At Church On Time By Henry Beer | Poem

At Church on Time

I like to be at church on time,
To join in doing and prayer,

And with the brethren of the Lord

The morning blessings share.

Our faith is a profession

And it requires zeal;

We do by prompt attendance

Our inner state reveal.

And many will rise early

Some earthly thing to gain,

For such they strive to be on time

Their object to attain.

The principals of business

To faith should be applied;

This value of true worship

Will evermore abide.

When children have a hunger,

You'll see each little face

Quite early at the table

In proper time and place.

And if we truly love the Lord,

And cherish things divine,

We'll gather there in one accord

And strive to be on time.

How oft our hearts are burdened!

For instant help we plead!

What if the Lord would come too late

And not regard our need?

And when He gathers to His side

His saints from every clime

Then when He says "Come unto Me"

I hope to be on time.

By Henry Beer

My Garden of Verse

Page 183

Sewing Report For November And December

 

My daughter had a birthday in December and my sewing projects revolved around her.

I made her two doll dresses and a skirt for her to wear.

The other sewing projects that I completed were the curtains for my kitchen cabinets. You already saw those, though.

I am ready for a new year with new projects!

I Made My Own Doll Dress Pattern Using An Antique Doll Dress

 

My daughter has an antique doll that she plays with. The dress fell apart a while ago. 

It used to have a lot of fancy details; tule, lace, an over skirt, ribbon, color, etc.

I used the dress that was in tatters to make a pattern for a new dress. 

The new dress fits. It's nothing fancy, but it will do!

It's nice to have a successful venture this time. :)

Envy By Henry Beer | Poem

 Envy

No, I will not envy
Others in their lot.

Blest are some with riches,

Blest, who have it not.

Envy is an evil,

Envy leads to sin.

Guard thy soul and conscience,

Lest it enter in.

Satan uses envy,

And, with canning art.

Makes the soul to covet,

Fills with greed the heart.

Envy not men's riches,

Talents, honor, fame;

These can only profit

Used in Jesus' name.

Are you prone to covet

What your friends possess?

Covet the true riches,

Jesus' righteousness.

Avarice and envy,

Coveting, combined-

Weapons of destruction

Satan has designed.

By Henry Beer

My Garden of Verse

Page 180

Oil Lamps

 I have been getting to use my oil lamps since moving. 

I am glad to finally be able to use them. 

I have a pair of oil lamps that used to be my grandma's.

In our old house there weren't any surfaces that I felt safe about setting a flaming light.

So, I had to store my lamps for a while.

I didn't know that light level can be adjusted so much. 

They can be turned down dim or turned up quite bright.

I have used my oil lamps while sorting laundry and doing dishes.

 The light is so old fashioned and homey. I love it!

Do you have any opportunities to use oil lamps?

My New Kitchen!

We moved! The house we moved into is a little bit of a project. The kitchen had been gutted prior to us moving to the house. Mr. In the Mid-west rigged up a sturdy little kitchen for me. It has a nice large section of counter top, a refrigerator, oven and sink. He salvaged one upper cabinet for me and built rugged shelves under the counter top. The whole thing is very robust and functional.

I decided to make some curtains in lieu of cabinet doors. I went shopping in my fabric stash and found two kitchen-ish fabrics. I didn't have enough of either one to make all the curtains out of the same fabric. I had to use both and I like them both, so, I am happy! 

After hemming my curtain panels I installed snaps on the corners. I screwed the mate snap pieces into the wood. I had to rummage around in a junk box for screws. I was able to find screws that worked perfectly and all matched!

Before I could get all the curtains put up, disaster struck. My two year old pulled down on the top of the curtain and the snap ripped right off of the fabric. I was so devastated!

At first I thought, "This is why I can't have anything nice." And I had a good deal of self-pity. Then it dawned on me that instead of framing this problem like: this goes to show that children tear up everything, I could frame it like: this goes to show that I should have reenforced the fabric with a couple layers using snaps of that style.

And, the latter is a fact. These types of snaps need a heavier fabric or lighter material needs to be enforced. Before the day was over several more of the snaps had ripped through the fabric just in normal use. 

I could kick myself! Why didn't I know better? 

