where the heart is

the tears came unexpectedly as I stood at the sink last thursday night doing dishes. I was reflecting on the thoughts that had filled my head and simmered daily as I stood there, washing in the hot soapy water. the next day we’d give the house to someone else. and a not-so-little piece of my heart would go with it.

Grace Cottage. Six years ago, God gave us this place. After months on the market, our house hadn’t sold. We’d decided to stay put and make it work. Jack was three, Molly was one, and Ginny was on the way.

Then one day, a friend of a friend came along and bought it. The very next day, we found grace cottage. God made a way. He said go.

We poured blood, sweat and tears into this place, literally. {Scott- blood and sweat; Me- tears}. Weeks of long days and late nights handcrafted these cozy walls, nooks and memories. there have been memories too many to count, but the hand of God has shaped them all.

Two cribs in the girls room with lime  painted panel walls lined up and taped by Shawna. Big blue stripes for my big boy. A long-awaited ‘grown up bedroom’ with peaceful walls and beautiful bed linens. Sparkly gem appliances and big kitchen drawers. Big family room filled with people we love, sharing life.

Red dining room turned believable buff schoolroom, I will miss you. You have greeted me every morning with the light of my mother’s day lamp for my Bible and coffee time. I cherish your quietness and the richness of all you represent.

Grace Cottage brought change in unexpected ways. New jobs. Public school. Seminary. Home school. New church. Joys and sorrows, all bundled through each step. God faithfully leading and directing along the way.

My heart is here, wrapped up in the sweetness of this place. Truly a haven of rest from the world, battleground for sanctification, His hand of goodness hidden on every shelf.

Once again, God has said go. He has made a way. After months on the market and not selling, a friend of a friend has come along and bought it.

While I know I cannot grasp this place too tightly, I will tuck these precious memories into the corners of my mind and heart. There will be another quiet place to sit and sip and read. More memories. More joy and sorrow. More sanctification. 

It may not be another cottage, but it will be filled with Grace. 

progress

in parenting it’s always three steps forward, two steps back it seems.

we are staring double digits in the face with our oldest and my heart just isn’t ready. we’ve still got most of a year left at nine and i find myself alternating between incredible frustration over the same childish behaviors and being deeply touched by the little hints of maturity I see in him.

this morning during the breakfast shuffle, he wanted oatmeal. there was one packet left. instead of going for it in his usual manner, he paused: ‘there’s only one packet of oatmeal left, would either of you like it?’ he said to his sisters.

progress.

a taste surprise!

My kids are always curious early in the day about what’s for dinner. They’re like their mama, wanting to think it over and dream about it all day long.

I have always loved brussels sprouts, even from childhood, when my very clever mother tricked us into eating them by calling them cabbagettes. We loved cabbage, so we knew we’d love little baby cabbages! Score one for mom.

Last week, I was planning to make these roasted brussels sprouts for our dinner. Ginny said, “Mama, what do brussels sprouts taste like?” … As I began to answer her, she covered her ears and said, “No, wait! Don’t tell me! I want to have a taste surprise!” Sweet girl. She gobbled them up that night.

quick and easy: orzo goodness

I’m always in favor of a meal I can throw together on the fly. Even before we went vegan, we enjoyed this little dish several times with our vegetarian friends… omnivores can enjoy little grilled chicken and feta on it. This is a great year-round fave for all of your dinner guests. It’s delicious served warm, room temp or cold! Try bowties or cavatappi for variety if you want.

Orzo Goodness
(a.k.a.) Orzo with Spinach, Lemon, Sundried Tomatoes and Olives
serves 4 as main dish

1 1/2 cups orzo (pictured here is half orzo, half ditalini)
zest and juice of one lemon
2-4 cups chopped spinach
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper

Cook the orzo in salted water until al dente. While the orzo cooks, zest and then juice the lemon. When the orzo is done, drain it and put it back into the pot. Immediately drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil and pour in the lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine, and set aside to cool to your desired temperature for eating. (I like the spinach to stay firm and not wilted, so I let the orzo cool a good bit.) While it cools, chop the spinach, sundried tomatoes and olives. If your tomatoes are in oil, leave the oil on them- it’s delicious! I love spinach so I use a lot. When you’re ready to eat, stir in all the veggies and season again with salt and pepper and more olive oil to your taste.

from white noise to white space

I had a surreal moment last fall when I watched Jack trot down the sidewalk to his piano lesson in his Cub Scout uniform, with me in the car and a cooler packed so he (and the girls) could eat a sandwich in the car on the way to Scouts and Heritage Girls while Scott was in class. Wasn’t this just a little too much?

