Hey, it's a good thing that Sis called today, because I was in prime moping mood. lol It just struck me today that it's getting pretty lonely up here. My dad has stopped by twice in the last week ( a real record), and he keeps mentioning that he is planning on moving down to Florida in a couple months. Both sets of my grandparents have headed south, along with my mom, and now my little sister and her family. The only ones who will be left here are myself, and Sis. Need I mention that Sis is looking for a way to move down to Florida, to be near our grandparents (dad's side)? I know that I am supposed to be cleaving to my husband, and I sure am. It is just difficult to feel as though I have no one to be close with and spend time with when DH is busy or uninterested. That aside, I just miss those silly people that I've known my whole life. They mean something to me, and it is rough to see everyone pick up and leave. It makes a person feeling slightly less than important.

As you can see, I'm a little flumpy today. I think that it might be the rain. It's been dull and rainy all day, and I'm a fan of the sun. :o )  Sis called today though, and invited us all over for dinner. DH ran and exchanged our videos, and we went over to Sis' place for a few hours. Stouffers lasagna was a nice and filling dinner, and I had plenty of time to fuss over my new nephew. Sis spent most of her time fussing over me, fussing over the baby. It's funny. She actually scolded me for changing his diaper, as though I would think she was a bad mom because I beat her to it. She's funny. I sometimes wonder if I really need to spell it all out to her, really. She forgets that I fuss over other people's tiny babies because it's the only way that I get to experience that any more. I miss the days when DD was small and content to nestle into my arms for a while. She thinks that she is saving me a bad experience with a dirty diaper, but I'm not bothered. It's getting close to Mother's Day, and I need all the little baby smiles that I can get. DD is starting to think that I'm really weird, hugging and kissing her until she starts to turn funny colors.

Anyway, after dinner, DD went off to another part of the room and played with a new toy that Sis and her boyfriend gave her. So, while DD combed the hair of a posh looking kitty, we watched "Pauly Shore Is Dead". I blame it all on DH. He has weird taste. Even DH agreed with me this time though, that the movie was stupid. Not only was it stupid, it had lots of language that we could have done without. I probably would have been better served by going over with DD and playing with the kitty doll. *laughs*

It's getting real late now, but I'm not really tired. I think that is a bit of a problem. I'm just hoping that it's not any more sneaky insomnia. I want to get some decent sleep tonight, because I promised DD some special pancakes and scrambled eggs in the morning. She just loves it when I make the cinnamon/vanilla pancakes, even more so if I make them silver-dollar sized. Oo! :o )

DH found DD's alphabet and number flashcards that I had gotten her, and that is great. They were packed away in a box that we just had been too lazy to dig through. I think that I'm going to pull them out tomorrow afternoon, and we can have some fun. DD can identify all of her letters, but numbers are a little harder for her. In that regard, she takes more after me. I'm alright with mathematics, but I really love literature and writing. DD wants to read so badly, and the motivation is hopefully strong enough to keep her moving in the right direction. What we really need to do is to work on letter sounds, but she just doesn't seem that interested. I wonder if she isn't more visually minded, like I am. If I can see something on paper, I can learn fairly well. However, if I have to keep images, numbers, etc. in my head, then I get confused easily. I am still trying to think of ways to help her, if she is just .... being like me. Maybe I'll call my mom and ask her how I learned my phonics the best, and see if she has any pointers.

My title is purposeful, and written exactly as I wish it, just incase you were wondering. Today, I want to talk about how being a "stay at home" mother has changed my view of hospitality, and how tea time has been a blessing to me.

Like many young women my age, I have worked outside of the home. I have been working in some manner from the time that I was 12 years old, and I joined the force of working tax payers at the age of 17. During other times of my "stay at home" experience, I have worked during the night in an effort to aide our family in paying the bills. I have had some really tired feet, a sore back, and chapped hands. Whether out of neccessity or weariness, my interaction with other women dramatically declined in my adulthood, and the relationships that I did manage to keep had suffered a great deal.

