I was looking over my long-neglected blog accessories (yes, do ignore all those pantry, to-do, and other lists. I can't keep up with the real-life pantry or to-do list, let alone the virtual versions of same.), and saw that I had promised to write some of Gi-gi's history. Since all my other blogposts are as-of-yet unfinished (yes, there are a couple), why not start a new one? Heh.
Thinking through it, however, I think there are earlier stories that bear telling, and remembering. This blog is also my second brain, see, like an external hard drive. And Gi-gi's mother deserves some kilobytes.
Grandma Great is what we called her, but for purposes of this story (and any others), I'll refer to her as Betty.
Betty was born in Scotland in December of 1896. Their family had a dairy farm, which, to this day is still held by relatives. I am not certain if the farm was an uncle's, or how many people lived and worked there, but there were more people than opportunities. There were also more daughters than sons (hm, wonder where I've seen that before?), and some of the daughters were "outdoor girls" and some "indoor." That is, certain sisters had certain jobs, whether household or farmyard. One of the "outdoor girls" was sick during haying season, and one of the "indoor girls" had to take her place. Betty was one of the younger children at this time. A local fellow helping with the chores in the neighborhood caught sight of this "indoor girl" and determined he would marry her (maybe that's why they kept her indoors?). This man was among those short on opportunities and decided to go to America where he could make something of himself. His girl's family was fairly well-to-do and he had nothing. So to America he went. In fact, he came not far from where I live now. He built himself a livestock business, and wrote glowing reports to his girl and her family; the wonderful land, the weather, the opportunities. Streets paved in gold, you know? He wooed not only Betty's sister, but her parents as well, and before long they set out to follow their daughter's beau. They came by ship, of course, and were NOT steerage passengers. This was in 1903, I think, and Betty was six.
Mr. Opportunity met them at the dock in New York. He had a minister ready and waiting at a hotel, and before the sun set that day, Betty had a brother-in-law. **I do wish I could know the thoughts of the parents, indeed the bride, at such circumstances. They must have been tired after such a voyage, and certainly could've enjoyed some time to take in their new world, and say goodbye to their daughter.** The trip west was almost immediately thereafter, and Betty and her family followed her sister and husband to their new home.
I don't know the details of their overland journey, or of their 'arrival.' They acquired some land - proclaimed by their now-son-in-law as flowing with milk and honey - and began their new life... hacking it out of the sagebrush and lava rock in dry, dusty, miserable conditions. All's fair in love and war, they say... But yikes.
I have a biography of Mr. Opportunity, published in the '80s. He's in our state history books, to be sure, though our branch of the family tree doesn't remember him with the same accolades. His business thrived, and he was truly a self-made man. I don't know if he meant to deceive his future in-laws, or if the opportunities he saw truly upped his opinion, but I think they were surprised, to say the least. Betty's parents made the best of things, however. In fact, the freeway exit sign for the barren area that held (holds?) their homestead bears the same name as the Scottish dairy did, albeit spelled differently. Betty's grandparents (my great-great-greats) also came to make their home in the area, and several generations are buried in Gi-gi's city.
Six years after their arrival, when Betty was 12, her mother was bitten by an infected tick, developed spotted-fever, and died.
At this point, Betty was sent back to Scotland to live with a brother and attend 'finishing' school.
(To be continued...)
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Monday, February 01, 2010
Lately Reading
I've enjoyed several books lately, spending birthday and Christmas gift cards online, borrowing from people, going to the library. When I sit down to nurse the baby, settle into bed at night, ride (not drive!) in the van, I enjoy learning and (hopefully) expanding my mind. In keeping with my multi-tasking lifestyle, I also read a couple (few?) books concurrently, though I never did so in my former life. :) Here's a sampling of my recent/current/upcoming reads:
In the Kitchen:
Fix, Freeze, Feast: Prepare in Bulk, Enjoy by the Serving. Love this. It's geared towards warehouse-shopping (Costco or Sam's), with recipes that use an entire 6-lb tray of ground beef, or chicken breasts, thighs, etc. There are also handy bulk side-dishes (potato recipes that use 10 lbs of russets - great way to make those organic ones last now that they're going to be sprouting and not on the market), breakfast ideas (granola), desserts, as well as the main dishes. I requested it from the library and they finally got a copy and let me borrow it. Which saved me some money, because I was able to type up the 23 can't-live-without recipes. It's higher-than-average on my Weird Nutrition Scale, and that is nice. Of course, I don't buy much meat at the warehouse store, and I'm unlikely to pluck a dozen chickens just to get fresh breast meat, but I think I can work around this.