About this time last year I posted about how crazy our schedule was. We were doing many things, but not doing anything well. Busy-ness had become the white noise by which we lived. We’d begun to slip away from the things in our lives that mattered most- quality time with family and friends, serving and hospitality, healthy, homecooked meals and time for the children to play freely.

For some people, it’s not too much. But for our family in this season of life, we were losing ourselves in the process of keeping up and fitting in. I had to step back and look deeper into our motivations for doing all that we were doing. Why was I looking to have my children in clubs, teams and activites? Were they really benefitting? Was I letting guilt and fear be the reason we participated in things?

Early this year, I read Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. So much of the book resonated with me, inspired me, and affirmed me. The main point he makes is that children need to be given the grace to be children and not rushed into the ‘more! faster! earlier!’ mentality that has become the norm for our culture.

“I believe that simplifying a child’s daily life is one of the best ways to restore a sense of balance in parenting. By simplifying their toys and environment, their schedules, and the sense of rhythm and regularity, you allow them the grace to be a child… Simplifying acknowledges how a child comes to understand the world- through play and interaction, not through adult concerns and information. The pressure is off when childhood is no longer seen as an ‘enrichment opportunity’ but instead as an unfolding experience- an ecology- with its own pace and natural systems” ~Kim John Payne

When I look back to my childhood, my fondest and sweetest memories are of my backyard. We spent hours building forts, making sandbox cookies, swinging, digging, creating, imagining…. no internet, very little television, no electronics- all very simple and wide open. I want the same for my kids.

So this fall, we took a step of faith and decided to stay home. No scouts, no sports, no music lessons. I chose to release my fears of my children being behind because they missed one season or one year of instruction. This year, we needed to breathe. To focus on the heart of our home and relationships.

What we’ve gained is freedom. My children finish their lessons and have the freedom to be outside, to sit and read, to play without rushing. They are more relaxed, happy and at peace. We have the time to keep a friend’s young ones so she can have a lunch date with her husband. We can make a meal for someone just home from the hospital. Bedtime has become enjoyable instead of stressful. Having friends for dinner doesn’t mean giving up our one free night of the week. We can take a bike ride and soak in the fresh air and sunshine with nothing else on the agenda.

White space has replaced the white noise of being busy. Margins become the norm and not the exception. Our souls have room to rest.

how it all vegan…

yes, you read that right: vegan.

we did it.

here’s how it went down: we both felt like our health needed a little overhaul, especially cleaning up our so-called ‘healthy’ diet (mostly South-Beachy/Paleo with the not-so-occasional Cookout Milkshake thrown in for fun). scott has struggled with heartburn for five years and wanted to get off his medication. i wanted to lose weight to help with my hip injury and so my jeans would fit better!

we watched: Forks Over Knives. It had some very compelling arguments about the benefits of a plant based diet. Not just for our own health, but for the health of the planet (significant reduction in our carbon footprint) and could truly revolutionize the very broken healthcare system in America (virtually eliminating obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.)

we went for it: we started the next day, labor day weekend. complete elimination of all animal products. we decided it was better than ‘easing’ in.I went through major grieving of eggs and cheese initially. I can totally do almond or soy milk, but I love eggs for breakfast and cheese on pretty much anything. but then…

we discovered: two days later, I got my blood work results from my annual checkup. Not good, y’all. Not good at all. I considered myself pretty healthy with diet and exercise, but I was stunned to get an overall reading of 258. The worst part was my LDL, which according to Mayo Clinic, should be under 100, was 196! that’s heart disease high. and very scary. That was all the convincing I needed to say good bye to dairy and my beloved morning eggs- which, according to south beach, are great to eat for breakfast. so I did, a lot. probably a big factor in my high numbers.

