Hello there! It's been a while. The truth is, I just haven't felt like blogging lately. It's summer and I'm on a break from teaching. And, we've been spiraling downward. Our finances are out of control due to several circumstances, one being that the man of the house wasn't getting a regular paycheck although he was working regular hours (plus some). So, we fell behind on some bills. Several, actually. A few weeks ago, our internet and cable services (along with our home phone but who uses that anymore?) were disconnected. That's right. Cut off because we haven't paid the bill. It's embarrassing but the truth can set you free.
Unless you have teenagers.
Then it's a catastrophe.
Or not.
The first few days were horrible. Two teenage boys in the house - one apparently needs his internet, the other needs his sports channels. One 9 year old girl needs her Disney and OnDemand movies. One Etsy and Pinterest-addicted mom needs her internet. The man of the house needs his movie channels and internet. Or so we thought.
Before our cable and internet was disconnected, I had actually read 2 books in 4 days. I love being able to read in the summertime. After we mourned the loss of our beloved internet and cable, the girl and I went back to the public library to return those books for some replacements and we checked out some DVDs. For free.
Yes, I've done this before but, in the busyness of life, I forget that there are hundreds of free movies and books at that wonderful place called the library. And my daughter loves it too. So we were able to reconnect our common love of books and reading.
I was able to get some DVDs of movies that my children had never seen. Classics. Like Mary Poppins, Schindler's List, Schoolhouse Rock. It's been great. Teaching and sharing ideas with my own kids.
We've spent more time together. On the front porch, in the yard, at the track across the street. We've used this time of "unplugging" to plug back in to one another. I feel I've connected with my older boy more these past couple of weeks than I have in a while. My daughter and I have painted together, created things together, sang and danced together.
And I've been daydreaming again, which is a good thing. I've been reconnected with the writer inside me that longs to get out and put words on paper, or the internet! (Oh, the irony.) I've spent more time with extended family as I visit their restaurant to bum their internet and watch a little television in the dining area. I've read more books which are inspiring me to continue writing and pursuing my dreams.
As of this post, we still don't have it turned on but, through prayer, the man of the house was able to find a job that actually pays him and we are working on our debt. We are spending more time together as a family where we would normally be doing separate things in different rooms of the house. We will need internet once school starts in a few weeks so the kids can do research and, of course, the cable so we can watch football on Saturdays. But this has been a nice break. A nice reality that these things aren't necessities, really, but wants that we have become used to in our lives. Wants that are disguised as needs because of the importance society places on these things.
Do we really need it when school starts? Probably not. But the harsh reality is that my children will be at a disadvantage if they don't have it. So, I will do what I can to get my services turned back on by then so my family can reconnect with the outside world.
I just pray it doesn't disconnect us from each other again.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Can I just restart or reboot?
So, as a family, we are a little frustrated with some things going on and we are thinking about changing things and starting over somewhere else. I'm a little stressed about this, to say the least. Part of me is a bit excited about starting over, living simply, and trying something new. But part of me likes consistency, dependability, and stability that I have worked so hard over the years to achieve. To leave that behind scares me.
If we decide to make this change, I am excited about the chance to get out of education. But I'm scared because that is our main source of income, insurance, and retirement. I am excited about the possibility of having a massive yard sale and getting rid of most of our possessions so we don't have to "take them with us" when we move to this new location. I'm excited about living a more simplified lifestyle, mainly because I want to be a starving artist and try to promote my art and books. Given this opportunity, I really want to promote myself full-time. Obviously part-time promotion over the years has not worked as well as I have wanted it to. But that scares me because I don't want us to, well, starve.
So my thoughts are, we can do this if we really buckle down now and save every penny we can - in the midst of baseball season, end of school expenses, final payments for my trip to Spain, and regular bills. I have been praying about this since last week, when we first began the discussions. The kids are on board and pretty excited, which eases my mind a little.
