Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...
the wintery grayness and rain abounds but if I look carefully I see the promise of new life and spring.  The winter greens are growing and will soon be ready for the table (our neighbor's not ours) and the winter flowers are near to bursting forth into bloom.  The squirrels and the hummingbirds in our backyard actively dart from one activity to another.  Occasionally the hummingbird will stay suspended in motion right outside my dining room window until I acknowledge him.  He is such a "social butterfly".

I am thinking...
school plans!  Yep, this morning most of what I am thinking about revolves around the plans that need to be made for the next six weeks of school.  I am actually quite thankful that God has lead us to school in six week chunks of time.  It is so much more manageable for me.

I am thankful ....
my sweet husband fixed my wireless mouse.  Sometimes it is the simplest of things that make one's day easier!

From the learning rooms...
we will slowly be starting back to our routine and schedule as we begin another six week term.  It was not my intention to school six weeks on and two weeks off but through my husband God has definitely lead us to this new schedule.  It works well for us.  Keeps us focused and fresh.

From the kitchen...
I will be working on tidying up, putting away the Christmas goodness that occupied the last few weeks.  Need to clean out the fridge.  Also will be doing some menu planning which is NOT my strongest suit.  But for now coffee is brewing which always means I am planning on accomplishing many of my To Do items.

I am wearing...
blue corduroy pants with a blue sweater and my "get it done" shoes.  :)

I am creating...
a list of best loved memory verses for the New Year.  In late November I realized just how much I missed memorizing The Word and so that is on the docket for next year....2016 may it be the year of The Word!  I asked many of my homeschooling moms for their favorites as well as my husband.  Hopefully I will have it read for later this week.

I am reading...
a wonderful blog post from Sally Clarkson's blog on her website.  I was challenged and blessed as I read the post.  REST!  In one word....REST!  God is calling me to rest.  Not in action but rest.......rest from stressing about how I will get it all done.  Rest.   Making sure that each day is filled with a time of rest.

I am praying...
for clear direction for the upcoming school term.  What are the goals that need to be set and accomplished?  How can I help Dacia grow into her full potential as a new eleven year old?  What are the ways Arthur needs me to support him in the new year?

I am hearing...
Matthew West .........  Grace wins everytime! on the radio, the furnace warming up the home and Dacia waking up and readying herself for a new day.

Around the house...
are reminders of the wonderful time we had as a family this last week celebrating Christmas and two birthdays.  So many precious memories were made and cemented into our memory banks.  We even had "snow" for a brief time yesterday! Granted you had to look very hard at the precipitation coming down in order to see the snow!

One of my favorite things...
the quietness of the morning with a cup of coffee as I "journal". Really working at keeping up with the blog this year.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
decluttering, tidying and blessing the family with a clean home.

My Picture Thought...

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...
darkness has fallen which allows me to see the reflection of the Christmas lights that adorn our tree and our windows. 

I am thinking... 
the very first Christmas preparation many years ago.......packing and checking twice to make sure that all the meager supplies are accounted for since the trip will be long and the circumstances hard.  Mary wondering if her time will come to deliver her baby while they are on the trip.  Where will she deliver?  Will they be safe on their trip?  What will become of their time in Bethlehem?

I am thankful ....
Dacia still is in awe of Christmas and the anticipation of it all.  This year we will be joined by dear family friends.  

From the learning rooms...
I am anticipating the return to the smoothness a school schedule gives us! We start back on Monday, the 27th after two weeks off.

From the kitchen...
gingerbread cookies need to be baked and decorated for Christmas Eve.

I am wearing...
warm pants.....dark colored......and a warm wool sweater as I try to combat the cold chill the rains are bringing.

I am creating...
working with some muslin to make a table runner and making some new tea towels for the kitchen. 

I am reading...
The Lifegiving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson which will be out after the first of the year.  I am privilege to be in the launch party so I have been working on reading the pre-release copy.

I am praying...
the peace of Jerusalem to come soon. 

I am hearing...
Dacia organize the gift under the tree and the brass sounds of Christmas carols.........so Christmasy.

Around the house...
we are in full anticipation of Christmas and birthdays.

One of my favorite things...
blessing my family gifts for their birthdays.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
lots of relaxing with the family.  

My Picture Thought...
a blast from the past.....ten years ago we were anticipating her first birthday.......wow!

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas and Glad Tidings to you from the Homfront.  As Christmas and the New Year approaches we look back on our year 2015.