disclaimer: I feel pretty vulnerable putting my blood work numbers out there. but I wanted to share because it made me realize how important it is to have regular checkups and be really aware of what I’m eating… after getting those numbers, I realized my ‘healthy’ diet maybe wasn’t as healthy as I thought (half and half anyone?).  scott’s blood work came in the next week and his numbers were high too. not as high as mine, and his LDL/HDL ratio was better, but it still needed improvement.

we’re eating: delicious and very satisfying foods. I got great cookbooks from the library, and have found several incredible websites devoted to plant based diets. One thing we learned both in Forks Over Knives and in Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (another great one to watch) is that 400 calories of plants will fill your stomach completely, whereas 400 calories of oils, fatty foods or animal products will only fill it about 30% full.

a typical day: either steel cut oats or a smoothie for breakfast, a salad with veggie burger or a hummus wrap or leftovers for lunch, and delicious dinners filled with lots of veggies and some whole grains. the good news is, red wine and many chocolates are vegan! we had a date to the mellow mushroom this week and split a veggie filled calzone without cheese and a spinach salad. (side note: they do offer daiya soy cheese, but we’ve determined that not eating cheese is a better option for us. blegh!)

we’re feeling: amazing, really. lots more energy was the first thing we both noticed. much clearer skin. stronger and faster with exercise. sleeping better. and some significant reduction in the muffin top.

long term: we don’t know yet. It’s only been a month. I plan to do it until my cholesterol and LDL is reduced to almost half. I’d like to be able to flex for eating out or eating at friends’ homes sometimes, though I question how that would make me feel afterwards. We are still giving small amounts of organic cow’s milk to our kids, cheese and the occasional ham sandwich, but I’m not making separate suppers for them- they can eat lentil tacos with us! I’m blessed to have 2 out of 3 kids who eat anything, so we’re in good shape.

concerns: getting enough protein, vitamin B12, calcium, iron, eating too much soy… all the reading I’ve done says that a well rounded whole foods diet will cover the bases. I’m really not concerned.

resources: 
blogs: Oh She Glows, the PPK, Happy Herbivore, Daily Garnish
cookbooks: Urban Vegan, Vegan Gourmet, Feeding the Whole Family, Everyday Happy Herbivore
pinterest has a bajillion vegan recipes… i started a vegan recipe board

posts worth reading:
Happy Herbivore: 10 Reasons I’m a Plant Based (Vegan)
Zen Habits: A Guide to Eating a Plant Based Diet
PCRM: FAQ about Nutrition

my blog: I realize I posted a chicken recipe two days ago. I’m okay with that. (That night, I just made a little pot of black beans {Trader Joe’s Cuban Black Beans} for me and Scott and it worked fine.) I’ll still share our recipes with my usual Broken Bohemian random frequency. Be on the lookout for my fave smoothie recipe, a BB original Orzo dish and (hopefully) many more! Many of my recipes are already vegan or vegan friendly with simple modifications.

bottom line: We’re not going to get all ‘vegan-gelical’ on you (yet). We’re just doing what we have to do for our health. But I think it’s worth thinking about taking care of the body and earth God gave us… outside the box. It’s the Bohemian thing to do!

recipe: crockpot salsa and black bean chicken

Made this for our (not so) small group this weekend and it was a hit. Every bite got eaten- so much that you’ll have to excuse this after-thought photo from the last time I made it!

Crockpot Salsa and Black Bean Chicken
serves 10-12 

3 chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
5-6 boneless chicken thighs
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar salsa (I used tostitos mild)
seasonings: salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder
toppings: avocado, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, cheese, lime wedges
tortillas or tortilla chips

Layer the chicken in the crock pot. Dump black beans on top and spread out. Sprinkle liberally with seasonings to your taste. Dump salsa on top and spread out. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or so. Before serving, take two forks and shred the chicken into bite size pieces. Serve in tortillas with toppings or over a plate of tortilla chips.

