Small Things - First Saturday In July 2025

"Life is not, for most of us, a pageant of splendor, but is made up of many small things, rather like an old fashioned piecework quilt. No two people have the same, but we all have our own, whether it be listening to Beethoven's fifth with a beloved friend, or seeing a neighbor at the back door with a basket of white dahlias. Or after a long, hard day, having the family say, "That was a good supper."

- GLADYS TABER

1. A Slow Summer In Real Life - Creating Realistic Summer Rhythms That Actually Work

This summer we've been working feverishly transforming our backyard into a beautiful garden of primarily native flowers and extending our vegetable garden (which consists of only tomatoes and peppers this year due to getting a very late start), into an area which will be used more for container gardening. With the longer days, I find myself wanting to push myself past the point when my body is already signaling, it's time to quit, and as this article states, I "want to do everything".

I particularly loved her idea of building "touchpoints of calm and consistency" into our days, and beginning our mornings with "one calm moment".  I used her Gentle Summer Rhythm Planner this week to remind myself to take one a picture of a moment every morning, before the busyness begins, and to remind myself to take a mid-day pause to hydrate and refresh before wrapping up our outdoor tasks. It's been so helpful! I'm looking forward to reading more of her offerings.

2. Cultivating Oaks - Cultivating Summer: Merriment

Cultivating Oaks press just released their summer edition and the theme is "Merriment", which I just love!

3. Slow Living July To-Do List

There are so many lists/articles like this out there that at times even they begin to feel like one more thing to do, but I do like it when I begin to see similarities and recurring themes as I come across them. Kind of like a little reminder, oh yeah . . . I wanted to do ____________ this summer. :)

4. Country Living UK - July Edition

I've been slowly reading through the July edition of this lovely publication! If you haven't discovered it yet, the UK edition is soooooo much better! It's included with my Kindle Unlimited subscription, so I read the digital edition every month. Not the same as print, but I typically peruse that whilst on a jaunt to Barnes & Noble, and it saves storage space at home. They also have a website with a number of lovely articles as well.

5. Movie Night!

I've saved so many suggestions for movies I haven't seen, well, most of them anyway. on my Movie Night board.  I've decided that in August I'm going to try to watch at least two or three of them. I'd love for you to take a look through them and see if there are any that you've seen and would recommend!

6. A Prayer For The Month of July

@faithfilledparenthood posts these monthly, and I just love them! @smallestlight also posts these monthly defintions of the months, of sorts. I look foreward to both of these posts every month.

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Happy Fourth of July!

We're spendng the day with our soon to be son-in-law's family at the lake today, but I didn't want to let the day pass witout wishing you and yours a blessed Independence Day!

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The Homekeeper's Commonplace - Quaint

Quaint

is a small wooden cottage

filled with snuggly nooks

a tablecloth your grandma sewed, 

dusty, well-loved books.

Quaint

is a candle-lit dinner

quilts on a canopy bed

an arch of blooming roses

high above your head.

Quaint

is charming, old fashioned

an echo of days gone by.

Modern life is convenient

But quaint should never die.

- AMY LUDWIG VANDERWATER 

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My Favorite Classic Sitcoms- The Andy Griffith Show

As some of you may know, old movies and classic sitcoms are my first choice any time I want to watch a little TV. Even though some of the content is dated and in today's age even considered offensive at times,  there is something about rewatching the shows from my childhood that I find powerfully therapeutic. The familiar faces are like old friends, and the storylines are easy to just jump into at anytime and I'm assured that I'll leave feeling better for the experience. 

Of all the classic sitcoms I've watched over the years, The Andy Griffith Show is by far my absolute favorite! In 2021 I made it my goal to watch every episode, and I did. Even with that, it still remains my favorite, and I never seem to tire of watching it over and over again.

