Page from My Journal: Chronicling A Day in the Life of A Reader

My name is Ruth Ann and I am a 22-year old stay-at-home daughter, enjoying learning all sorts of things as I travel this journey called life! My favorite thing to do is to document beauty on my trusty little Nikon D40x with my 50mm or 70-200mm lens attached. Above all things, I desire to live a life pleasing to my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ and following the instructions He has given me in His Holy Word. I am greatly encouraged to go into His Word and find practical instructions for me to live my daily life. This year I am really working on cultivating a life of prayer and compassion as Jesus demonstrated during His ministry on this earth. I enjoy blogging at Thanksliving and sharing the snippets of beauty that God delights in sharing with me. Thank you Gretchen for this opportunity, and while God’s ways were definitely not ways in regards to this ‘day in my life’ I believe He worked everything out for the best!

A Sunday in My Life (Sick Version):

Please Note: When I planned on using Sunday as my day to ‘document’, I did not ‘plan’ on getting sick and feeling quite miserable. So needless to say, I had to learn to make the best of my situations even though this wasn’t extremely ‘normal’ ~ at least I wasn’t so sick that I had to stay in bed all day long; else that would have been very terrible!

7:45am - I got up from a restless night of sleep, overrun by a terrible sore throat, headache and ear aches. Not a fun way to start the day, but I went ahead and got out of bed and headed downstairs so I could get some necessary medicines to help my body feel better. I took it quite easy, fixed my medicine and also a pot of grits for the family’s breakfast. I had to get something in my stomach before downing our ‘sore throat tonic’ which includes apple cider vinegar, honey, goldenseal, cayenne pepper and hot water. Otherwise it would majorly mess my stomach up, and I didn’t want to feel any worse right then! Some of them time was spent sitting on a stepladder in the kitchen and staring at the pills which I did not want to swallow because taking pills with a sore throat isn’t comfortable at all!

9:00am - Got dressed for church, put make-up on, drank some more ‘sore throat tonic’, and gathered stuff to go to church.

9:30am - I went outside to sit on the swing. . .spent some time reading the Bible and talking to God.

10:00am - After putting my stuff in the vehicle, I just waited till everybody was out and it was time to go to church. (We try to leave by 10am, but it rarely happens...having 8 different people to rouse up and be ready...)

10:13am - We're off for church.

10:25am - We arrive at church. . .a whole 5 minutes before it starts. Oh well, at least it is a very small church. :)


10:30am - Our service begins. It is an encouraging sermon on not giving up in battle and wrestling until the blessing comes…we cannot give up! The speaker started with the passage where Jacob wrestled with God and went to several other places to remind us that we need to be faithful. Afterwards, we have sweet fellowship with friends, including a walk down to the pond at church. I took pictures on our walk to the pond, but my battery died during the process. Then while my family was visiting with the friends from church, I sat in the vehicle because I was not feeling good and ready to go home. I pulled out my iPod and began listening to The Role of Children in the Meeting of the Church by Doug Phillips.

1:32pm - We arrive back at home, after 3 hours of a wonderful time! Since everybody is kind of feeling run down in a way, and different things have to be done, we are on our own for lunch. I heat up some leftovers for myself so I could take yet more medicine. Then I talk to my siblings and rest a bit.

3:00pm - I take a few of my things and go sit on the front porch. I tried calling my “big sis” (We’ve ‘adopted’ each other as big sis/little sis and she is a great encourager to me. Sadly, we don’t get to see or talk to each other often, and I was desperately in need of a good conversation with her). She says that she still has to clean up a bit after Sunday lunch and would call me back in a little bit. Sooo…I decide to make good use of the time I would need to wait and continued listening to The Role of Children in the Meeting of the Church.

3:55pm - My ‘big sis’ calls me back and we have a nice long phone conversation...catching up and all that good stuff. She is such a blessing to me. One of the reasons she stays so busy and doesn’t get to talk to me much is because she takes care of her 4 boys ~ ‘big brother’ and the 3 little guys whom I love so much. I’m going to the zoo with them and my little sister on Tuesday so I’m looking forward to seeing them again! It has been too long.

5:00pm - ‘Big sis’ had to tell me what time it was, as my watch died awhile ago. We realize we have to get off the phone so I could leave for church and she could get her boys ready to go to church. I got in the vehicle to head to church again, and off we went… At church we had some nice music, encouragement and a wonderful time of being blessed by the speaker. He talked about quite a few different things, but something that really stuck out to me was how Jesus is the truth and ‘we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free.’ It doesn’t say you shall ‘hear’ the truth but you shall ‘know’ it, and truth is God Himself. That is wonderful! (The reason I keep saying ‘speaker’ is because a few of the men in our tiny congregation are taking turns sharing the Word of God with us, as our pastor passed away just over a week ago. It has been a long week.) We have a little time of fellowship after church, but leave fairly early afterward.

7:10pm - Home again! I fixed some potato soup for my throat, took more nasty medicine (and finally finished that cup of ‘sore throat tonic’ which I dislike), felt horrible, made some jello, played the piano, ate some jello, got ready for bed and then finished listening to The Role of Children in the Meeting of the Church. Then I tried to find some specific Scripture verses about the Sabbath, but after a little while couldn’t keep my eyes open because of my headache. So I decided to look the verses up later.

10:25pm - To bed...hoping to feel better! I prayed as I lay in bed and finally drifted off to sleep. (Thankfully, I woke up Monday morning and was feeling much better, though I still have a ways to come. God is so gracious in strengthening us and healing our bodies.)