Once-A-Month-Cooking: Family Favorites. I haven't had this one long, but I do like the idea. It's one of those super-organized plans that give you the month (or 2-weeks) of meals, and walk you through everything from the shopping, the dicing, cooking, freezing, etc. Because it's so regimented, it's a little harder to adjust for preferences, though there are quite a variety of meals presented. There are 2 month menus, 2 2-week menus, and additional summer and gourmet 2-week menus, though the recipes can stand alone.
Family Feasts for $75 a Week. Seeing a trend here? This one is written by Mary of Owlhaven, and it's well done. The thrust is towards frugal meals instead of make-ahead or bulk cooking, but it's not just beans and rice. The first part is full of her frugal tips and tricks, including a survey to assess your own habits and find where you can make the biggest difference in your grocery budget. I feel fairly experienced on pinching pennies, but there were still more ideas than I expected. I especially love the "pantry" section, where she offers ways to 'make your own' staples, like taco or spaghetti seasoning, teriyaki sauce, ranch or onion soup mix. I love the healthier "cream of soup" methods.
Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer. This one is a cross between Family Feasts and Fix, Freeze, Feast. It's not a set-out menu, but each recipe can be made individually, or they have done the math for 3X, 6X, or more recipes to do at once. I made their freezer pizza-dough, and some EXCELLENT caramel cinnamon rolls, though of course there are many main-dish recipes. This one is a little heavier on the 'already made' ingredients - ready made pie crust, cans or jars of stuff - than I prefer, but I have several recipes tagged to try.
In the Sewing Room:
Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using Any Pattern. This is another library request. But I'm afraid I might have to buy it, if I can ever have time to sew again (maybe if I quit reading cookbooks?). It walks you through every element of doing your own body map and tissue-fitting and altering for your own body. One shoulder slopes more? Have a flat backside, or a swayback? Bigger or smaller in the bust? Waist a little higher or lower than normal? Hips even or not? I have no doubt that following their step-by-step instructions will lead to the best-fit clothes I've ever had.
A is for Apron: 25 Fresh and Flirty Designs. One I longed for from the library for so long. Loved it enough to buy it, though it's more for fun than enlightenment.
Homeschool:
Charlotte Mason Education, A How-To Manual. A brief but clear look at the day-to-day implementation of different Charlotte Mason philosophies. I have yet to read the original Charlotte Mason books, though they're available for free in pdf (I believe) from Barnes & Noble.
A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning. A much bigger book about Charlotte Mason Education and ways it played out in the author's family. Many ideas and encouragement are presented here. I borrowed it from a friend, got it from the library, and then found my own used copy reasonably priced on Amazon.
Handbook of Nature Study. Wow. This is somewhat dated (1911, I think, or 1939), but much of science is relatively timeless. Recommended in the CM Companion, above, I'm so glad I invested the $17 or so for it. It's nearly 900 pages of natural science. This paperback is like 3 inches thick! Animals, birds, plants, bugs, weather, astronomy... I believe it's also available for free in e-book format, but for looking up something for the kids (without a computer), it can't be beat for that price.
Favorite Poems Old and New: Selected for Boys and Girls. A BIG poetry anthology for children. Includes so many classics!
Spiritual:
How to Stop the Pain. I'm about half through this, and have latched on to several good tidbits. While I don't live in a place of "abiding torment" over anything in particular (I think, anyways...), it is still relevant. Those frequent hurts we experience from others don't have to hurt!
Beautiful Girlhood. This could also file under Homeschool, I think, as it's mostly intended for girls/young women. I've read the first chapter, and skimmed other parts. It's old-school, but lovely, and I'd certainly take the old-school over the new-school any day. :) Addresses many growing-up issues like modesty and industry and honor.