It's hard. Life is hard. I'm going to continue to pray for guidance and clarity. The good Lord has guided me this far and I know he will keep whispering to me and showing me what his plan is for us.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Frustrated, aggravated, and disappointed
Not a fun title is it? But that's how I feel right now. I should be feeling happy and joyful since I've got my Daylight Saving Time back and I can now frolic in some sunshine after school and actually stay warm at a baseball game for a little while longer. Maybe my body is still just a little upset over losing an hour of much needed sleep. At any rate, I am just feeling....blah.
Ever have those days? I feel I could burst into tears at any moment. I'm just overwhelmed with things, my mind is racing with projects and ideas that I don't have time to produce, and I'm stressed out. I tend to sit and think too much and that leads to trouble. Actually, it's not good for my health. I have so much to be thankful for, and I am thankful, but it's just been one of those days where it's hard to get out of the funk, even when you count all your blessings.
I desperately want to write and be a writer. I feel it deep in my soul and in my bones. I want to illustrate and create cute note cards and inspirational art that will lift people's spirits when they feel down (like the way I feel right now). Earlier tonight, as I sat at my daughter's acting class, I doodled and created some note cards for a friend, and I realize now that I was not as "blah" feeling as I am at the moment.
So, I'm disappointed because I don't have time (or I say I don't) to focus on my mutiny project. I'm frustrated with the educational system right now and the fact that I am not getting a raise plus I get to lose $81 a month because my insurance is going up. I'm aggravated that some people in authoritative/educational positions don't seem to communicate to others what they want or expect from children and parents.
But, it's almost bedtime and I have to find something positive so that maybe I can turn off the wheels that keep rotating in my brain, churning out one idea after another. I wake up exhausted because I lie in bed for hours thinking, praying, creating in my mind. I do feel a little better having typed this little blog. Even if no one reads it. I feel better for myself. My mind is a little less cluttered, my chest a little lighter, my shoulders less knotted. I have had this one setback but tomorrow I'm going to rock! I've got lots of positive things going on and God has a way of making things happen in His time. I know there are brighter days ahead. Game on!
Ever have those days? I feel I could burst into tears at any moment. I'm just overwhelmed with things, my mind is racing with projects and ideas that I don't have time to produce, and I'm stressed out. I tend to sit and think too much and that leads to trouble. Actually, it's not good for my health. I have so much to be thankful for, and I am thankful, but it's just been one of those days where it's hard to get out of the funk, even when you count all your blessings.
I desperately want to write and be a writer. I feel it deep in my soul and in my bones. I want to illustrate and create cute note cards and inspirational art that will lift people's spirits when they feel down (like the way I feel right now). Earlier tonight, as I sat at my daughter's acting class, I doodled and created some note cards for a friend, and I realize now that I was not as "blah" feeling as I am at the moment.
So, I'm disappointed because I don't have time (or I say I don't) to focus on my mutiny project. I'm frustrated with the educational system right now and the fact that I am not getting a raise plus I get to lose $81 a month because my insurance is going up. I'm aggravated that some people in authoritative/educational positions don't seem to communicate to others what they want or expect from children and parents.
But, it's almost bedtime and I have to find something positive so that maybe I can turn off the wheels that keep rotating in my brain, churning out one idea after another. I wake up exhausted because I lie in bed for hours thinking, praying, creating in my mind. I do feel a little better having typed this little blog. Even if no one reads it. I feel better for myself. My mind is a little less cluttered, my chest a little lighter, my shoulders less knotted. I have had this one setback but tomorrow I'm going to rock! I've got lots of positive things going on and God has a way of making things happen in His time. I know there are brighter days ahead. Game on!
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Getting started
Well, I did get started on staging my mutiny against all our stuff. Sort of. I typed up my initial plans and what exactly we have too much of. Everything, really...except money. But we have enough and that's okay.
So, I have decided to start with possessions in the month of March. I hope to find some time in between school and baseball games to get in my creepy, cold basement and start purging things in my collection of fabric, art supplies, and everyday items that I tend to hoard because I think they will make a cool art project. (I've got to stop that!)
