Slowing the everyday...

I always find the weekly rhythm of homemaking to be a constant source of peace and calm, satisfaction, gratitude, and productivity in my everyday life. It also provides a sense of purpose, something many of us look for, yet too often a thing we can doubt. 

Knowing your unique purpose removes a lot of self doubt from the mind. When we become aware it, usually from a very young age or later when the Lord places it right in the centre of our hearts as a desire waiting to be fulfilled, we can choose to follow where it leads, or, as many do, choose a different path. I have done both in different seasons of life...and the paths I chose were both 'good', but as the years progressed, one path shone far more brightly than the other. That bright path, over time, was to expand my love for God, family and home. It caused me to see the very real need for a revival in homemakers, and homemaking. 

Friday's prep for the weekend: 2 litres of almond milk, bread from freshly ground grain, cranberry rock cakes.

 As with many things in life, I have a tendency 'at times' to push myself too hard, and then as the months pass, one day I'll find myself collapsing in a worn-out mess for a while, unable to do a lot until my energy (and health) recovers a week or two later - but I do believe in the past year especially, that I have finally learned to balance the everyday tasks and interactions of a homemaker life. 

Today my daily homemaker rhythms are kinder, slower and gentler than ever, each task bringing simple delights, gratitude and smiles. If I cannot complete the tasks on my list by the end of the day or the week, it causes me no regret or feelings of failure; I simply move those tasks to another day in order of importance...and not many are very important anyhow. For example, I like to regularly pull everything out of the linen cupboard and give it a clean, replacing each item neatly and in order, and placing anything no longer needed into the charity box which is kept in the boot of my car - but this is not a task of importance. It's a task to do when I have time, or when I'm in the mood for a deep clean of cupboards through the house (usually once per season). 

(as there are only two of us at home now, I bake the bread so that it's easy to pull into two halves, one for now and one for the freezer)

It was quite an epiphany this year to grasp a certain truth about age - more specifically, about what is expected of us as we age. How can I at 64 expect to keep moving at the same pace as I did at 34, 44 or 54? Well, unless I am on some ego trip to keep up with the younger generation, at this time of life I need to allow myself to pull back and slow down more, resting a while each afternoon with a book, some crochet, or an episode of The Waltons (currently watching my way through the entire series); perhaps reading some blogs or writing cards, continuing with my Bible study from that morning, having a short nap or praying for my loved ones. 

(I'm currently crocheting the edges of some new thick cotton tea towels)

Living a slower life does not mean living an easier life. I still need to keep the floors vacuumed and mopped, the washing hung on the line, the ironing done, meals prepared, bathrooms scrubbed, gardens weeded and watered...but those tasks are not raced through, or burdensome anymore. They are very important tasks, and when completed with a gentle and joyful attitude, unhurried but done with diligence and care, they bring a great deal of satisfaction to my homemaker heart. I no longer think about what I'll do when I finish them, because that is the main reason I used to rush. My mind is on the privilege of having a home to maintain, someone to care for, and the gift of another day of life with a body that still has working limbs. I even appreciate the migraines which the Lord has never seen a need to heal me of, because they also remind me to slow things down. 

(I recently used four orphan applique blocks in the corners of a new topper for my kitchen island and finished it with crochet edging...yes, I am addicted to this craft)

Sometimes we read articles or blogs where the writer has done so much around the home that our heads are spinning wondering how they do it, and that can cause feelings of failure or disappointment in our own achievements. Let me gently remind you that they are living a different life to you. They will have completely different life circumstances - such as where they live, size of their home and property, their age, their finances, hands on help, climate, health, and responsibilities. If you are content with your day-to-day tasks, and can keep up with the important things such as looking after your family, your home, your health and your relationship with Jesus, then cheer them on in the comments, whilst cheering yourself for living a life that brings joy and satisfaction within the home sanctuary you have created.

**Admittedly, many emails and comments have been left here on my blog over the years asking "how do you get so much done?!"...and I can confess that I used to be a bit of whirlwind around the house, garden and in the design studio, because I am a true introvert and spend almost every day at home alone, so I had time to do those things back then. Now I enjoy the slower rhythms of each day.**

(the last of our tomatoes and snow peas picked from the garden)

How you live your life is also unique to your circumstances. We may face seasons that stretch us further than we thought we could endure, times when the grace of God is the only thing that keeps us going, so especially in those seasons do not compare yourself to another. I don't believe we should compare ourselves to others at any time, yet even unconsciously to some extent we probably will...but if that happens, stop and consider the very real differences between your life and what you know of the other's life. Don't be disheartened if you're not as well off, as healthy, as seemingly happy, as creative, as beautiful, or as organised as they appear to be...just be YOU, wonderful YOU, a unique and lovely woman crafted by our God, a God who has a mighty heart which stamped the full depth of His love on a cross. For YOU. 

