Decluttering and Loving It!

I spent all of last week, well between spinning special orders :) , decluttering!  We were living in total chaos - piles everywhere.  Everytime you walked down the hall, something would fall off the bookshelf.  "Mama, where are my ....?" was a daily occurence.  "Kim, do I have any clean underwear?"  Boxes of fiber filled our bedroom.  The kid's playroom was so cluttered with toys that they didn't even play in there.  I dreaded everytime I had to go into the pantry, because I had to step over and on stuff in the floor.  And if I got a can off the shelf, 2 more would fall on the floor.  I had about 47 jars of pickles I had canned from 07 that had turned to mush.  My dishwasher and table were catch all places for more piles.  YIKES!  So, last week, I don't know if it's menopause setting in, or just the good Lord chastising me for this total failure in being a keeper at home, I decided "THAT"S IT!"  I wished I had taken before and after pics, but I didn't.  We have given 3 carloads of stuff to Habitat for Humanity and thrown out 2 truckloads of trash.  Now, I am seeing the light!!!  I love it!!  I can relax, well as much as I can relax!  When Gene came home and saw the bedroom with no fiber boxes or homeschool stuff, he started running from one wall to the other - jumping and skipping around like a school boy, saying "I can walk , I can walk, I can walk!" 
I moved the kids bedroom into the playroom and got rid of a lot of the toys they don't play with anymore.  They love it!  They are spending more time in there creating and reading!  Who would have thought??  There clothes are all folded and organized and Gracie comes out every morning dressed and ready for the day! 
I made their bedroom my fiber room and homeschool storage.  That room is a mess right now, but that's the only one!  I will tackle that this week.  Then deep cleaning and we are all ready for the holidays!!  

Pantry - note floor and organization of canned goods!

Cleared top!

No clutter!

My linen closet.  It has a floor!  I haven't seen that in years!  This is a closet where you would pull something out and close the door quickly by leaning into it with all your weight until it latched!

If I can do it, you can do it!!!  And I can't begin to say how much joy and peace come with the hard work.  Word of warning:  Your home will look much worse in this process before it looks better.  Decluttering is a messy business, but so worth it.  God made us women to be keepers of our homes and that is to be taken seriously.  When we have a clean home we bring honor and our Lord and to our family. 

Take care!
Kim

Oh my gosh, it's NOVEMBER!!!

Only 51 days til Christmas!!!  Where does the time go???  I declare every year time is faster and faster.   Why is that?  When you are a child and teenager, time creeps..then BAM!  What happened?  Kids, life, busyness?  Oh well, I don't care for the speeded up version of life very much.

I am in the process of spinning dog hair for a customer.  It is so beautiful.  It's from a Huskie and, while it is short, it is making beautiful yarn.  Unlike the matted mess I had been working on and am now expecting back from the fiber mill any day now. 

Homeschooling is going great...now.  Ben and I were having some attitude issues in math, but it's amazing what 2 superhero figures and a scrabble can do to boost enthusiasm!  I was the bad guy in one corner, and Iron Man was Ben's figure in the opposite corner.  The star square in the middle was the city I was trying to take over.  Iron Man had to beat me to it, or doom and gloom.  We are working on addition and subtraction with 3 digit numbers.  Everytime he answered a problem in his workbook correctly, he got to move the number of ones.  For instance, 100 + 209 = 309, so he got to move 9.  If he missed it, I got to move 9.  If he took longer than 1 minute to answer, I got to move a square.  It was great.  He made it to the city first and I had only advanced 4 squares!  Thank the good Lord for the inspiration!

We are doing pretty great on our budget.  I would still like to cut the food cost back some more.  I spent 64 last week and 46 this week.  I would like to make it to 25 or 30/week.  If I would sit down and do a plan, that would probably do the trick!  I need to get back into that. 

Next week, after I get my special orders done, is going to be dedicated to decluttering in a major way!  I'm going to document our progress.  We have wayyyyyyyy to much stuff!  Especially toys and kid's clothes.  Yikes!

Well, back to spinning!  Take care!

Kim

Hace Mucho Friooooooooooooooooooooooo!

