homemaker

Weekending

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This weekend was one of those that will be looked back upon with fondness.  While we normally spend our weekends close to home, this one brought us on many adventures.  One where  the hustle and bustle was completely embraced, and fun was truly had by all.  Our hours were filled with alpacas (it was National Alpaca Weekend after all), pumpkins and retro amusement park rides.  Yes, quite the eclectic combo.

Here is a glimpse into our two days of fun…

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I hope you all enjoyed a lovely weekend as well.  Have a wonderful week my friends!

A Walk in the Woods

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There has been a sickness streak in our house over the course of the last week, so when Sunday greeted us with beams of sunlight peaking through the curtains, crisp air squeezing through the window panes, and a home bursting with people finally feeling well again, we decided to get out there and embrace the day.

We ventured to Atwood, one of my absolute favorite parks in our area.  My oldest daughter has also discovered the magic of Atwood over the course of the last year, having attended a multitude of day camps at this fabulous preserve.  So, when she shouted, “Ok, I’m in charge today.  I’m your tour guide.  Follow me.  Let’s go!”  We all followed close behind, eager for the places she was about to take us.

Without further ado, here is our walk through the woods, courtesy of our six-year old tour guide…

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Cooking Sauce with Daddy

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While I was enjoying myself at a baby shower in the beautiful Anderson Japanese Gardens, my girls were home making pasta sauce with Daddy.  My husband gets huge bonus points for this because not only did he cook with the girls (a feat in and of itself), he took pictures of them doing it!  In honor of this momentous occasion, today I bring you a blog post written by the man himself…

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Pasta sauce, or “sugo” has a special place in our family.  Every holiday I can remember involved Grandma Jan’s giant pot of sauce, simmering on the stove, filled with meatballs and hunks of pepperoni.  The pasta was always an afterthought, the lowly vessel on which more sauce could be ladled.  Her recipe was given to her by her mother-in-law, my Great-Grandma Lou.  She could flat-out cook and to this day, her skills bring the conversation to a halt, as eyes glaze over in remembrance of what she could do in the kitchen.  Although she is no longer with us, her memories inspired a lazy Saturday to turn into a sauce making event that I was honored to share with two excited and delightful sous chefs.  

This time of year brings us tomatoes, onions, oregano, carrots, and basil right out of the garden.  Despite eating more than we process, there were enough tomatoes to get the project started.  The girls both helped with Gianna pulling carrots from the garden and Addie peeling cloves of garlic.  Both girls helped peel onions and prep the herbs.  We absolutely destroyed the kitchen, used every cutting board in the house, and left onion skins all over the floor.  Despite the mess, I was able to spend a few hours with my girls recreating the smells and flavors that I remember growing up with.  My most sincere hope is that they will remember these moments and find time to create them with their children and grand children, so that future generations will know the importance of food, family, and the sense of community only found in the kitchen.

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The Library

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With the school year now in full swing, my girls needed a bit of space for all of that reading and writing goodness coming their way.  And to be perfectly honest with all of you, mama needed a bit of cleaning and organizing to take place for fear that soon the entire house would become over run with toys.  So, we decided to move a great many toys to the basement playroom, and move a whole lot of books into the upstairs playroom…creating ourselves our very own library.  Complete with comfy reading chairs and all.

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I must say, this space has become a new fav in our house.  From reading books while nestled in their most-beloved chairs, to practicing math problems on their very own chalkboard, these girls are all set for many months of learning fun.  And the best part of it all, is that not a single dollar was spent.  Just a little elbow grease and strong lifting here, a touch of shuffling and organizing there, accented with just a tiny bit of creativity and we were all set.  Now that makes this mama very, very happy.

At This Moment

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At this moment, I am…

~thankful for a most relaxing weekend spent with dear friends and family, while celebrating a wedding in the most beautiful of settings.

~gearing up for yet another hot, hot day.  Trying to get all animals cared for, and plants watered before the sweltering heat is upon us.

~glancing around my house this morning, realizing my day needs to be spent in the throws of cleaning.  Being gone all weekend did not bode well for the cleanliness of this place.

~listening to the tomatoes calling out to me.  There are not many, but those that are hanging out in the garden are ripe and ready to be processed.  (I think today I’ll make some tomato sauce.  Nothing like a little sauce simmering on the stove for multiple hours on a ninety degree day, right?).

~enjoying this book in the wee hours of the morning and late at night after the little ones are tucked in.

~staring at the growing pile of laundry in my family room.  Apparently, I should be tackling that instead of reading the above mentioned book 🙂

~wishing you all a wonderful Monday, friends!

Home

/ makingofahome / 4 Comments

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Good morning, friends!  Where has the week gone?  I have been deep in thought and reflection of late, and have found it difficult to come to this space and attempt to articulate just what it is I have been mulling over in my mind.  So, I must warn you…This post may take on a very stream-of-consciousness-type nature 🙂

The past two years, when this time of year rolls around, thoughts of home seep into every thought in my mind.  Summer for our family represents such a time of connection.  Connection to each other, our home, our land.  And it just seems that each year when we reach that late-August-back-to-school-crazy-schedule-never-leaving-a-second-to-breathe time, those familiar connections are somewhat strained.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is also a wonderful sense of renewal and excitement that accompanies  this time of year, but it’s the common societal belief that this fun and excitement needs to take place outside our homes that has me thinking.  We are all a bustle with activities beyond the scope of our homes because there is this notion that our homes are confining.  But what about the idea of our homes as embracing?  Instead of looking beyond the walls of our home for fulfillment and excitement, shouldn’t we be welcoming each other into our homes, to share the love, laughter and learning found within?

Historically, the home was where all activity centered, and it seems that each day we as a culture are moving further and further beyond the home in search of the next big thing.  But I just can’t help to wonder, what if all of that greatness we are in search of is right under our noses, in the very homes that we are trying to escape from?  For often “a man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” ~George Augustus Moore

Kairos

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Kairos—“a right, opportune, or supreme moment in which something special and unique happens”

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If you are so inclined, share a link to your “Kairos Moment” in the comment section.  I hope you all have a blessed weekend!