a gypsy caravan

Vintage Embroidered Pillow Cases

I have been continuing to purge our closets, keeping only the items that we really need or love.  I came across this set of embroidered pillowcases that were made by my paternal great grandmother.  I have many vintage linens that I've picked up at thrift stores but these are special to me since they were made by family.  The edges are crocheted with white cotton.  I think they are so cheery.

Thomas a Kempis On Familiarity

"Do not open your heart to everyone, but only to one who is wise, God-fearing, and who can keep your confidence...do not flatter the rich, or seek to be in the presence of the great without good reason.

Rather associate yourself with those who are humble and have simplicity, who are devout and self-disciplined, talking with them about those things that will edify and strengthen the soul...Have charity for all but familiarity is unwise.  Sometimes it happens that we know a person only by his fame, but when we meet him we are often disappointed.  And sometimes we think we please others by our presence, when in reality, they come to dislike us because of the faults they see in us."

There is so much wisdom in The Imitation of Christ.  If you haven't read it yet, you might like to pick up a copy at the library. 

Not to Miss

Do read Ann's post this morning:

Choose the View

Thank you, Ann.

Simple Woman's Daybook-July 21

Stop over at Peggy's for all the links entered in this week's Simple Woman's Daybook
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Outside My Window ... flowers are in bloom, butterflies abound and laundry hangs from the line.
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I am thinking ...where we might like to live if we didn't live here.
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I am thankful for ... friends who stand by me through thick and thin.
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From the kitchen ... a marble cake with chocolate icing for Ben's birthday.
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I am wearing ... a red, white and dark pink bandana print skirt, dark pink 3/4 length sleeve blouse (permanent press), scapular, pony tail, bare feet.
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I am creating ...an embroidered pillowcase.
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I am going ...to take a walk this evening.
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I am reading ...A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola, Drawing with your 4-11 year old by Donna Simmons
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I am hoping ...to take the kids swimming this week after Christopher gets his waterproof second cast on Wednesday.
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I am hearing ... mourning doves by the feeder, a fan upstairs, the hum of the clothes dryer.
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Around the house ... we caught up on laundry today, even the sheets.  Need to keep working hard and involving the children.

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One of my favorite things ...Noxema cleansing cream.  I used to use it as a teenager and recently bought some for my skin which had been breaking out again.  It is working like a charm, makes my skin soft and smells like summer.  Don't tell me anything about any questionable ingredients, I don't want to know. :)

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A few plans for the rest of the week: errands, doctor's appointment, (hopefully) swimming, catching up on housework and spending time in the shade with the children.
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Here is a picture thought I am sharing~

Ben's First Harvest

This summer as well as last, Ben has worked a garden plot in the backyard.  Last year, he impressed me by asking whether he could prepare the soil after it had been allowed to grow over for the previous five years.  I was surprised when he turned over the entire plot himself, paid for seeds and seedlings and took care of the watering and weeding.   

This year he has extended the size a bit and is working on some of the requirements for the Plant Science Merit Badge.  In the spring, he planted green beans, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, Big Boy tomatoes, green bell peppers and Gypsy peppers. :)  Here is his first harvest.

The green beans are coming along nicely and should yield much more in the next couple of weeks.  We have some rabbits with insatiable appetites that have made off with the lettuce, spinach and all but three of the carrots but Ben is not discouraged.  He is paying his sister to watch out the window and chase the rabbits away.  :)

Home from Camp

Ben has been gone for the past week at Boy Scout camp. When I picked him up this morning he looked tan and healthy and stood a bit taller than he did when we dropped him off last weekend. There is something about an all male environment, eating what you're served, sleeping in a tent and spending 100% of your days and night outdoors that makes a boy look a bit more like a man.

Today was monumental for Ben because he will turn twelve years old tomorrow and now weighs 100 pounds. To Ben, that meant one thing...the ability to sit in the front of the van with Mom. No more having to argue with his brother and sisters for the prime seating location in the back. Nope, he is a big guy now and was smiling from ear to ear when I told him to hop up front.

On the drive home, Ben shared all that he had done at camp. He mentioned some achievements such as catching his first fish, taking it off the hook by himself, hitting the bulls eye a number of times on the rifle range, earning his Environmental Science and Swimming merit badges. He told me he didn't have much dirty laundry to wash because he hardly changed his clothes. (?!?) And yes, he had been faithful to say his prayers.