I thought using snaps would be brilliant and I hate giving up on the idea. Mr. In The Midwest suggested using Velcro and I think that it will work better with my fabric. I will be patching the holes in the curtains that I have made. Then I will see what I can do to attach Velcro.

The First Thanksgiving Day by Henry Beer | Poem

This is not the day that I think of as the first Thanksgiving. They did give thanks for a safe journey, though, so I guess it counts as the first Thanksgiving. This poem reminds me that everyday should be a Thanksgiving.

The First Thanksgiving Day

The Pilgrims left a foreign strand 

And sailed across the main,

And landed on New England's shore,

That faith they might retain.

Some say the first Thanksgiving Day

The Pilgrims did ordain

Was when they offered thanks and praise

For life and food and grain.

It was a day of gratitude

When stormy voyage was o'er,

When they had landed safely there

On child New England's shore.

The rolling sea behind them lay,

Before them, trees of pine.

With thankful hearts they knelt in prayer

And praised God's help divine.

The Pilgrims marked the Plymouth Rock

Where they had knelt to pray. 

And still it stands memorial of

That first Thanksgiving Day.

By Henry Beer

My Garden of Verse

Page 176-177

Thankful Tree 2023

 

I made a thankful tree craft this year for Thanksgiving.

These are not the colors that immediately come to mind when I think of autumn, but these are the colors that I had to work with. I think the colors turned nice in the end!

I chose to cut out different types of Oak leaf shapes.

Wouldn't it be funny if you found such a mixed up tree in reality? Part White Oak, part Pin Oak, part Chinquapin Oak. What an absurd tree!

I am going to fill in all the leaves with blessing for which I am giving thanks.

We have so much to be thankful for! 

I was speaking with a woman at a checkout counter a few days ago. I said, "I have so much to be thankful for." And she said, "Even to be thankful to be alive."

That's right, if nothing else, you can be thankful for each breath you draw.

Job 12:10

 In whose hand is the soul 

of every living thing, and the

 breath of all mankind.

I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving!

The Wild Geese By Henry Beer | Poem

The Wild Geese

I saw a flock of wild geese fly
Across the somber autumn sky,
In orderly formation!

As to the South they took their flight,

From wing to wing in cloudy height

I gazed in admiration.

A destined course they seem to take,

Their nests and summer haunts forsake,

And fly to sunny regions.

In close formation you can see

Them make the sign of victory

By following their leader.

They take their course high in the air

And thus elude the hunter's snare;

They know the Fowler's tactics.

I thought how much akin to life,

For men, like them, in earthly strife

Must have a guide and leader.

Our God and Father did provide

For us a Captain, shield and guide,

In Christ, the Prince, Emanuel.

If, like these fowls, we ever stay

With Christ, our leader, on the way

We'll find out goal in safety.

Thanks! Thanks to you, my friends on high!

As from my wandering gaze you fly

You've taught a noble lesson.

I Finally Cleaned My Blinds

 

Cleaning blinds has never sifted it's way to the top of my list of priorities. I can probably think of a hundred things I'd rather do than clean blinds.

Let me try:

1. Wash dishes

2. Cook a meal

3. Sort laundry

4. Take a walk

5. Practice piano

6. Go to the library

7. Read a book

8. Go grocery shopping

9. Meal plan

10. Write a journal entry

11. Brush my teeth

12. Make my bed

13. Teach 1st grade 

14. Hang clothes

15. Go the park

16. Clip fingernails

17. Supervise bath time

18. Do hair cuts

19. Weed a garden

20. Cut flowers

21. Bake a pie

22. Write a blog post

23. Crack nuts

24. Climb a tree

25. Ride a bicycle

26. Vacuum the carpets

27. Water plants

28. Watch a movie

29. Sew a dress

30. Knit a wash rag

31. Change the sheets

32. Can tomatoes

33. De-bone chicken thighs

34. Call my Mom

35. Write a letter

36. Paint a picture

37. Make a card

38. Clean the bathroom

39. Rinse diapers

40. Fold towels

41. Weed wack

42. Edit photos

43. Bird watch

44. Sing a song

45. Play a card game

46. Go fishing 

Well, I am grasping at straws now. I made it to 46, not quite 100. You get the point, though. I have so many things that I'd rather do than clean mini blinds.