Is this something you would like to be a part of? I'd love to hear from you. I'm looking for any of you that are willing to chronicle your day to post on this blog. If you are interested, please email me: modestpatterns @ sbcglobal.net (remove spaces)

Wanna See What I've Been Up To???

See that HUGE table full of all kinds of food items? Well those, my friends, are the groceries from my shopping trip this morning with my mom and two older sisters. My oldest sister and her family are in town and this morning the 3 of us girls plus Mom went coupon shopping at a local grocery store that was having double dollar coupon days. All of us love couponing and we all love finding good deals. So what happens when you get the 4 of us together??? The results are pictured. :) (And thanks to my sister for letting me "steal" these pictures from her blog.)My total before coupons - $111. My total after coupons? Just around $21. Gotta love those those coupon deals! I came home with lots of freebies and things to keep Joe and me stocked for a while.

I love spending time with my family and sisters. It has been so much fun to have my older sister (and family) back in town for a visit. They don't get to come too often as they live 13 hours away, so when they do come, our time is usually jam packed with fun things.

So if you don't hear much from me this week...you'll know where I am!

Look!

I was ecstatic yesterday afternoon when I discovered this little sprout coming out of the dirt in my planter trays! It's been an entire week since I dropped dozens of tiny seeds into planters and covered them with dirt. Each day I've been watering and watching them (and can I say "babying" them?). I was beginning to get a little impatient and wondering if my gardening skills weren't going to amount to much (although my husband and little brother assured me I just needed to wait a little longer).

But yesterday, after an entire week, I spotted the first little green sprout! I could hardly contain my excitement! Since then, several more have appeared. It has been fun to see their growth progress even in the last 12 hours.
We might just have a vegetable and flower garden after all! I'm so looking forward to fresh vegetables as well as brightly colored flowers on our porch.

I'm Feeling Very Blessed Tonight

Growing up, my parents instilled in me a desire to use money wisely. They taught me that any money I had was ultimately God's and I should treat it so. They taught me that debt was something to run from. They taught me how to work hard to earn money. I'm so thankful for the example they set for their children in the area of money and the way they were (and still are) wise stewards of what God had given to them.

But, growing up, I had what I needed. I am the 4th child, so by the time I was old enough to realize what money really was, my parents were well established. When my clothes got torn or stained, we could go out a buy new ones. When our printer ran out of paper, I would reach for more from the huge stash under the desk (which magically never ran out - thanks to my Dad keeping it stocked week after week). When I felt hungry for Lasagna, I got in the cabinet, found the ingredients and made Lasagna.

Life changed, though, when I got married. No longer was everything I needed at my fingertips. And no longer could I just go and buy what I needed to be at my fingertips. Whereas trips to the grocery store used to be a quick pick up of what we needed at home, they now consist of coupons, a calculator, sale items and a small budget.

Most the time, it is great fun to see what all I can buy for a small amount of money. I enjoy trying to be the best stewards of the money we have and using it only when necessary (and not just every time we feel like it). God has been faithful to always meet our needs and give us much more than we deserve.

But sometimes, it can be overwhelming and discouraging. It can just get to the point where I wish I didn't have to see another coupon. Where I wish I could just have Joe pick something up from Subway on the way home from school and not think twice about it.

This week was one of those weeks.

But I have a very loving Heavenly Father who cares so much about me to do something miraculous in order to let me know He knows all my inmost thoughts, feelings and struggles.

Today, I had to make a run to the grocery store to mail some packages. While there, I thought I would use the opportunity to pick up a few items that were on sale (and which I had coupons for) that we use around our house. Since I'd already been grocery shopping this week, I had no more money to spend, but just figured it would only be a few dollars and I could take that out of next week's budget.

The cashier rang up my items and my total came to $19.38. I was praying that somehow I would only have to pay under $2. After scanning in all my coupons, my grand total came out to be -$0.46. Yes, negative $0.46! The computer went crazy since it said they owed me, so the cashier called the manager over. They both couldn't believe what had happened, but the manager went ahead and loaded the money onto my debit card, exclaiming, "How in the world did you do that???!!!"

All I have to say...My God is SO big! So great! So powerful!

And I feel very blessed that He cares so much about me.

"Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." Luke 12:22-31

Weekly Poll - March 25th

The results from last week's poll are in!

If you had to live year-round in only one season, which would it be?

Spring - 28%
Summer - 9%
Fall - 36%
Winter - 3%

I just have to wonder if the reason hardly anyone voted for Winter was the fact that we are just coming out of a very cold winter. And usually by the time it's been cold for several months, most people are anxiously looking forward to warmer weather.

But I do admire those people who chose winter. Seriously. Who would ever want to spend an entire year being cold? I know I don't. And that's the reason why today was such a wonderful day. The weather was warm...very warm. The sun was shining brightly...very brightly. And my heart was happy...really happy! I love Spring!

Are you ready for this week's poll question? I hope so because here it is:

What color is your hair?I'm only giving the basic hair colors in the poll, so those of you that have your hair highlighted or bleached can choose "other".

You all already know my hair color - brown - as you've seen pictures. So there's not much to say. It might seem like a boring question, but I actually think it will be fascinating to find out what color has the highest percentage among my readers (I'm guessing brown!). Do we have any red-heads out there?