Don't Make Me Count to Three. I haven't actually read this, but the reviews at Amazon were interesting to say the least. It's recommended (by some) as a good companion for Shepherding a Child's Heart, which I love. Other reviews say it's more like a tortue/abuse manual and shows nothing from the heart of God. I'll let you know what I think.
Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free. I've heard and read good things about this, and found it for a great used price on Amazon. The table of contents tells me it will be good for me.
Weekend Makeover: Go From Messy to Magnificent in 48 Hours. Well, it's been more than 48 hours, and I haven't quite read through it yet. I know this is an odd thing to have in the "spiritual" department, but I think it fits for me. Keeping the house maintained is a constant effort for most people, but I think for me it's as much in my head/heart as it is in my doings.
The Clutter Cure. Ditto for the above. I REALLY like this one. I've checked it out from the library twice now. It deals with the emotional side of why we get (or hold on to) stuff, and gives some good advice on dealing with the guilt (or fear or whatever) and taking back control of our environment.
For Me:
Going Rogue: An American Life. This is Sarah Palin's recent book. I really enjoyed it, though of course it's her own account (and one would expect it to come across well). Her life seems so very normal and reasonable, and her ideas seem to be the same. I loved that she included her salvation testimony in her life's story, and I hope the Palin Family's future is good. I was amazed and incredulous at "the machine" that was the VP campaign in 2008. From my perspective it was enjoyable to see a normal, reasonable person not totally embrace the nonsense that is American politics today.
***
What have you been reading lately? Do you read half-a-library at one time?
In the Kitchen:
Fix, Freeze, Feast: Prepare in Bulk, Enjoy by the Serving. Love this. It's geared towards warehouse-shopping (Costco or Sam's), with recipes that use an entire 6-lb tray of ground beef, or chicken breasts, thighs, etc. There are also handy bulk side-dishes (potato recipes that use 10 lbs of russets - great way to make those organic ones last now that they're going to be sprouting and not on the market), breakfast ideas (granola), desserts, as well as the main dishes. I requested it from the library and they finally got a copy and let me borrow it. Which saved me some money, because I was able to type up the 23 can't-live-without recipes. It's higher-than-average on my Weird Nutrition Scale, and that is nice. Of course, I don't buy much meat at the warehouse store, and I'm unlikely to pluck a dozen chickens just to get fresh breast meat, but I think I can work around this.
Once-A-Month-Cooking: Family Favorites. I haven't had this one long, but I do like the idea. It's one of those super-organized plans that give you the month (or 2-weeks) of meals, and walk you through everything from the shopping, the dicing, cooking, freezing, etc. Because it's so regimented, it's a little harder to adjust for preferences, though there are quite a variety of meals presented. There are 2 month menus, 2 2-week menus, and additional summer and gourmet 2-week menus, though the recipes can stand alone.
Family Feasts for $75 a Week. Seeing a trend here? This one is written by Mary of Owlhaven, and it's well done. The thrust is towards frugal meals instead of make-ahead or bulk cooking, but it's not just beans and rice. The first part is full of her frugal tips and tricks, including a survey to assess your own habits and find where you can make the biggest difference in your grocery budget. I feel fairly experienced on pinching pennies, but there were still more ideas than I expected. I especially love the "pantry" section, where she offers ways to 'make your own' staples, like taco or spaghetti seasoning, teriyaki sauce, ranch or onion soup mix. I love the healthier "cream of soup" methods.
Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer. This one is a cross between Family Feasts and Fix, Freeze, Feast. It's not a set-out menu, but each recipe can be made individually, or they have done the math for 3X, 6X, or more recipes to do at once. I made their freezer pizza-dough, and some EXCELLENT caramel cinnamon rolls, though of course there are many main-dish recipes. This one is a little heavier on the 'already made' ingredients - ready made pie crust, cans or jars of stuff - than I prefer, but I have several recipes tagged to try.
