The Tree

Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2  but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

3  He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

4  The wicked are not so,

but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6  for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Beth

The Pantry

I think my response last week when I read that Michele had assigned the pantry as this week's area to clean and organise was something like "Not the pantry." I find it difficult to keep clean. I don't have a real pantry but rather cabinets where I store food.

I have a cabinet above the counter where I store spices and dry items. There are some cans there as well.

I went through my spices and got rid of some jars -- I had duplicates of some things. I then filled some of the containers with beans and organised the top shelf. I put a few jars in there with nuts and split peas. At least now I don't feel like things will fall out when you open the door. I did discover that I don't have that much tuna fish and sardines. I like to keep those on hand for lunches. That cabinet was relatively easy to do. I think I did it while fixing dinner one evening. I felt like I had accomplished something.

The next cabinets were going to be my challenge. These are two cabinets with tall shelves. I have added some wire shelves to give me extra room but it is still a challenge.

I might not look like it was organised and it might not last long but I did organise it. I also found some items in there that I will put on our meal list and get rid of.

I store onions, potatoes, and butternut squash under the sink. I have two bins and that works nicely.

I keep my fresh fruit in a big blue and white bowl on the counter. I love my blue and white bowls from Thailand. I think I bought this one of my girls shopping weekends years ago. These are great for piling all the fruit in. Every now and then we do get fruit that sits around too long. I cooked a few pears and an apple today and made pear sauce that the kids enjoyed. Miss K was asking for more.

As a bonus, I will share my refrigerator. I just opened the door and took a photo. Some days I dream of a big refrigerator but you know I made it through both Thanksgiving and Christmas with this refrigerator so I think I can do it. Some days it is a task to get things to all fit in. Some days I stuff it in, close the door and warn everyone to be careful when they open the door.

I made progress in the pantry. I took my photos before the grocery order for this week arrived. I will say knowing what I had made it easier to order things.

I really hope next week is an easy assignment. Something like under the bathroom sink or maybe hall closet.

Beth

Therapy Thursday #1 - 15 January

Welcome to Therapy Thursday. It is exciting to begin this new series. This is a place where we share ideas, resources and activities that we have done relating to therapy for your homeschooler. It might be physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy or another therapy that you are using to help your child reach their potential.

My goals with Miss K include gross motor therapy, fine motor therapy, and speech therapy. At this point one of the things that she needs to work on for gross motor is riding a bike but it is too cold to be out working on that.

This week I did something easy. I pulled out my Super Duper Arctic Photos Fun Deck. I bought these at one time when they were offered at 50%. We have TH, L, R, and F fun decks. These cards include words with initial, medial, and final sounds. There are two of each card so you can play various games with the cards or just practice the sounds.

I printed a bingo card and then filled in the words. I put one of each photo on a deck and we took turns turning the cards over and saying the word. Even though we said the word, Miss K would say it.  One word that she struggled with was earth.

The kids like to play until the whole card is filled. We use some tiny erasers as markers.

We did some speech therapy this week.

I am looking forward to seeing what others have done for therapy this week or just some ideas you might have.


A few things to know before linking up:

• Please link up to a specific post on your blog, not the main page of your blog.
• Your post can be recent or something from your archives but please only link up once. 
• The specific blog post linked needs to be related to therapy. Please note if the post is not therapy related it might be deleted. 
• By including your blog on this link you are giving permission to have your post linked to other social media and graphics used in featured posts. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Beth

2015 Unfinished Projects

2015 is the year and not the number of unfinished projects. One of my goals for this year is to have less unfinished projects at the end of the year. These projects are generally sewing projects.  I went through my things and organised them into a box so I would know where they are and then work on them. I name them just for my own reference sometimes it comes from the fabric or maybe the pattern.

Box of unfinished projects

1. Walk in the Garden - Winner of the longest held unfinished project. This is a wall hanging/lap quilt that I began a long time ago. I remember working on it in my apartment in Taiwan before we were married. This might be the oldest unfinished project I have. I had seen it in a magazine and decided I could make it. That is true but could I finish it? As I look at it I can tell that it was one of my first quilts as the corners are not matched. I started hand quilting this because back in the days when I started this that was the way you did it. Machine quilting was not really considered quilting.

