Castle Keepers and Defenders

For years I had been thinking about starting a club similar to that of Keepers of the Faith. Then, when I read this blog at Young Foundations announcing a new project that they were starting up for their young people, teaching the girls how to sew and the boys some woodshop skills, it really inspired me! However, since I seem to take forever to get something like this started, I was very pleased that my friend had had the same idea and materialized our little club. It’s rather scary amazing how much we think alike sometimes. My only regret is, that we didn’t get this going years ago when our boys who are now working young men were still… little boys. I am still blessed, though to have my three daughters that can still enjoy the blessings of our club.

The goal of the club is to teach our young ones to learn useful skills, from tangible things they can make with their hands to valuable character and servitude lessons; tools to help them become Godly ladies and gentlemen keeping and defending their little castles that they may some day be blessed with, should the Lord tarry.  The name of our club for the girls was suggested and voted upon by our future homemakers and their mothers and became…. Castle Keepers. And the boys’ club is now known as: Castle Defenders; a slight variation from Keepers of the Home and Defenders of the Faith.

~ Titus chapter 2 ~

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

House Painting Tip

Last evening, my family and I started painting the trim of our house. We painted all the trim except for around the windows in the back. So, this morning, I painted the back. The weather is so beautiful especially in the morning! There was a cool breeze gently blowing, the grass smelled so sweet and the birds kept me serenaded while I worked.

Painting a house takes time, patience and a steady hand if you want your house to look nice. I am, by no means, professional and so I like to use whatever helpful tool I can find to help me especially when doing the details. Well, I didn't have the right tool, so i made one! J

If you are painting small detail areas like this...

...but don't want it to turn out like this...

...then, unless you have the skill and steady hand, you need some kind of tool to help out. They do sell different things that would probably work better, but all I had were brushes and rollers. So, I got to thinking and this is what I came up with:

All it is, is one piece of cardstock folded over twice lengthwise. Then, I put a strip of duct tape at the edge, folding the tape over to the other side. This way, they paint won't soak through the paper and you can wipe it clean (especially helpful because you'll need to wipe the back side to keep it clean. 

Just line the tape side of the tool up against the surface you are painting covering the area you don't want painted like this:

Here I used my homemade edger tool. Much better! Except, I see that I missed a couple spots. But, don't you just love that clean edge?

I had used a piece of cardboard wrapped in plastic wrap. Although the cardboard was sturdy, it was too thick preventing the brush from getting all the way to the very edge. 

Here's a final before and after picture:

Homemade Laundry Detergent

After several attempts at trying different recipes for homemade laundry soap, I finally found an awesome recipe that is much cheaper than commercial laundry detergents, easy to put together, easy to store and doesn't leave a white residue on my darks. I got this recipe from  How Does She? only I've slightly changed the recipe by using 4 Fels Naptha bars instead of 2 Zote bars (I like the smell of the Fels Naptha better) and I haven't tried putting the soap in the microwave - I just grate the bars and add them to the mix. I also gave this recipe a more appealing name J (in my humble opinion).

Although I have a top loader washing machine, this recipe works great for HE washers too because there are no suds. I know, because I've passed this on to a friend of mine who has been using it for a while now in her HE washer. 

Besides the satisfaction of that homesteading feeling that I made my own laundry detergent, the other and more beneficial reason I started making it was in effort to find a more cost efficient detergent as laundry soap was one of my biggest expenses.  I am still in the process of calculating exactly how much this all costs per load, but I do know that I spent less than $40 and it has lasted me months!

HOMESTEADER’S DRY LAUNDRY DETERGENT

  

1 box (4lb 12 oz) Borax

1 box Arm & Hammer Super WASHING Soda

1 box (4lb) Arm & Hammer BAKING Soda

1 Container (3lb) Oxy Clean

2 bars (14.1 oz) Fels Naptha or Zote or any other bar soap you wish finely grated

1 – 2 bottles (55oz) Purex Crystals Fabric Softener (depending on how strongly perfumed you want your clothes)

Using tall kitchen gloves, mix all ingredients thoroughly in a WELL VENTILATED area – like outside. Store detergent in a dry container – You can use the Purex Crystals and Oxy Clean containers as well.

TO USE: add 2 Tablespoons to your laundry water (DON’T be tempted to add more – that’s all you need!)

