Two Days in a Row...

I decided since I was so late with Patrice's last Porch Chat, and since this chat was right around the corner, that I'd just sleep over at Everyday Ruralty, and enjoy some of Virginia's finest evening and early morning weather.

And here are Patrice's questions for today:


1. What are your plans for the 4th of July?


You know, this is the first year for quite a number of years that we have nothing planned for the day in which you chucked us in favour of something ridiculous called Democracy. Or Freedom. Or whatever. 


Can you tell I'm not bitter?


(erm ... I hope all of you spot the tone here. I know those of you who know me well will.)


Last year, we had our homeschoolers' day on the Fourth, and we celebrated with 

Food...

Pavlova and cheesecake

Some history....

We all signed the Constitution

Fun ...

We played our version of baseball on the beach

And even Jackson got in on the patriotic act.

This year, DR and Catherine will actually be in the US of A for the Fourth. Can you imagine how happy they are about that?

2. What is your favourite ethnic food?


Oh, I do love my ethnic foods. Does the Guga count? (Read about Our Delicacy if you don't know what I'm talking about.) No? Okay, onto other ethnic foods.


I love Mexican foods. I love the mixture of textures and flavours in a Taco: spices, creaminess, crunch all rolled into one.


Yum.


But I love Indian curries most of all. The Indian closest to where we lived outside of Glasgow is one of my biggest 'misses' since we moved home. I love, love, love proper Indian curries.




3. What's your least favourite chore?


Oh dear me. This list would probably be as long as my To-do list! Often the thought of having to do something is actually a lot worse than the doing of it. I find that with so many chores that I've been putting off and off: I get to it, and really, it isn't so bad once I'm in the swing of things. 


I am hopeless at clearing out cupboards which have become jam-packed with stuff that was being chucked out of some other room. I have a cupboard and an office to do this summer, and I am dreading the thought of them. I have to empty them first, then decide what's staying and what's going. And then, I have to put those things which are being kept back into the room or cupboard tidily. Really, this does not sit well with me!


4. What really 'stopped you in your tracks' and made you think twice?


Oh, that's a hard one, Patrice. I do remember when DR turned fourteen, it seemed so much older than thirteen had. That's when the Builder and I decided to knuckle down and save for a family holiday. We knew that time was passing so quickly that if we didn't do it soon, we'd end up having a holiday without some of our kids. The whole experience of that holiday - including the saving for it, and the planning of it - had so many consequences. I think it changed a number of things in our family's life.


Time is such a precious commodity. And while we still have our children with us, and have the ability to influence and mould them, it really is so important to use every minute for their good, and for God's glory. Now that I am reaching the stage I am, with kids in their late teenage years, I am wishing more than ever that I could slow down the passage of time, and make more use of our time together. 


Thankfully, God is the greatest Teacher, and I must leave them in His hands, for Him to mould and teach in a much better way than I ever could.




5. Would you rather dry your clothes on a clothes line, or in a dryer?


Oh, I go from one to the other. I have been through a tumble-drier spell over the past year or so, and have loved it. With time being in such short supply, being able to throw all the clothes into the drier, then fold them when they were done, and the ironing becoming almost non-existent, was such a great feeling. A few weeks ago, my tumble 'died', but I was so blessed with our weather here, that in all that time, I didn't have to dry clothes inside once. The other day, our first day of rain for weeks and weeks, I pressed the On button on the tumble, turned the minutes wheel, and .... it went! I couldn't believe it! All that time, the only thing that was wrong with it was that the minutes wheel had gone awry! I couldn't but be amazed at God's goodness to me: weeks of thinking it was broken - weeks of sunshine. One day of rain - realising it was working! 


Over the summer, if we have good weather, I will carry on drying the clothes outside - just because I don't feel I can justify the unnecessary use of electricity. But when I'm doing laundry on wet days, the tumble will be back in use.


This was yesterday's weather and the resulting choice:

Best of both worlds, methinks.


(Patrice, I realise I take a long time answering such simple questions. Really and truly - I do blether on. I look back at that last question and realise I could have said, 


Clothes line


or


Tumble Drier.


But no, I have to write a thesis on the very simplest of questions!)


As always, I've enjoyed our chats, and it's so lovely to be on your Porch today with the others.