"Do to others as you would have them do to you." ~Luke 6:31
2007"It's the little things that matter the most."
If I said that to our girls once, I've said it a million times while they were growing up ~ & still do. Why? Because it's one of the most true statements ever proclaimed.
Those "little things" can be anything from thanking God for the sight of the 1st robin of spring, running into an old friend at the grocery store, ready help in the kitchen or simply a kind word or look or touch. And those "little things" accumulate into "big things" throughout our relationships, especially in our families.
2009Loving touch is crucial in the life-blood of our families; most certainly if our husbands came from a family w/mothers who were a little 'hard' or had that terrible mentality of "big boys don't cry" or who scarcely showed any sort of softness or affection. THAT is NOT Christ-like, at all. Sometimes, wives need to work in tandem w/the Lord to soften their hearts; hearts that long for loving affection and to unashamedly give it back.
DD#1 ~ 2009I am a toucher & a hugger ~ I can barely walk past my husband or 1 of our daughters w/o simply reaching out to touch their arm or stroke their hair. I want my family know that I treasure them beyond any other person or thing on this earth.
DD#2 ~ 2010This thought of need for physical affection was captured so sweetly in 1 of my favorite books, "Home-Making by J.R. Miller (c. 1882) in the chapter "The Wedded Life," although it is true for all familial relationships . . .
". . . there is no place in the world where the amenities of courtesy should be so carefully maintained as in the home. There are no hearts that hunger so for expressions of affection as the hearts of which we are most sure. There is no love that so needs its daily bread as the love that is strongest & holiest. There is no place where rudeness or incivility is so unpardonable as inside our own doors & toward our best beloved. The tenderer the love & the truer, the more it craves the thousand little attentions & kindnesses which so satisfy the heart. It is not costly presents at Christmas & on birthdays & anniversaries that are wanted; these are only mockeries if the days between are empty of affectionate expressions. Jewelry & silks & richly-bound volumes will never atone for the want of warmth & tenderness. Between husband & wife there should be maintained w/o break or pause, the most perfect courtesy, the gentlest attention, the most unselfish amiability, the utmost affectionateness. Coleridge says: 'The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions, the little soon-forgotten charities of a kiss or a smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment, & the countless infinitesimals of pleasurable thought & genial feeling.' These may seem trifles, & the omission of them may be deemed unworthy of thought; but they are the daily bread of love, & hearts go hungry when they are omitted. It may be only carelessness at 1st in the busy husband or a weary wife that fails in these small, sweet courtesies, & it may seem a little matter, but in the end the result may be a growing far apart of 2 lives which might have been for ever very happy in each other had their early love but been cherished & nourished." [all emphasis mine, Kim<><]
We ALL need affection ~ man, woman, boy, girl & teen ~ it's just that simple. I've seen it work & it starts & is maintained by the simple, little things.
Indulge in something "little" today & see what happens.
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
A couple of years ago, I went to a group Bible study at the home of a delightful woman. She always had little goodies laid out for us that were both a feast for the eyes & the taste buds. You just knew she had been baking & creating all day just for us.
But one of the best ideas I gleaned from her was probably one of the simplest. (Doesn't it always work that way?)
She would always have a big glass pitcher of ice cold water with thinly sliced oranges & fresh sprigs of rosemary. Not only was it such a pretty presentation, but it was always so very refreshing & everyone enjoyed it.
Simple. Easy. Refreshing.
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
Yeeeeears ago, I dated a Greek man. The best thing to come out of that relationship? THE FOOD! :-P
He had an uncle who owned a very popular Greek restaurant in the area, at the time, & a cousin who owned a fast-food-type Greek restaurant in a near-by town. I was introduced to wonderful things like Gyros (pronounced yee-roe, the meat is a mix of beef & lamb w/a Tzatziki sauce that makes my mouth water just thinking of it), moussaka (sort of a Greek lasagna), baklava (an incredibly yummy pastry) & the incredible flavor of the Greek salad. It has 3 characteristic ingredients that "make it Greek": Feta (goat) cheese, Kalamata olives & the seasoning in the dressing! Oh . . . be still my heart . . . & my taste buds!
I recently found a great Greek seasoning recipe. And, if you've read this blog for very long, you KNOW that I LOVE to make my own seasonings & herb mixes (examples for any newbies: my all-time favorite herb mix, zucchini seasoning, dill dip mix, seasoned salt [tastes JUST LIKE Tastefully Simple's]). So, this was just a natural for me.