At this time I have just three corners to finish quilting and then sew the binding on. It is almost done. I might have a celebration when this is done and begin a new project.

January update - This was finished in January. Insert loud clapping and cheering.

2. Denim quilt - This is one that I began within the last five years after a few years of collecting/keeping old jeans. When I pulled it out to see what has been done, I realised that it really should not be difficult to finish. I started to machine quilt it but it needs to be pulled out because the machine was acting up and the tension was off. I have no idea what colour thread I used so I will just start over. It is all pinned and ready to go. I know the pins probably should not have sat in the quilt for all these years.

January update - I finished this as well. It is my new favourite quilt.

3. Sugar bag quilt - I wanted to make a quilt and include some old sugar bags that I had. I felt that to add to the look it needed to have vintage looking fabric. I think this needs some border added, then to be quilted, and binding.

4. PA Dutch Quilt - This was a block a month quilt. Every month I received the fabric and instructions to make a block. I did it the first month and then each month the envelope sat in the sewing area. I did a massive sew all the blocks month and put the quilt together. I had someone machine quilt it. Now all it needs is the binding which sounds easy except it is about a double size quilt.

I finished the binding on this in February. I am thrilled to have it finished.

5. Amish Spools - Years ago my mom had her laundry room decorated with wash day things. I made some cross stitch quilts to hang in there. Then I made some small pieced Amish or solid colour quilts for my own bathroom. I have no idea where those quilts are today but with the leftover scraps I made a nine patch lap quilt which I think is in storage and then I made a Spool quilt. Well, the spool quilt is here and needs to be quilted. That is on the project list. I can't decide if this one should be hand quilted or just do it on the sewing machine.

6. Good Night Moon - I love children's books. I used to collect children's books long before I had children. I think most of my collection is now in my children's rooms and they think of them as there books. I love fabric from books. We have two Hungry Caterpillar quilts. I have some Little Golden Book fabric and even Bernstein Bears fabric. I bought Good Night Moon fabric last year and pieced this quilt on a friend's machine when I was feeling deprived of my sewing machine. Now it needs to be finished.

7. Autumn table topper/runner - I know this is pieced and I even have matching backing fabric. I just need to quilt it and put binding on. It should be easy.

8. Le Petit - I think I named this after the fabric. This is deep in the box. It is pieced and needs to be quilted and then the binding on it.

9. Prayer Flag - This is one that is named after the fabric. I don't really like the name but have not bothered to rename it. This one I made a mistake in cutting and piecing it. I need to decide what to do. I might just need to finish it the way it is and call it good.

10. Give Thanks bunting - I found a cute idea and wanted to make it. I have this partly finished. I think I need to cut circles for the letters. Maybe this would be a good project to learn how to cut fabric with the Silhouette.

11. Jesse Tree Ornaments - I started cross stitching these years ago -- I remember working on them while we were in Ukraine. I pulled them out and realised I have about 18 finished so that is only 7 remaining. Then they need to be sewn up as ornaments. It would be great to have them finished for next year.

12. I Spy Quilt - I think this is the newest addition to the unfinished projects. I thought it would be a way to use up some of my fabric but I am afraid I have had to buy more fabric to finish it. Thankfully there are people that sell I spy squares so I didn't have to buy yards and yards to get the little fun things I want. I have 8 squares finished and based on the fabric I have I can make 8 more squares.

I finished the I Spy quilt. That was a lot of novelty prints. It is a fun quilt to have for the kids to look at.

Sorry I don't have photos of the other unfinished projects. I didn't want to disturb the box where they have been resting for the past year or years. I will try to keep you updated and show photos when they are finished.

Twelve Unfinished Projects - Can I finish one a month? Can I control my urge to start new projects? I could start a new one but I need to finish it so I don't add new things to the unfinished list. I am working to be intentional and finish these.

So tell me how many unfinished sewing/craft projects do you have? Please tell me I am not the only with unfinished projects.