Page from My Journal: Chronicling A Day in the Life of A Reader

Hello there! My name is Hannah. I am 16 years old and live on a 20 acre farm in the wooded hills of Northern Michigan with my parents, my three brothers and my sister. I have another sister who is married and has two little boys. I live being their auntie! I love the Lord with all my heart. You are more than welcome to visit my blog and drop me a comment too.

7:52am - I get out from under my covers and shake the sleep off me! I check my blog while waiting for the bathroom to be open.

8:10am - I am ready for my day and in the kitchen making breakfast for my family.

8:50am - The breakfast is done and on the table. I felt like making puff pancakes, but our oven is not working and there was no time to get a fire going in the clay oven outside as it takes five hours to heat up. So, I just made soft boiled eggs that we had with Mama’s homemade natural leaven bread. I wash up some dishes from yesterday while the eggs are boiling. Now I am waiting for my brother to come in from doing the barn chores. I am going to quickly run out to the barn and feed our five rabbits.

9:30am - Breakfast is over. I wash up the remainder of the dishes taking a couple little breaks to do something for Mama and Daddy.

11:23am - I clean up some things that were laying around the yard after the snow melted. I also put away the dishes I washed.

12:23pm - Now the outdoors is calling me to come out so I decide to take a walk back in the woods. Who knows when I’ll be back- I’m bringing my camera so it might be awhile :). The weather forecast is calling for snow tomorrow so I am enjoying this beautiful weather while it’s here!1:50pm - I am back. What a pleasant time! My sister, Grace, my two younger brothers, Enoch & Nathanael and I all go out to a forest near us. Grace showed us a teeny tiny 1/8th inch morel mushroom she found. It is too small to pick, but a true sign of spring! I come back just in time to get the mail. I look forward to getting the mail everyday because it is always a surprise to see what we'll get.

1:55pm - I import the 150+ pictures I took on our walk and check my blog for comments.

2:15pm - I spend time playing the piano. Sometimes I just have to sit down and play either the piano, guitar or mandolin. Just some instrument. Even if it is just for several minutes. After playing the piano for a while, I decide to mix up some sort of goodie to bake in the clay oven. Mama fired it up this morning for bread and it is almost hot enough. I really like using the clay oven for baking!

2:30pm - Made puff pancake batter! Since I could not make them this morning, Grace suggested I make the pancakes now and we can eat them latter. I am waiting for the bread to come out of the oven.
3:10pm - The pancakes are finished so I head out to play barnyard soccer with my siblings and neighbors. It is so much fun. My team won!! :)

5:00pm - I'm back inside helping my sister roll out noodle dough for dinner and tidying up the dishes and area that I used for making the puff pancake batter. Dinner is ready and I am being called to the table!

7:30pm - Yum! My sister made a delicious lamb stew. After dinner, I work on a knitting project that I am trying to get done.

8:00pm - I was able to get quite a bit done on my knitting and I think I am ready to bind off now! My sister needs help cleaning up the dinner dishes so I began working with her.

8:45pm - Dishes are done. Don’t you just love that clean kitchen feeling? Using Selfari.com, I compile a list of books to look up at the library tomorrow.

9:00pm - Daddy reads to us out of the book of Job and then we pray together. After we prayed, I remembered that I forgot to feed the rabbits this evening. It is a crisp, cold night so I don a pair of my brother’s shoes and run out to the barn. It's so dark in there, so I flip on a light! The goats wake up and the sheep gave me a sleepy “Baaa...”. I run the ladder to the loft and grab a handful of alfalfa hay, which the bunnies love.

9:45pm - My family and I are vending at a farmer’s market tomorrow. We plan to leave our farm at 6:30am so I want to be ready! I take a shower and wash a skirt, sweater, and a scarf that I want to wear tomorrow at the market. They are now hanging above the wood stove and should be dry by the morning.

10:55pm - I blog, check my email and do some other “computer things”. Now it is late and I am going to lay down on the couch and fall fast asleep. I like sleeping on the couch because I wake up earlier!

12:15pm - I am under my covers in the land of nod.

Is this something you would like to be a part of? I'd love to hear from you. I'm looking for any of you that are willing to chronicle your day to post on this blog. If you are interested, please email me: modestpatterns @ sbcglobal.net (remove spaces)

Math Geeks???

Last week, since Joe was on Spring Break, we wanted to do something a little out-of-the-ordinary. Something fun! We talked about a lot of different things, but finally decided on taking a mini vacation right here in town. So we packed our bags and headed to the Courtyard Marriott on the other side of town. Right before we left, I made a spur of the moment decision not to bring my laptop. While that might not seem like a big deal to most of you, let me tell you...it was a huge deal for me. I can't remember the last time I went overnight somewhere without my faithful laptop.

After a lovely dinner, we headed back to our hotel where we intended to watch a movie together. We had even planned ahead by renting a movie and bringing our DVD player.

Joe spent a while figuring out how to hook up the DVD player to the tv in the room and finally got it working. Well, almost.

We turned the movie on and discovered everything was in black and white. Knowing that wasn't the way the movie was supposed to be, Joe went back to work. After numerous tries, he decided it just wasn't worth the effort. Of course, I was dying to try my hand at figuring it out, so I immediately jumped at this opportunity. :)

My work was in vain, though, as no matter how many ways I tried to connect the cables to the tv, it just wouldn't play in color. Feeling frustrated, we both sat down and stared at the ceiling. My mind was still working. "Six inputs...three cables...six inputs...three cables...six inputs...three cables..."

Just how many different ways could you insert those three cables into the tv?