*for a smaller crowd, use less chicken-everything else is the same.

life lately

…left y’all hanging, didn’t I? Didn’t mean to.  Here’s the not-so-short version of our past few months:

Our house is off the market. We went from May to August with only a handful of showings and mostly only calls from agents (we were selling by owner). I really couldn’t believe it or understand it, our house is adorable and priced well for the neighborhood.  I alternated between being elated not to have to keep my house perfect and offended that no one wanted to buy it! We prayed all along that God would put us exactly where He wanted us to be used for His kingdom and we can rest in knowing that He has us here in this sweet place for a while longer.

I met my only two summer goals: I joined Pinterest and read the Hunger Games trilogy. Oddly enough, I devoured the books but haven’t gotten sucked into the Pinterest craziness (yet).

We had a great summer. The first part flew by and July brought lazy summer days, pool time and mama finding her way on her yoga mat. After nagging pain for three months, a diagnosis of hip bursitis and a cortisone shot to the rear,  I’ve hung up the running shoes and am working on greater strength and flexibility. With yoga and this fabulous quick workout, I’m feeling better already.

We spent 10 precious days in the mountains, the first few were spent with friends, including a bear sighting while I was walking with Liz (simultaneous reaction #1: Oh, Cool! A bear! – Simulaneous reaction #2: Oh, &*%! a BEAR!!) (we survived, aren’t you relieved?) and staying up late to lay out on the deck covered in blankets watching a meteor shower. Amazing. Sweet time on the deck, great conversation, delicious food and lots of encouragement and laughs.

After our friends left, it was just the 5 of us for a week, which had us day tripping to Boone/Blowing Rock once, Asheville twice  with brunch at Table and a visit to Biltmore House. For some reason I am fascinated with the stories of historical people like the Vanderbilts, so as I held the rails of the stairway or stood by a mantle while passing through a room on the tour, I couldn’t help but think back on who may have stood in that very spot or run their hand down that rail one hundred years ago.

We stayed outside all day every day, it seemed. The weather never got above 80 degrees all week.  Though I often grieve the departure of ‘babyhood’ in our family, it is fun to see our kids grow up and be able to enjoy adventures sans stroller and naps. We hiked from the peak of Mt. Mitchell to the peak of Mt. Craig (amazing views), went tubing on the Toe River (brrr! and fun!), and ate pizza at Spruce Pine’s local spot two nights in a row (it really is that good.)

We came home and did a few days of school, then Scott and I got to enjoy a weekend away at the  Grove Park Inn in Asheville. It was a work weekend for Scott, but thankfully we still got to enjoy lots of time together. We ate lunch at the Laughing Seed and it made my heart and tummy so happy. Eating well and healthy is so easy in Asheville, where local and organic and vegan/vegetarian menus are more common than kids menus! We enjoyed a wonderful, challenging hike Saturday afternoon on a section of the Art Loeb Trail by the Shining Rock Wilderness. The views were open 360 degrees and breathtaking at every turn. My legs were sore the next day and it hurt so good. Dinner at Table again… and may possibly go down as the best meal I’ve ever had in my life. Seriously.

I even got to score an unplanned extra night with Scott at the Grove Park!! …But only because I’d spent Sunday afternoon and half the night with Ginny at the ER. I left Asheville Sunday to join my kids at the mountain house (my parents were keeping them for the weekend) and just 5 minutes before I arrived, Ginny had crashed on her scooter and split her chin. Though we could have just gone to the local hospital, we wanted her to be seen and stitched by a plastic surgeon so we hopped right back in the car and headed BACK to Asheville to the ER. God showed His great mercy and care for our little Bug in giving us a 5th year facial trauma resident to fix her up. Poor baby had to be put to sleep to be able to get it done. But she’s good as new now! Her favorite memories are getting to ride in a taxi to the hotel, sleeping in a big hotel bed with mama and daddy, and eating every soft food that the breakfast buffet had to offer.