We have six foot high sunflowers across the front of the house. No amount of sun or extreme heat can thwart their natural tendency to look up at the sun and follow it across the sky. 

Dear one, let us be like the sunflower and let nothing turn us away from the true Son. Let our hearts look up to Him and follow His example in how we live our lives, treat others, and bear witness to His Word. 

Precious girl, if your purpose seems clouded and elusive right now, if you are just not sure what you're meant to be doing (and how) with the rest of your earthly life, know I am praying this coming week that the fullness of the knowledge of His purpose for you becomes radiantly clear, and that His peace which surpasses all understanding will fill your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. 

Hugs

Crochet edging, family and work...

 THANK YOU so much for all the prayers for our menfolk. I am thrilled to tell you that both our men are now employed, and most grateful. 

Blossom's hubby and mine have both lost a considerable percentage of their previous incomes with these new jobs, but as we know, the Lord provides where there is need, and we PRAISE Him with full hearts for three reasons - work for our menfolk to do; income to pay rent/mortgage and put food on the table; and a biggie...more opportunities to learn ways to live on less. My husband broke a bone in his hand whilst working in the garden, and that came just as he began the new job so he could not take any time off. Fortunately, he's still able to do the work, and we're hopeful for a swift healing. 

Blossom is back to home-schooling, and her heart overflows with delight at this. After experiencing the public school system, she and Ross decided it was not the right place for their children. Cully May is already enrolled in the local Christian school for next year so they may continue with that plan for her, but Rafaella and Charlie (who is on the autistc spectrum) will be home-schooled. So as you can see, there are changes and challenges afoot within our family, but we are a happy bunch, and always there for each other, so with the Lord by our side we shall continue to grow in His Word and His ways. 

This time of year in the tropics of Northern Australia always is my worst season for migraines, the barometric kind that simply cannot be stemmed. I'm quite used to them after a lifetime of chronic migraines. There are many triggers that I can keep under control by avoidance (if possible) such as certain foods, tiredness, bright lights, certain chemicals etc...but the barometric (weather) related migraines cannot be avoided at all. Anyhow, I accept them, and always look for ways to function in the midst of them.

This year I have discovered that gentle crochet edging is incredibly calming and so I spend my down-time each day or in the evenings, with this very simple and pretty craft. I began with a couple of small circular projects with fabric and cotton 5ply yarn, more as a practice than anything, and when I realised how relaxing it was to make them I began on larger projects using cotton drill on the front and fabric on the back.

Hubby and I took a lovely day trip to Taylors Beach and Lucinda last week before he started his job, and I completed this green table topper in the car on the way home (I get very tired on the trips home unless I have something to stitch, or crochet). 

Next I made a slightly larger topper with some floral linen I bought back in 2014 and red cotton yarn crochet edging, but forgot to take a photo. The following project was made with some of my vintage stash of Cath Kidston cotton drill...

...and it now graces my desk. Honest, this makes me smile every time I sit down at the computer! 

Yesterday I completed another runner using more of my my Cath Kidston stash, and a pink cotton crochet edging. This was made to cover the side table I use beside the couch, which holds my bible, iPad and whatever craft project I am currently working on. I chose fabric which blended with the turquoise of the side table, and it looks so pretty now.

Something else I made to enhance the home décor this season, was to frame some lovely cards I had purchased a while back. They have been sitting and waiting until I found just the right frames, and the other day I found some at the local cheap shop for $5 each, and they framed the cards beautifully. 

I think these type of framed cards would make lovely gifts for this time of year, don't you? The cards were purchased in a pack of twelve from Koorong last year. The frames were purchased locally at the Reject Shop

I have added a few new patterns to my Etsy Shop that you may like to stitch. The October Stitchery Club set is now retired, but two of the single patterns in it are available, as well as another newbie you may not have seen. You can check them out HERE.

How are YOU? Do you need prayer? Do you have some praises to share? Perhaps you're working on gentle crafts too? I'd love to know, and so would others. 

Bless you heaps, dear ones, and may the favour of the Lord be upon you in all you do, say and need. To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Hugs

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Final two blocks in the Virtuous Wife free BOM...

