Then I Thought of Home

My dad stopped smoking when he was 62 years old. He started smoking when he was 14. I love to hear him tell about the time he and my uncle Paul, dad's youngest brother were smoking in the barn. Dad said they had got some cigarettes and matches and went to the barn and got down in a stable and started trying to smoke. Pretty soon Grandma came into the barn and called out to them. She said, "What are you boys doing back there?" Dad said Uncle Paul jumped up and said, "We ain't smokin Mom, we ain't smokin." That made my dad so mad. He said it was just the same as running out and telling her they were smoking. I remember when I was in the fourth or maybe fifth grade and I tried to smoke. Mom and dad were some place I don't remember where but my older brother, my younger brother and my best friend Cindy were there with me. Cindy and I got the matches and cigarettes and decided to smoke. We were pretty smart though, we got a cup a...

I've never really been a fearful person. I alway figured everything would be alright in the end. I used to tell the kids to remember that even if it wasn't alright here, it would be alright there. Alright there meaning in Heaven. You would think that my confidence would grow with age. You would think I would have been nervous our anxious when I was young and didn't know my LORD like I know him now. But the opposite is true. I'm more anxious now than I've ever been. It's everything around me that I allow to make myself be that way because nothing with God has changed. Somehow I have allowed the goings on around me to make me think God isn't capable or that he is not paying attention so I had better be on guard and be afraid. I never was the kind of parent to stay up all night worrying about the kids. I alway figured they would come home and they always did. I didn't always think going to the doctor  was going to result in them comi...

Several of you asked about the chocolate chip cookie recipe the other day so here's the recipe. It makes a huge bunch so I often half the recipe. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 5 cups oatmeal, the recipe didn't specify but I use quick cook oatmeal. 2 cups real butter, not margarine 2 cups sugar 2 cups brown sugar 4 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla 3 cups chopped nuts, I never use this many and sometimes I skip them all together. 4 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. soda 1 ( 24 oz.) pkg. chocolate chip, I use milk chocolate but just use whatever kind you like best. Measure oatmeal into a blender and blend until it becomes a fine powder, almost like flour. It might not be as smooth as flour but it will be very fine textured. Cream butter and sugars together. Remember softened butter will cream better than cold butter. Also this isn't a quick done thing. It takes longer to cream butter and sugar than you think. You want to keep beating it ...

Did you know our homes speak? They do. Every time someone enters the door or really even walks up on the porch they are getting a message from us. First there is the obvious. What does it look like? Now its oh so true that homemaking is not housekeeping and boy am I glad of that because a Neat Nancy I am not. But, it's also true that housekeeping plays a part in homemaking. Go outside and pretend to be somebody else. Look around at things. Are there things that need picked up? Does the door need wiped off. Would a wreath on the door warm things up? I'm not talking about being a show off or trying to keep up with the Jones, I'm just talking about taking care of what you have so you nor your family needs to be embarrassed when someone comes over..I can blog about this  because I have been embarrassed before. Even more important than the appearance is the atmosphere. If someone spent some time with you in your home would they say you were happy? W...