More Christina Rossetti

WHY? \
Lord, if I love Thee and Thou lovest me,
Why need I any more these toilsome days;
Why should I not run singing up Thy ways
Straight into heaven, to rest myself with Thee?
What need remains of death-pang yet to be,
If all my soul is quickened in Thy praise;
If all my heart loves Thee, what need the amaze,
Struggle and dimness of an agony?--
Bride whom I love, if thou too lovest Me,
Thou needs must choose My Likeness for thy dower:
So wilt thou toil in patience, and abide
Hungering and thirsting for that blessed hour
When I My Likeness shall behold in thee,
And thou therein shalt waken satisfied.

I had planned to post something for Good News Thursday, but couldn't think of any that is of broader interest than our own home front. There is one thing. A little girl at our church fell last Sunday and scraped her elbow. It got infected and her mother took her to the E.R. on Tuesday. The Dr. said that if they had waited another day or two they are not sure that they would have been able to save her. She was in the hospital for two days as they tried to get the right combination of antibiotics to work. Please thank God with me that she is home, now. Also, both her parents have pneumonia, now! We've got young people over there helping out with the household and meals are taken care of. Please pray that the "G" family gets some rest! Thanks!

Gearing up for the big move...

Not away from my home, but IN my home. We have decided to flip the library and living room.

The library is currently housed in the larger room. The living room is in what was supposed to be the dining room in my 60s era ranch style home. We are committed to having Bible studies here starting in April and sitting around our dining room table as we have for parenting classes just isn't going to work.

I love moving furniture around, it allows for a good, thorough cleaning. My boys, well, not so much! Steven very carefully measured the rooms for me and drew a diagram so that I would be sure where everything would go. I have actually made little paper patterns for my furniture (12 bookcases in those two rooms) and am sure... I think! :)

So, next I need to plan what we move in what order, since it will take a few days. I will be purging bookshelves, a painful (and usually unproductive) task and cleaning books. What is it that Don Aslett says about maintaining stuff? Well, I'm sure that he didn't mean books!

I'm looking for a desk for Conrad to put in the library. He really needs a place to study other than on our bed. He has piles of books all around the walls in there that he is either currently studying or planning to study. I am hoping to incorporate an office for him in the future library. My Dad always had a study.

Well, I survived yesterday,as I always do. I didn't manage to do any laundry. Gael and I were talking last night and realized that Tuesday and Thursdays have become big laundry days around here. Monday and Friday are just too busy for anything more than a little ironing (not even that on Mondays). I took my little room patterns with me to piano and did that there while I was waiting for Shayna to finish her lesson. We got all of our schoolwork done (number one priority) and the house cleaned up (number two) but I only made one of my phone calls and didn't get to the church library catalog.

Today will be much better. I have bread rising and laundry in the washer. We will get schoolwork and chores done and basically just keep working on all the things that need doing. Tonight is a session meeting which all of my menfolk attend. Shayna and I are going to friends' house to teach them to do ribbon embroidery. I'm sure that we will have tea.

I'm having a terrible time staying on my diet...I am finding that I'm just too busy with the urgent. I sent Conrad to work with regular ol' spaghetti and meatballs. Oh well! I'll just keep trying. Conrad says not to get discouraged, but I am. Sigh!

Well we are off to study the Phoenicians! Have a good day!

Today's focus: Laundry! Deskwork

What's for dinner?: Hotdog Casserole for the kids. Chicken breast for Conrad and me. Salad, fruit, fresh potato sourdough bread.

Today, I'm thankful for: New beginnings...I know, I know, I could count how many times I've said that on this blog! For the robins in my yard. For my hardworking menfolk. For my daughter, my companion in domesticity. For the curriculum we are using this year, it has a been a blessing to have someone else do the research.

Today I'm praying for: The peace of Christ to reign in our hearts, with thankfulness. Collosians 3:15. For the guys, that they would find favor in the eyes of their employers, and that they would accomplish the work set out for them. For the girls, that we would have the "law of kindness on our tongues".

