you can! Ask your husband to be your "boss." I find it a lot easier to get a job done when hubby asks me to do it.

Write out a list of chores to do and hold yourself accountable. I have a marker board on which I write down all that needs to get done and I cross them off as I do them. When hubby gets home, he sees what I've accomplished and I'm proud of myself, rather than ashamed for not doing them.

I play this game where if I hate the sight of something, I fix it. For example, we have this bench right at our front door where people can sit and take off their shoes. It tends to get cluttered and I got sick of the sight of the clutter, so I cleaned it up and found homes for the clutter. Now, it's free and open and has become a favorite napping spot for the dog.

Desiring a clean house became my motivation. It spurred me on harder than any boss in the workforce. I just had to allow it.

It took weeks of hard work and extra effort to pull it off, but once I got my house in a more organize order, I found I not only had more motivation, I had more time for my hobbies! Seeing what I've accomplished has been my "paycheck," my "benefits." And the biggest bonus of all has been when someone says they're on their way over, I'm no longer scrambling to get the place cleaned up!

There is no quick fix. You have to have the desire in your heart. So get off this computer and get going NOW! :)

God bless,

KA

Mid-February Musings

2005-02-21T07:03:00.000-05:00

Winter becomes tiring and trying around this time of year. Cabin fever sets in. But there's something about freshly fallen snow that rejuvinates the spirit and makes winter beautiful.

As I woke up this morning to the dim light of a young sunrise, I peered out the window to see a layer of clean, fresh snow and more coming down. It was beautiful. Fresh snow is magic. It covers a multitude of sins, the reasons winter becomes so trying this time of year....potholes, dirty snowbanks, sand-encrusted ice, bare branches of trees who look as tired of winter as I do....Everything is now beautiful again! The potholes are filled, the snowbanks and ice are a gleaming white, and the trees seem to enjoy their new, white accessory.

Of course, as with all freshly fallen snow, it must be shoveled. But that's a separate matter.

KA

Welcome to my blog

2005-02-20T03:54:00.000-05:00

Greetings and salutations,

Welcome to my blog, started a almost 4 am as I battle temporary insomnia. I hope you will enjoy my musings and thoughts. I will tell you up front that this blog is based on my life as a born-again Christian, a housewife and my love of feminine, beautiful things. I will not tolerate intolerant feed-back, but I ask that you enjoy my postings. If you don't like 'em, then please spare us both and don't read 'em. :) I also feel I should admit that Katherine Alba is my pen name, not my real name, but this being the internet and a public blog, Katherine Alba is who you shall know me to be.

So again, welcome and God bless,

KA