Things are different now, and I live at a slower pace. It isn't that I do not work, because I work harder inside the home than I ever had in any sales position. However, I am the one who structures my days, and I have made a point to leave behind craziness in an effort to have more warmth in my life. One of the ways that I have found to "warm me up" has been .....well.....with tea.

I am sure that many women think of dainty china, volumous skirts, and stiff manners when they think of "tea time". I welcome you to my kitchen, to experience MY 'tea time'. While I don't have fine china, I do have old stonewear tea cups that my grandma gave me a few years ago, and their matching saucers. No, it isn't a waste of a little plate, I would tell you, as I set my spoon on my saucer. You see, I take honey in my tea, and it just wouldn't be polite to dirty a lady's table with a brown puddle, would it? *laughs* Whether you have fine dishes or styrofoam cups, it doesn't matter. To think so would be missing the point entirely.

How many of us mothers are lacking in adult conversation? I can't speak for you, but I know that I am, and I just can't sit around and wait until my daughter is an adult. Some would say, "what about your husband", but only if they have never met him. Am I the only woman whose mate would give her an odd look or fall asleep if she tried to discuss laundry detergents or (dare I say?) emotions?? What I am getting at is that a large percentage of women are social creatures. We want to identify with other women who share our passions. We want to have someone with whom we can identify and truly be a woman around. I've never had any of these types of interactions with anyone while shopping, paying bills, attending sporting events, etc. However, I have found a marvelous way to invite people into my life, and make a pointed effort to invest myself in them also. We have the "I", and I have the "tea". *wink*

When you think of the hospital, I bet that you automatically think of sick and injured people. When I think of hospitality, I think of the same thing. On a very personal level, I ponder the ways in which I can be enriched by the company of other women. It may simply be the company, and sometimes the conversation that is healing to my heart. One day it will be reconnecting with a relative whom I haven't taken the time to honestly speak with in a long time. I can nurish my relationships with my siblings, showing them that I enjoy having them around just for the sake of their presence. The posibilities are endless. On the other side of the coin, I am opening the door for a deeply touching ministry. Every time that I sit down to tea with a woman, I am devoting myself to knowing her, and listening to her. For that space of time, she has the attention that she may be longing for, and someone who is eager to hear her tales and comfort her when times are tough. In taking the time to really invest yourself in someone, even if it is only 20 minutes of your time being devoted, it goes a long way.

Aside from the benefits of renewing and reviving friendships, this also gives the hostess a way of entertaining new friends and exposing them to new experiences. The greatest thing of all is that once you make a solid connection with someone and they feel important, this opens so many avenues for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Can you think of a better gift that you could show someone than the love of God, and His comfort in times of need?

 

Tips For Tea:

• If you have tea cups, keep them within easy reach. They do no good while packed away or hidden in the back of a cluttered cupboard.
• Things do not have to be fancy. Any cup capable of holding hot liquids will do. Just remember that dressing up your table can be just as energizing as putting on a nice dress.
• If you do not want tea bags cluttering up the scene, try placing tea bags in the filter holder of a coffee pot, and let the machine do the brewing for you. If tea parties is really something that appeals to your tastes, you could even seek out a real tea pot! *laughs*
• Remember, tea is versatile. During the warm months, preparing a pitcher of iced tea can be quite refreshing.

Raisin Tea Scones

2 1/3 cup. sifted cake flour**

2 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

6 tablespoons shortening

5 tablespoons milk or light cream

2 eggs

1/2 cup of raisins

Start heating oven to 450 degrees. Into a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and eggs. Cut in shortening until has the consistence of corn meal (I just use a fork). Add milk. Fold in raisins.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough 1/2 inch thick. You can then cut out 3" squares and cut them into two triangles each. Or, if you want to make it even easier, cut out shapes using a biscuit cutter (usually about 2.5" or so) or even use a cap from a large spice bottle. Arrange on a greesed cookie sheet. If you would like for your scones to have a more glossy appearance, then separate one egg before starting. Add the yolk to the recipe, and retain the white to brush over your scones, before baking.