In the Sewing Room:
Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using Any Pattern. This is another library request. But I'm afraid I might have to buy it, if I can ever have time to sew again (maybe if I quit reading cookbooks?). It walks you through every element of doing your own body map and tissue-fitting and altering for your own body. One shoulder slopes more? Have a flat backside, or a swayback? Bigger or smaller in the bust? Waist a little higher or lower than normal? Hips even or not? I have no doubt that following their step-by-step instructions will lead to the best-fit clothes I've ever had.
A is for Apron: 25 Fresh and Flirty Designs. One I longed for from the library for so long. Loved it enough to buy it, though it's more for fun than enlightenment.
Homeschool:
Charlotte Mason Education, A How-To Manual. A brief but clear look at the day-to-day implementation of different Charlotte Mason philosophies. I have yet to read the original Charlotte Mason books, though they're available for free in pdf (I believe) from Barnes & Noble.
A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning. A much bigger book about Charlotte Mason Education and ways it played out in the author's family. Many ideas and encouragement are presented here. I borrowed it from a friend, got it from the library, and then found my own used copy reasonably priced on Amazon.
Handbook of Nature Study. Wow. This is somewhat dated (1911, I think, or 1939), but much of science is relatively timeless. Recommended in the CM Companion, above, I'm so glad I invested the $17 or so for it. It's nearly 900 pages of natural science. This paperback is like 3 inches thick! Animals, birds, plants, bugs, weather, astronomy... I believe it's also available for free in e-book format, but for looking up something for the kids (without a computer), it can't be beat for that price.
Favorite Poems Old and New: Selected for Boys and Girls. A BIG poetry anthology for children. Includes so many classics!
Spiritual:
How to Stop the Pain. I'm about half through this, and have latched on to several good tidbits. While I don't live in a place of "abiding torment" over anything in particular (I think, anyways...), it is still relevant. Those frequent hurts we experience from others don't have to hurt!
Beautiful Girlhood. This could also file under Homeschool, I think, as it's mostly intended for girls/young women. I've read the first chapter, and skimmed other parts. It's old-school, but lovely, and I'd certainly take the old-school over the new-school any day. :) Addresses many growing-up issues like modesty and industry and honor.
Don't Make Me Count to Three. I haven't actually read this, but the reviews at Amazon were interesting to say the least. It's recommended (by some) as a good companion for Shepherding a Child's Heart, which I love. Other reviews say it's more like a tortue/abuse manual and shows nothing from the heart of God. I'll let you know what I think.
Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free. I've heard and read good things about this, and found it for a great used price on Amazon. The table of contents tells me it will be good for me.
Weekend Makeover: Go From Messy to Magnificent in 48 Hours. Well, it's been more than 48 hours, and I haven't quite read through it yet. I know this is an odd thing to have in the "spiritual" department, but I think it fits for me. Keeping the house maintained is a constant effort for most people, but I think for me it's as much in my head/heart as it is in my doings.
The Clutter Cure. Ditto for the above. I REALLY like this one. I've checked it out from the library twice now. It deals with the emotional side of why we get (or hold on to) stuff, and gives some good advice on dealing with the guilt (or fear or whatever) and taking back control of our environment.
For Me:
Going Rogue: An American Life. This is Sarah Palin's recent book. I really enjoyed it, though of course it's her own account (and one would expect it to come across well). Her life seems so very normal and reasonable, and her ideas seem to be the same. I loved that she included her salvation testimony in her life's story, and I hope the Palin Family's future is good. I was amazed and incredulous at "the machine" that was the VP campaign in 2008. From my perspective it was enjoyable to see a normal, reasonable person not totally embrace the nonsense that is American politics today.
***
What have you been reading lately? Do you read half-a-library at one time?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Roadtrip Speedbumps, Part II
Yesterday you learned why Hubby won't let me carry my wallet without handcuffing it to my person.
Today I'll tell you how we dealt with my carelessness.
I spoke with the museum about the possibility of overnighting it to me, but with the Thanksgiving holiday so near, I didn't want to run the risk of having to leave town before it arrived. I wasn't sure if it would be better to send it to our house, but if I did that they'd have to wait, because I didn't want it showing up at home before *we* got there!
My dad told me to hold off a bit, because he had an idea.