The Andy Griffith Show first aired on October 3, 1960, one year, one month and eight days before I would make own debut into the world, and it ran for eight seasons, ending on April 1, 1968 when I was six years old, so it's more than likely that my memories are from re-runs than from the actual show itself. Though I do recall spending many nights in front of the tv with my family, at that age I doubt if I could actually recall what we watched. 

Something I discovered a few years ago is that it got it's start as a spin-off from  The Danny Thomas Show, another favorite I discovered in my twenties when Nick At Nite was in it's prime and included some other greats such as, The Patty Duke Show, The Donna Reed Show and Dobie Gillis, just to name a few.Back in the day I would turn it on around 7:00 p.m. and let it play into the early hours of the morning. It was the best! And while you can find all of those sitcoms sill in syndication today, they're scattered across several networks and harder to streamline. It was nice when it was all in one place. MeTV is about the closest thing I think you can find these days, if you have an antenna that will pick up local channels or cable. TV Land has some classic shows, but I find most of their line up unappealing, and it also requires cable. Anyway, I'm venturing off a bit here, but if you want to watch the episode that started it all, you'll find it here. Which reminds me, if you're not looking to watch every episode in order, You Tube is a great place to find classic tv shows, as well as The Internet Archives, but now back to Andy Griffith!

Like so many people, I'm sure, one of the things I like best about this series is the relationship between Andy and Opie. Was there ever a cuter red headed boy than Ronny Howard?, and of course he went on to make quite a name for himself! I love him, even today! Even though it was scripted, there was just something about Andy's manner and spirit in guiding and raising his son that has always moved me. And he carried that over into his job as Sheriff as well, extolling his small-town wisdom to friends and family alike. Andy Taylor was a healing balm in the quickly changing world of the 1960's, with the birth control pill sparking a sexual revolution, the battle over civil rights was escalating, and the war in Vietnam was tearing the country's political system into pieces. In some ways, it seems that in 2021, history is repeating itself, and in the midst of our current turmoil, a trip to Mayberry is still refreshing for the soul.

And of course, the show just wouldn't be the same without Barney, who is probably my favorite character.

I fell in love with the humor of Don Knotts all those years ago and he has remained one of my all time favorites any time I need a good laugh. I think I own every movie he ever made, my favorite's being The Ghost and Mr. Chicken *(featuring many of the cast members from the show), and The Reluctant Astronaut . We watch The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and The Private Eyes every year around Halloween, they are both timeless classics! But my favorite role Don every portrayed was as Deputy Barney Fife and it made him in star, so big in fact, that he left the series in 1965 to pursue his movie career, but still made guest appearances until it ended three years later.

While doing some research for this post I discovered that I am obviously not alone in my love for all things Mayberry, and if you love it, too, then you might enjoy perusing a few of these links.

- 7 Things I Learned From Andy Griffith (I LOVE this one!)

- The Moral Lessons of Mayberry - article about a church that has turned watching The Andy Griffith Show into a bible study. There's also The Mayberry Bible Study Podcast, if you want to join in!

- 10 Things We Learned About Fathering From Andy Griffith

- Act Like Somebody: Special Moments of Parenting From the Andy Griffith Show

- I'm Proud To Call You My Friend: A Collection of Special Moments of Friendship From The Andy Griffith Show

- The Andy Griffith Book: The Complete Guide to One of Television's Best Loved Shows

- The Way Back to Mayberry: Lessons From A Simpler Time

- Aunt Bea's Mayberry Cookbook or try out some recipes from this online cookbook.

- Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship And A Classic American TV Show

- The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Ron Howard and Clint Howard

A few years ago while were on a vacation my husband and I unexpectedly happened upon Mount Airy, North Carolina, the small town where Andy Griffith lived until he graduated from high school. Here you will find a replica of the sheriff's office and court house, Wally's Service Station, and the very home where Andy grew up is a bed and breakfast! There are many other sights, including The Andy Griffith Museum which boasts a bronze statue of Andy and Opie going fishing, and The Andy Griffith Playhouse. You can even tour the city in a replica squad car just like the ones Andy and Barney drove in the series. We had such a good time when we were there and it's on my list to visit again. We were actually on our way to another destination so we didn't get to see everything, but we made sure to hit the highlights, including the sheriff's office. You can learn more about Mount Airy (Mayberry), here. Or you can borrow this book from the Internet Archives;

Memories of Mayberry: A Nostalgic Look At Andy Griffith's Hometown, Mount Airy, North Carolina

If you're as big a fan as I am, you might also enjoy The Mayberry Trivia Challenge. I only got 11 out of 25 corret, so maybe I need to keep watching? If you take it, leave a message in the comments and tell me how you scored!

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Small Things - Last Saturday in June 2025

 "Life is not, for most of us, a pageant of splendor, but is made up of many small things, rather like an old fashioned piecework quilt. No two people have the same, but we all have our own, whether it be listening to Beethoven's fifth with a beloved friend, or seeing a neighbor at the back door with a basket of white dahlias. Or after a long, hard day, having the family say, "That was a good supper."

- GLADYS TABER

In no particular order, here are six small things that inspired me this week;

1. Chey Lowe

I've been following Chey and her story of adopting their daughter from India for about a year now. If you have a heart for adoption, you need to follow Chey's account.

2. 6 Bible Verses for Homemakers

Tabitha is the creative mind behind This Mama's Faith. I've enjoyed perusing her site, and was particularly blessed by this post. I'm going to add to my Homekeeper's Commonplace Book.

3. Silly Goose Cookies

Inspired by Laura Prietto, has me on the hunt for a goose cookie cutter and dreaming of a little Silly Goose Get Together on National Goose Day, September 29.

4. The Happy Homemaker - Tools For A Joyful Life

by Marcelle Rohrs

A new to me book that I purchased for free using my Kindle points. I've added to my never-ending tbr list. Here's a snippet from the listing.

Are you constantly overwhelmed by your home and is joy the furthest thing from your mind? Do you suffer from not having guests over because of the state of your house? This book will show you proven processes to get you to change this situation with minimum effort!

"Taking care of a home can be overwhelming, especially on top of all of your other responsibilities. I understand. I am a wife and mother who used to struggle with homemaking until I found hacks that got me to take action even when I didn’t feel like it!

In this book, you will:

Learn the one hack to reach productivity regardless of how you feel!

Learn a process to uncover your reasons for struggling with homemaking.

Set up routines that will put your house on auto-pilot!

Establish a menu-planning routine so that dinner can be easy every night!

Learn how to keep your house clean even if you have a full-time job.

Be equipped to be the organized, ready-for-action woman you want to be!

Find joy in homemaking!"

Even though I feel like I have a pretty good handle on a lot of the aspects of homemaking, I'm always looking for fresh ideas!

5. Shrimp and Steak Tacos

Definitely putting this on my summer rotation!

6. Native Plants Finder

My husband and I are working hard this summer on transforming our back yard into a nature sanctuary. With that our goal is for the plants to be 75-80% native. We recently went through and identified the plants we want to keep, removing most of the invasive varieties, and then deciding what we'd like to add.  This website has helped us tremendously in learning about the plants that are native to our region. You simply type in your zip code and a list is generated for you. Easy peasy!

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Fridays With Friends .01 - A Daily Something

It's been quite a while since I've taken the time to go through and check the links in my side bars to be sure that they are still working and up to date, but there are quite a few of them, I've decided to just check one or two every day or so until I have them all updated. With that, I thought it might make it more fun write a series of posts, FRIDAYS WITH FRIENDS in which I'll introduce you to a Kindred Spirit, that is listed in the side bar on the right side of my blog. These are blogs I've followed and online friends that I've made, a few for more than a decade now, that have inspired and encouraged me. Once I've finished updating the Kindred Spirits links, I'll move on to others and come up with a new catchy name for that series. Sound like fun?, then let's begin!

