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Around the House

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 Good Sunday afternoon! I thought I would take a few minutes to share what I’ve been up to here at home. For 20 years, everything I did was at home and that will always be where I feel the most comfortable, productive and capable. I just get the occasional weekend now to tackle the bigger projects and I try to make the most of that time. My Bible study group is reading through Proverbs together and last week we discussed Proverbs 6:8-11 which discusses working hard when able and preparing for the unknown future. I hate the unknown future so I really like to prepare. Yesterday I canned beans. Today I made bread dough and a pumpkin pie. I thought I took pictures of the beans but it appears I didn’t. So use your imagination and I’ll try to do better next time. I canned 8 pints of plain black beans. We like these for tacos and they make a nice bean salad. I also made 7 pints of “red beans and rice beans”. Just red beans canned with Cajun seasoning and Polish sausage. I’m still working ...
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Patience, Excellence, Humilty

 I'm currently listening to a book titled Isola , written by Allegra Goodman. I found it on a list of "best books" somewhere and requested it through the library's Libby app. When it came to be my turn, I almost didn't accept it.  I am rarely in the same mood to read as I am when I order books. Sometimes a book will look interesting and then sit on my shelf for years. Years. It's not my fault that the Carie that orders books is not the same Carie when it comes time to read the books. I digress. Anyway, I decided to give it a chance. The last 2 books I've started I've discarded before the first hour (audio) or few chapters (physical) were finished. I have 3 unfinished books just sitting on my kindle because I don't love them. It's a very first world problem. So is my rambling. I started the book. By 30 minutes in, I was entranced. The narrator speaks in an accent, I'm guessing French because the book begins in 1500's France. I'm not ...
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Psalm 147:3

 I am a teacher.  I suppose I always have been.  Teaching is not the same profession as it has been historically. I've only been a professional teacher for three years and so many things have changed even in that short period of time.  I should be accustomed to change, as there have been so many in the last five years.....A change in my mindset.....a change in my wishes for my children and my future. My circumstances changed as did my name, address, phone number and vocation.   Once upon a time I had created a fictional story. One that I felt was palatable to the world and that portrayed me in the way I wished to be portrayed. I was a stay-at-home mom. I was actively raising my children, homeschooling, homesteading. Things are not always as they seem. When the underneath parts were no longer sustainable, I was forced to change. I'm still a mom, but now I am a single working mom. I "homestead" as much as I am able and I am always learning new things but the ...
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Comfort in the Known

 I'm watching Jurassic Park right now. You might think that's an odd choice. A lot of people do. I'm a 46 year old female.....I should be watching dramatic movies or RomCom or straight up romances....right?  Well, we will get into why those things will almost never be choices of mine later. I love dinosaur movies and alien movies. Especially alien movies where we kick alien butt. I also like natural disaster movies. This is my movie collection. I round it out with Smokey and the Bandit, Dirty Dancing and both versions of Footloose. Usually when I sit down to watch Jurassic Park I plan for it to be a whole day deal and I start early. There are 6 movies now and that takes a while. Usually a whole day of knitting is planned and I snuggle in and go. I don't need to pay attention because I can quote all but the newest movie and I'm getting close with that one. So many people think it's strange that I have this obsession with these movies and watch them over and over ...
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Things Are Not Always As They Seem

 I think that we understand that things, especially on social media, are not always as they seem. It's very easy to create a public life that we want others to see. I think that it is important to note that things aren't always what they seem in the glimpses of private lives that you see either. That smiling mother at church......she may be afraid to go home. That quiet child in Sunday school or at public school? He may have been coached to not talk about what happens at home and fears to mess up so stays silent about everything. You admire her skill at creating a meal from things she has grown at home.....maybe she has no other choice. He has a great, stable job......but keeps such a tight control on things that they live like paupers. You wouldn't know though, would you? Even if you saw things that didn't quite match.....its much easier to just go along. Don't rock the boat. If there's a problem, someone else can reach out. There are people for that, right? La...
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Endings and Beginnings

 Today is the last day of my first semester teaching. I was hired as a full time substitute teaching in the building and immediately given 4 English I and 2 English II classes. Although not my content area, I am a voracious reader and decent college-level writer. I enjoyed teaching English very much but won't be here next year. I don't know where I'll be next year and that's a little unnerving.  Anyway, if you followed my other blog you will notice some changes. I'm a single mom now, a teacher, 2 of my children are still home and I have full custody. Dad isn't in the picture. It's hard. Every day I wonder what will come up next and that is anxiety inducing. I try to just put one foot in front of the other. Life doesn't turn out like you expect I guess.  I enjoyed writing before and I think that I will enjoy it again, so here goes. I'll try to get the blog spiffied up and start writing during summer break, with the hopes that I can keep it up. Here...
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