To Do list:
Clean up the downstairs...it's a terrible mess - 1.5 hours

Laundry - haven't done any since Thursday - total actual hands on 2 hours, that includes some ironing

Lessons - my share about 2 hours, that's teaching, grading and recordkeeping

Paperwork - menu planning for the week, going over the church library 1 hour total

Cooking - easy stuff today, 1 hour total, only because Conrad and I are dieting, that takes extra work

Phone calls - I have to make 5, at 10 minutes each (and knowing I'll go over) I'll give that an hour

Piano lessons - out of the house for 1.5 hours, I do get some studying done, for about 20 minutes of that

Library - an hour if I'm business like and don't linger

And all of this needs to be done before the evening when we try really hard to maintain a routine of family devotions, quiet study time and read aloud time with whoever is at home at the time.

I hate starting the day out knowing I'm not going to get everything done no matter how hard I try. I realized today too, that I have dropped the habit of looking over the coming day's work the night before. I could have started a few things ahead and would have been more energetic about getting out of bed if I'd thought about it ahead! Sigh!

So, this is the total of my computer time today. Have a good week! It definitely gets better! :)

Good Friday

"BEHOLD THE MAN!"
by Christina Rossetti

Shall Christ hang on the Cross, and we not look?
Heaven, earth, and hell stood gazing at the first,
While Christ for long-cursed man was counted cursed;
Christ, God and Man, Whom God the Father strook
And shamed and sifted and one while forsook:--
Cry shame upon our bodies we have nursed
In sweets, our souls in pride, our spirits immersed
In wilfulness, our steps run all acrook.
Cry shame upon us! for He bore our shame
In agony, and we look on at ease
With neither hearts on flame nor cheeks on flame:
What hast thou, what have I, to do with peace?
Not to send peace but send a sword He came,
And fire and fasts and tearful night-watches.

Long time no write...and a few questions.

I know, I know, it's been a while.

I've been trying to get back on track with dieting and rising on time. And of course, there's the rest of life, busy, busy! So, blogging (both reading and writing) has definitely been low on my priorities.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to keep track of my reading this year. How do each of you do it? I am planning to keep a random (not dated or organized) list of the books I've read this year on the sidebar, here.

The weather has been delightful, but we really haven't been out much in it. I hope to start walking today and stick to it. Does anyone have opinions on the best mp3 player for books and sermons?

I noticed that food prices are really going up and am determined to stick to the same amount in my grocery budget. I have certainly been on a bare-bones budget before, but it is amazing how easy it is to get used to spending money! What are your favorite ways to cut grocery costs?

We are not getting new outfits for Resurrection Sunday (Easter) this year, we haven't always, but it sure is fun to do that. We decided that we all have enough clothes, but it sure is hard not to want a new Easter outfit when friends start showing off theirs! Do you (or your kids) always get a new dress or shoes for Easter?

I'm back to baking bread (and trying not to eat any of it). I like to use a sour dough starter, but my family is not crazy about sourdough, so I add a little yeast and don't rise it quite as long. I'm using some of my favorite amish potato sourdough starter to make cinnamon buns for Easter morning. We are going to have to grab breakfast on the run because we have to be out of here early for a early morning baptism service up in Williamsburg before our regular service. What a wonderful day it's going to be! I love the worship on Resurrection Sunday, it is always so joyful, it usually brings me to tears - not that that is an unusual thing for me during worship. I'm so often moved by so much gratitude, what an amazing, loving heavenly Father we have, to give us so many good gifts!

I finally have an appointment to see the Dr. to start Estrogen replacement therapy. I feel read up enough on it that I can discuss it with her intelligently. I have lots of notes! It will be good to get rid of these several annoying symptoms.

Well, I just got on here for a few minutes while my youngers are scrubbing out bathtubs. It is definitely time to get back to the books, after a walk.

Today's emphasis: Do the next thing!

What's for dinner? Baked fish, pasta and stewed tomatoes (don't ask, it's a family thing!), broccoli, pineapple and potato bread rolls.

Praying for: Dilligence and for The Fruit of the Spirit, especially Kindness to reign in my home.