We just had Spanish class, Can you tell?? 
It is very cold outside!!!  Yikes!  I opened the door to hand Ben and Grace the pig food and was smacked by Jack Frost!
Sitting inside with the heat cranked up and sipping on some Chai tea.  Yummy.  Ben, Gracie and I made Pumpkin Muffins this morning.  I had some leftover brown sugar and cinnamon topping.  So, I put it in my Chai Tea with some fresh cream.  Yummy!

Pumpkin Muffin recipe was very good and very easy!

God has sent me the sweetest gift in the form of a customer.  Her name is Kelli and she is an awesome photographer!  She happened upon my shop in ETSY and voila!   She is a source of encouragement for me right now.  Thank You, Lord, for sending her my way!

Speaking of my shop, I have created some great holiday yarns, and have sold most of them!  This one, will be a particular challenge for someone, but I can't wait to see something knitted from it!

I also had some really great customers come into my shop last weekend.  I am working on a baby bootie and hat set for a little boy.  I need to get started spinning this alpaca I have had for 3 months also!  She should have never told me she didn't need it until Christmas!  I also have some llama from this same customer that smelled like stinky socks, but with a few months of being left outside, I think it's much better now.  I'm considering rinsing it in a lavendar rinse, but then it may smell like stinky feet soaked in lavender!  I also want to delve into that box of Shetland that my mom sent to me and I have a box of Angora goat fiber that my cousin sent!  Wow!  I am so blessed!!!!!!!!!!

I am taking the Fall challenge present by Courtney at Women Living Well.  I have my candle lit to remind us, particularly me, to be peaceful in word and deed.  I have cleared off my clutter area - a countertop in the kitchen, and am working on a filling a big box for donation to Habitat for Humanity!  I hate clutter, but I have so much of it!  Clutter = Chaos and that produces stress and no peace!  So, check out the challenge.  This is a great blog, too.

Grace and Ben are doing great in homeschool.  Grace, in particular, really enjoys it and doesn't want to stop!  UI am using Rod and Staff with her - the ABC series.  She gets to start speech therapy in 4 more weeks!  She told me the other day when we were practicing saying a word, "I can hear it, but I can't say it!"  She is doing much better though.  
Ben is doing his final project in the Thomas Kincaid art class he's been taking.  He put together a still life that says something about him.  Here it is:

Well, I need to get back to homeschool and back to spinning!! 

May God rain down His incredible blessings on each of you!

Kim

Fried Pies

What a great treat - Homemade Fried Pies!  It seems like I have made 100 over the past few days - not really 100, but a lot.  Tonight, I made some for dessert - peaches from my canning efforts from a month ago.  Yummy!  Here is the recipe I use.  It's quick and easy and the dough will keep in the fridge for days!  Good for breakfast and snacks, too!
http://www.grouprecipes.com/53270/southern-fried-pies-the-best.html

So, we had an adventure and I have no pics, for which you may be glad!  My husband and our great neighbor and best friend, Mike, butchered our first pig!  I had been praying for a freezer to put the meat in, as ours has been broken just about ever since we gave our spare one away!  Anyway, butchering day came and no freezer, so I got rid of almost everything from our freezer - the kids loved eating the ice cream!  I filled it with sausage, which I made with a food processor!  It was yummy!  Then we canned about 8 jars of meat.  I happened to check facebook and a message from a dear friend, who knew nothing about my freezer prayers, asking me if I needed a freezer!  Praise the Lord!  He is good!  So, I now have roasts, ribs and bacon in my new freezer!!!!!  I'm ready for piggy number 2 in the winter. 

This is Gracie and Pork Chop, the one who got away! 

Can you tell I'm about to turn 50!?

I can be an official Red Hat!

Shop news: Got in lots of Christmas yarns!  I'm trying to finish my entrelac scarf and it's coming along beautifully.  Also has spun 2 skeins of Red Hat Yarn.  Jessica, my oldest daughter, was up yesterday with all of her knitting projects.  She has a renewed interest!  Yea!!!  She's also one of my best customers! 
Check out our new products at Simply Homespun!