Now, I'm not gonna lie. I have a motive for purging all of our stuff that has nothing to do with the fact we are overrun by it. I am taking a group of 4 students to Spain in June and I don't want to put unnecessary financial strain on my family so I need to make a few extra bucks (well, a few hundred bucks) so that my family doesn't suffer financially while I'm gone for 11 days. The emotional stress will have them suffering enough, along with the fact that they will actually have to do things for themselves. Hey, I only take these trips every 2-3 years so I'm going to enjoy every second of it and have my kids learn some good life lessons about how to survive without mom!
I also want to have a swap party where you invite your friends/family to bring a few items they don't want and you get together and swap it. I've actually tried to plan one of these things before (I even found my notes in a folder I was cleaning out) but I never followed through with it. I think I will plan that during Spring Break since the kids will be out of school, I'll be out of school, and we could stay up all night without having any major responsibilities, like work, the next day!
I hope that by ridding ourselves of all these useless things, that we can spend more time as a family, purchase what we really need instead of what we want, and bless others in the process. I do plan to just give some of our things away to those who need it more than we do. And, of course, if it comes down to make a buck or bless someone who can't pay, the latter will happen every time. We have been blessed when we were at our lowest and I truly believe in spreading the love and blessings to everyone.
Month One - Possessions will begin on March 1st and will last the entire month. I hope to get my children involved and explain to them why we need to do this. I'm not sure what the second month will be but I will plan that as month one progresses. I'm excited about this adventure.
Stay Positive!
Jen
So, I have decided to start with possessions in the month of March. I hope to find some time in between school and baseball games to get in my creepy, cold basement and start purging things in my collection of fabric, art supplies, and everyday items that I tend to hoard because I think they will make a cool art project. (I've got to stop that!)
Now, I'm not gonna lie. I have a motive for purging all of our stuff that has nothing to do with the fact we are overrun by it. I am taking a group of 4 students to Spain in June and I don't want to put unnecessary financial strain on my family so I need to make a few extra bucks (well, a few hundred bucks) so that my family doesn't suffer financially while I'm gone for 11 days. The emotional stress will have them suffering enough, along with the fact that they will actually have to do things for themselves. Hey, I only take these trips every 2-3 years so I'm going to enjoy every second of it and have my kids learn some good life lessons about how to survive without mom!
I also want to have a swap party where you invite your friends/family to bring a few items they don't want and you get together and swap it. I've actually tried to plan one of these things before (I even found my notes in a folder I was cleaning out) but I never followed through with it. I think I will plan that during Spring Break since the kids will be out of school, I'll be out of school, and we could stay up all night without having any major responsibilities, like work, the next day!
I hope that by ridding ourselves of all these useless things, that we can spend more time as a family, purchase what we really need instead of what we want, and bless others in the process. I do plan to just give some of our things away to those who need it more than we do. And, of course, if it comes down to make a buck or bless someone who can't pay, the latter will happen every time. We have been blessed when we were at our lowest and I truly believe in spreading the love and blessings to everyone.
Month One - Possessions will begin on March 1st and will last the entire month. I hope to get my children involved and explain to them why we need to do this. I'm not sure what the second month will be but I will plan that as month one progresses. I'm excited about this adventure.
Stay Positive!
Jen
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Planning my own mutiny
I've been reading a book the past week and a half. What? How have I had time to read? Snow days. We've had lots of snow days. And I absolutely love this book. I will probably read it again when I'm finished and highlight the really good stuff.
I had heard about this on the wonderful web and thought I'd give it a try. I'm always thinking we have way too much stuff - physically, emotionally, etc. I tried to find it for free at my local library but that was a fail. Not really wanting to purchase the download from Amazon, I kept holding out thinking I could find someone who already had it and just borrow it or convince my library to purchase it. Nope. None of the above. I took my daughter on a rare visit to the movies and we stopped at a major bookstore - just to browse. Nope. That didn't happen either. Now, if you don't really know my daughter and me, we don't just browse through books. We love them. Cherish them. Use them. It was her first time in said bookstore and she was in heaven. She had a hard time deciding how much of her saved Christmas money she was willing to spend in this "best store ever". But, I digress.
I found the book and purchased it, along with a couple of ACT prep books for my teenager. He has yet to take a practice test while I am almost finished with my purchased treasure.
