What We've Been Up to. . .

I hosted a baby shower yesterday for my cousin, Lisa. As of Wednesday she'd been admitted to the hospital for pre-term labor. Fortunately, by Saturday the contractions had been slowed down and the baby is still in utero. She was discharged from the hospital at 12pm and came straight to my house for the shower at 1:30pm. She is 33 weeks today. Phew.

Today mom and I are canning tomatoes and pumpkins. We're also pickling the cucumbers and making apple-raspberry jelly. Something about the 'pip' sound coming from a mason jar as it cools is very lovely. I am enjoying this time with my mother. It reminds me of being a girl. "Putting up" food makes me feel very productive.

Little cousin Eli joined the family last Thursday. He is adorable!!

Little by Little

So, here we are in the second week of school. I realize that the plans and visions of myself homesteading, homemaking and homeschooling rub right up against the part of me that needs discipline. The part of me that doesn't want to pull weeds, harvest the garden or change the chicken's water. The part of me that wishes my children could learn through osmosis (me too, for that matter). The part that wants to bake bread, but mostly in my imagination.

This homeschooling, homemaking life is a good life for my soul. Truly, truly, it puts me up against myself day after day.

Little by little the bird builds its nest.