I turned to Joe and asked, "So how many options do we have? If we have 3 cables, and there's six inputs for the cables on the tv...how many different ways can you insert them?"

And you want to know what we spent the rest of the evening doing???

Yes. That's right. Math. On Spring break. An entire hour and a half. Because once we figured out how many options we had for the 3-6 scenario, we just had to know how many options we had for 4-7, and 2-5, and 3-4...

After 8 months of marriage, we discovered something new about ourselves. Take the laptops and distractions away...and we're math geeks. Crazy.

But it was so much fun. Just the two of us, without laptops, sitting there with a pencil and a pad of paper...doing math.

It's Not About Prince Charming

Every little girl dreams of the day she will dress up in the fanciest dress of all – a white dress – hold her father’s arm, and walk down that aisle to meet the most handsome Prince Charming. The one with the dark, wavy hair, the eyes that glisten with love, and the big, gentle hands.

And as every little girl grow older, those dreams most likely will get bigger and grander. She longs for the day a prince will come, her prince, and find her so special that he cannot live his life without her by his side.

The fact of the matter is that Mr. Prince Charming often takes his time in coming to her doorstep. Sometimes, more time than she thinks he should…a lot more time.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a young lady say, “I just thought I would grow up, graduate from high school and/or college, and get married. But here I am, several years after graduation, and I’m not married.” So many girls imagine that soon after graduation, the perfect guy will magically appear and they will be married.

When this doesn’t happen, it’s easy to become discontent. “Where is he? What are you doing, God? Am I going to be single forever?” The more time that goes on, the harder it is. Once upon a time, I was in that same spot. On top of seeing friends meet their Prince Charming, my two older sisters were married and I spent a lot of time with them, which made waiting even harder.

When you find yourself in that spot, it may begin to seem like all your friends are getting married, yet no one seems interested in you. Even though it may only be one or two friends who are engaged, it seems like you are the only one that’s not. Each day seems like a battle. You know you are struggling; yet how can you be content when life isn’t going the way you want it to go?

It is at this point when it becomes very easy to begin using the “If only” sentences:

“If only I was dating/courting, then life would be so much easier because I’d at least have the assurance that I was good enough for someone.”
“If only there was a decent guy around…”
“If only I knew what my future held, then I it would make life so much easier.”
“If only I was married, then everything would be wonderful.”

For some, Mr. Prince Charming and marriage can become a sort of “idol”. We want it more than anything else. We feel that having a Prince Charming would solve everything. Or at least knowing if there was a prince out there somewhere for us would solve life’s troubles.

I’m here to tell you that life isn’t about marriage (and Prince Charming). I used to think, “If only I was courting, it would make life so much better…and easier.” But when I began courting, there were only harder things. Yes, there was joy and happiness – don’t get me wrong. What I realized, though, was that courtship only intensified my desire to get married and to know what my future held.

Those of you that know our story (which I promise is coming!) know that due to certain circumstances we courted over a year before we got engaged. That time of my life seemed so much harder than my single years and, I must confess, I allowed discontentment to creep into my heart. “If only I was engaged,” I told myself, “then life would be soooo much easier.” The “if only” thoughts were an easy way out of my “difficult” life. I struggled for a long time with these “if only” thoughts, but all the while God was quietly working away on my heart.

When engagement finally did come, it was exactly like I’d always pictured. It was the thing I’d been wanting for so long. But soon after, the old discontentment feeling slowly came creeping back. “If only I was married, past the wedding, and moved on with life…things would be so much easier.” As the wedding moved closer and Joe and I got to know each other better than ever, God began to open my eyes to something I’d never realized before. My Prince Charming was not going to solve all of life’s problems. In fact, with every joy and added blessing, there always seemed to be another added pressure and trouble.

But what about all the “happily ever after” stories and “wedded bliss” I’d always heard about? Wasn’t marriage supposed to fulfill all my desires and dreams? I would marry, move into a cute little house, settle down, and be a helpmeet to a wonderful Prince Charming for the rest of my life. No more waiting, no more wondering, no more struggling, no more dreaming. Wasn’t this the way it was supposed to be?

I’ve been married for almost 8 months and, while marriage truly is wonderful, I’m here to tell you that marriage is not the answer. I love being married. I love keeping house…my house. And most of all, I love my handsome Prince Charming, Joe. But has marriage forever solved all my discontentment, waiting, struggling, fears, and desires? No.

No. And it never will. Why? Because there is only One True Prince who will ever solve all my troubles and desires. And that Prince is Jesus. Jesus is the only perfect Prince, the only One who can carry all of your burdens, feel all your pain, know all your joys, and listen to you at all moments. He loves you more than any Prince Charming ever could.

Marriage is one of the greatest blessings I have and ever will receive. It brings me more joy than anything ever has. But I have learned that if you don’t deal with the discontentment before you are married, you will be just as discontent after you are married. The “if only” thoughts will come back just as soon as you’re married. “If only my husband was like so-and-so…If only I could have more freedom…If only marriage didn’t take so much work…If only my husband wasn’t away so much...” and on and on the list will go.

Those married women out there know what I mean when I say that life after marriage has a whole new level of “difficulty”. Life is not perfect if you have a husband by your side. There are numerous struggles that come with being a wife…struggles you don’t have when you are single. And not to mention the fact of adding all the pressures of another life on to your own. Discontentment is such an easy trap to fall into.