Before I tell you his idea, you need to know a little bit of our history. When I lived at home, "rich" was when Dad had steady work (he was an ironworker and a pastor. You can guess which one had a salary) for a length of time, and on a Friday payday, he'd take us (in an old, beat-up VW bug that had rust-holes in the floor and no heat) down to Burger King for 99-cent Whoppers - and a milkshake if the electricity was paid up and all. Alternatively, we could go to the mall food court, with a $5 limit to buy anything we wanted (we had to bring him the change). The church (which often met in our home) sometimes bought toilet paper, and more than once I remember people giving us groceries as an early Christmas gift or the like - and it was SO wonderful! I still have this lifestyle burned into my mind, so understand that what I write next really messes with me. Still.
His idea was dependent on the weather for Friday (the day after Thanksgiving, and the day before we were to leave). But it looked like it would be good. He needed to do some things like this for "practice," and this would be a good opportunity. Plus, he could spend some time with Hubby and my brother, and they could have some guy-time (me? No, I was chained to the stove. I know my place. :)).
His idea was to fly his plane down and pick up my wallet. Yes, fly. His plane [insert all kinds of eyebrow-scrunching and head-spinning here. I. Can't. Make. Sense. Of. It.]. It's not without purpose, or faith-stretching, but God has blessed him with a plane (and the license to fly it, which he's been working/studying towards for years, even through the grocery-gift times).
It was an all-day trip (they had to stop halfway for fuel - not because they couldn't carry enough fuel for the whole trip, but because they couldn't carry the Big Boys and enough fuel at the same time.), and an experience Hubby has never enjoyed. He's flown commercially twice (our first married Thanksgiving, and then to my brother's wedding in '06. Hopefully never again.), but that is a far cry from a little 1952 4-person whatever-it-is. And he really liked it. He took some pictures, too!
Today I'll tell you how we dealt with my carelessness.
I spoke with the museum about the possibility of overnighting it to me, but with the Thanksgiving holiday so near, I didn't want to run the risk of having to leave town before it arrived. I wasn't sure if it would be better to send it to our house, but if I did that they'd have to wait, because I didn't want it showing up at home before *we* got there!
My dad told me to hold off a bit, because he had an idea.
Before I tell you his idea, you need to know a little bit of our history. When I lived at home, "rich" was when Dad had steady work (he was an ironworker and a pastor. You can guess which one had a salary) for a length of time, and on a Friday payday, he'd take us (in an old, beat-up VW bug that had rust-holes in the floor and no heat) down to Burger King for 99-cent Whoppers - and a milkshake if the electricity was paid up and all. Alternatively, we could go to the mall food court, with a $5 limit to buy anything we wanted (we had to bring him the change). The church (which often met in our home) sometimes bought toilet paper, and more than once I remember people giving us groceries as an early Christmas gift or the like - and it was SO wonderful! I still have this lifestyle burned into my mind, so understand that what I write next really messes with me. Still.
His idea was dependent on the weather for Friday (the day after Thanksgiving, and the day before we were to leave). But it looked like it would be good. He needed to do some things like this for "practice," and this would be a good opportunity. Plus, he could spend some time with Hubby and my brother, and they could have some guy-time (me? No, I was chained to the stove. I know my place. :)).
His idea was to fly his plane down and pick up my wallet. Yes, fly. His plane [insert all kinds of eyebrow-scrunching and head-spinning here. I. Can't. Make. Sense. Of. It.]. It's not without purpose, or faith-stretching, but God has blessed him with a plane (and the license to fly it, which he's been working/studying towards for years, even through the grocery-gift times).
It was an all-day trip (they had to stop halfway for fuel - not because they couldn't carry enough fuel for the whole trip, but because they couldn't carry the Big Boys and enough fuel at the same time.), and an experience Hubby has never enjoyed. He's flown commercially twice (our first married Thanksgiving, and then to my brother's wedding in '06. Hopefully never again.), but that is a far cry from a little 1952 4-person whatever-it-is. And he really liked it. He took some pictures, too!
Not exactly the view we had coming in...
But he saw mountains!
And rivers and lakes..
Shoreline...(and airplane props)
Beautiful sky..
Hmph. Even a cool bridge.
A lighthouse on a rock!
Taking a closer look..!