2015 Projects

1. Summer House Quilt - I began this and have about 20 squares finished.

Beth

A Strong Tower

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; 

the righteous man runs into it and is safe. 

Proverbs 18:10 (ESV)

As we drive around the countryside at times we will see a castle high on a hill. I enjoy seeing them and they remind me the refuge we find in God. 

Beth

Week in Review 9 January 2015

This was our first week back after a break. My children need the structure and routine of school. I even heard my son say, "I am not taking a summer break." I hope he remembers that. I might need to remind him of that in the summer.

I feel behind at this point of the year and normally I don't feel that way. I know part of that is we didn't as much school in the summer and we took a three - four week break in October. I looked at the number of lessons that we have to finish and realised in some books we are going to need to work a bit faster. I know we don't need to finish the books but in some classes I really do want to/need to finish the books.

I am beginning a new link-up next week, Therapy Thursday. Come join sharing your ideas, resources, or just be accountable for doing therapy with your child.

I loved geography this week and I think the kids did as well. We are moving a lesson a week through Memoria Press Geography II and this week it was Taiwan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. I added Macau. We can't study Taiwan without hearing Miss K say, "I born". Actually you can't even say the word without hearing that.

We talked just a bit about the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 and quickly began talking about all our favourite restaurants to eat there, the fun parks we enjoyed, the colour of the ferry, and other fun memories.

Studying places that you have visited and learned is always a fun way to study geography.

I decided that I have not been reading as many books aloud. We read history and Bible but we miss the fun books. I did Sunlight with J and have a number of those books as well as other books.  So I started reading Owls at Home. I will say that I miss the thrift stores in the US where I could get used books cheap. J is missing the fact that he gave away so many of his Hardy Boys books.

Money has been part of Miss K's math. Just 1 lesson is not enough for her to get it so we have been playing store each day as part of math. This day it was a snack store. Some days it is a stationary store. One sign that we are an international family we now have play money in three currencies -- US, UK, and Euros.

Miss K and J were making rice pudding. She called him big chef and herself little chef.

I have been working on one of my unfinished projects. This is a quilt that I began years ago. I had seen a photo in a magazine and decided I could make it. I think it has shipped across the Pacific twice and once across the Atlantic and it is time to finish it. I started hand quilting this because that was how you did back in the day when I began it. I am almost finished.

Miss K and I made some tissue paper flowers for decorations. I don't think I have ever made them but they were easy. It was a big of a challenge for her but we might have to do this every now and then just for the fine motor skills.

That about wraps up our week. We are having friends over this evening for Mexican food and then tomorrow J has another archery.

Beth

Decluttering and Organising

Maybe you are a bit like me and begin January with big goals of organising and decluttering. One of my goals for 2015 was to have less things at the end of the year so that means decluttering and also monitoring what comes into the house.

Decluttering does not help if you continue to bring things into the house. To help me track getting rid of things I have a list in my planner with categories and I mark down when I get rid of something. It might be by using it, selling it, or donating it. I also track what of those items I bring into the house either by buying it or by someone giving it to me. For me it is about having less things.

Here are a few resources that I have found that are helping me with this goal. I know it is only the 9th but so far I am following along and getting everything done.

Michele at Family, Faith, and Fridays has a 34 weeks of Clean. Each week she is giving an assignment of something that needs to be done.


The first week was easy -- Christmas decorations. I decluttered my decorations before moving and have just two boxes.

We don't have much storage space but we do have space under the steps and so that is where my boxes are stored along with the cooler, sport equipment, booster seat we don't use at this time. I put the boxes away but next time I will wait until the tree is down and the room cleaned as I found two animals that belong with the nativity sets.

I decluttered my Christmas cards by upcycling them into gift tags for next year. I will store them with the Christmas bags. It was a fun project with my paper cutter and punches. I don't buy gift tags as I either make them with paper and stamps or I upcycle them from cards.

I found a declutter calendar with assignments that take just 15 minutes a day at Home Storage Solutions 101. It is amazing what can happen in just 15 minutes a day. This started in the kitchen and I have not had too much to get rid of but I have cleaned those areas.

Hopefully these things will help me to have an organised and decluttered house by the end of the year.

Beth