The best thing that has happened to our family in the past week is Ron’s friends’ prayers for his Mom.    As I mentioned last week, his friends offered to pray a novena–a nine-day prayer–for Ron’s Mom (her physical and spiritual needs).  Every day, Steve emails all the guys participating, including Ron, and…

     Since yesterday, I have been thinking about when and how I came to know that I am loved.  By the time I was fifteen, I was not at all clear about that point.  My interior self was decimated and I felt decidedly unloved and unworthy of love.  I was not close with any…

      We have been learning about mammals in home school recently.     Over a leisurely family breakfast this weekend, Jake said, “Dad, do whales have hair?”     Ron replied, “Well of course they do.  That’s why they carry brushes in their purses.”  Four girls dropped their jaws, looked at him with puzzled faces, and a…

     I tried to makes skirts for the girls last spring–almost a year ago.  But I got stuck with my sewing machine.  After lots of work, I have finally gotten unstuck.   Look at what I made this weekend!      I LOVE to sew on a sewing machine.  Donna Heinz, Grandma Honey’s niece,…

     Yesterday, I decided to trick the blues by reconfiguring the school day–I made the whole day an art project day.  The kids made books.      It was the right thing to do: Clare and Leigh got to be front and center (unusual on a school day) and their behavior improved dramatically as…

     As Ron’s Mom is failing in her health, Ron is struggling in many understandable, human ways.  Yesterday, he received an email from his friends in Louisiana: Steve Phillippi, Cory Hayes, Mark Sanborn, Todd Russell, Chris Baglow, Robert Simpson and Danny Burns.  As a group, they announced that they would be praying collectively for…

     Mary and Jake started a home business last week.  They told me it was called “Mary’s Massages” and Mary was going to hire Jake to work with her, giving massages.  I told her it was a brilliant business plan, since her company has a built-in clientelle (me).  When I came across the written…

     Clare said to me recently, “Mom, how did that man get such big crinkles on his face?”  I said, “They’re called wrinkles, and they came with age.”  She replied, “Oh, so does that mean that you are getting some age too?  Because you have little crinkles all over your face!”     I considered…

    Hoping belladonna really does work for nasal congestion–so far, this homeopathic remedy has not made a difference, although my tendency with it is “too little, too late.”  So I’m trying to turn the corner and get better at administering it.    Made scones and biscuits today from Babycakes, my new gluten-free cookbook from Amy-Beth.  Oh…