And now we’re halfway into September and finding a groove with life. Scott started classes- he is now officially halfway done with seminary, two years down and two to go, Lord willing- and the kids and I are enjoying school at home and lots of backyard play, mid-morning bike rides and time with friends.

Scott and I are seeking to live a more disciplined, balanced and healthy life so that’s involved some schedule and lifestyle changes that I’ll be sharing about soon. Let’s just say it involves alarm clocks, mountain bikes and tofu.

My hope and goal is to learn to make time to write here. My thoughts are still swirling, my heart is still full, and yet the pull of life keeps me away at times.  So my swirling brain can remember, here are some posts bouncing around in my mind:

-how forks over knives changed everything
-our homeschool curriculum for this year
-making our own margins and white space, inpired by this book
-a simple birthday/christmas wishlist (by simple I mean Vitamix)
-my quirks and collections
-the fine line of packaging words with disclaimers
-two new recipes

we’ll see how far we make it with these. ellen and I have been meeting and writing some, too, and if i get really brave I’ll share that with you. real heart stuff.

it’s a small corner of the world I have here, but I’m thankful to have you on the journey with me.

Five Homeschool Classroom Essentials

It’s baaaack…. school time! I am not ashamed to say it, I straight up LOVE back-to-school shopping. And now that I’m teaching at home, my school supply obsession has doubled. Remember this commercial? My theme song right now.

By the way, have you ever seen this site? Hilarious. Here’s my idea: Hey Girl. Nothing gets me in the mood like watching you read curriculum catalogs before bed. Seriously, you know you’ve crossed over to complete homeschool nerd mom when that’s what you do before the lights go out.

Annnnywayyy, here’s a helpful list from our school to yours of five things you’ll want to be sure to have in your homeschool classroom, or have handy for your little pupils no matter where and how they do school!

Jars. Any kind will do, and an eclectic mix looks great. I just rinse and reuse old peanut butter jars, olive jars, etc. I’ve learned that keeping crayons upright in a smaller jar (like Bonne Maman) keeps them from breaking and you ending up with a bin full of broken crayons. Jars make it easy for your kids to transport the necessary supplies to and from their workspace. I prefer this method to a caddy with all the supplies, so only what’s needed gets moved, leaving the remaining supplies available for someone else. One day when I can get desks for all my kiddos (and me) I’d love for them to each have a little jar collection.

Date Stamper. This may seem luxurious (or lazy) but it has made it easier for us to stay organized with our paperwork all year long. Plus, don’t you just feel important when you get to stamp something? The one we bought had six or seven years on it, so it will last a while, and the ink is easy to replace (though I have had one for two years and haven’t replaced the ink.)

Electric Pencil Sharpener. It may be a stretch, but you’ll want to invest in a good quality sharpener. This little machine is a classroom workhorse. Regular pencils get a lot of use at our house, but the colored pencils get a heavy duty daily workout, so we  are glad to have something that can handle serious usage.

Letter Trays and Three Ring Binders. It’s hard to keep all the textbooks, workbooks and papers organized and in good shape for the whole school year. This system has worked really well for both me and the kids. Their daily use workbooks stay on their shelves. I keep the paperwork to be done on my shelf in binders by subject. As they finish work, it gets date stamped and filed in the appropriate binder on their shelf. At the end of the school year, I put the completed work in manila folders in a file box for storage, and we reuse the binders. I bought cheap letter trays which work fine for the kids’ small workbooks but I am going to get more heavy duty ones for my giant teacher manuals!

Three Hole Punch. Don’t burden yourself with the single hole puncher. You’re going to be putting papers in binders all year. Go ahead and get a good one. Kids love to be the ones to empty it (and they get a great ‘practical life’ lesson in vacuuming afterwards!)

Things we also love: our Dry Erase/Chalkboard Easel, Laminator, Rain Gutter Wall Shelves, and fun games (post about that forthcoming)!

What ‘must haves’ are in your classroom?

He Giveth More Grace

 
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure.
His pow’r has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

~Annie Johnson Flint