TIP FOR WHITER WHITES (for top loader washers only): Wash Whites hot water and add 2 Tablespoons of Dawn Original liquid dish soap in addition to the 2 Tablespoons of detergent.

In the Beginning

I love teaching Sunday School! I've been teaching Sunday School now for about 10+ years  - WOW! That makes me sound old! I guess one is as old as they feel, so, never mind. When my youngest was about a year old, I was asked to help with Sunday School as the sister who was the teacher was involved in taking care of the elderly couple where she resided with her two daughters and didn't feel she had enough time to prepare. When I started, we were in a very tiny room which served as a nursery as well at our old church that was next door to our pastor's house. We all have very fond memories there. Later, when we tried to add onto the existing building to accommodate the growing Sunday School class, we were shut down by the Planning and Zoning and had to find a different building. So we rented the Senior Center. That was very interesting and for a while was hard to get used to knowing that Bingo games and other worldly entertainment was going on during the week (perhaps that day on Wednesdays). And then there were usually two Christmas trees, one with socks and underwear hanging on them! By this time, I was teaching Sunday School pretty much alone and now my oldest daughter helps me.

After renting the Senior Center for about 3 years using the back room of that building for Sunday School, we were blessed beyond words with our very own church with a perfect sized Sunday School room! For the first time we were actually able to store our supplies right there in the closets that were provided for us - no more having to haul everything back and forth. Yea! However, I still have a nice big tote that I bring every Sunday with what I need for the day but that just doesn't compare :)

I thought I would start sharing some of my inspirations for Sunday School that I've been blessed with here. Today, I will start with pictures of the walls of the room. I've started again in Genesis (in the beginning) and also adding a character trait - right now we are learning about being responsible.

This is the bulletin board my daughters and I made. A close friend of mine gave me a binder full of bulletin board ideas called, "Bulletin Board Ideas" (Imagine that!) compiled by Tina Barringer. That's where I got my inspiration for this. I put plastic wrap across for the water effect.

In an effort to get the children to “hide God’s Word in their heart”, I found this poster board that looks like a scroll and wrote each of their names on foam stars with glittery glue. When they memorize their memory verse, they get their star up there.

 

You’ll also notice the Attendance Chart. That one is store-bought, but I’ll send you a picture of the new ones I’m making when I’m done. I decided that it was better for me just to make my own. Sorry, I don't have a picture of it yet.

To the left of this picture is a calendar. I got inspired last Christmas with calendars and decided that each year, I would have the children help me make a calendar for our class room using their art work. I write everyone’s birthdays on their birth date.

 

I LOVE pictures (in case you can’t tell) so we take pictures ever so often and I posted these around the dry erase board. Eventually, I want to start a Sunday School scrapbook/album.

Below are some spring flowers that the children have planted. Some of them we just planted last fall.

 

4H County Expo 2013

"Learn by doing" is the 4H slogan and that's exactly what we did this year! It had been a few years since any of my children had participated in our County's 4H Expo and so I felt that I was learning everything all over again. This was also my youngest child's first year. She had been a Cloverbud a few years ago so this was all pretty new to her. All she knew was the dreaded deed of giving a presentation! Fortunately, she was a little relieved when she found out that she could do this in front of her project class which only consists of 3 students (one being her sister) rather than the community club meeting.

Then, came Expo. My girls were both in the Crochet project, a division of the Handwork of Our Heritage. Grace made 2 sets of three headbands, one for silent auction and the other for live auction. Melody made a crocheted hat. It was actually the second hat that she had made as it took her awhile to learn how to make it AND because it is sooo hard to get her to sit still long enough to actually finish it. It was two days before Expo began that she restarted (for about the 5th time) her hat that was to be auctioned off. She was banished to the couch until she finished it. I never heard her talk so much in all her life!!! 

Preparing for and following through with Expo is quite a learning process and a lot of fun! I have made myself a checklist of what needs to be done and bought for next year - lest I forget by then. Here's a few items on the list

• white long-sleeved button down shirt
• green tie
• black or blue skirt that's not faded
• close toe shoes or boots
• belt
• buyer's letters
• buyer's basket (to thank whoever buys the project)
• gifts and "Thank You" card for the basket
• educational display board
• help with food during the week

I'm sure next year my list will grow as my girls are wanting to branch out and try doing some animal projects. 

Grace's Educational display board about the three different types of yarn fiber.