That is why my blinds look like this:

Yuck! The dust is so thick they look as if they have grown a fur coat! 

After I cleaned the blind on the left I was so impressed with difference in the amount of light that filtered though that I took this side by side comparison picture. The picture doesn't do the the visual justice. In person the difference was more drastic. It's a good thing, too, because it gave me the motivation to wash the rest of the blinds in the kitchen and living room.

I have been enjoying my clean windows and dust free blinds for the past few days, now that the job is done. It does feel nice to have clean window dressings!

Are there any jobs that you put off because you really don't like the work? Or, am I the only whiny, lazy housewife? Please share your stories in the comments!

November By Henry Beer | Poem

November

November days are dark and cold,
The saddest of the year;

The clouds do hill and vale enfold,

The days seem lonely and dreary.

The leaves have fallen to the earth,

The trees stand bare, alone.

Our feathered friends with songs of mirth

To sunny climes have gone.

And, when we wander through the woods,

A blanket made of leaves

Protects the springtime flowers that bloom

From winter's chilling breeze.

All snuggled 'neath this leafy robe

The flowers lie asleep,

This rustic blanket keeps them warm

When snow lies cold is gathered in,

The fodder stands in rows;

The grain is gathered in the bins,

No want the farmer knows.

Though dark November days may be,

There's beauty all around;

The bittersweet with berries bright

On fences old is found.

The cattails in the marshes deep,

The wild geese flying high;

We see them take their southern course

Across the cloudy sky.

The cellar is a festive place-

Attracts the heart and eye,

Where fruits and vegetables abound,

Which winter needs supply.

The walnuts lie in attic floor,

The pumpkins in a row.

Here peace, contentment, fill out hearts

As autumn winds do blow.

Though dark this month may be, and dreary,

Our hearts are filled with praise

To Him from whom all blessings come

On dreary November days.

By Henry Beer

My Garden of Verse

Pages174-175

Peanut Butter Treats

 

I love peanut butter! These treats are fast and easy to make and don't require an oven.

Peanut Butter Treats
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 cups peanut butter
10 oz. Corn Flake Cereal

In a pan over medium heat dissolve sugar in corn syrup.

Blend in the peanut butter until creamy. 

Turn off the heat and pour over corn flakes in a large bowl.

Mix thoroughly.

Spoon out scoops and press with hands to form balls.

Cool on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

Enjoy!

Chrysanthemums By Henry Beer | Poem

Chrysanthemums

Whene'er I see Chrysanthemums,

Arrayed in colors bright,

I think of Autumn's pageantry,

Each cool and frosty night.

In yellow, bronze, and snowy white

These flowers are displayed 

As lovely as the autumn trees,

In colors bright arrayed.

Chrysanthemums of snow-white bloom

Remind us of the snow

Which soon will cover hill and vale

As wintry winds will blow.

Ye artists henceforth should portray

With Cornucopia's horn

These gorgeous flowers, bright and fair,

With fruit, and grain, and corn.

As flowers in a patient's room,

Chrysanthemums give cheer;

These lovely flowers of varied bloom

Console the dying year.

We praise Him for these lovely things,,

For all that He hath done.

To see His power in humble works,

It makes us truly one.

By Henry Beer 

My Garden of Verse

Page 171

October Sewing Progress

 

Mr. In The Midwest ripped a button off of this shirt at the cuff and in the process the button was shattered. This shirt has a button halfway up the sleeve for a roll-y up tab. He never uses those roll-y up tabs, so I took the roll-y up button and sewed it onto the cuff.

I have a skirt that needed a little repair on the side zipper. It took a few minutes with needle and thread to fix.

These whale eyes have been holding me back from going on to projects that I would rather do. The white part of the eyes are so tedious. I just hate doing it, so I put it off. But, I finally buckled down and finished the last one this morning. Score for getting them finished before the next month began!

Now on to more enjoyable projects.......

I want to sew a couple doll dresses for my daughter. Her birthday is in December. So, let's see how many doll dress I can get done for her birthday present. :)

My great-aunt so generously sent me several doll dress patterns. I am looking forward to using them in November!

The Dearest Little Letter That I Ever Saw

 

The White family. Elwyn is the baby in the middle.