I want to encourage each of you single ladies out there to learn the character of contentment while you are still at home, still single, still waiting on God. Prince Charming is not the answer. God is the answer. And He is longing to fill up all your deepest desires with His great love.

It’s not about Prince Charming. It’s about the Greatest Prince of all, the Perfect Prince!

Weekly Poll - March 18 (And Where Has Gretchen Been???)

Joe and I at the annual Valentine's banquet back in February

It's once again time for our weekly poll. But before I got on, I must apologize for my lack of posting recently. If you have been reading this blog for a while, you've probably noticed that things have gotten somewhat quiet over the past two weeks or so. So, where in the world have I been, you may be wondering?

To put it into one word...busy. But since that's a common excuse that can mean so many things, I have a better, more lengthy explanation.

• I've been busy - working several hours each day for MoneySavingMom.com (work has been crazy as of recent)
• I've been busy - posting over 60 different USA store deals this week on MoneySavingMom.com (did I mention work has been crazy?)
• I've been busy - packaging up orders for FashionablyModestPatterns.com (Swimming season is coming!)
• I've been busy - responding to emails on every kind of topic on the face of this earth
• I've been busy - practicing piano for a church hymn sing last Sunday
• I've been busy - spending time with my husband who took me on an overnight trip this week (He's the best!)
• I've been busy - cleaning, cooking, folding laundry, and taking care of the house
• And I've been busy - picking up after my silly cat, Molly, who has destroyed more things in our house in the last two weeks than I care to name (including 2 of my most expensive candleholders and several rolls of toilet paper) - but I've forgiven her at the moment!

I used to be the kind of girl that thrived on "the more things going on...the better". My life was filled to the brim. But then I got married. And the world stopped. Or so it seemed. I had tons of time on my hands.

But I'm thankful that God has begun giving me many opportunities and ways to use my time these days. It is a good feeling to go to bed exhausted, knowing you've accomplished much in the last 8 hours. Yes, life has been somewhat crazy the past couple of weeks, but I'm hoping to get this whole "busy" thing figured out again and learn how to juggle many things once more.

I have enjoyed watching the results come in for last week's poll question. At first, I was a little surprised to see so many of you didn't wear lip gloss or lip stick. That is, until I discovered several guys had voted. Yes, you read that right...guys. Hmmmm. (You know who you are!) So, when you read the results, take that into consideration!

Lipstick or Lip Gloss?

Lipstick for sure - 24%
Totally Lip Gloss - 42%
I use them both about the same amount - 13%
I don't wear either - 21%

With Spring just around the corner, and a few gorgeous days this past week, my mind is on the subject of seasons. So that's the question you get these week!
If you had to live year-round in only one season, which would one it be? Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter?

I don't even have to think twice on this one. I am a Spring girl at heart. Every year, I can hardly wait for Spring. That time of year when you can kick off your shoes and run barefoot in the grass. When you finally get to open the windows and doors to let in fresh air. When you look outside and see colors everywhere.

My most favorite days of all are the ones in Spring...70 degrees, sunny, no wind. That is a perfect day!

So, which season would you want to live in year-round?

Page from My Journal: Chronicling A Day in the Life of A Reader

My name is Miss Antoinette and I have been a follower and fervent reader of this blog since the beginning! I hope you enjoy seeing what I do throughout my day in this wonderful new series Gretchen is starting up.

6:00am - I am roused awake by my brother’s alarm and hop out of bed reluctantly. (I have no need to set mine as I can hear his from my room in the loft!)

6:05-7:00am - I start my day with the word of God. This morning I read Psalm Chapters 56-58 and 1 Timothy Chapters 1-3. Both passages are so encouraging and uplifting. I always seem to find new meanings to passages I have read countless times and it is such a blessing. This starts my day off just right and keeps my focus on Him all day long! I also read my daily devotion “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers.

7:05- 7:45am - Time to go feed the kitty as she is meowing at me though the window! I head to the kitchen to work on breakfast, only to find one of my sweet brothers making French toast for everyone. It was sooooo yummy!

7:50-8:20am - I spend some time writing letters to some of my dear friends who probably think I fell of the face of the earth! It is wonderful to write to dear friends, and send them a personal note than just a quick e-mail. When I'm finished, I head out to the mail box so they can be sent off today.

8:25-9:00am - Time to start up my lap top and check my e-mail and listen/sing to some Smoky Mountain Hymns on itunes for a tiny bit. I just love twangy country music.

9:10am-3:00pm - I'm off to my grandparent’s mobile home to give it a good cleaning and keep it spic and span as my grandparent’s mobile is up for sale. Keeping it extra clean is a must in case anyone decides to stop by (I clean every Thursday and love it). My grandparent’s surprise me and take me to one of my favorite little fabric stores here in CA called “The Calico House”. I held myself back from buying fabric (as I have a bad habit of buying fabric and not using it right away! *blush*) but my grandmother found some nice fat quarter bundles and a piece of fabric so I can make her a blouse. Yippee! I have such a wonderful day with my grandparents. I love them to pieces.

3:10-3:30pm - I spend time with my mother and brothers in the garage. They have been working on cleaning it up while I was with my grandparents and it looks so much better when I get back! Now we can get to the fall/Christmas stuff and put our decorations away. They have been hanging around my room and other places for a while.

3:35- 4:10pm - I decide to relax a bit and go out to our backyard to shoot my brother's bb gun. (I will be getting mine this coming Saturday!). My brothers got me hooked on these bb guns; they are such fun to shoot, especially using the really sour oranges from our tree as targets. Very fun!
4:12-5:40pm - After checking my email and responding to some of them, I end up doing some photo editing/enhancing, and watermarking for my “365 Day Snap Shot Challenge” photos for my photography blog.

