Refrigerator Pickles...

 Do you want to do homemaking tasks but don't feel you have the time due to necessary work, etc?  Then, here is a way for you to enjoy a simple task that will reap benefits for awhile and won't take up much time.  Make Refrigerator Pickles.  They will keep in your fridge for up to a year.  This recipe was given to me, but I have taken my own liberties with it.  

6 C. Sliced Cucumbers

1 C. Sliced Onion

1 C. Sliced Green Pepper

1 C. Vinegar

2 T. Salt

1 t. Celery Seeds

2 C. Sugar

Mix together and store in refrigerator.  Ready to use in 24 hours.  Keeps 1 year.

Homemaking...Duty or Delight?

 It doesn't seem real glamorous to scrub a toilet, wash dirty underwear or clean the kitchen floor, does it? I agree that it seems insignificant in the whole scheme of life, but I have a suggestion.  We CAN see these and other homemaking tasks as VERY significant and even do them for the glory of God.  Just this morning, I read this passage in the Bible; 

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."  (I Cor 10:31)

As we do our housekeeping tasks, as we clean, cook, iron, scrub, bake, mend, do laundry, decorate, etc, we CAN do it for a high and holy purpose, the glory of God, Himself.  As old fashioned as it sounds, I do believe that God gifted women for these tasks.  Not to demean us, but as part of our design to be a helpmeet to our husbands and as already discussed, for the glory of God, Himself, the One who created us and gave us this design.  If we can grasp this reality, it can be transformative.  

If you are single as I was for 50 years, you may wonder how you fit in here.  I believe that you do.  You are still a woman, and most likely, you still have to work a job to support yourself.  But, that by no means lets you off the hook.  You can set aside time each weak to make your home a pleasant place to relax in for yourself and others.  You can take time to cook healthy food.  You can keep your laundry caught up.  You can do what I did as a single woman.  I hosted a Ladies' Bible study several years ago in my home.  I really enjoyed preparing for it and opening my home for others.  At our last meeting, we all pitched in for a Mexican meal together.  It was a blessed time.  By being a homemaker even while single, I had a place where others could gather.  

Now, I'm married and I spend much of my free time outside of work, being a homemaker.  That is my dream job and I hope the day will come when I can do it even more.

How can you make your home today a more peaceful, orderly and lovely place?

Housecleaning Thoughts...

 Keeping house is a daily task.  I have always tried to keep my house reasonably nice, do some cooking and keep the laundry on track even when I was single.  Getting married, however, it's a whole new ballgame!  😁  Throw in a remodel of the very rooms you are trying to live in, organization and sorting through all of my possessions, etc and you've got a huge task!  And, to top it all off, I have held down a job this entire time I've been married.  And, we've taken several trips and had several bonfires at our country place.  I could go on, but I will spare you.  

About two years ago, I began to develop a system whereby I could keep house and continue my job as my husband wanted me to keep working.  On a normal week now, I am gone up to 40 hours.  

I have made lists, a graph and weekly cleanings list, etc.  I have been tweeking it over time into something somewhat workable.  

Basically, I try to to the laundry beginning on Monday evening.  My goal is to do one load each day until Thursday which is my day off.  Then, I try and finish it up.  This works pretty well.  Rob is good to hlep me fold it, he's especially good at folding fitted sheets!

Monday evenings he is usually gone to Men's Group at church, so I usually try to get a lot done while he's gone such as clean both bathrooms, vacuum the carpet and generally clean up the kitchen.  If I have time, I also clean the kitchen floor.  I try also to take a little time to practice the piano, play with the kittens and cats and now in the summer, maybe work in the garden a bit.  It's a busy evening, but so helpful.  

On Tuesday, I'm usually home by noon and I do another load of laundry, and work on my cleaning check list for the week or we use this time for shopping/errands.  Sometimes, I also use Tuesday afternoon for doctor appointments and coffee/lunch with my niece or friend, Debby.

Wednesday, another load of laundry, tidy up the kitchen, practice piano, etc.

Thursday is my marathon day!  I finish the laundry, spend time in my office doing various things, practice the piano, and try to clean one room of the house such as our bedroom.  I also thoroughly clean the kitchen and rotate extra projects such as cleaning out the refrigerator, oven, etc.   This is working pretty well, but I do have to keep on moving.  

If I am successful at all of this, by Friday evening and the weekend, we can have some time to do fun things and then Sunday we are fairly lazy!  Which is what Sunday is meant to be, a day of rest.

How do you organize your cleaning and homemaking?  I would love to hear some of your suggestions.  

On Being a Wise Woman...

 "A wise woman builds her home,

    but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands."  

                                           Proverbs 14:1, NLT

I'm pondering what it means for a woman to be wise as opposed to foolish.  In the modern world we live in, how can I be wise?  How can I fulfill God's plan for me as a woman, in my marriage, in my workplace, in my home, in my family relationships, friendships, when doing commerce, and so many other areas?

First of all, I become wise only as I learn and know what Jesus Christ, my  Savior has put forth in His Word for how a woman should become and behave.  

In this little piece, I want to explore how a woman can be wise in the area of her home.  How can I build up my home and not tear it down?

I believe that a woman is subject to her husband, as he is the head of the home.  This doesn't mean that he is to lord over or abuse his wife, but lovingly lead.  This won't be too difficult for a wise woman to follow.  Assuming he is striving to be that kind of husband, how can I build?

Tend to the home---I mean clean it, organize it, decorate it, keep the laundry caught up, cook food in it; in short, make it a place where your husband can be at home, relax, and find peace with you.  I'm learning and have along ways to go that balance is needed.  Perfection is not my friend, but neither is letting the home become a place that is dirty and uninviting either.  I'm concerned by a modern view that messy, dirty homes are okay.  No, they are not.  Somewhere in the middle is best.  

Create an atmosphere in the home that is welcoming.  Create an atmosphere in the home that is comfortable.  Create an atmosphere of love and acceptance.  

Center all of your life in the home.  

At this time, it is needed, by my husbands request, that I continue to work some.  I am gone from home each week around 35 -38 hours to my job.  Honestly, it's more than I want to be gone, but I am trying my best to make it all work.  But, most of my free time, is spent at home, cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry, organizing, helping in the garden, working in the yard, etc.  By centering my life around the home, I am denying many other things in my life.  Yes, there is a balance.  I do take some time to be with my women friends and have a lunch or coffee now and then.  I believe this is part of life balance.  Through these relationships, I can grow and also be an encouragement to them.   

How do you build up your home?  What are ways we can foolishly tear it down?