I was reading a biography about E.B. White recently. This biography was written by Melissa Sweet and is geared towards young people. 

Elwyn White was born in 1899. He was the 6th child in the family, a surprise baby, born when his mother was in her 40's. 

Elwyn and his mother. He looks like
he could be 10 in this picture.

Elwyn's father wrote him this letter upon his 12th birthday. It is the dearest little letter that I have ever seen.

Isn't that the sweetest thing?

In contrast, 

Several years ago I read part of the first chapter of Laddie, an autobiographical novel by Gene Stratton Porter. She was, also, the youngest child, a surprise baby, born when her mother was in her 40's. 

But, that is where the similarities end.

Here is what she wrote,

Pg. 9

........"because my mother loved me now, even if she didn't want me when I was born.

But you could excuse her for that. She had already bathed, spanked, sewed for, and reared eleven babies so big and strong not one of them ever even threatened to die. When you thought of that, you could see she wouldn't be likely to implore the Almighty to send her another, just to make her family even numbers."

Pg. 11+12

"You see it was this way: no one wanted me; as there had been eleven of us, every one felt that was enough. May was six and in school, and my mother thought there never would be any more babies. She had given away the cradle and divided the baby clothes among my big married sisters and brothers, and was having a fine time and enjoying herself the most she ever had in her life......."

"You can't blame my mother so much. She must have been tired of having babies and dislike to go back and begin all over after resting six years."

"They [mother and father] knew the big married brothers and sisters would object, and they did. They said it would be embarrassing for their children to be the nieces and nephews of an aunt or uncle younger than themselves."

Disgusting! I can't finish the first chapter. It is so depressing to try and understand what it must have felt like to know that you weren't wanted as a child. It is, also, gross to try putting myself in her parents' or older siblings' shoes and imagine being such a  shallow person.

Now, I need to go back and look at the happy picture of the White family, adoring their baby brother, and read that darling letter to Elwyn to lift this cloud over my mood.

I grew up in a loving family where babies were always welcomed. A brother or sister being born was cause for joy and celebration. My mother never complained about being pregnant again. She loved us all from the very beginning of our existence.

I thank God for my mother and father and all my brothers and sisters. And now I thank God for my own family and each of my children.

I want my children to feel loved and wanted. I believe every child deserves that, at the least.

Titus 2:4

That they may teach the young women 

to be sober, to love their husbands, 

to love their children,

Camille Saint Saen's The Swan

I have been loving Camille Saint Saen's The Swan recently. Something about that piece of music really resonates with me. I just can't get enough of it! It is so peaceful and dreamlike.

While learning about this piece of music I found out that The Swan is just one part of Camille Saint Saen's Carnival of the Animals.

I watched a really informative video on YouTube where I learned about each piece included in Carnival of the Animals. The suite is made up of 14 movements:

1. Introduction and March of the Lions

2. Hens and Roosters

3. Wild Donkeys Swift Animals

4. Tortoises

5. The Elephant

6. Kangaroos

7. Aquarium

8. Characters with Long Ears

9. The Cuckoo

10. Aviary

11. Pianists

12. Fossils

13. The Swan

14. Finale

The funny part is that Camille Saint Saen wrote Carnival of the Animals as a joke. It wasn't a serious work, but it became his most famous musical accomplishment. He lived at a time when a lot of musical innovation was happening. Music was rapidly evolving, or, in Camille Saint Saen's opinion rapidly devolving. I have only read briefly about the composer, but the impression I have is that he was a stickler for 'proper,' tried and true, old-fashioned music techniques and theory. You know, the way music was taught when he was a youngster at conservatory. Doesn't every generation say something like that? 

Anyway, how ironic that his least serious music became just about the only music that he is remembered by.

I have been listening to Carnival of the Animals on SoundCloud and becoming familiar with each part. My favorite's are The Swan and Fossils. My 8 year old likes Aquarium and March of the Lions the most.

A trick that works for me to be able to listen to music on SoundCloud advertisement free is, that I go to the SoundCloud website in my mobile browser. I don't sign in to any account. I use the search tool to search for specific music that I am looking for, sometimes by title, sometimes by composer. I can play the music in the background or while my phone screen in off. The only trouble is that sometimes the next song that plays automatically is not my choice, and I have to get back on the page and turn it off.