Beautiful coastline.
Islands...(isn't it cute?)
And finally... naturally...
A... cranberry bog.
What a beautiful trip, eh? Someday, with a real camera...
Considering the taxi-ride from the airstrip to the museum cost more than overnighting the wallet would have, I don't even want to know how many 99-cent whoppers it took to fly down there. My dad is pretty nice, eh?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Roadtrip Speedbumps
I found another post-worthy story, though the photos are lackluster. Just pretend with me, would you, that they are better, and taken with that one thing I want so badly? Thank you.
Daily life is so routine around here (ha. ha.) that I have to go waaay back to Thanksgiving Week, when we visited my folks.
Remember that half-day vacation? Remember how I lamented all the unknown possibilities for things to go wrong? Of course, nothing did, and it was smooth-sailing the whole way. Ahem.
Except for a few things. Like, dilly-dallying around a coastal town until WAY past *my* preferred departure time, letting Hubby poke through a fascinating museum, while played lost-and-found (mostly found, thank God) with the kids, potty-relay, and ok-I-need-not-be-a-naggy-unsubmissive-impatient-obnoxious-wife in the same (They didn't even charge extra for all those things I got to play in there!).
No, it wasn't that bad. Though we could've spent much more time there. At the very end, when I was in the little entrance lobby, and Hubby was poking around the gift shop (NOT the same as the museum, you know), I paused on a bench to nurse baby before our lonnnggg journey to my parents'.
We took a long route, so as to cross a very cool bridge and traverse a very cool highway (which, oddly enough, are very hard to enjoy in the dark), and we eventually made it there, far, far past bedtime.
Sometime a couple days later, Hubby was clearing out some of the aftermath in the van, and asked about my wallet. I directed him to where it was, but that didn't amount to much. We checked my coat, the diaper bag, and all the other-likely places before really searching through the van. Nothing. Thankfully we have very little by way of credit cards and such, and calling about our accounts was fairly simple. Though I had run out of the cash I'd kept in my pocket. We were really at a loss as to what had happened - figuring it fell out of the van at a wet, dark gas station along the way, probably. We did look up the phone number of the museum, one state away, and lo and behold some kind soul had found it on the bench and turned it in to the desk - without even touching the couple-hundred dollars of trip cash inside it.
God is so good.
Tomorrow I'll tell you what we did about it.
Daily life is so routine around here (ha. ha.) that I have to go waaay back to Thanksgiving Week, when we visited my folks.
Remember that half-day vacation? Remember how I lamented all the unknown possibilities for things to go wrong? Of course, nothing did, and it was smooth-sailing the whole way. Ahem.
Except for a few things. Like, dilly-dallying around a coastal town until WAY past *my* preferred departure time, letting Hubby poke through a fascinating museum, while played lost-and-found (mostly found, thank God) with the kids, potty-relay, and ok-I-need-not-be-a-naggy-unsubmissive-impatient-obnoxious-wife in the same (They didn't even charge extra for all those things I got to play in there!).
No, it wasn't that bad. Though we could've spent much more time there. At the very end, when I was in the little entrance lobby, and Hubby was poking around the gift shop (NOT the same as the museum, you know), I paused on a bench to nurse baby before our lonnnggg journey to my parents'.
We took a long route, so as to cross a very cool bridge and traverse a very cool highway (which, oddly enough, are very hard to enjoy in the dark), and we eventually made it there, far, far past bedtime.
Sometime a couple days later, Hubby was clearing out some of the aftermath in the van, and asked about my wallet. I directed him to where it was, but that didn't amount to much. We checked my coat, the diaper bag, and all the other-likely places before really searching through the van. Nothing. Thankfully we have very little by way of credit cards and such, and calling about our accounts was fairly simple. Though I had run out of the cash I'd kept in my pocket. We were really at a loss as to what had happened - figuring it fell out of the van at a wet, dark gas station along the way, probably. We did look up the phone number of the museum, one state away, and lo and behold some kind soul had found it on the bench and turned it in to the desk - without even touching the couple-hundred dollars of trip cash inside it.
God is so good.