This yummy Greek seasoning mix can be used to simply sprinkle over a salad OR on chicken, beef or lamb before cooking. You can also make a great salad dressing w/it.
Here's what you need:
~2 ts. oregano
~1-1/2 ts. onion powder
~1-1/2 ts. garlic powder (I prefer granulated garlic from Frontier - sold at most bulk food & health food stores - OR Kroger)
~1 ts. sea salt OR real salt
~1 ts. black pepper
~1 ts. parsley
~1/2 ts. basil
~1/2 ts. cinnamon
~1/2 ts. nutmeg
~1/2 ts. thyme
DIRECTIONS:
1) With a mortar & pestle, grind any larger items down just a bit, if it's even necessary
2) Combine all ingredients in a bowl w/a whisk
3) Store in a shaker-type container ~ either a pretty glass Parmesan cheese-type container or a cleaned out plastic Kraft Parmesan cheese shaker
4) Apply liberally to your taste to meats & salads
PLUS ~ If you want to make a salad dressing simply add 1-2 TB of the mix to 1 c. olive oil & 3/4 - 1c of vinegar, shake well. If you are going to use ALL of the dressing in 1 day, sprinkle a little Feta or Parmesan cheese into the dressing, shake well. (Use the cheese blended dressing in 1 day b/c of spoilage.)
Enjoy~
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
That Familiar Voice
PASSAGE: "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" ~Isaiah 30:21
"For He [God] says, 'In the time of My favor I heard you, & in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." ~II Cor. 6:2
LESSON LEARNED: I had one of the sweetest grandma's ever. Everyone called her Bigmom. She raised 14 children in the "hollers" of east-central Kentucky, my mom is the 'baby' of those children & I am the 52nd of 52 grandchildren.
Bigmom lived w/my family from before my grandpa, Poppie, passed away, many years before I was born, until I was about 11 years old. After I graduated from my crib we shared a bedroom until she moved into her own cute little house next door to one of my uncles. And even after that, I spent many weekends at her home until she passed away at 90 years old, when I was 18.
And I even dare to say that since she helped raise me - & lived through the trauma my family went through when my twin sister died after birth - that I may have been her favorite of all those grandkids. Now, I know she had a huge, loving heart & loved ALL of her family & other grandkids, but my brother & I were the only grandkids that she actually lived with & helped to raise. I'm sure in many ways she looked upon us as her 15th & 16th children.
So, having lived w/her for so many years & spending so much time w/her even after she moved, I knew her voice so very, very well. I can still hear it & it even makes me tear-up a little to recall it. How dear her memory is to me. How I would love to hear her sweet voice in conversation now.
About 20 years ago, we lived across the street from an elderly couple who were from the same area of Kentucky as my grandparents were, so they "spoke our language," if you know what I mean. :-) Grace reminded me a lot of Bigmom. One day, my phone rang & when I picked it up I heard, "Kimmy?" said in such a familiar way that I could swear that my heart literally skipped a beat! It was Grace, but the way she said my name sounded SO familiar, SO much like my Bigmom & I hadn't heard that sweet voice in so long.
This makes me wonder . . . if my heart was so stirred by thinking I was hearing a much-loved voice from my past ~ even for a spit second ~ how must God's heart thrill at the sound of our voice when we come to Him in repentance & prayer? How wonderful He must feel, as our Heavenly Father, when He hears our voice after a long separation of sinful living or of a time of backsliding or even a busy schedule? Our voice must sound like music to His ears!
Our prayers are sweet conversation with God & conversation goes 2 ways. We must learn to listen & to know His voice (John 10:27) so that we may know what He wants us to do & where He wants us to go.
God LOVES it when we talk to Him, as any father would. If it's been a long time since you've spoken to Him, why not make Him happy & talk to Him today . . . & everyday. He loves the sound of your voice!
Come & join Nancy at A Country Mom & I, if you are not already participating! Each Wednesday, we dig into the Word of God & share what we are leaning. All you have to do is share a passage you have read during your devotions, share the lesson you have learned from the Lord & then connect with others who are doing the same & comment on their blogs. Let's learn from the Lord & each other.
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
OK ~ let's try it again . . . Thanks to dearest Nancy for re-doing my button. So NOW, HOPEFULLY, anyone who may want to add my button to your blog may do so. Please let me know if it works. And, thanks SO MUCH, if you honor me by putting my button on your blog.