When I am absent mindedly listening to the whole Carnival of the Animals suite and The Swan comes on and I think to myself, "Boy, this music is so nice!" And then I pay attention and I realize, "Oh, this is The Swan, of course, I think it is so nice!" And I chuckle to myself. 

Are you familiar with The Swan by Camille Saint Saen? If not, I encourage you to give it a listen and let me know what you think!

Here is the YouTube video that I found to be so informative:

 (in case the link doesn't work the title is, "Listener's Guide to Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint Saen," on the YouTube channel Odd Quartet.)

I have no control over suggested videos or advertising.

Taping Books Back Together

 

We have a section of our book case that is dedicated to the books that need repair. Oftentimes, it is the same books over and over that need taped back together again.

Last week I went through them and spent a couple hours taping pages and covers back together.

I was thinking a lot about the contradictory feelings I go through as a mother. On the one hand I want to teach my children to take better care of our possessions and on the other hand I have to remind myself that I shouldn't care so much for our possessions that I become overmuch angry when they get destroyed. How do I strike the right balance?

This is a beloved book to me. I have taped it so many times. Several times I almost gave up and just about threw the pieces away. This book was a baby shower gift for my oldest child. I have memories of reading it over and over for him. I also remember the first time he ripped a page. I got so angry. 

"No! No! Why did you do this?"

"Why did this have to happen?"

 "It will never be the same! It's ruined!"

I wailed. 

I cared too much about the book. Paper and ink. Looking back, the guilt I feel over my reaction casts a sour cloud over the good memories I have of reading this book.

Now days, I explain to my children that they need to take care of our books, but I accept the fact that our books are bound to get ripped. I collect the pieces and tape them back together as well as I can.

I don't fly off the handle, like I used to, but still, I get a discontented feeling over the fact that we can't keep stuff nice. I am still working on striking that balance.

They need to care more for stuff, and I need to care less for stuff. Do you see what I mean by contradictory feelings?

Galatians 6:9 

And let us not be weary in well doing:

 for in due season we shall reap, 

if we faint not.

Crafts And Projects | September

 I didn't do much sewing this month, seeing as how our homeschool is back in session. 

I made some little felt dolls for my children, along with a few different sets of clothes.

I was able to finish the dress that I wrote about in August. I finished it before September started, so technically this is not a September project. I finished it in time for my birthday (September 3rd) so I am calling it my Birthday Dress.

I had to sew a button on to this dress, which you may recognize from July. I couldn't believe that it was missing ANOTHER button! That makes three buttons that I have had to replace on this dress.

I have still been working on the stuffed animal whale eyes. 

This concludes my project report for the month of September. 

I hope all your projects are going well!

See&Sew 6634 By Butterick Shirt Dress Pattern Review

 

Pattern Description:

Very loose-fitting dress five inches below mid-knee has shawl collar, front button opening, front and back gathered into forward shoulder yoke, elbow length rolled sleeves with button and tab trim, patch pockets and side seam pockets.

Pattern Sizing: 

This pattern was available in sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16. Only one size was in my envelope and that is size 16.

Was the pattern easy to follow? This pattern was very easy to follow. It came together quickly. There were no glitches.

Did the dress turn out like the picture? I don't feel like it turned out the way I expected. It is more blousy and baggy than the pictures on the pattern. Perhaps, it is only due to the size. A smaller size may fit better. Or, maybe, the top is baggy on me because I am short. My waist might be higher than the dress is designed for, causing the gathering to fall at a higher point on my body, pushing the blouse up, making it poofy. Anyway, I think my dress turned out a little differently than the picture on the pattern. Let me know what you think.

Did I make any changes to the pattern? I made one change. I put a drawstring in the waist instead of elastic. The pattern called for elastic, but I was afraid that an elastic would not hold up to the weight of the material I used.

I like the adjustability that the drawstring offers.

What material did I use? I used a medium weight twill that was a stretch fabric. I picked the piece of material at a thrift store several years ago. The color is slightly yellow, like butter, with baby blue flowers and spring green leaves scattered over.

I like the sleeves, the covered buttons, and the pockets. It is a very comfortable dress. 

Overall, I am happy with this dress. I am looking forward to wearing it for many years!