 …and he praises her. “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31: 29b - 31

I decided to share the final two blocks in our Virtuous Wife quilt project this month, instead of now and in December, so that those ladies who have been stitching the blocks each month have time to complete the full quilt before the year ends.

I love these final few verses, and as I was studying them, discovered a number of simply beautiful meanings which help to expand our understanding of the written words. So, shall we explore them?

Verse 30:

(a)  Charm is deceitful…

Charm (chen) - can mean physical beauty, but translated from the original Hebrew it also means graciousness or kindness. Deceitful (sheqer) - describes a sham, a falsehood, like putting on an act. So, when we read it with this understanding, we can see that it’s not all about physical beauty which can be made to look more than it actually is with makeup and hair styles etc…it’s also about pretending to be gracious and kind in order to gain favour – a sham.

(b)…and beauty is vain:

Vain (hebel) - means empty. Physical beauty is empty. There’s no real substance to it. We shall see why further on.

(c)…but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Fear (yare’) - means to be morally reverent. It’s not about being scared of God as you might a criminal, but to fully revere Him in His divine authorative nature, to bow your will to His, abiding by His Word and living out that obedience for all to see.

‘To be praised’ (halal) -  means to shine! Isn’t this beautiful? When we fear God (as described above) we will shine. It instantly reminded me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:16 “…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Ladies, let us shine forth for the Lord by how we live our lives, and allowing the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to refine our character.

Verse 31:

(a) Give her of the fruit of her hands:”

Give (nathan) her of the fruit (priy) of her hands; describes the bough of tree, and means to render or reward.

(b) And let her own works…

(Ma’aseh) is the one word to express this section of the verse, and you may be surprised to know that it has many meanings. “Her own works” can be baking, creating a product, doing deeds, needlework, having handy skills, writing…her works can be many and varied.

(c)…praise her in the gates.

Praise (hahal) – again, this means to shine. In the gates (sha’ar) relates to having her character, deeds, and inner beauty displayed openly for all to see. When you take this back to the Biblical era when Proverbs 31 was written, it’s easy to see why her husband praised her openly when he sat with the city leaders in the town gates.

And finally…a little bit of information about the Proverbs 31:10-31 woman today.

Did you know it is traditionally believed that Abraham used to recite this to Sarah, and it is now recited or read by Jewish husbands to their wives on the eve of Sabbath? I think that is so lovely, and any wife would be honoured to have her husband consider her to be an example of the wife we have been studying all year.

For my part, I am not perfect, and God still has rough corners to round off in my character, but after almost 32 years of marriage I can honestly say that I am a much better wife than I once was, and intend on allowing the Lord to keep refining me through whatever years I have left. To HIM be all glory and honour and praise!

I hope you have enjoyed this free Virtuous Wife block of the month, which we began on November 1^st, 2022. A year later and I am the better for it, not because of what I have stitched or sewn, but because of what I have learned through deepening my personal study of each verse, and almost every word.

Use the link below to download the final double pattern set, which includes the quilt assembly instructions.

DOWNLOAD blocks 15 and 16

If you missed any of the sixteen blocks in this BOM go HERE.

I have pieced all my blocks together and cut the quilt wadding, but am still deciding how I’ll quilt it, and whether or not I’m going to attempt something a little different. More about that another day.

God bless you!! May you grow in the favour and blessing of the Lord all the days of your life. 

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Late October garden and two new patterns...

 It's been a while since I did a garden post, mostly because we've been flat out keeping things alive as the dreadful high temperatures return for our long summer, which will not recede until close to winter next year. 

Over the past month my husband dug up a large concrete slab in our backyard, which the previous owners used as a boat support. Then he had to fill it all in with soil, and top it with hay. I took these photos early yesterday morning before the sun rose over the mountain, as once the sun appears my photos are startlingly white and overexposed, so they are a little dark...

These are some of the concrete pieces he cut out. We're giving them away, and half have already been taken, but the rest are waiting there until we find someone else who wants them.

The grass has died away and when you walk around the yard all you hear is the crunch under your feet. We have added more hay across parts of the lawn, in an effort to save the soil from complete hydrophobia before the rain arrives - though we're told to expect a long drought, and for the past few months that is indeed what we have had. 

I always plant pumpkins this time of year because they survive regardless of the heat and humidity. There are four Queensland Blue plants here, and before planting out the seeds I dug holes and filled them with really good quality potting mix (far better than our rock hard clay soil). I just have to keep up the water every day...