The clincher came when I asked him (like all mothers are inclined to do) whether he had brushed his teeth. Sheepishly he looked at me. "Yes, I brushed them." "That's my boy!" I exclaimed.

"On Thursday."

Summer Seasonal Table

The girls and I finally set up our summer seasonal table the other day.  I set one up last autumn but didn't make one for winter or spring.   It is fun for the children to see the table change with the seasons and to add their little touches here and there. 

I found the embroidered cloth at the thrift store for only a dollar.  I think the flower detail is so pretty.  (As a side note, I am amazed at the things people give away.  I cannot tell you how much work just this little section of embroidery must have taken.  The cloth itself is folded in half on our seasonal table which tells you that there are at least fifteen of these flower sections. Can you imagine giving it away after all that work?  My guess, with most of the pretty linens I find used, is that they were part of an estate sale where no one valued the handmade things and donated it.  Oh well...in the words of Jerry Garcia, "One man gathers what another man spills.")

We go to the beach quite often in the hotter months and the kids are always picking up driftwood, smooth  rocks and of course, beach glass. 

Lastly, we made some woolen bees a couple of weeks ago from some leftover brown wool that my friend Chris had given me.  The bee directions are in the book All Year Round by Ann Druitt.  I love that book and use it fairly often for seasonal craft ideas.  That is where I found the directions for last fall's Thistle Hedgehogs.   We had some beeswax  hive candles left over from last summer and the woolen bees look right at home atop them.

Lastly, we gathered a bunch of flowers from our yard.  This time of year there are so many different varieties growing and they all look so pretty grouped together.

Pictured are two types of hydrangea, echinacea, astilbe, white phlox, hosta, balloon flower, goosenecks, and tickseed coreopsis.   The bees in my yard have been in their glory. :)

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful weekend! 

Trading Baseball Cards--Five Year Old Girl Style

Mary recently acquired a couple dozen baseball cards so she could trade with her brothers.

Overheard...

Christopher: Who will you give me for Rafael Palmeiro?

Mary: How about this catcher guy with the dark brown hair and handsome eyes?

Christopher (grabbing the card to read it) : That's Pudge Rodriguez. Are you sure you want to trade him 'cause I called no trade-backs.

Mary: Sure. His eyebrows are kind of strange anyway. Do you have any guys with red shirts?

Christopher: Ummm...no.

Mary: Do you have Baby Ruth?

Christopher: Ummm...no. Do you mean Babe Ruth? That card would be worth a lot of money.

Mary: Why?

Christopher: Because he was really good.

Mary: I thought Baby Ruth was a little girl.

Christopher: No, he wasn't a girl.

Mary: Well, that's kind of a dumb name for a boy. How about yellow shirts? Do you have any guys with yellow shirts?

Christopher: Sigh....

On Keeping Joy and Hope While Suffering

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.  "So it is."  "And freezing."  "Is it?"  "Yes," said Eeyore.  "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."  ~A.A. Milne

We have had a very rough year, perhaps it has been two.  There have been many heavy and serious issues that our family has encountered in this time, none of which I have shared on my blog because they are personal.  I believe in being genuine here on A Gypsy Caravan but I do not believe in being transparent.  There is no falsehood to be found here,  no trying to appear to be something we aren't but there has been a deliberate omission of the issues with which we are dealing and the sufferings that we are bearing.    That omission stems from my belief in the privacy of the family and is good common sense, in my opinion.  I have close friends who pray for our situation and I humbly ask you to do the same.  To those of you who are also bearing heavy crosses, I wanted to share the things that have helped us through the hard times and sufferings. 

For all of the difficulties, I am grateful because: 

"Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope (Romans 5:3-4).”