The Force is strong with Dacia Grace!  At 10, she continues to grow fonder for all things Star Wars especially in anticipation of Episode 7.  DG reminds me a lot of my exuberance when the original movie went into hyperspace some 37 years ago.  I’m proud to remind her that “I… am your Father” which drives her absolutely crazy.  When not in a galaxy far, far away, Dacia Grace enjoys reading, swimming, cooking, baking, archery, and church.  In her 4^th/5^th grade year she relishes ancient history, science, American Sign Language, and Bible.  She enjoyed her last year at the church’s Kids Camp but really loved the 5^th Grade Girls Getaway.  She went as a girl and came back a Tween.  I am thinking of the famous Chinese saying, “Oy Vey.”  As Dacia Grace puts it, “they fed us candy, popcorn, pasta dinner, got spa treatment, made necklaces, watched movies, and stayed up past midnight every night.., not to mention that we got to go into a fancy, dancy swimming pool and we were just 5 minutes walking to the beach!”  In the famous Jewish saying, “Aye Ya”.

Mary Lou continues to train up her prized pupil in all subjects at Fanno Creek Academy.  She feels blessed watching DG learn and grow and doubly blessed as her teacher.  As Iron Chef Mommy, she challenges herself to cook egg free, dairy free, soy free, and now gluten free for the family at the Fanno Creek Lodge Bed and Breakfast.  It’s no easy task but she wins the prize after every meal.  After a long hiatus, she returned to enjoy some of her hobbies including biking, swimming, and hand sewing.  Much of her time involves mentoring other homeschooling mom’s via Facebook groups and she likes to dabble in blogging.

Arthur’s work as Controller at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Hotel in Portland Downtown grows increasingly consuming as he continues leading the financial success of the hotel.  Who would have guessed that he has been with Hilton Hotels now for 24 years?  He had a medical scare in July where an unknown, severe, allergy attack and staph infection on his face threatened his life.  Think of the scene from the movie Hitch where Will Smith accidentally ate shrimp and his face ballooned into a grotesque, disfigured portrait and you have the idea only worse.  Thankfully, through antibiotics, steroids, and God’s healing power, his disfigured mug returned to normal without any permanent side effects.  Praise the Lord!  While we didn’t determine the exact cause of the allergic reaction we decided to put ourselves on a self-imposed gluten free diet which has made a huge difference for us.  It reduced the inflammation that caused Mary Lou’s joint troubles for years.  The gluten free diet also reduced Arthur’s muscle tightness in his legs as well as the circle under his eyes.

With the aid of his sisters, Arthur continues to help from afar care for his elderly parents in their 80’s.  His father requires dialysis three times a week while his hearing and comprehension slowly diminishes.  His mother struggles with a form of dementia that progressively steals her short term memory.  Although a professional caregiver helps them throughout the day in their own home, Arthur tries to demonstrate to Dacia Grace what “honor your father and mother” looks like as adult child… not an easy task but an honorable one.

We went on two great vacations this year.  In June we explored the National Parks of Utah including Cedar Breaks, Bryce Canyon, Grand Escalante, Arches, and finally Zion.  It’s something Mary Lou always wanted to do ever since photographs from National Geographic and Arizona Highways magazines captivated her in childhood.  In Mary Lou’s words, “They were amazing to see in real life and all that God did to create them”.  Along the way we rested a few days along the pristine Animas River, weeks before the huge toxic spill, in Durango, CO.  In Las Vegas, we indulged in the sinful world of the Hershey Chocolate store, fell into the pit of evil at M&M World, and drank into a foolish stupor at Coca Cola World where we reveled in the debauchery of Coca Cola from around the world (some laced with floating balls of frozen cream).  Oh, yes, we need to repeat… I meant repent.

In November, we explored San Francisco getting around using the city’s famous transportation system like a local…well almost like a local if you don’t count the cable cars.  We visited Arthur’s friend from camp 30 years ago as well as attended church with his former youth leader who is now a pastor in SF for 24 years.  We visited Arthur’s Aunt, Uncle, and cousin Sydney who just turned 5.  She barely greeted us in her shyness but by the time of our good byes, I could hear her yelling “BYE DACIA!!!” while blowing kisses from her car seat.  The childlike screaming of “farewells” from the 3^rd floor of the parking garage to the street level brought smiles to Mary Lou and Me.

It’s our 13th year at Athey Creek Christian Fellowship.  After getting forced out of the middle school and then the leased warehouse where we met for the past 5 years, God led our church to resume building on the church property acquired before the Great Recession.  We moved into the new building at the end of June to continue our verse by verse, chapter by chapter study of the Bible.  We were blessed studying Exodus but even more blessed studying the unpopular books of Leviticus, Numbers, and currently Deuteronomy.  The Law really is the schoolmaster that leads us to God’s grace.

May you celebrate the Light of the World and the gift of Grace given to us in Jesus Christ… Emmanuel – God with us.

The Homs

The Bed Time Stack

A pile of pillows
   soft, squishy bed
A pile of blankets
   up over your head.