First up . . .

Rebecca Gallop of A Daily Something.

"A Daily Something is a lifestyle destination where Rebecca shares about the simple daily somethings that make life beautiful. Topics include: recipes, life with littles, home décor & DIY projects, entertaining, gatherings, and personal style. Launched in 2011 as a personal creative outlet while studying political science in college A Daily Something has grown to be an online community for those interested in beautifying and simplifying all areas of life." 

Three posts that caught my eye . . .

- A Daily Rhythm Challenge

Rebecca completed the 75 Hard Challenge, something I've considered doing before, but to date have not. To be honest, it's a bit too much for me, and while there is a 75 Soft that appears to be more do-able, I like the sound of this challenge even better.  Also check out her Live Slow Challenge.

- Thoughts On Cultivating An Open Door Policy

Which is something I often struggle with, and I was encouraged by this post. Since we moved to our homestead we now live 30 minutes from everywhere, so it's not as much of an occurrence, but, when it is I want to learn to relax and enjoy the company!

- What To Do With Chive Blossoms

I have one healthy chive plant in my garden, but it has never bloomed. I don't even see evidence of potential blooms, but . . . if it ever does, now I'll know what to do with them.

Three recipes I want to try . . .

- Simple No Knead Dutch Oven Bread

- Hedgehog's Cake - I just love the name!

- Grapes Wrapped in Goat Cheese

And just three more I can't pass by . . .

- Another challenge, this time in the kitchen, The Capsule Kitchen Challenge

- Pantry Essentials and How To Organize Your Pantry

- And just about everything labled, The Art of Gathering!

Even though it's been awhile since Rebecca has posted new content, the archives are full of so much inspiring content I'll keep the link active. Even though I woud prefer to link active sites, sometimes the wealth of information that remains makes it worth re-visting.

And with that, I hope you've enjoyed this first edition of FRIDAY'S WITH FRIENDS! I'll be back next week to introduce you to someone new!

Retro Rewind - .01

Being born in the 60’s and growing up in the 70’s, I have so many wonderful memories of those years! Even though politically those were turbulent years (not unlike today), it’s my opinion at least, that those were some of the best years to be a kid! I fondly recall many of my favorite foods and snacks, toys, restaurants and trends from that era, and I love reminiscing about them. 

I wrote this post, Retro Rewind, with the intention of it becoming a regular topic from time to time, about a year ago now. But as is often the case, it got lost in the archives. So today I’m reposting it with plans to revisit it and take a look back on the golden era of childhood. If you didn't grow up in the 60's and 70's, perhaps your parents or grandparent's did and you'll learn a little about what life was like for them. And if you did grow up in that era, I hope these posts will take you on a little trap down memory lane. So, let's jump right in, shall we?

FAVORITE FOODS

Pillsbury's Funny Face Drink Mix

As a child I absolutely loved Funny Face Drink Mix. My personal favorite was Goofy Grape, but I also liked Freckle Face Strawberry and Choo Choo Cherry. I recall liking Kool Aid, as well, but I was drawn to the cute characters of the Funny Face drinks. Do you remember Funny Face Drink Mix, and if so, what was your favorite flavor? 

Here's a link to a commercial from the 1960's.

FAVORITE STORES

Kresge's Dime Store

I have so many fond memories of Friday evenings with my family, which often found us at Richland Plaza Mall (now owned by the local school district). We would often eat dinner at Pancho's Mexican Buffet, which had the best refriend beans I have ever tasted, and the sopapilla's, oh my! And then after dinner we would usually walk over to one of my favorite stores, Kresge's Dime Store. In my memories of that time I got .50 a week for allowance, which in a 5-10 store went pretty far. It wasn't until I was an adult that I discovered that Kresge's went on to become K-Mart, which oddly, I never cared for as much. The store we shopped was in a mall, so there wouldn't have been a stop light on the corner, but I do recall the storefront looking very much like the one in this image. 