Tomorrow I'll tell you what we did about it.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Snow Big Deal
My favorite, though, was when Hubby was still working full-time hours, and she wanted to make a surprise for him. She worked outdoors in the twilight before coming to say it was ready:
She made three small snowmen in the driveway "for Daddy to run over when he gets home." Who needs boys, when you have girls who think like that?! :)
I didn't even begrudge the organic carrot she adorned one with.
(And yes, Daddy happily plowed his Dodge 3500 HEMI service truck through them when he arrived. :) )
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Helping Haiti
Have you forgotten Haiti? I haven't. I can't. I feel more deeply about this than the Katrina disaster, though that was bad too.
Have you helped? Have you donated? Have you prayed? Continue to do so, please. I'm blogging about this here to make an additional effort.
I was reading about it, hearing about it, googling about it when it first happened. The Common Room always has great current-events information, among other things, and they had some posts with excerpts from missionaries from Haiti and such. I liked these "on-the-ground" missions and I was surprised to see a dear friend on Facebook link to one of the very same organizations, and speak of them with considerable familiarity. It turns out my friend went to college with these people (well, after she left the college *I* was going to), and had nothing but good things to say about them. I'd been dragging my feet on the donation thing - unsure where to send one, and worried about budgetary issues (which seems so pathetic in light of the "actual" need Haiti has), but after a trusted friend endorsing them, I donated my paltry sum to The Apparent Project. It wasn't much, though, and, of course, my husband was laid off a couple weeks ago, so there wasn't much in our future either. It was still on my heart, though, and God graciously brought opportunities. Remember the picture of the picture? Well, someone locally asked about it, and made an offer... which suddenly seemed like a good way to donate more. So I will (the check is in the mail, I'm told. :)). I realized I still had Mary Kay stuff taking up shelf space, and (God bless facebook!) put out the word that I'd take offers for whatever people wanted. I've had a handful of people respond and, praise God!, have well over $100 to donate additionally!
There are ways. There are ways to squeeze out a little bit here and there. This is how I'm doing it. You can read about other ways here.
Have you helped? Have you donated? Have you prayed? Continue to do so, please. I'm blogging about this here to make an additional effort.
I was reading about it, hearing about it, googling about it when it first happened. The Common Room always has great current-events information, among other things, and they had some posts with excerpts from missionaries from Haiti and such. I liked these "on-the-ground" missions and I was surprised to see a dear friend on Facebook link to one of the very same organizations, and speak of them with considerable familiarity. It turns out my friend went to college with these people (well, after she left the college *I* was going to), and had nothing but good things to say about them. I'd been dragging my feet on the donation thing - unsure where to send one, and worried about budgetary issues (which seems so pathetic in light of the "actual" need Haiti has), but after a trusted friend endorsing them, I donated my paltry sum to The Apparent Project. It wasn't much, though, and, of course, my husband was laid off a couple weeks ago, so there wasn't much in our future either. It was still on my heart, though, and God graciously brought opportunities. Remember the picture of the picture? Well, someone locally asked about it, and made an offer... which suddenly seemed like a good way to donate more. So I will (the check is in the mail, I'm told. :)). I realized I still had Mary Kay stuff taking up shelf space, and (God bless facebook!) put out the word that I'd take offers for whatever people wanted. I've had a handful of people respond and, praise God!, have well over $100 to donate additionally!
There are ways. There are ways to squeeze out a little bit here and there. This is how I'm doing it. You can read about other ways here.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Frugal Gifting
Last Thanksgiving time, when we took our half-day vacation en route to my folks, we stopped at a beach or two.
At one, Little artist found the sand-caked remains of a bouquet, and excitedly ran them alllllll across the beach, back to the van, where I nursed Baby. Discouraging her from any more perishable souvenirs, we compromised by taking a picture of the arrangement she left in the sand next to our vehicle.
At one, Little artist found the sand-caked remains of a bouquet, and excitedly ran them alllllll across the beach, back to the van, where I nursed Baby. Discouraging her from any more perishable souvenirs, we compromised by taking a picture of the arrangement she left in the sand next to our vehicle.
I thought it a very artistic display. No cost to her, and benefit for me, for the next beach visitors, and readers of this blog too.
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