Melody's Educational display board showing the parts of a crochet hook and the differences the size of a hook impacts the yarn

Melody's finished hat

So much work goes into the children's projects. This is our friend getting his pig all spiffied up for showing

Many of the mom's in our club contribute meals to feed the exhibitors and their families. One of the families (also our friends) set up their wall tent with tables and chairs providing a nice shady place to eat.

Justus waiting his turn for showmanship

Some of the animals that are brought

This is "Patch", our neighbor's dog. 

Melody's hat won Best of Class and a blue ribbon

Grace's headbands won Grand Champion, Best of Class, Reserved Best of Class a blue ribbon and a concho (next picture below)

Melody loving the animals.

Grace helping to wash her friend's lamb

Grace says she wants to do lamb next year

Just before the auction in which the girls both did VERY well!

The auction began with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star Spangled Banner sung by one of the girls in the club, The 4H Pledge, slogan, motto and creed. Our little friend here is a Cloverbud who helped to say the 4H Pledge:

I pledge my head to clearer thinking,

my heart to greater loyalty,

my hands to larger service, and

my health to better living,

for my club, my community, my country and my world

Although Melody was scared and falling to pieces right before the auction, the minute she stepped into the ring, you would've thought she had done this for years as she was so calm and acted like a natural! I'm so proud of BOTH my girls!!!

There she goes in front of all those people

Grace never ceases to amaze me with her talent and bravery - overcoming all her fears

Showing her beautiful set of headbands 

Ready for auctioning her lamb

My girls were very appreciative for Wesley's help in finding their buyer. With all the commotion and nerves, the children aren't always able to see who last won the bid on their project.

Melody holding her buyer's basket

My girl's project leader

Keeping track of prices. I noticed a lot of people were doing this - 

The Mourning of the Dove

In addition to all the other birds in our back yard, we have had a pair of doves. One day, my girls were upset telling me that a hawk was eating a dove. They want to shoot that hawk and I would like to help them. You might too after you read this. 

A couple days later I was watching our bird feeder and sitting in the same feeder dish was a male quail and a dove. That was strange because usually, the male quail will make all the other birds get out of the dish so he can eat. But this was not the case. The dove was just sitting there and it looked like they were really having a conversation. To my surprise I saw the quail pick up some scraps of bread that my daughter had put in there earlier that morning and toss it toward the dove. It kept doing this several times but the dove wasn't interested in the food. I realized then that that dove was really mourning the loss of its mate. I wanted to cry. I did cry. It was the saddest sight and reminded me of this 18th century Old English Ballad, Fare Thee Well (also used in the movie, "Fly Away Home".)

Fare thee well my own true love

And farewell for a while.

I’m going away, but I’ll be back

If I go ten thousand miles.

Ten thousand miles, my own true love,

Ten thousand miles or more,

And the rocks may melt and the seas may burn,

If I should not return.

Oh don’t you see that lonesome dove,

Sitting on an ivy tree,

She’s weeping for her own true love

Just as I shall weep for mine.

Oh come back my own true love

And stay a while with me

For if I had a friend all on this earth,

You’ve been a friend to me.

 Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Our Own Backyard Birds

With Spring having sprung here, the birds are just bursting with new songs of joy! My daughters and I are really enjoying them, too. I thought I would share some of the pictures of our birds that we've taken.

Spotted Towee (Pipilo maculatus)

White-crowned Sparrow - (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica)

Curve-billed Thrasher, (Toxostoma curvirostre)

Great-tailed Grackle or Mexican Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 

Gambel's Quail, (Callipepla gambelii)

It's so amazing to watch the birds and see how they interact with each other. Most of the birds come early in the morning and again in the early evening. There is always a quail posted up on duty - the watchman in the tower - like this last picture above. Usually a male, alerts everyone when it is safe to come out and when it's time to go back to the bushes.

One time, I was watching all the birds happily eating and flitting about - one bossing another letting the other know that piece of bread or seed belonged to him. All of a sudden every bird, whether quail, jay or otherwise disappeared. As I continued to watch, I saw a great big hawk circling the area. After a while, it circled away to hunt somewhere else and then the quail at its post of duty once again let everyone know it was safe.

Interestingly, we have one more critter very much in tune with the birds...

Our one rabbit comes with the birds every morning and every evening fertilizing our lawn for us.