FAVORITE CHILDREN'S TELEVISION SHOWS

School House Rock

Aw, School House Rock! Who would have believed that watching a simple cartoon short in the early years of my childhood would help me ace my senior government final, but it's true. A few of my favorites were Unpack Your Adjectives, Conjunction Junction and Lolly, Lolly, Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here (can you tell I loved English Grammar?). And then there was the one that helped me ace my exam, The Preamble of The Constitution. 

There's a playlist on You Tube that claims to have all the videos, I didn't peruse it too closely so I'm not sure if they are all included, or not, but there are a number of them.  And if you love School House Rock you can purchase them on DVD from Amazon. (ASSOCIATE LINK).

And with that, I think I'll wrap this first edition up! I hope you've enjoyed reminiscing with me! If you had a favorite store from your childhood or a favorite School House Rock song, I'd love to hear! Share in the comments! 

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The Homekeeper's Commonplace - Some Small Gift

I pray each day for some small gift,
Some simple thing to fill my soul.
A cloud with flecks of golden blue
A bird's sweet anthem from the knoll.
A coral vine upon the wall,
A soothing, singing, long-leaf pine,
Some hickory nuts from the pasture lane,
Some scuppernongs like purple wine.

I pray each day for some small gift,
Yet knowing life, there must be pain,
But daily gifts of little things,
Are like the sunshine after rain.
Grant me wisdom to do right,
Give honest work for honest pay,
And 'fore I fall asleep each night,
Give thanks for gifts received each day.

- UNKNOWN

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The ODST Summer Bingo or Tic Tac Toe Challenge

You might recall that last year I created a Summer Bingo Challenge to aide me in being intentional with how I spent my days. In each square I listed an activity that I wanted to be intentional about doing over the summer season, with the goal being to at least score a couple of bingos. I wasn't very good about updating my achievements, and to be honest, I'm not even sure I scored a bingo, but I will say that having it there on the refrigerator did help me to be more successful with intentionally savoring the days of this beautiful season.

This year as I was contemplating repeating the idea, it occurred to me that it might be fun to create a Summer Tic Tac Toe, a similar concept, completing three activities that make tic-tac-toe and having some fun in the process. If bingo is too intimidating, tic-tac-toe might be a little more doable.

I'm sharing both of them here with you today! You can find the links for each one below. If you find that some of the activities that I've included add too much going and doing to your already busy schedule, you can choose others that you can do at home. In the end the goal isn't even about getting a bingo or tic-tac-toe, but about being intentional with how we spend our time in this season, and I know for me, having it written down where I can see it is half the plan to getting there!

I hope you have a wonderful week, my friends!

SUMMER TIC-TAC-TOE

SUMMER BINGO

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Small Things - Third Saturday In June 2025

 "Life is not, for most of us, a pageant of splendor, but is made up of many small things, rather like an old fashioned piecework quilt. No two people have the same, but we all have our own, whether it be listening to Beethoven's fifth with a beloved friend, or seeing a neighbor at the back door with a basket of white dahlias. Or after a long, hard day, having the family say, "That was a good supper."

- GLADYS TABER

In no particular order, here are six small things that inspired me this week;

1. Bella Grace A Romanticized Life

I received my copy of this beautiful magazine this week! Bella Grace never fails, it is absolutely the most beautiful publication.  Here's a snippet from the website, describing this new annual publication.

"A Romanticized Life will guide you though romanticizing all areas of your life, sharing tangible ways to infuse magic into even the most mundane tasks."

Do you read Bella Grace? If not, I highly recommend it!

2. How To Propogate Orange Mint

Mint is one of my favorite things to grow in the garden, and so easy. Chocolate mint and orange mint are my favorites, but I have a harder time getting my orange mint to last more than one season. Last year I had spearment, buttermint, chocolate mint and orange mint, and all of them came back strong except the orange. It can be a little hard to find, but I did finally find a few little pots at my favorite nursery this week. My plan is to divide one of them up and try to start several new plants from it. If you're local and in the LYH area, be sure to visit Hucklberry Knob Nursery.