**If you have no cake flour (which I never do), then substitute two tablespoons of your flour with cornstarch.

 

 

Here are my answers to the interview questions that Mandy has been so kind as to include me in on. My endeavor is to try and give complete answers, without putting anyone to sleep. *laughs*

1. Tell us the story of how you and your husband got together.

*laughs* You should have seen the look on DH's face when he read this request. I didn't know if he was laughing or choking on his tongue, but since you asked....

At the time that DH and I met, I was dating a boy who was not very good for me, and treated me poorly. One of my girlfriends was concerned about me, and she had been having a conversation with her boyfriend when his friend was somehow included in the conversation. She gave this friend a picture of me, and he swears to this day that he knew right then that we would marry.

It began innocently enough, *snickers* with DH catching my boyfriend online, telling him that if he didn't treat me right that he was going to get himself into a world of hurt. Being the curious bug that I am, I just had to talk with a boy who would stand up for a girl that he didn't even know. I had no clue that he knew my friend, or that they had had some pretty informative conversations about me. So, he and I began talking frequently over the computer, which completely annoyed the boy that I was steady with. Then, one day we got it into our heads that we should meet.

You know, I sat in the mall for 20 minutes, thinking that I had somehow missed this guy, whom I had never seen. It wasn't until he got up to leave that I noticed where he was sitting, hidden from my view by a brick planter. Like a weirdo, I ran out of the building after him and called out his name. I felt like the biggest idiot, expecting half the folks in the parking lot to turn around. I was right in my guess though, and this scrubby looking guy with the most beautiful hair in the whole world turned around, and walked me back into the mall. We spent about an hour, walking around and talking, two big bunches of nerves.

I'll say that his looks weren't what first attracted me. At the time, he had this scruffy attempt at a mustache, a beat up concert t-shirt, and ripped jeans. However, I already knew his personality, and it was fun to get to know him in person. Have I mentioned that he has absolutely gorgeous brown eyes? Anyway, from that point, we became instant friends. A couple times we went to see a movie together, when my boyfriend had decided that he and I needed to "see other people". So, for about a year, this new boy and I just hung out and got to know each other and our quirkiness. Leaving out the terribly mushy part, my life went through some big changes, and I was incredibly blessed to have such a great guy interested in me. By the time the snow had thawed in the spring of 2000, we were making plans for a darling summer wedding.

2. What are the top three things you love to do when you have three hours to yourself with no interruptions. Assuming that ever happens with a husband, little girl, and pets!

Oh my goodness, that would be a real achievement. *laughs* I can't even use the bathroom without my daughter or the cat knocking on the door. Yes, the cat knocks. Anyway, wow. I think that I would actually go a little crazy if I had to go three hours without my family. Maybe I'm weird, but I get lonely real easy. It is rare that I get so undone by people that I need time away. If I try to grocery shop without DD, I am actually sad not to have the goofy conversation and company while walking around the store. If I had to pick something though, I would say, I would probably go to the gym. If I didn't have anyone depending on me, I would probably go and get sweaty for an hour and a half, doing cardio and weights. Maybe I'd even get adventurous and try one of those kickboxing classes. Then I'd probably spend the last hour and a half soaking in the jacuzzi at the gym, and then turning myself into a jennacicle in a cool shower.
 

3. What is your very favorite verse in The Bible, and why.

I have a really hard time trying to pick a favorite verse, because I'm not sure that I have one. My favorite changes with the situations coming to fruition within my life. One verse that I find is pretty steady in my life is Ephesians 2:8, which I use to ground myself a lot.

4. (I thought this was a really great question, so I'm borrowing it) What is your biggest 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm doing this' moment.