The cucamelon vines died off once the days got over 30C (85F) and now where we are the days have already climbed to 34C (94F)...and it's only the middle of spring. Trying to keep some nutrition in all the gardens I have planted sunflowers of all varieties *everywhere*. We won't let them go to seed, but do a cut and drop over garden beds and soil. We will also plant more in successions of about 4-6 weeks until early Autumn. 

The small raised bed on the left below is now clear of the cucamelon vines and I have sunflowers coming up at the base of the wire. The angelonia and marigolds continue to thrive in the worst of heat as long as they get water. So do the geraniums, dianthus and coreopsis, and of course, the weeds. Sweet potatoes are also doing very well in three separate areas as long as they get watered regularly. Honestly, we will take anything good we can get in the garden right now. Herbs like rosemary, spring onions (green onions), parsley, thai basil and perennial basil are also surviving - but they usually manage okay in summer with good rain - this year we'll just hand water. 

The corn failed dismally, so we're leaving it there to drop and become part of soil nutrition.

I'm nursing two cucumber vines in the shade, three potted blueberry plants in fruit under the cover of an old net curtain, and the last of our roma tomatoes and snow peas (very shocked that they've lasted this long).

Our little green tree frog is still alive and happily living in the raised bed by the pool. Turned out it's a she, so we named her Peaches. When the children were little we used to sing a song "Gonna move to the country and eat a lot of peaches..." because we all had a dream to do that. Unfortunately you can't grow peaches in the tropics, but now we have a Peaches of our own living close by. She's looking much better than she did back here and happily sits in her pink bowl of water if she's not shading herself under the sweet potato vine. 

New Patterns...

I have added two new patterns to my Etsy Shop this week, and I hope you like them. Both were a joy to create and are now displayed in our home.

I find this verse to be quite uplifting, and at times needful to remember. 

I've really enjoyed the penny rug style these past few months, and though there are no penny circles on the little tongues which hang from the bottom of this mini quilt, the small mother-of-pearl buttons added a lovely vintage touch and were a perfect replacement. 

As I said in my last post, designing in future will only happen when I have time, inspiration and can fully enjoy the process. The few new patterns I am currently writing and adding to my shop were all joyful creations, and made for our home. Perhaps they'll be joyful additions to your own sewing? 

This table topper is square and has a cute little house sitting atop a double heart sewn into each corner. I made this in subdued colours, and thought later it would be perfect to display around late autumn when the weather begins to cool...in late autumn and winter I love having more subdued colours in the house.

Both new patterns are HERE in my shop if you'd like to make them. :-)

I shall sign off now as it's time for my afternoon cuppa, and dear husband will be keen to have one too. I baked some delicious banana, apple and blueberry muffins this morning so they'll be just right to have on the side. 

Before I go - I was reading 1 Thessalonians this morning and wanted to encourage you with Paul's words as I sign off today..."Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

Then I read this from one of Charles Spurgeon's sermons and it fit perfectly with that verse so I'll share this with you too...

"When joy and prayer are married, their firstborn child is gratitude." Charles Spurgeon

God bless you dear ones, and may we together always rejoice, pray, and give thanks, to our Father above Who loved us so much He sacrificed His only Son to save us. That truth must never be watered down, ignored or altered to suit the world. 

Love and hugs

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Counting the cost...

Dear friends, Thank you for the prayers many of you have offered on our family's behalf, prayers for employment for both my husband and our son in law Ross. I want to assure you that Blossom and I have complete trust in the Lord to provide what is needed at the right time. My husband knows this too, but being the head of the home and our main provider, there's more pressure on him (in his own mind) to gain work soon. Ross is not a Christian so he's feeling more pressure with each week that passes...so we keep praying, and as my beloved Nana would say all the time, "God willing it (whatever the need or plan was) will come to pass." 

Homemaking in my experience, is like the seasons, a rhythmic change of circumstances. We have the season of noisy growing children filling the rooms, and then the season of  quiet when they have left the nest. There are the seasons of plenty, times when we have comfortably enough, and the times when every penny counts. A season of excellent health may be followed by a serious illness, and vice versa. Our home garden might be abundant one year, and swallowed up by flood or drought the next, and of course there may be a season of being ably employed, followed by a season of no work at all. 

As a homemaker first and foremost, I find myself challenged in various ways when a certain season arrives or leaves. For example, I knew in advance that my husband would be unemployed by early October, so I did what I immediately thought should be done, and began a new Stitchery Club to at least help us pay the mortgage each week...but I was wrong to do that. 