When I find myself hit with heavy blows and think that I can bear no more, I try to remember to do three things:

• Pray without ceasing
• Continue working diligently on my vocation
• Keep a positive attitude

These are the three things that have helped me to endure many a hardship.  Prayer can be short aspirations if need be.  "My Jesus Mercy" or "For you, dear God." is sometimes all that I can muster.  Sometimes a stressful life situation does not allow for hours of prayer but if we are trying to please Him throughout the day by offering Him our small gifts of love, it will help unite our heart to His.  Also, if I remember to offer up our suffering to God each day, hardship becomes much easier to bear because I understand that it has a purpose, that it is not all for naught.  I try to encourage my children to offer up small annoyances or discomfort for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

   "It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins." (2 Macch. 12, 46)

Sometimes the children roll their eyes and find it annoying.  Other times, though, it sinks in.  For example, when Christopher broke his arm a couple weeks back, he suffered greatly.  The ride to the hospital brought him severe pain as his arm was hanging from the point of the break in a contorted manner.  Each small bump or turn caused him to cry out in pain.  He sat through traction and manipulation.  He saw his entire summer go up in smoke.  I gently reminded him that I was so sorry he was suffering but that he could do well to offer up his horrible pain for some poor soul that had no one to remember it.  He did so and still mentions that he believes he helped someone that day.   Physical pain is easy to spot but much of our pain is from within: fear, being misunderstood or feeling unloved.  These feelings are real and unite us with our Savior.  They too can be offered up and may well be worth more than any physical suffering we may encounter.

It is important during times of stress to "keep on keeping on", to work on my vocation with fervor.  My vocation is that of a wife and mother. I certainly struggle to do a good job in this area but I will keep on trying.  Sometimes I am selfish and do not do the best I can but one cannot give up and become discouraged.

Once, I was  speaking to the parents of seven whose children were grown.  We were talking about how difficult it can be to raise many children and to do a good job.  I mentioned my consistent problem with impatience.  "I just can't seem to make it through a day without losing my temper.  I am so impatient and ruin the day. "  "No," the husband said, "you did not ruin the day, you ruined that moment.  From that point on, practice being patient.  Don't give up and label yourself or you will begin to become whatever negative label you give yourself.  Apologize and keep trying."    This was a good reminder to me that no one is perfect and that we should not pretend to be, though we must continually strive to do the best we can with the vocation we are entrusted.

Lastly, trying to keep a positive attitude is something that comes from practice but has been helpful to me.  I have memorized a number of quotes, some found below, and try to remind myself that someone, somewhere is suffering more than I am, that my difficulties are small compared to that which other people must bear.  This attitude is not to be confused with the thought that is sometimes expressed by people who believe that they are especially blessed by God because they are exceedingly wealthy or because their baby was born without health problems or because the hurricane missed their home or any number of other things that the world thinks constitutes as favor from God.  Blessings from God do not always come by way of lack of trials and a seemingly easy life.  Sometimes God's blessings come from the stripping away of our pride, our attachment to material things, an illness or a by being misunderstood by others.  Keeping our attitude in check and staying positive means eliminating sarcasm and a "martyred" attitude.  Spending time with people who encourage us amidst our trials will help us to remain strong and positive. 

I once drove in a cab with a driver who explained his childhood, which to me sounded very difficult and impoverished.  He came from an intact home with two parents but they were immigrants who struggled to keep their family fed and clothed.  They did not rely on handouts and worked hard for everything they had.  This cab driver told me that whenever he complained as a young boy, his mother always told him, "Don't complain.  You are not a complainer."  He felt that was the best gift she had given him,  a mantra of sorts to remind himself not to complain.  To this day, whenever he feels like being negative or complaining, he reminds himself that he is "not a complainer", closes his mouth and redirects his thought to something more positive. 

Here are some quotes that I like and that I find helpful in keeping a postive attitude:

"The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove loving and friendly and helpful to you."~ Unknown
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"Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character."
~Albert Einstein
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"The optimist sees opportunity in every danger; the pessimist sees danger in every opportunity."
~Winston Churchill 
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Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.  ~Voltaire 
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"Misery is a communicable disease."  ~Martha Graham
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"Impossible is a word only to be found in the dictionary of fools."  ~Napoleon
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"I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him".  ~Galileo Galilei
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"Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince a person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise. Give lifting that person your best shot, but don't hang around long enough for his or her bad attitude to pull you down. Instead, surround yourself with optimistic people."~-Zig Ziglar

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"Happiness is an attitude.  We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong.  The amount of work is the same. " ~Unknown

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"I am an optimist.  It does not seem too much use being anything else."  ~Winston Churchill
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Thanks for visiting today.  Have a wonderful summer evening with your family.