5:42-6:10pm - I work on helping my mother with dinner and setting the table nicely. Here is a picture of the lovely setting above. I love eating by candlelight!

6:11-7:00pm - Time to eat some yummy rice pasta with sauce. Mmmm….! It is so nice just to sit, relax and enjoy each others company.
7:01-7:40pm - It's time for family worship. We are reading through Revelation, which has been very interesting. We are also going through “Law and Liberty” by R.J. Rushdoony, which has been very good so far. I would definitely recommend it.

7:45- 8:00pm - Now I am cleaning up my room, getting ready to turn off my computer for the day, and retire for the night!

8:05-9:00pm - I read a wonderful book called “Mary Bunyan” by Sally R. Ford (Solid Ground Books). It is about the well known preacher and writer, John Bunyan’s, blind daughter. I would highly recommend this one too!

9:07pm - After freaking out about a possum wandering around our backyard, I'm off to bed. I finally drift off to sleep by 10:45pm!

Weekly Poll - March 11th

And the results are in!

If every outfit in your wardrobe had to be only one of the following colors, which would it be?

Blue - 19%
Green - 17%
Pink - 15%
Purple - 13%
Brown - 13%
Black - 13%
Red - 6%
Other - 4%

Really?!? Blue - the number one color? You all surprise me. Blue is one of my least favorite colors so it hurts to see that. Actually, I think the real reason (deep down inside) why I don't care for blue is because so many people like that color. So I just don't like it.

Our next poll is a girly one. Just for fun.

Lipstick or Lip gloss? Which do you prefer?

For me, it's lip gloss, hands down. They come in such fun smells, shapes, and flavors (no - I don't eat my lip gloss...at least, not on purpose!) that it just makes me feel happy when I get to put it on. Lipstick, on the other hand, does come in handy. It just isn't my "style" - so it only goes on for special occasions.

I'll never forget my wedding. My amazing sister-in-law, Mary, was doing make-overs for everyone in the wedding...literally. Mary had done a practice session with me a few days before the wedding to figure everything out and get it how I liked. Somehow, the day of the wedding, the lipstick/gloss we were planning on using didn't look so great anymore.

Mary starting asking around in the wedding party for more options. Out came the purses, make-up bags, backpacks, etc. Between my 3 sisters, 2 sister-in-laws, 2 moms, hairstylist, and a close friend, we had more lipstick and lip gloss than we could choose from. After several attempts at finding "the perfect color", I looked in my purse, pulled out my trusty lip gloss, and put it on.

That did it. A smile crossed my face and I kept that lip gloss with me the rest of the day. Well, except for when I lost it right before the wedding...and my matron of honor couldn't find it...but that's a story for another day.

And I still have someone's lipstick from that frantic moment while getting ready for the wedding. I found it in my purse on our honeymoon. No one will claim it...I guess it's mine to keep or throw away. :) Ahhh, the memories!

Yes, I like my lip gloss. All eight of them.

So what about you? Are you a lipstick or a lip gloss girl?

The Easiest and Yummiest Pizza Crust Recipe - Ever!

Yesterday, in A Page from My Journal, I talked about making pizza for dinner. I thought I would share with you my recipe. Several years ago, I came across this recipe in an old Betty Crocker cookbook passed down from my grandma. I couldn't believe how easy and simple it was, yet how delicious it tasted and I became hooked. I've never made another crust since. This stuff is good enough to make breadsticks with as well. Without further ado, here it is:

Pizza Crust

1 pkg. active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp.)
1 c. warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 1/2 c. all-purpose or whole wheat flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in remaining ingredients; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Let rest about 5 minutes.

And that's it, folks! Roll it out, put your toppings on, and stick it in the oven. I never use pizza sauce, but instead use spaghetti sauce. It's cheaper and I usually always have it on hand - plus you can't taste a difference.

Now it's your turn: Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite pizza toppings are!

Page from My Journal: Chronicling A Day in the Life of A Reader

This is the first of our new weekly posts here every Tuesday. Each week, you will get to read about a day in the life of one of our readers. Today, you get to read a page from my journal. I hope you enjoy it!

7:33am - I'm jolted out of sleep by my phone's alarm clock. Normally, I don't set an alarm to wake me up, but last night I was so tired that I thought I should play it safe. I'm glad I did. (And yes, I always set my alarm for an odd time. It's something I've done for a long time.) Turning it off, I roll over and drift back to sleep but only for a few minutes.

7:40am - Time to get up for real. I scramble out of bed, grab my clothes and head to the shower. Something I've started doing just recently is setting my clothes for the next day out the night before. That way, it saves time in the morning (when I'm half asleep or freezing cold).