               DG, age 10

Honoring Mervin Zook

Today December 1st is the 24th anniversary of the best Daddy ever, Mervin Zook's, entrance into heaven. I will forever miss him. He was a great man that loved his God, his wife and his family and others......in that order! Today also is the beginning of the 1st year of my life when I will be alive more years without my Daddy than alive with him. He had a very dry sense of humor. Ah Daddy, I miss you!

Some of the things that others may find interesting about my Daddy:

(1) He loved to play men's soft ball and did throughout his life. He played college ball as a catcher. This was before catcher's wore any protective gear. He was hit in the wind pipe by a ball once and ended up in the hospital for several days.

(2) He loved the outdoors. At my childhood home in St. Louis, he lovingly planted about 20 trees on our property because he loved seeing them bloom.

(3) Besides winning many awards for his stone and brick work as a top notch stone and brick mason, he was an accomplished woodworker. I love his handiwork.

(4) He loved, LOVED the Word of God. I know of at least three small Bibles that he read so often that he wore them out.

(5) One of my fondest memories is of him reading his Bible in the corner of his room early on Sunday morning. He loved going to church so much and would be up early on Sunday morning reading and praying and prepping to teach whatever Sunday School class he was currently assigned.

(6) He was my 6th and 7th grade Sunday School teacher!

(7) He originally wanted to be a forest ranger when he went to college. He spent one year north of Couer d'Alene, Idaho planting trees. I have been able to see some of those trees all grown now. I have to be honest that I was a little emotional seeing those trees and realizing he had planted them.

(8) He loved birds! I give him credit for my love of birds.

(9) He was a man of prayer. When we were cleaning out his work truck after he died, we found what seemed like hundred of 3x5 cards with prayer notes on them. He never had a radio in his truck instead he would pray while he drove wherever he went. He prayed for the salvation of my Uncle Jim. I learned that Uncle Jim became a Christian before he died which is many years after my Dad died. At one time I knew how many years this was but suffice it to say it was over 25 years! Don't ever give up praying for the salvation of your loved ones!

(10) He was quirky at times. He was a red headed Swiss that would wear a Swiss hat on St. Patty's Day. LOL! Love you Daddy!

There are so many other things about him but I will stop here so as not to bore anyone.

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

I posted the above things on my Facebook page.  Through some "conversation" with my brother Chuck these memories also surfaced.

Chuck:   Dad was a giver too. One thing I remember was finding a box of change. He would dump all his change in at night then when it was full he would send it to a missionary to buy books for the national pastors. It is what inspired me to start singing and the first song I sang here in our church after my moving to VA was "Thank You". It was very moving for me. Dad said he couldn't sing but loved music enough to buy me my first violin, and i still play it.

(For the record, my brother Chuck has a great voice and a great ability to play the violin.  I remember going to sleep as a child listening to him play the violin while my sister played the piano.) 

Me:  I forgot about that money, Chuck. But do you know another part of that story? One of the places that he sent books and Bibles to was Romania. Around the time when Dad died the Communism Curtain was falling in Romania and one of the pastor's that received his books was able to immigrate to the US. His daughter attended Columbia Bible College and Seminary as a freshman the year that I was there as a graduate student. He talked in chapel a few months after Dad died and shared how he it was his dream to meet this man "Mervin Zook" here in the US and share the following story. 

One day when the Bibles had arrived along with other pastoral books, the police equivalent of the KGB arrived at the entrance to the apartment building and having very little time to hide the books, the pastor's wife threw the books on the dining room table, covered it with her finest tablecloth and set it with her finest china. When the police arrived at her door to search for the Bibles and books, she invited them in for tea. The police never found the books but did enjoy a fine afternoon of tea. 

 After chapel, I was able to go and talk with this pastor and his wife. What a tearful and joyful conversation it was. One of my most precious memories of my time at Columbia Bible College and Seminary (now called Columbia International University). I do not remember the Romanian pastor's name.

 Another story that I remember about my dad was told to me by my mom. Early in their marriage when Ron, Chuck and Betty were very small, they attended a missionary meeting on a Sunday evening. At the offering time Dad gave all the money he had in his wallet which was intended to put gas in the car for work that week. Either right before leaving church that evening or at the gas station I don't remember which the money for gas was given to Mom and Dad.

Short Film: 7 Days

Every March the grade schoolers at church are given a March Madness Challenge. This year it consisted of creating a short film based on a Bible story. DG and several friends wrote, acted and “produced” the following short with the help of two moms and one dad.

New Pet………

She does not have a name but she is super sweet.  She found us……

She is an Anna Hummingbird and has not allowed us to photograph her yet.  She is pretty camera shy.  Everyday she is at the hummingbird feeder to feed.  In the late afternoon, she then comes to the dining room window and signs a thank you song.  Super sweet.

We are having fun learning about hummingbirds.