3. The Faded Page

Through a vintage children's book group I belong to on FB, I've recently been introduced to The Faded Page. Much like the Internet Archives (though on a smaller scale), The Faded Page provides access to hundred of oop books. I was delighted to find many of Enid Blyton's works available there.

4. Little Life - June

I love these little art journaling prompts that Rae post's each month.  Though I haven't participated, I do love to sketch and I just happen to know right were my sketchbook and pencils are, so maybe soon.

5. The Self-Care Year

I find these monthly focus topics to guide you in the natural flow of the seasons so helpful! The focus on "self" and phrases like "self-care" have flourished over the past several years, and taken some hard criticism, as well. While I am not an advocate of focusing on "self" above all, I do find that Jesus himself left us examples of taking time to be alone and care for himself. It's all about balance, and I find that simple rituals, like a focus topic for the month, encourages me to be intentional about caring for my mind and body. There's an old saying that holds a lot of truth, "You can't draw water from a dry well." There's nothing wrong with filling yourself up!

6. Creeping Jenny

And finally, this little plant that was part of a variety pack we picked up recently at a local nursery. This pot sits in the center of our outdoor table, and it just brings me such joy! I identified it yesterday and discovered it is called Creeping Jenny lysimachia nummularia and is part of the primrose family. Apparently it propagates easily, but can also be highly invasive, so we'll probably limit it to pots here and there. Last year we struggled to keep our plants alive, but this year (so far), they all seem to be flourishing.

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Summer Is Here!

S U M M E R

There is burgeoning growth all around.

Joy fills the air as all thngs celebrate life.

Sap has well and truly risen, and the garden appears

to be bursting with a kaleidoscopic of color. Solstice marks 

the high point of the year when all around seems full 

of exuberance and gratitude. The warming rays of the 

sun on our backsfill us with blissful contentment.

Amid all the frantic activity, we find time to pause, 

and give thanks. Abundance beckons.

Today is the summer solstice, though it does not officially arrive until 10:42 p.m, which I think means that Saturday will be the longest day of the year, but to be honest I'm not really sure how all of that works.  All I do know is . . . summer is here! 

I'll be back soon, with ideas and inspiration to savor every moment of this beautiful season! But for now, here's a lovely recipe for . . .

SUMMER SOLSTICE TEA

1 quart sized mason jar

2 green tea bags

3-5 sprigs of mint

3 peach slices

Filtered water to fill the jar

Place all ingredients in your jar and fill with filtered water. Cover with a lid and place in a sunny spot. 

Fuse in the sunshine for about 3 hours.

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In The Garden

"Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace."

- MAY SARTON

We've been working in our yard/garden all week, and things are really beginning to shape up!  

There is a hill leading up to the woods in our back yard that until this week had become a bit overgrown with weeds. I'm not one to dig up a good weed, especially if it has a pretty bloom, and so many "weeds" are actually medicinal, so I'm slow to throw them off.  This week we walked through square every inch of that overgrowth and identified what was there to decide what was worth keeping, and what wasn't. We had an overgrowth of a few things, so we strategically kept a few and dug up the rest. If it is medicinal it went into a plastic tote that I'll be processing over the next few days, drying and preparing them to store. It's been so nice to see it start to take shape  and it's nicer still that now it's easy to identify the plants we're keeping, so we aren't just haphazardly weeding out perfectly good plants.

We've been spending a lot of time on Pinterest recently, dreaming about some features we'd like to add, especially if they could be functional, as well. Here are some ideas that we hope to incorporate over the summer.

(l-r) I've asked my husband if he could build this simple trellis as a decorative feature in my herb garden. I'm not sure what kind of vine I'll grow yet, but I'm sure I can figure something out.