We are still finding ourselves financially challenged, but in a way, it is the best thing that has happened!  We are depending on God for our daily needs and He is providing!  Gene and I are both working hard and God is faithful to His word!  It is so awesome to experience His generosity and love daily.  I am really watching our electricity and water usage and we haven't thrown our food like we used to do.  We are eating leftovers and I'm creating new dishes from leftovers.  It is really fun and challenging.  The kids are getting on board.  Ben is really thinking about ways to save and is learning at a very early age to be content whether abased or abounding.  What an incredible thing  for kids to learn!  I'm learning it at 49 and it's not near as easy!    We are using the online library for Tennessee called R.E.A.D.S.  to save on gas.  Going to our library costs us about $7.00 in gas!  We used to go once a week!   You can check out digital books and audio for up to 28 days.  They have a wonderful selection of children's books.  Also, this is StoryLine Online is a wonderful website.  Celebrities read children's books.  One thing I have learned is that $20.00 here and $20.00 there soon add up to $100.00!  How wasteful and not a good steward of God's money I have been!  Another good thing that has come from our challenges.  In case my family reads this - WE ARE NOT STARVING AND WE HAVE HEAT, LIGHTS, PHONE AND GAS!!  SO DON'T WORRY!  I love you!!

Ben is learning keyboarding.  I found a really good course for him online.  It is free!  Peter's Online Typing Course is the name of the site. 

Gracie is sick, so I will be staying home again from church.  Last week it was Ben.  So far, no sickness for mama!  Thank You, Lord! 

Take care and may God bless you all richly!

Kim

Hi All!  Gracie slept all night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Which means I DID TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Thank you, Lord!

Just finished my first winter yarn, Hot Chocolate on a Snowy Day http://www.etsy.com/listing/82464489/hot-chocolate-on-a-snowy-day-handspun .  It was great fun to do.  This will make an awesome scarf.  I may do it myself if it doesn't sell by the time I am finished with all my other projects!  Still working on my Enterlac scarf.  Hope to have that done in the next couple of weeks.  Going to spin a new winter yarn, Winter Bliss, today.

My oldest daughter, Jessica, was up Sunday.  She started 2 knitting projects while here!  I'm going to create a super knitter yet!  She is working on a Waterfall Scarf and a sweater.  I can't wait to see them finished!

I read recently that the biggest budget buster for families is wasted food.  How much food do you throw out every week, or in my case, every month.  UCK.  Stuff gets shoved back to the depths of the fridge and stays there until it liquifies.  I am a huge food waster.  So, this is something that is going to end now.  I believe that wasting our food is a sin.  Everytime I throw something out, I feel conviction.  I ask the Lord to provide and He does, then I pitch it!  Yikes!  I'm so sorry, Lord!  Help me to be a better steward of all the blessings you have given to me. 

I was reading a favorite blog of mine -  Raising Homemakers .  She had lots of good info on preparing frugal meals.  During the Depression Era, the US Food Administration came up with these guidelines which still apply, or should apply, today:

The US Food Administration advised about food:

1. Buy it with thought
2. Cook it with care
3. Serve just enough
4. Save what will keep
5. Eat what will spoil
6. Home grown is best

Here are a few Depression Era recipes.  These were in public pamphlets so are in the public domain. 

POTATO AND CHEESE SOUP

2 cups cooked diced potatoes
2 cups water in which potatoes were cooked
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons onion juice
2 tablespoons fat
3 tablespoons flour
1½ teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
¼ cup grated cheese

Dice potatoes and cook slowly until very tender. Rub through strainer, using potato and the 2 cups of water. Melt fat, add dry ingredients and gradually add the liquids and onion juice. When ready to serve, sprinkle parsley and cheese over top.

This is a favorite of ours.  I add broccoli a lot of the time, along with lots of grated cheese added to the soup to make it cheesy and delicious!  All of our family love this!

RICE WITH CORN AND CHEESE IN BROWN SAUCE

½ cup rice
1 cup cheese
1 cup corn
1½ cup milk
¼ cup fat
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Melt fat until brown. Add flour and seasonings. Heat until brown. Add milk gradually. When at boiling point add other ingredients. Place in baking dish and bake 45 minutes.