My biggest moment? Oh, that's a no-brainer. *chuckles* I don't usually bring this up, but I worried that I was going to throw up all over myself on the day of my wedding. Many people don't know this about me, but before I learned how blessed I could be through a relationship, I was a real commitment-phobe. I hadn't thought that I would ever actually get married, so when I found myself sitting in my dressing room while everyone was filling the chapel. I was so overcome with the idea that this was something that I was really going to do. It affected me so deeply that no one who was farther back than the first 3 rows probably heard any of my vows. I was so enveloped in the experience and the weight of it that it was all I could do to get the words out. My love heard me though, and that's all that really matters. If anyone doubts that anything actually came out of my mouth, we have a video of the whole ceremony! *chuckles* (The camera was in a floral arrangement, right next to us. lol)

5. Ignore the strife lately with your sister, and tell me a couple things you truly love about her.

First, I will go out on a limb and guess that you are referring to my little sister, just because I've written about her so much lately. I actually have two sisters, both who are younger than myself, though not by much.

I love my little sister a great deal. While she has found a remarkable ability to create problems for herself, little sister is a soft-hearted woman. One of the things that I love so much about her is how much she loves her babies. Unlike many people these days, she views each of them as a real blessing and is thankful to have them. Little sister is very open to loving people who have been hurt by the cruelty of others because of physical challenges. Maybe it is that she can identify with people because of her struggle with poor eyesight and her more recent diagnosis of epilepsy, but she sees the value in each person and the ability for greatness that we all have. These are things that I love about my little sister.

---

If you are interested in being interviewed by me, here are the rules:

1. Leave me a comment saying “interview me.”

2. I will respond by asking you five questions here. They will be different questions than the ones above.

3. You will update YOUR blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

 

I wanted to write a little something here about the reasons why I blog. They aren't particularly grand, but I wanted to talk about them anyway. I will attempt to keep it somewhat short, as much as I am able. I seem to be a type-set motor mouth, if everyone hasn't already noticed.

In the beginning, there was a pen. *laughs* I've never enjoyed writing with pencils, probably because of the scratching noise that they make on paper. That aside, my mother always complained that I was never good at erasing my mistakes anyway, so it didn't seem much more effective to choose pencils over pens. So, very young in my adolescence, I began writing.

When I first began putting my thoughts down on paper, they were not in such a personal method as I use now. Instead, I would draw up elaborate stories of other girls, with other lives, and life changing experiences. While my use of grammar was terrible, I did have a love for story telling, as ineffective as I was. My journal writing did not make an official appearance until shortly after my twentieth birthday.

Now, don't think that I say this to ellicit sympathies, but I began journaling at the time that my son died. It was no longer a strong enough statement to write about ficticious people. I had emotions and wild feelings just pouring from the depths of my heart. These words had to come out in one way or another, so I chose a very ugly journal with pink flowers on the cover, that a bereavement consult had given me. I gave up trying to make my letters nice and neat, and sometimes when I read through my thoughts, I can hardly make sense of them. However, none of that detracts from their importance, that I let out what was eating at me, purging myself in a more positive way. I would write down my interactions with people, and even scribble down the prayers and cries that came from my heart.

One day, I realized that I had done enough healing, that I needed more than simply a place to vent. I no longer wanted to be an emotional bulimic. After purging so long, I desired to be filled. So, in an effort to put my journal to better use, I try to use it as a tool for replenishing myself. Of course, there are still days when I have need to spill forth the turmoil inside, but I also have many more days when I revel in the good works of the Lord and his many blessings that he's given me.

The Lord has filled me, and this is my overflow container. I am not a great theologian, and I do not try to be. What I DO look forward to, is sharing some of my experiences with other young women. Maybe, just maybe, they will find something within themselves that can identify with me, and they will be able to take something away from the lessons that God has taught me, without having to put themselves through the pain that comes part-and-parcel with so many lessons. Whether someone uses anything that I say, in their lives, at least other women have the ability to know that in so many areas- they are not alone.