We recently had to have a tree taken down on our property and we have a ton of logs, branches and tree stumps that we are going to use for various projects.  One of those is building a taller fence around the garden extension, and some smaller ones along the hillside. 

And finally, we plan to cut a path across the top of the hill and one leading out into the back of the woods and we'll be using various logs and tree stumps to form the natural curve of it. We'll place a few stumps here and there and set potted plants on top. I can't wait to see how this turns out!

We love using various decorative elements as planters, like the old tool box in this picture and we're looking to add more. I've got my eyes out for an old dresser. We went to a yard sale last summer and one of the houses we visited had one on the front porch with the drawers partially opened and used as planters for various flowers and they had set potted plants on top. I knew right then and there that one day, I would do the same. My husband found an old desk for free on marketplace, and my plan is to use the drawers as beds in our garden extension, and the rest I'll use in my work station. We also have plans to go to an estate sale this Sunday, so I'm hoping we can pick up some interesting things there.

I'm excited to see how it all comes together and I'll definitely keep you updated on our progress. Yard work has always been hard for me, because I struggle to find the balance between what needs to be done outside and other things like cooking, laundry, and house cleaning. But knocking some of these projects off of our to-do list is important, so I've decided to lower my standards a bit. The house probably won't be as clean as I would prefer, and I'm keeping our meals as simple as possible. 

What about you, do you have any big outdoor projects you're tackling this summer? How do you balance inside vs outside work during this season? I'd love to hear your suggestions! Meet me in the comments. If you're looking for ideas and inspiration for your own garden, visit my Pinterest board!

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Make This Home A Peaceful Place

 

Bless this house,

O Lord, we pray.
Let your joy

shine here today.
Fill each corner
with Your grace.
Make this home
a peaceful place.
Let laughter ring
throughout the halls.
Bring harmony
to these four walls.
May all who enter
Be at rest as 

Your love touches,
every guest.

- NANCY LYNCH WEISS

Poetry, especially sweet verses like this one which beckon to the peace and harmony that we desire within the walls of our homes, speaks to me on such a deep level. I'll be sharing more poems like these from a fairly vast collection I've curated over the years in the coming months. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

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Small Things - Second Saturday of June 2025

"Life is not, for most of us, a pageant of splendor, but is made up of many small things, rather like an old fashioned piecework quilt. No two people have the same, but we all have our own, whether it be listening to Beethoven's fifth with a beloved friend, or seeing a neighbor at the back door with a basket of white dahlias. Or after a long, hard day, having the family say, "That was a good supper."

- GLADYS TABER

In no particular order, here are six small things that inspired me this week;

1. Summer Magic

We watched this classic Disney film this week, one of my all time favorites. Did you know it is based on the book Mother Carey's Chickens? I love just about any movie with Haley Mills. 

2. My New Growth Roots Journal

Last year a dear friend introduced me to Growth Roots Journals, a yearly journal for recording all that you learn in your walk with the Lord. I loved it so much, that this year I ordered a new one which I'll begin in July. Last year I had so much I wanted to document that I actually ran out of room and continued it on into several other spiral notebooks, which to me, was not ideal. So this year I'm going to take one verse and make it my theme and hopefully I can keep it all contained within this one journal.  The verse I've chosen is;

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. 

To mind your own business and work with your hands."

- 1 THESSALONIANS 4:11-12

I also ordered this journal to use as prayer journal, this shade of green is my favorite.

3. The Liesborn Prayer Wheel

I was first introduced to the Prayer Wheet @belampstands which led me to this article on the The Liesborn Prayer Wheel. I'm interested to learn more and see if this is something I want to incorporate into my Rule of Life.  I'm looking at purchasing this book The Prayer Wheel: A Daily Guide to Renewing Your Faith with a Rediscovered Spiritual Practice  (Affliate Link)

“Sometimes returning to ancient sources is exactly what we need to renew our spiritual lives.” 