Serve with fruit or a dessert and bread and butter.

We haven't tried this one, but it sounds good!  This may just be dinner tonight!

Soups are always good for frugal meals.  The challenge is preparing healthy meals in addition to being cost conscious.  I will post some more of these recipes in later posts.

Now, I've got to get Ben going,  We are going to spend the day at the park.  One of the advantages of homeschooling is that you can have school anywhere!  And what better incentive for doing good work and having good attitudes than the knowledge that a wonderful playground is in your future!  So, today we will have "parkschool", a picnic, and get some spinning and knitting in also!

Have a blessed Tuesday!

Kim

We're Still Here!

A lot has happened since my last post.  We had my sister's funeral, which went very well.  Karen left a lot of people with a lot of good memories.  Her smile was such a blessing to so many.  She struggled with her RA with dignity and humor.  She was close to the Lord and I know she is with Him now.  I love you, Ka, and miss you terribly.  I'll see you soon!  (soon being a relative term - earthly time compared to eternity.  I don't want anyone jumping to any conclusions). 

Anyway, Gracie had her surgery.  She did great!  She sounds like Donald Duck, but the doctor assured me that would go away as the swelling goes down.  So, far, 1 week, 1 day later, she still sounds like Donald Duck.  As Karen would say, "greaaaat".  lol  Gracie is so precious.  She went to church last night and was just raising her hands during praise and worship and praising her Lord.  I thank God for such a blessing and the opportunity to be her mom.  God has blessed me with 4 wonderful children.  All successful and all pretty much well behaved - as far as I know anyway.  Ignorance is bliss in a lot of areas! 

I am back in my shop today!  Had a very good day!  Met lots of neat folks,  Gracie actually sold some of her artwork to some very kind ladies from Carthage.  I have finished spinning some Golden Retriever hair for a customer and started knitting it into a heart pillow today.  It's going to be very pretty.  Reminds me a lot of Angora hair.  Has a beautiful halo to it. 

Of course, my fun project of all time is the Enterlac scarf!  I love knitting it!  And people's reactions to it are so fun!  I should finish it up within the next week or two.  Can't decide whether to keep it, sell it, or gift it!

I received my "bling" to spin with my handspun!  Stay tuned for some beautiful sparkly yarns!!  I can't wait to get started!

I received a lot of Concord grapes in Tuesday.  Luckily, my mom told me I could just stick them in the freezer until I am ready to deal with them.  That was good news!!  So, they went from the box, to the Ziplock to the freezer.  Some are in the frige for munching.  I love them!  Also, canned 10 jars of peaches.  Yummy!    Added a bit of cinnamon to mine.

Enough for now! 

Take care and have a blessed day!

Kim

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Life Is Not Settled Just Yet!

Getting back in the groove of homeschool after a couple of hetic weeks after the passing of my sister, Karen.  Her service was Sunday and was absolutely beautiful, thanks in no small part to Rhonda Treaster and Pastor Warren.  2 hours before service, none of the videos or slide show would work.  Pastor Warren to the rescue!!  He's my hero!!!  

I'm preparing to leave for Vanderbilt Children's hospital tomorrow morning for Gracie's surgery.  I am preparing the special orders I have received and tying up loose ends.  I'm taking my Joy wheel with me to make some new yarn for my shop and 3 knitting projects, perhaps 4.  So, I will be keeping busy.  Gracie and I will be by ourselves a lot of the time as Gene is going to be working and visiting along.  I will be stuck in the hospital with nothing to do but spin, knit, read and play with my precious daughter!  I am looking forward to it, I have to say.   That is provided, of course, all goes well with Grace's surgery.  I have no reason to think that it won't.   God has her in His hand, that is for certain.

I sold my Mardi Gras Madness yarn over the weekend!  That was the yarn from you know where that I spun with beads.  Am I going to do that again???  Probably, but not now.  It was pretty, when all was said and done.

                 
My sweet inlaws are going to be here taking care of Ben while I am gone and will be holding down Simply Homespun!  So, come on out and visit.  Sorghum season is in full swing in Muddy Pond - lots to do in addition to visiting our shop.

Keep prayers coming for Gracie!

Kim