To summarize, the author (also a Jen like me) is tired of all the stuff taking over her family and disrupting her relationship building with God. I like this. I've been thinking this too. So she came up with 7 areas of excess and spent 30 days on each area. Some of her areas were food, clothing, media, possessions, and spending. I'm with ya!
So, I have been secretly planning my own mutiny, to begin shortly after I finish reading the book. I still need a lot of prayer and motivation. I will brainstorm and identify our specific areas of excess and how I want to tackle them. I'm not sure if I can do it exactly the way she did but I'm not sure I want to. This is personal and I need to make it work for me so that I can grow from it.
These past few snow days has made me focus more on this than I probably would have if I had been casually reading a little at night after a long day of work and running kids to practices. But I think God wanted it that way. He has been speaking to me more lately and I've been listening more. Or maybe He's always been speaking to me this much, I just didn't listen. Either way, I'm listening now and I'm inspired. Inspired to be a better daughter of my King, a better wife, a better mother, and a better teacher. But that's all to come when I figure out the details of this little mutiny.
Until then, stay positive and count your blessings!
Jen
I found the book and purchased it, along with a couple of ACT prep books for my teenager. He has yet to take a practice test while I am almost finished with my purchased treasure.
To summarize, the author (also a Jen like me) is tired of all the stuff taking over her family and disrupting her relationship building with God. I like this. I've been thinking this too. So she came up with 7 areas of excess and spent 30 days on each area. Some of her areas were food, clothing, media, possessions, and spending. I'm with ya!
So, I have been secretly planning my own mutiny, to begin shortly after I finish reading the book. I still need a lot of prayer and motivation. I will brainstorm and identify our specific areas of excess and how I want to tackle them. I'm not sure if I can do it exactly the way she did but I'm not sure I want to. This is personal and I need to make it work for me so that I can grow from it.
These past few snow days has made me focus more on this than I probably would have if I had been casually reading a little at night after a long day of work and running kids to practices. But I think God wanted it that way. He has been speaking to me more lately and I've been listening more. Or maybe He's always been speaking to me this much, I just didn't listen. Either way, I'm listening now and I'm inspired. Inspired to be a better daughter of my King, a better wife, a better mother, and a better teacher. But that's all to come when I figure out the details of this little mutiny.
Until then, stay positive and count your blessings!
Jen
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Trying this freezer meal cooking plan
Happy New Year! On this first day of 2014, I am feeling so accomplished! I tried the whole freezer meals thing. And I did it all with food and stock from my pantry and fridge. I didn't spend any money! Warning: if you want to keep reading, just know that this is kind of a long post.
So, here's the deal. I get chicken from my dad. Lots of it. Anyway, I started with a bag of about 8 huge chicken breasts. Not your typical ones from the grocery but actually turkey sized chicken breasts, probably about 12 pounds worth. I put it all in a pot to boil. While that was boiling, I was surfing the internet, playing Candy Crush saga, and just being lazy. The kids had done the dishes so that was a big help before the big 5 hour mess got started!
I cooked and chopped and boiled and jarred so much food! I actually can't believe what I accomplished. Here's the only photo I took of my cooking adventure and I was about halfway into it.
Now, here's what I cooked or chopped:
About 12 lbs. of boneless chicken breasts
1 onion
1 lb. of carrots
4 boiled eggs
4 potatoes (I will be cutting and cooking the rest of the bag tomorrow.)
Here's what I used from my pantry/fridge:
2 soft tortilla shells
shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 container or sour cream
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1/2 packet club crackers
a few tablespoons of French's fried onions
salt and pepper and garlic salt
flour
baking powder
milk
butter
mayonaise
mustard
Now for the good part - Here's what I made from all of this:
1 chicken casserole
1 chicken pot pie
2 chicken burritos (yes, only 2. I only had 2 tortilla shells! I wrapped them individually to grab for a quick school lunch.)
chicken salad
carrots, onion and potatoes already chopped to make deer meat stew (which is also already in the freezer)
2 quart sized bags of shredded chicken for tacos, nachos, soup, chicken chili, or whatever
3 jars of chicken broth
1 16 oz. container of cream of chicken soup
4 snack bags of carrots
Now, this also does not include the chicken broth or cream of chicken soup that I made to add to my casseroles since I only had one can in my cabinet. Mine was so much better than the store bought canned stuff!