—PAYTON DODD 

4. The Summer Slowdown from Practicing The Way

A guide to help you slow down and savor the goodness of God this July.  I've already taken a break from Facebook during my sabbatical, but I may extend it through the end of July and glean from this guide.

5. Sacred Rest (Affliate Link)

Looking forward to diving into this book, alongside the book I mentioned last week, The Sabbath Way. Do you see a theme here? Slow living, rest, Sabbath, ancient practices. Both of these titles are on Hoopla if your library participates.

6. As The Season Turns Podcast The June edition is up! This is one of my favorite monthly listens!

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Two Sweet Ideas For Summer

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, 

simple things in life which are the reals ones, after all."

- LAURA INGALLS WILDER

We went to the most lovely garden center today, and the hydrangea bushes were so beautiful! I've always dreamed of having a white hydrangea bush in my yard, and it's something we will be adding, eventually. The problem now is, which variety will I choose? I'm not sure I knew there were so many, and I loved them all, so now I'm thinking . . . maybe three? They also had some beautiful butterly bushes and lilacs,  the scents were just heavenly!

And speaking of . . .  one of the things I like to do to make our home cozy year round is diffusing seasonal essential oils! I've tried a few over the past couple of weeks, and here are two I've really enjoyed, Sweet Summer is especially nice!

❊ SWEET SUMMER

- 4 drops tangerine

- 2 drops lavender

- 1 drop lime

- 1 drop spearmint

❊ SUMMER NIGHTS

- 4 drops juniper berry

- 2 drops grapefruit

- 2 drops bergamot

- 1 drop ylang ylang

You can also find floral scented oils to use in your diffuser, as well. Two that I like are lilac and peony! (Affliate Links) I just diffused peony yesterday and the whole house smelled as fresh as a summer day!

Another thing I like to do as the days grow warmer, is to make up a pitcher (or in this case, a jar) of iced tea!

And did you know that tomorrow is. . . .

❊ NATIONAL ICED TEA DAY - June 10

Over the weekend I made a little jar of sun tea nothing fancy, just a tea bag, some water and the sun! I'm r-e-a-l-l-y trying to cut back on Coke (I'm addicted!) and tea is my go to replacment, especially in the summer! I've been drinking sweet tea, but to make it even better, now I'm cutting back on that and made the sun tea unsweeted and I actually liked it!

The thing you have to be careful about when making sun tea, is not to create a breeding ground for bacteria.  Tea leaves can carry bacteria, and the process of them steeping for hours in the sunlight raises some concerns. But, that doesnt' mean you can't still enjoy the fun, just do it safely!

1. Make sure your container is clean. I don't make a lot of tea, so I just use a 16 oz. mason jar which gives me 2-3 glasses throughout the day. I run the jar through the dishwasher every night so its ready to be used again the next day. Super simple!

2. Add your tea bags. For my 16 oz. jar, I use 2.

3. Steep in direct sunlight for 3-4 hours. Make sure it remains direclty in the sun, moving it if necessary. Do no exceed four hours, as after that time bacteria starts to breed.

4. Refrigerate immediately. This will slow the bacterial growth and keep your tea fresh!

5. Enjoy your tea! But not for more than a couple of days. Sun tea, especially, doesn't keep it's freshness and flavor as well as boiled tea bags, so best if you drink it quickly!

I like to add flavors to my tea, like blackberries and cucumbers, they are my favorites, especially together. But every now and then I like it mixed with a little pineapple juice, yum! 

I saw a recipe on Pinterest for a recipe for Jolly Rancher Iced Tea, and since someone gave our daughter a bag of them, I thought we might try it a try.  Here's how to make it

Pour water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil

Add tea and jolly rancher to brew

Strain the tea and discard the residue

Transfer to the pitcher and place in the refrigerator

Serve over ice and enjoy

Not the healthiest version you could drink, but it might be fun just to try!

Well, my friends, it's time to close this post! I pray you all have a lovely day tomorrow,

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