Find my button on the left-hand column & then click & scroll. Copy & paste it on your blog wall.
Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><
Thank you, Farmer's Almanac, for this useful information. Not only is this useful to know to keep bugs & varmints away, but it's also good to know if you have limited space for your garden . . .
- Some plants, especially herbs, act as repellents, confusing insects with their strong odors that mask the scent of the intended host plants.
- Dill and basil planted among tomatoes protect the tomatoes from hornworms, and sage scattered about the cabbage patch reduces injury from cabbage moths.
- Marigolds are as good as gold when grown with just about any garden plant, repelling beetles, nematodes, and even animal pests.
- Some companions act as trap plants, luring insects to themselves. Nasturtiums, for example, are so favored by aphids that the devastating insects will flock to them instead of other plants.
- Carrots, dill, parsley, and parsnip attract garden heroes -- praying mantises, ladybugs, and spiders -- that dine on insect pests.
- Much of companion planting is common sense: Lettuce, radishes, and other quick-growing plants sown between hills of melons or winter squash will mature and be harvested long before these vines need more leg room.
- Leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard grown in the shadow of corn
- Sunflowers appreciate the dapple shade that corn casts and, since their roots occupy different levels in the soil, don't compete for water and nutrients.
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
For Today . . .
Outside my window . . . bright, beautiful sunshine & blue skies. All washed & clean after yesterday's rain & storms.
I am thinking . . . of how much I appreciate the sunshine streaming through my windows & watching more green & more buds pop out every day.
I am thankful for . . . a Sunday afternoon together w/DD#2 of shopping, giggling like girlfriends & raspberry-banana smoothies at the mall!
From the kitchen . . . Tuesday bread baking day. :-P
I am wearing . . . a long brown denim skirt, fuchsia shirt.
I am remembering . . . our homeschool days - 16 yrs. I'm so glad that I homeschooled the girls all through their K through 12 school years. Everyday wasn't "roses", but I wouldn't trade that time w/them for the world. It flew by in a flash.
I am hoping . . . that my DH's new job will be a blessing to him & that he will be a blessing to all there.
I am creating . . . a peaceful, Christ-centered home. Working on what I want to plant this year & just when I'll be able to do it.
I am hearing . . . radio, washer & dryer.
I am noticing . . . that I need to do some major rearranging in my house, especially the back room. :-/
Around the house . . . baking, making laundry detergent, mopping kitchen floor, sweeping, dusting . . . didn't get my Monday chores completed yesterday, so you know what that means. :-/
One of my favorite things . . . my family's sense of humor. I love all of our little private jokes, quoting movie lines that tickle our funny bones, giggling w/our DD's . . . the priceless looks of DD#1's boyfriend as he 'catches on' to our family's sense of humor! lol
Plans for the week . . . as much family time as possible, work, Sunday worship w/the saints.
Pondering these words . . . "We all sell out ~ surrender ~ to something: culture, society, peer pressure, political correctness, philosophies, science, false idols, celebrities . . . NO ONE BUT GOD deserves MY surrender!!!" ~from Sunday's sermon.
Scripture thought . . . I Peter 2:12 ~ "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds & glorify God on the day He visits us."
Here is a picture though I am sharing with you . . .
My cousin recently sent me a photo of my precious Daddy (the sweetie on the right) & my uncle (her daddy) that I had never seen before. What cuties! Daddy was cute even w/a some kind of blotch on his picture. Ha!
Read 100's of other Daybooks at Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook!
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
Well, the April showers have surely begun here in Ohio. :-/ But, they ARE necessary for those lovely May flowers & for our gardens.
With the coming of Spring I am looking forward to spending as much time as we can outside. I have long wanted to either semi-close-in our back porch area or make some sort of fire ring set inside a wild flower garden area in the back yard. Hmmm . . .
But, whatever I do, it must have a Primitive feel. I LOVE Primitives . . . both inside & outside.
Here are a few "idea photos" that I found on Google Images . . .
Isn't this sweet? All closed-in & cozy. Love the soft furniture, the shelves & aged paint.
This one has a little more Country than Primitive feel, but I like it. The hollowed-out gourd bird house reminds me of my Grandpa.
Mmmm . . . I can almost hear the little song birds singing as I sit in those comfy, cozy chairs, reading my daily devotions & having my morning coffee. I like that people are understanding that porch furniture doesn't have to be hard & cold, but can be comfortable & welcoming w/padded chairs & pretty lamps & accent pillows.