I froze most of it so that when baseball season starts in a month or so, I can just pop these things in the oven or crock pot and we have a good dinner in under half an hour. I still have to cut and cook the potatoes tomorrow but that's okay. I am so proud to have 8 complete meals ready to go.
Now to organize my freezer space a little better and I think I will do this every two weeks, maybe rotate chicken and beef. I don't know if I can handle being in the kitchen to do all of it at once!
Jen
So, here's the deal. I get chicken from my dad. Lots of it. Anyway, I started with a bag of about 8 huge chicken breasts. Not your typical ones from the grocery but actually turkey sized chicken breasts, probably about 12 pounds worth. I put it all in a pot to boil. While that was boiling, I was surfing the internet, playing Candy Crush saga, and just being lazy. The kids had done the dishes so that was a big help before the big 5 hour mess got started!
I cooked and chopped and boiled and jarred so much food! I actually can't believe what I accomplished. Here's the only photo I took of my cooking adventure and I was about halfway into it.
Now, here's what I cooked or chopped:
About 12 lbs. of boneless chicken breasts
1 onion
1 lb. of carrots
4 boiled eggs
4 potatoes (I will be cutting and cooking the rest of the bag tomorrow.)
Here's what I used from my pantry/fridge:
2 soft tortilla shells
shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 container or sour cream
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1/2 packet club crackers
a few tablespoons of French's fried onions
salt and pepper and garlic salt
flour
baking powder
milk
butter
mayonaise
mustard
Now for the good part - Here's what I made from all of this:
1 chicken casserole
1 chicken pot pie
2 chicken burritos (yes, only 2. I only had 2 tortilla shells! I wrapped them individually to grab for a quick school lunch.)
chicken salad
carrots, onion and potatoes already chopped to make deer meat stew (which is also already in the freezer)
2 quart sized bags of shredded chicken for tacos, nachos, soup, chicken chili, or whatever
3 jars of chicken broth
1 16 oz. container of cream of chicken soup
4 snack bags of carrots
Now, this also does not include the chicken broth or cream of chicken soup that I made to add to my casseroles since I only had one can in my cabinet. Mine was so much better than the store bought canned stuff!
I froze most of it so that when baseball season starts in a month or so, I can just pop these things in the oven or crock pot and we have a good dinner in under half an hour. I still have to cut and cook the potatoes tomorrow but that's okay. I am so proud to have 8 complete meals ready to go.
Now to organize my freezer space a little better and I think I will do this every two weeks, maybe rotate chicken and beef. I don't know if I can handle being in the kitchen to do all of it at once!
Jen
Saturday, October 12, 2013
I've been crafty!
Well, after some weird allergic reaction that sent me to the doctor then the hospital 2 days later, I've had plenty of time away from school to get into my creative spirit again. I finally caught up on a little housekeeping and picture hanging (hey, it only took me 3 months to hang those pictures) and some redecorating.
I had purchased these old, crocheted doilies a few months back at my church yard sale. I knew they would have great futures but I had not found the right shirt just yet. Until Thursday. My daughter and I finally had some time to just walk around and window shop at antique and thrift stores since we were out of school for a short fall break. That's when I found this great oatmeal colored, long sleeve sweater for $1.50. So, the doilies go on the shoulders like so...
After sewing them on with a zigzag stitch, I decided to cut away the fabric underneath to expose the shoulders. I really love how it turned out and I got lots of compliments when I wore it to the football game.
So now here's my selfie in my $2 sweater that looks like it came from a boutique, paired with my $1 infinity scarf I made. I think it looks pretty sweet!
Happy crafting! Until next time...
I had purchased these old, crocheted doilies a few months back at my church yard sale. I knew they would have great futures but I had not found the right shirt just yet. Until Thursday. My daughter and I finally had some time to just walk around and window shop at antique and thrift stores since we were out of school for a short fall break. That's when I found this great oatmeal colored, long sleeve sweater for $1.50. So, the doilies go on the shoulders like so...
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