Homemaking · Mary Mary and Martha · My world · Simplicity

Today’s To Dos

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Here is my “to do” list for Monday, July 14.


Andreas Achenbach – Morning In The Potinian Marches

Lucky room of the day: The kitchen
Special project: Simple Summer Fling

Laundry… as much as I can
Unpack from camping
menu plan
work on “room by room” checklists
work on homeschool plans
go to the library & park
garden
read
work on new blog roll
work on website project.

My world · rants

I don’t want to grow up so fast.

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William Bouguereau — L’Orage

Now, dear readers, hang on to something good and sturdy -yes, your desk might do – and prepare yourself for a shock.  I have just read an article that really astonished me.  “We don’t want to grow up so fast, say ‘stressed’ girls”  Really?  You mean our daughters just might not be prepared to fend off sexual advances at 12 and deal with the pressure to look like a model from a glamor magazine at 11?  Who knew???  Wow!  I am just floored.  I wouldn’t have ever guess that.  /end sarcasm.

Seriously, I am glad to see the media actually reporting on this, even though there have been books written on the topic for decades.   Even South Park pointed this out to us.  Girls aren’t ready to be women… that is why they are girls.  They aren’t even ready to be teenagers.  This whole concept of the “tween” seems to me to be just a sly way of marketing more mature items to girls giving them the idea that they aren’t “girls” they should be “Tweens”.   

FromWiki:Tween is a neologism and marketing term, especially in the West, which means roughly the same thing as preteen. It is a portmanteau of between and teen. The age range of tweens in generally considered to be eight to twelve years of age. Marketers describe the driving psychographic motivation of this group as desperately wanting to be a teen, but not about to stop being a kid.I encourage you to read the article.  Why we need to have a study to tell us that this society as a whole is placing way too much pressure on girls is a bit of a mystery to me, but at least one more article is out there with some sense.  Now if parents will listen to the research in stead of the marketing something might improve.

Blogs I Know · Homemaking · My world · Simplicity

The Simple Woman’s Daybook – July 14

darcee4 Comments


he Simple Woman’s Daybook
is hosted by Peggy at the Simple Woman.
Thank you Peggy, this is so much fun!

FOR TODAY : July 14, 2008
We got back from camping yesterday so today is definitely a little different than normal.

Outside My Window…  I am hopeful that today will not be as hot as yesterday.  I was wilting by the late afternoon.  When we upgraded our heating system we decided NOT to get air conditioning as we only really need it a few days out of the year.  SO for about a week two or three times every summer I regret that we didn’t do it.  This is probably going to be one of those weeks.
I am thinking… About the fantastic time we had camping.  I will post more on it later today, but it was such a great trip and I am SO happy we went.  (Thanks Jennifer for encouraging us to go!)
I am thankful for…All the wonderful people in our homeschool group.  They are such good parents and they have such great children.  I am so glad that my parents are here in town too, they took care of my dogs and plants.
From the kitchen… Nothing yet.  IF it isn’t too hot I will make some bread.  If it is I will restrict myself to cucumber salad.
I am wearing…  A black and white floral dress.
I am creating… The revised camping list.  I am also  working on some new plans for the fall.
I am going…  To take the children to the park this afternoon
I am reading…  One Man’s America, Laundry, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell and It’s All Too Much. 
I am hoping…  That the heat subsides at least a little.
I am hearing…  The fan.
Around the house… I have camping gear everywhere. Just like last week only now I am trying to get it all put away.
One of my favorite things… My embroidery threads.  They look so pretty in their box.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  Recovering from the camping thing.  Ordering butterflies.  Finishing the homeschool plans for the fall and doing a good bit of reading.

Here is picture thought I am sharing…(coming later today)

Homemaking · My world

My Lemon Bars

darcee7 Comments

My wonderful Lemon bars are easy to make and a big hit with everyone.

For a 9″x13″ pan:

For shell:
2 sticks (8 ounces) butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 325°.