8:00am - Shower is finished; make-up is on; hair is fixed. I head to the kitchen and make a quick phone call to my orthodontist to re-schedule an appointment I can't make. While I'm on the phone, I pour myself a bowl of homemade granola with milk. Once off the phone, sit down and take time to read God's Word. Today my reading is in Isaiah 18 and Luke 17. The story in Luke about Jesus healing the ten lepers makes me stop and think. I have been struggling with a lot of health issues the past 3 months and I feel as if I can sympathize with these lepers in a whole new way. "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks..." (Luke 17:15-16) This true story of this one leper returning to give thanks is such a reminder to me of how easy it is to get caught up in excitement and God's blessings that we forget to thank the One who gave us the gift. I take time to thank God for all He has been doing and for the better health I have been experiencing this week.8:25am - Joe has been up for a while now so I go make our bed and try to get our room somewhat orderly. Then I work on packaging up several orders for Fashionably Modest Patterns I need to ship out today. While I'm doing that, my Mom calls and I chat with her for a few minutes.8:45am - Just as I finish packaging the orders, Joe asked me if I'm ready to go. Realizing what time it is, and that I need to be to work in 15 minutes, I quickly put my shoes on, get my laptop, and head out the door. Since we only have one car this week, Joe is taking me to work and then heading on to school.

9:02am - I arrive! Yay for not being super late! :) The next three and a half hours I spend working for MoneySavingMom.com. My job consists mainly of posting blog posts, working on grocery store deals, and moderating comments. It's so much fun and I love the work I do.

12:30pm - Time has flown by and Joe is here to pick me up. (I only work in the mornings, which is nice.) On the way home, we stop at the store to mail the packages and pick up a few essential groceries. Since I left my coupons at home in the rush of things, I gulp and pay the $6 the screen says I owe. Ugh - I hate shopping without coupons.

1:05pm - Home sweet home again. I make a phone call while chopping up cantaloupe for lunch. But when I hang up the phone, I realize that my work was in vain as the cantaloupe is over-ripe and tastes yucky. My hearts sinks when I have to dump all of it in the trash.

1:20pm - Joe and I are usually on our own for breakfast and lunch. He is not a breakfast person while I am. So he eats a mid-morning snack which means he isn't hungry for lunch most the time. Yes, I have it easy. No big breakfasts, no packing lunches, and super easy dinners. (He's great with one dish for dinner!) I dig through the refrigerator and find leftovers from the night before to eat for lunch. Noodles and ground venison, salad, and a whole-wheat biscuit. Yum!1:40pm - I spend some time cleaning up the kitchen, emptying the clean dishes from the dishwasher, and re-filling it with dirty ones.

2:00pm - The kitchen is clean so I sit down at my computer to check my email accounts (I have several) and do some work for a few online companies. I've been working for Pinecone Research, Opinion Outpost, Inbox Dollars and a few other places like that for a while now and enjoy being able to make a little bit of extra money on the side. Every little bit counts and it's so fun to do the surveys as well. During this time, I also finish up some work for MoneySavingMom.com that I didn't get finished this morning.

3:15pm - It's time to begin cleaning. Mondays are my biggest cleaning day. I deep-clean the bathroom every Monday which takes some time to do. Today, I also have a lot of laundry that needs to be folded and put away. After the bathroom and laundry are done, I sweep the kitchen floor and start vacuuming the house. A note to all you unmarried ladies out there: I would highly recommend registering a Dyson vacuum when you get married. I can't say enough about them. A couple years before I got married I was given the chance to use one at someone's house. I fell in love with it. Having worked as a mother's helper for several years to many families, I had used about every brand of vacuum there was. I hadn't and still have not seen another one like Dyson. Anyhow, as a birthday gift before I was married, my Dad "gave" me the vacuum of my choice. Of course, I immediately told him I wanted a Dyson. He wasn't quite expecting me to ask for one that expensive. We looked around for months for something cheaper, but never found one I liked.

One day, while in a discount store, I noticed they had a whole bunch of Dyson vacuums. The next week, my Dad and I went to look at them and discovered, to our delight, they were about $100 cheaper than any one we'd seen so far. My wonderful Dad bought me my long dreamed of Dyson vacuum that day and I'll never regret it! It is wonderful.

4:30pm - The cleaning is finished and I'm ready for a break. I sit down and answer about 7 emails that have been sitting in my inbox for a while. After that is finished, I head to Amazon.com and work on ordering stuff (with my Swagbuck's gift cards!) to use for planting a garden. I'm so looking forward to Spring and having our very own little garden with fresh veggies.

6:30pm - I'm back in the kitchen starting on dinner. We're having homemade Pizza tonight. I make two. 1 Cheese and 1 Salsa Chicken. I also decide to make some Baked Apples with Brown Sugar and Raisins...something I haven't had for several years.

7:15pm - Joe calls me and let's me know he's going to be home later than usual so I begin cleaning up the kitchen while I wait.

7:30pm - Joe is home and we eat dinner. After dinner, we always try to spend the evening doing stuff together...talking, watching a movie, playing a game, etc. We both look forward to it so much and I hope we can continue this for the rest of our lives. Tonight, we spend time reading the Bible together, talking and laughing. I love my husband! He's always so wonderful to help me clean up the kitchen. Quite often, he tells me "Go sit down, put your feet up, and I'll clean up the dishes." Yes, I'm spoiled.

10:30pm - I'm getting tired so I get ready for bed. Before I go to sleep, I pull out my Daily Light devotional book and read today's verses.

11:00pm - The light's are out and I'm drifting to sleep.

Is this something you would like to be a part of? I'd love to hear from you. I'm looking for any of you that are willing to chronicle your day to post on this blog. If you are interested, please email me: modestpatterns @ sbcglobal.net (remove spaces)

Introducing...

I'm so excited to let the secret out about the new weekly post we will be doing called "Page from My Journal: Chronicling A Day in the Life of A Reader". Every Tuesday, you will get to read about a day in the life of one of our readers. I don't know about you, but I love hearing about the lives and schedules of other people. It inspires me, motivates me, and oftentimes, gives me creative ideas for my life.