Corners of My Garden: Annabelle Hydrangeas

When we moved here eight years ago, we put in several large perennial beds.  I have always loved hydrangeas and planted several different varieties.  One of my favorites is the Annabelle hydrangea which produces creamy white snowball flowers.  We have four such bushes throughout the yard.  The blossoms turn a pale green as they age and keep their beauty into early fall.   I think they look so pretty in a milk glass vase.

Multitasking

Who says you can't brush your teeth and wash your feet at the same time?

Summer Nature Study

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature." ~Anne Frank

The kids and I spent time last week (prior to the Tarzan accident :) at the local arboretum where we do most of our weekly nature study.   We have been going to the arboretum for the past eight years.  It is neat to get to know a place intimately, in all four seasons.  Coming back week after week allows us to really grow accustomed to the wildlife, plants and terrain of this diverse place.  We spend most of our time around the pond and in the woods when we visit.  While we are big fans of the arboretum, I'll admit to avoiding nature study in the depths of February when our temperatures hover right around 10 degrees.  I like to study my fireplace and my knitting at that time of year. :)

We started doing nature study when Benjamin was a preschooler.  He and I would come to the arboretum with Christopher in the baby sling or backpack.  I began bringing along a sketchbook and camera after reading the books Wild Days by Karen Rackliffe and  Keeping a Nature Journal   by Clare Walker Leslie. 

Last week, many of the wildflowers were in bloom in the butterfly garden and in the meadows.   I like to draw plants and flowers because they do not move around, making it easy for a person like me, who has only a public school art education, to sketch them.  I like to add the Latin names as well.  I don't know why but it seems so romantic.  Lest you think I am a student of Latin, I copy the Latin names from our field guides. :)

I wanted to share a tip I use for those of you who are afraid to buy yourself a nature notebook and start sketching.  I am not very adept at drawing three dimensional objects or creatures so I like to sketch things (copy them actually) from photographs or books.  For example, if the children and I are out in the wilderness and we see a turtle crawling along, we try to identify it from our field guides.  Rather than trying to sketch it there on the spot, I will come home and copy it from a book, again usually a field guide.  While we were out recently, we saw a small snapping turtle and several snails.  I knew that I could not sketch the turtle accurately while it crawled along so when we got home, I took out the Minn of the Mississippi book and copied a snapping turtle drawing from its pages.  Maybe some folks would think that was cheating but it is the only way I know how to draw.   

When we study nature, the kids and I each bring along a small field bag.  Inside the bag is a small spiral bound sketchbook, a pencil and perhaps a small pair of field glasses.  I carry the field guides in my own bag which is a big larger than the childrens'.

We have used these embroidered field bags for the past few years.  They are made from a women's cooperative in Costa Rica.  Really any old purse sized bag will do but we have gotten these as gifts and really enjoy them.  There is a pocket for a pencil on the side and ample room within for a field guide, sketch book and small pair of binoculars. 

I am very fond of the Golden Guide's St. Martin's Press field guides.  They are relatively inexpensive, pocket sized, lightweight and fit nicely into the field bags.  All of the pictures are illustrations rather than photos.  For some reason, this appeals to me.   We use them all quite often but the Pond Life field guide is by far our favorite.

We spend a lot of time just sitting around the pond, observing and listening to the sounds.  Sometimes the kids try to catch frogs, sometimes they gather pond water specimens to identify water bugs, nymphs, mudpuppies and tadpoles.  Rarely do we go away from pond study without finding something interesting to learn about.

(Here is a child who apparently likes bright, unmatching clothing. :)

Now that all of the leaves are fully grown on our local trees, summer is a nice time to identify various leaves.  We spread out a blanket and the kids bring back some leaves.  Everyone lays them out and we take out our field guides to identify them.  I usually bring along several peeled crayons with which they can do rubbings and to label their leaves in their nature notebooks.  Even the youngest children in our family can do this exercise and really seem to enjoy themselves.  We have been using the book Stikky Trees which uses picture words and brief bits of text on each page to help botany students (of all ages) identify 15 of the most common trees in one hour.  We love this book.

In addition to trees, there are so many other plants to study in the summer.  We love to identify the different types of water lilies at the pond as well as other aquatic plants like duckweed.

This has been a very long post, hopefully none of you are terribly bored. :)

I hope to read some of your suggestions and posts about how you enjoy nature study, how you interest your children to join in and how you go about keeping record of your journey/studies.   

"To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug." ~Helen Keller