Now I'm seeing long, happy ~ & sometimes in-depth ~ conversations w/dear friends while we watch the fire dwindle down. Of course, that's after all the hot dogs & marshmallows are eaten.
And then there's the fire pits . . .
Plain . . .
or a little fancy . . . 
it would be a fun way to cook up some picnic food & spend a chilly evening at home.
Ahhhh . . . Dreaming . . .
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
Experimenting with homemade face & skin care recipes can be fun, especially when, after much research & trial & error you FINALLY find THE perfect recipe for your particular skin type. It's always so satisfying to not only know & be able to pronounce everything in your skin care, but to be able to make it yourself & save oodles of $money$. And . . . it does exactly what you wanted it to do!
Face washes, masks & facial moisturizer recipes are relatively easy to make & recipes abound, but sometimes it can be hard to find a really good eye moisturizer recipe. I think I've found 3 really good ones ~ 1 for dry, 1 for normal & 1 for oily skin-types.
One of best things I learned from having been a make-up artist for 17 years (yeeeeaaaars ago!) was the difference between moisturizing & GREASE! Greasy moisturizers DO NOT make a good moisturizer. Actually, greasy products can cause more harm than good. As we age, our skin not only loses elasticity, but it loses moisture, too. If you try to supply your skin w/moisture w/a greasy product, not only do those products clog up your pores, but by clogging your pores NOTHING GETS IN . . . it sits on top of your skin or smears onto your pillow (ICK) & then gets clogged even further into your pores. Not a pretty picture. And the cherry on top is that these greasy products are generally very heavy on your skin & weighs it down . . . now, since gravity is not an aging woman's best friend, that may be another reason why you may want to rethink your eye care. The eye area is the FIRST place to age on a woman's face (unless you are/were a smoker, then it's a tie w/the upper lip area) b/c the under-eye area produces no oil.
So, if your skin is dry or 'normal', you want something made w/a light-weight oil. If you have a more 'normal' or oily skin you will want an "oil blend" that makes a very light-weight "serum" OR a gel. Oily skins should always look for either a serum or something w/a gel base. With serums & gels, a little bit goes a long way! Yet another reason to love them!
The best way to use & store oil-based skin care products is to put them in either an old, clean essential oil bottle w/the dripper top; or you can buy new ones at most health food stores. You can also use a bottle w/a squeeze-type dropper, but the essential oil-type bottles work best for what we want here ~ smaller drops. Gel products store well in small jars w/a good, tight screw-on lid.
Choose the recipe, below, that fits your skin-type. Even though the eye area doesn't produce oil, you still need to pick the correct one for your over-all skin-type because, simple put: gravity works. :-/ Also, DO NOT apply anything oily onto your eye-LID, it may cloud your vision & can ruin your contacts.
If you don't have any used dropper bottles, jars, or any of the other ingredients, you can find them at most health food stores. When you try these, let me know how well you like them!
DRY SKIN/ANTI-AGING EYE SERUM
~1 oz. jojoba oil
~5 drops chamomile essential oil
~5 drops rose essential oil
1) Combine all ingredients, shake well to blend & again before each use
2) Use 1 drop for each eye; apply below eye & on brow area
**NOTE** Substituting the jojoba oil with grape seed oil will make this recipe suitable for oilier skin-types.
NORMAL SKIN/RELAXING EYE SERUM
~you will need either a 1-1/2 or 2 oz essential oil bottle OR a dropper-type bottle
~3 TB jojoba oil
~1 TB grapeseed oil
~5 drops lavender essential oil
~3 drops Roman chamomile essential oil
~2 drops bergamot essential oil
1) Combine all ingredients, shake well to blend & again before each use
2) Use 1 drop for each eye; apply below eye & on brow at bedtime
3) Drier skins can also use this on entire face
OILY SKIN EYE GEL
~1 TB aloe vera gel
~1 ts fresh cucumber juice
~1/4 ts corn starch
~1 TB witch hazel
1) Mix aloe, cucumber & corn starch; heat in microwave for 1 minute
2) Stir in witch hazel & let cool entirely
3) Once it gels, put it in a clean jar (about 1 oz size)
4) Dab around eye area
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
Amy, at Homestead Revival, is having a give-a-way. She's giving away "Home Dairy" by Ashley English!!! You can enter HERE!
I would LOVE to win this so that I can learn to make different cheeses & yogurts. Yummmm.
Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><
Edinburgh