Hubby used to work six days a week, and when he would have holidays I'd consciously pull back a bit with my regular chores so that we could spend more time together, especially in the garden as that's a pastime we really enjoy. But a week or two later he was back at work and after playing catch-up with deep cleaning for a few days, I'd settle back to the normal routines and rhythms of keeping home.

Having him home now for an unknown period of time, and adding a new Stitchery Club to my list of to-dos (working on the club requires hours every day) on top of my regular and important responsibilities around home, he has noticed that I am run off my feet trying to keep up, and this has put a real damper on our days. My beloved is the head of our home, and through God, he is our income provider. When we married the plan was always that I'd raise the children and keep house, and he would be the breadwinner. Admittedly, when the children were younger (as was I) and he was retraining at University, he was happy that I was able to earn a little extra by doing things like Avon, cleaning a large local church (hubby helped) or selling used rare books online which I'd found at op-shops - these all helped fund our homeschooling expenses over the years...but they never replaced his wage, nor became a necessity.  If it was getting too much I simply stopped with his blessing and gave my full attention to home and family. 

When the children were at the end of their homeschooling education, I had begun to design stitcheries and offered a free block of the month on my blog every year (still do). Soon various craft magazines were asking me to design for them on a monthly basis, and I did that for about five or six years before choosing to offer my patterns through my own site. It's been a wonderful journey doing this, and because of the income we were finally able to save enough for a deposit on a home of our own late in 2018. Buying our home was a long held dream and we give thanks daily to the Lord for making this possible. 

As I reflect on the changes having a home of our own made in our lives as we neared 60, we were simply not prepared for the energy it would take to turn a home in the tropics which was surrounded by concrete, into a green, shady, edible garden. On top of that were the internal changes, a flood in 2019, so many home repairs and flood pumps installed as we fought rising water every wet season, and each year getting older and both of us having auto-immune diseases to manage.  We do not regret a thing, and we know this home was a gift from God so that we'd not have to rent anymore, but could create our own home sanctuary to last through the latter years of life, and ultimately be passed on one day if the Lord tarries His return. 

But jumping in to start a new club, even though my intentions were good, did not make them right for this season of life. One day I was so exhausted and with my body a mass of pain, another migraine beginning to brew, all I wanted was to fall into bed. Later that night when bedtime finally came around I prayed and asked the Lord for help. Do you know what He said?

"You didn't count the cost first." Every time I woke in the night I pondered those words and next morning re-read Jesus' words on that very subject. (Luke 14:28,29) He was describing how a builder would not build a tower without first sitting down and counting the cost, to make sure he had enough supplies before he began. Then I read chapters before and after that one, because I am very much a contextualist when it comes to studying Scripture, and discovered more examples of counting the cost.

Cost can be anything which will be required of you to pursue a certain task, relationship or belief. It's not just about money. The cost I had not factored in was time, energy, age, health and priorities. As the past few months have come and gone, it's clear that not much was lain aside, apart from blogging,  because I take my homemaking very seriously, but in order to keep up I had to fill more and more hours each week with precious time which should not have been surrendered so rashly. No wonder I was exhausted and in so much pain. If only I had counted the cost before making that decision. 

When I eventually fell on my knees before our Lord, He was so very gracious, and in the past week or so I have become more aware of the cost that must be paid for any decision I will make now and in the future. Counting the cost is marvellous for putting things into perspective, for alerting me to a pot-hole in the road ahead, for reminding me of what I have in my hand and what I can do without. 

I even got inspiration for a new design, with words of life to keep me steady and grounded in the simple life I love so much, and which recently began to slip away.

I do not have to design anymore. But I can when I have time, when inspiration from the Lord is present, and when I am enjoying it. The project above was lovely to create, and because it came from my heart, overflowing with gratitude to the Lord (and my husband), I relaxed and did something I'd only attempted once before...cotton crochet edging. It took time, but it wasn't rushed. It simply brought me joy. 

So, no more new Stitchery Club, but yes to the occasional new pattern which I'll just pop in my Etsy Shop. I do have a few already, which I made for the club, but now they'll just be single patterns in the shop. Maybe later in the week the patterns will be added there, but right now, hubby and I have a garden to work in, a Bible to study, some bread to bake, and time with each other to enjoy. Oh, and our Molly-dog too. She's become the sweetest addition to our home and puts a smile on our faces all the time. 

If you've become overwhelmed this year, perhaps you have taken on too much? Step back a bit and pray for the Father to show you what needs to go. 

Perhaps you are facing a decision? Count the cost first, dear one. Count the cost. You might be paying more than it's worth.

Bless you heaps,

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