Blend butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar until a smooth paste.

Press into ungreased 9″x13″ baking pan.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Or until set not brown.

Filling:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon Lemon zest (optional)

Beat together eggs, sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, and lemon juice until light and frothy.
Pour over hot shell sprinkle with lemon zest.  Return to oven – bake at 325° for 20 minutes.  While hot dust with powdered sugar.  Cool, cut into bars.

Blogs I Know · Homemaking · My world

The Simple Woman’s Daybook – July 7

darcee15 Comments


the Simple Woman’s Daybook
is hosted by Peggy at the Simple Woman.
Thank you Peggy, this is so much fun!

FOR TODAY July 7, 2008
I really have to laugh at myself.  I thought I had this all nicely formatted and ready to go and then I looked at it and I had saved it all funny.  One of these days I might be able to function WHILE my coffee is brewing.  🙂   Today is obviously NOT that day.

Outside My Window…  The sun is just starting to rise and there is a soft cool breeze blowing the dampness from the grass through the window.  We have had intense weather this summer, very cold, then hot, some good thunder storms.  Today is normal,  dew on the grass, little bit of a marine layers that will burn off as soon as the sun is up full. 
I am thinking… I have so much to do this week.  I need to go to the library, shop for the trip, make sure we have everything set to go, pack, load the car.  But I am also very excited to be taking the kids camping.
I am thankful for…So many kind people at our parish.  The camping trip is with the homeschool group and people have been so helpful.  We have even been loaned a bike rack so I can bring the children’s bikes.  Kyle can’t come down for a couple day after I leave and there have been offers from the guys who will be there — I know the tent will get up at least.
From the kitchen…I did some baking over the weekend for the forth. The children decorated cupcakes
I am wearing…  Pink sweater and brown capris.  Bare feet, I usually have bare feet inside, either that or my soft, blue slippers.  I think that is part of why I failed flylady. The whole “dress to the shoes” thing made the petulant girl in me stick out my tongue and say “Oh, yeah, that’s stupid”.   Though I do have to laugh.  When I first saw her “thing” it included putting on shoes AND make-up.  Since I own a grand total of one lipstick you can imagine how seriously I took it all.
I am creating… The Camping List.  I have the basic list done, the one that I check off that we actually own enough sleeping bags and such.  This list needs to be the packing list, I need the menu list.  I love lists.  My dad taught me the usefulness of lists when I was a child.  He is a grand master list maker… I am a novice compared to him.
I am going…  Camping this weekend.  This is the first time in years that I have been tent camping and I am looking forward to it.  (did you guess that yet?)
I am reading…  Laundry, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell and It’s All Too Much.  A new book has made its way to the list this week: George Will’s, One Man’s America.  I was thrilled to see the Anchoress recommending him the same time the book finally got to me (I had it on hold at the library) I love the video she has of George Will & Stephen Colbert, in fact that was what inspired me to get the book in the first place.
I am hoping…  That I don’t start stressing out the next few days.
I am hearing…  There is a bird squawking.  I think it is one of the birds nesting in our tree in the yard.
Around the house… I have camping gear everywhere.  It is starting to get to me.  I am tripping over stuff and that increases the stressed feeling that I won’t get it all in the mini-van.
One of my favorite things… My great grandfather’s ice-cream churn.  I still have it and it still works, but it  needs a little work. Where does one get a 1928 ice-cream churn worked on?
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:  The camping thing woo hoo.   Yeah, I know I have been going on about it.  I know though that the second I leave the city limits I will relax and have fun.  Till then I am trying to enjoy the moment, watching the kids get a bit more excited every day and just glad to have the chance to do this sort of thing.

Here is picture thought I am sharing…



Hannah at the park when she was very small
Those are band-aids on her forehead covering the stitches from the time she ran smack into the corner of the doorway leading into the kitchen.  I thought is might slow her down, make her more cautious… no…..