Is this something you would like to do? I'd love to hear from you. We have the first several weeks lined up already, but I'm looking for any of you that are willing to chronicle your day to post on this blog. If you are interested, please email me: modestpatterns @ sbcglobal.net (remove spaces)

So get ready...tomorrow will be the first one. And, like it or not, you'll get to hear about a day in my life!

Look What I Ate for Dinner!

Oh-so-good Butterhorns fresh from the oven and warm chocolate chip cookies!

We babysat our friend's six children overnight last night and when we got home today, Joe was starving. He ended up going out to eat with his parents this afternoon, but I opted to stay home because I had a lot of stuff I needed to get done.

So, come dinner time, Joe wasn't hungry. Go figure. (They ate out at his all-time favorite restaurant!)

Of course, I'm never one to skip a meal, so I decided I needed something substantial...or at least that would make it seem like dinner. Fresh, hot butterhorns, and warm chocolate chip cookies did the trick. :) Who said that dinner had to be meat and potatoes?

Now before you judge me, I should tell you that not pictured on my plate above are the several slices of cucumber (I love those things!) and a small amount of leftover salad I also ate.

In other news...I straightened my hair tonight.

I had trimmed it up the beginning of this week and it ended up being a little shorter than I expected. Almost too short. (My philosophy is that hair is too short when you can't pull it back into a ponytail.) Anyhow, I thought I'd see how it looked straightened.

With Miss Molly, my faithful, cute (and sometimes annoying) companion

Next week, we have something new planned for this blog which I'm really excited about. Be sure to stay tuned so you won't miss it!

Weekly Poll - March 4th

It's been a long day. A long week for that matter. And I'm glad tomorrow is Friday.

Actually, the week has gone by pretty fast (because I've been busy), but I've also been sick. Add that to several nights of being unable to sleep and it makes for a long week. :)

So, hopefully that may explain why I've been rather quiet on the blog this week.

Here are the results of last week's poll:

Coffee - 19%
Hot Chocolate - 27%
Tea - 26%
Mocha - 21%
Other - 7%

This week's poll question is one I actually saw at a blog party recently. I thought it was so fun that I had to use it here for one of my polls. It definitely got me thinking.

If every outfit in your wardrobe had to be only one of the following colors, which would it be?

• Blue
• Green
• Pink
• Purple
• Brown
• Black
• Red
• Other

I like black. Brown is fun, too. But I think I'd have to go with purple. It happens to be my favorite color. And I really think it would take quite a while for me to grow tired of it.

So, which color would you go with? Just for fun, if you check the "other" box, leave a comment on this post telling me color you would choose.

Free Web poll for your Web site - freepolls.com

Freezer Cooking Day with my sister

Last week, my sister, Crystal, asked me to come help her with her Freezer Cooking Day in exchange for several of the meals we made. I'm not one to turn down free food, especially considering our weekly grocery budget of $22.50! Plus, I love cooking/baking and knew it would be fun to cook with company in the kitchen. (That's something I've missed having since I've gotten married.)

The day started off bright and early. I wanted to make a huge batch of Butterhorn Rolls, since that is one of Joe's favorite foods and I've been needing to make a batch for quite some time now. Since I was going to be making them for Crystal's family as well, I decided to double the recipe (64 rolls!). The only problem was that I realized the bowl was going to be waaaaay too small once the dough started rising. Ooops!

I ended up dividing the dough into two bowls while it rose.

Meanwhile I started cooking the Blueberry pancakes from a mix Crystal had already whipped up earlier.


I always have trouble cooking pancakes on Crystal's little pan skillet. (That's why I'm so glad my parents bought me a really nice large griddle for a wedding present.) They either burn or look really bad...just ask Crystal's husband! :) Here is proof:

While the pancakes were cooking, Crystal had me cut up a bunch of chicken breasts that had just come out of the oven. I wished I would have brought my kitchen scissors as I have found that is the easiest tool to use when cutting up chicken. Instead, I ended up using a knife and fork. Oh well.


When both the pancakes and chicken were finished, I began working on Taco Meat. Halfway through, we realized we had no taco seasoning...totally something Crystal and I would do. :) The spice cabinet came to the rescue and I poured stuff in until it smelled semi-taco-like. Crystal and I are experts at re-creating meals....sometimes into something no one will eat. But hey, at least we try! This time, however, my re-creation was successful.

I also made up about 24 Brown Bag Burritos - another one of Joe's favorites. By this time, the Butterhorn Roll dough had finished rising so began working on shaping the rolls. Below are some pictures of the process:




Joe was super happy to find out that I was bringing home 32 Butterhorn Rolls to put in our freezer. I'm guessing they won't last long even though there's only two of us. (You can see the recipe for these here.)

When all 64 rolls were finished, we decided to call it a day. After several hours, we had the following meals completed and ready to put in the freezer:

Lasagna x 4

Brown Bag Burritos x 2

Cheeseburger Meatloaf x 3

Chicken and Red Bean Burritos

Lemon Chicken x 3

White Bean and Chicken Chili

Taco Meat

Make Ahead Butterhorns x 2

Blueberry Pancakes

Chopped onions

2 bags of cooked brown rice

1 bag of cooked Great Northern beans

We both agreed it was a lot of fun (and less work) to cook together and decided we needed to do this more often. I was so happy to get my little freezer stocked up with food to last throughout the next couple of weeks, thanks to Crystal!