The plot… updated..

 

As you can see the veggie patch is coming along a treat.

The square at the fore of this picture is made up off Cabbage, Sprouts and Broccoli.

Everthing seems to be doing really well this year. 

I guess our mixed weather has it’s benefits.

 

This is a view from the bottom of the garden, looking up to the veggies and the house.

It was a nice morning here.  We have had some really wet days recently, so it was a must for the grass to be cut this morning.

The next time I see this grass it won’t be in such good condition

To-day was the last day of school.  

First day of the holdiays!

Time to keep the kids out of the house  air our 3 bedroom holiday home

 

Are you having a holiday this year?  Do you take your holiday home on your back?

Happy Holidays!

Elaine

Slow Cooker Classic

JP and the kiddos bought me a slow cooker for my birthday.

My procrastination in this area is over

Anyway I’m having an interesting time trying out new recipes.

I tried BBQ Crockpot pulled Pork during the week.  It doesn’t have to be eaten warm and turned out to be a hit for the lunch boxes.

Highly recommended Southern recipe.

{Y’all}

Have a good weekend.

Elaine

 

 

 

 

Little Links

Over at Pyro to-day it’s DJP’s annual post which becomes more necesary as the season changes again.  Hat-tip to Kim as I don’t have time to read Pyro’s exceptionally long posts every day

Another good post which was written a while back was by Jess at Making Home if you’re married you ought to read this post.

While you’re over at Jess’s place you may want to check out her list of links warning though these will keep you clicking forever.

I  found a new cooking blog just the other day, according to the number of comments on a recent post I must be one of the few bloggers left who didn’t know about this excellent resource.  The Pioneer Woman cooks has been added to my reader.

Lastly, I’m thinking of adding a new category “can this only happen in Northern Ireland“.

and incase you are wondering,

none of those cars were mine

Elaine

Fighting your own battles.

I’ve been following the sad news to-day of the death of a female Corporal in the British Army.  The first female from the British Forces to lose their life in Afghanistan.

Even the BBC bring to the fore the question of females serving in the British army.

From a Christian perspective Pastor Chanski has an excellent Sunday School session on Sermon Audio which deals Biblically with the issue.

My purpose isn’t to debate on whether females should be there or not.

I found this article from the BBC very interesting, as I really felt they could be describing a Homemakers/Mothers role just as easily as a Soldier.

“The Ministry of Defence describes the contribution of all women as “essential”, and says recent awards of medals for gallantry to women during operational deployments show they are serving in more demanding circumstances than ever before”.

The Bible also describes the contribution of  women as homemakers as “essential”, and says that those who are faithful will receive Eternal Life.  Surely the current climate of our nation shows us we are also serving in more demanding circumstances than ever before.

An MoD spokesman said women do take on many key - and crucially, frontline - roles.

Of course they do, as do homemakers, “Raising Children in the fear and admonition of the Lord” - Key, Crucial and Frontline I’d say.

“Women can be employed anywhere and are involved in every operation currently going on,” a spokesman said.

Ditto.

“What we often see is a misconception that women can’t do frontline roles. They can.

What the Bible teaches is that the Proverbs 31 woman HAS a frontline role, so we agree on that.

“What they can’t do, and it’s a military phrase, is any specialisation where ‘the primary duty is to close with or kill the enemy’.

Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Ladies we may never be hailed as heroes but our role is described in terms indistinguishable from those who are prepared to give their lives for their country.

We all have our own battles, some are scrutinized by the media, others never leave our own hearts and consciences, there are no heroes in some battles just contenders.

Elaine

I was just wondering…….

Did any of you have Cabbage for dinner this week?

Elaine

While I’m in ‘really short posts’ mode…..

Did you see who won a 9 marks T-Shirt?

Don’t forget if you want to be the proud owner of a Carla designed T-shirt or Sweatshirt just click the graphic. Carla is giving away an item from her store to her 40,000th visitor to the website.  Go check out the details.

 

 

Which would you choose?

 

Elaine

 

 

Still here honest……

Not sick, not dead, not pregnant     ….. just busy.

Did you know……

 

This makes me feel so much better

 

 

Getting all geared up for our churchs Open Night on Friday night coming.

People to invite, posters to print and Pecan Tassies to bake (and eat).

If you’re from Norn Iron count yourself invited

If you want to be involved feel free to pray that our many invitations will bring those looking for a church home or looking for a Saviour to our special Night.

If you’re just dropping by to see if I have saved up any good links, be sure I will be linking soon.  In the mean time check out this list that Jess made out, it always makes for good reading.

Elaine

 

 

 

 

 

 

Project Navy Blue…

Project Blue hosted by Anna Carson Photography.

one from the archives…..

Project Blue

Project Blue is hosted by Anna Carson Photography

Photo credit to JP

 

Reading Roundabout.

(Picutres by Allposters.com)

First can I just say a great big thankyou to all who took the time to comment on my request for help with next years reading roundabout books.  I really didn’t expect to get so many good recommendations and now I have more than enough ideas for the next few years

If you would like to recommend any further books it may be best if you leave your details at the original post, it keeps all things together in one place for me.   Thanks. 

I will be sure to post a list of all the books here as soon as I have finalised the list and also purchased the new books.  

Ladies from church any of these you like the sound of just let me know asap, before I go ahead and buy!  Be sure to check the comments section as the majority are listed there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some of you have asked exactly how the reading roundabout works and so I thought I would try to make it clear in this post.

How to set up a Reading Roundabout/Reading Group in your church.

Work out how many are going to be involved. Our first year we had 12 ladies, which made for 12 books in 12 months.  That keeps it simple. 

Whatever number of readers you have, you need the same number of books, this is the most work, thinking out the various books.  I try to stick to 4 broad categories  Biography, Practical Christianity, Theology and Devotional.

Once the books have been chosen, pile the books in an order which doesn’t have books from the same category together.  

Make a Bookmark for each book listing the Months of the year on one side and the ladies names on the other.  So if you start in January just list Jan - Dec on one side but on the other move the ladies names down one on each bookmark so each lady has a different book each month.

We simply attach a plastic corner pocket into the inside cover of each book and insert the relevant bookmark in each.

The books are given out along with a list of guidelines.

Here are the guidelines we use    

For the reading roundabout to be a success please keep to the following guidelines:

Pass  your book on to the next reader on the list as close to the end of the month as possible. 

Keep the bookmark with the book at all times.  

The books all belong to either our church library or church members – please look after the books. If you finish a book  in good time – pass it on early to give the next reader some extra time with the book.

Remember if you fail to pass a book on in time it will effect everyone not just the next person on the list. 

Please be faithful to others even if you haven’t finished the book.  (Especially during holiday periods).

If you have already read the book , see it as an opportunity to review, it could only be edifying to read any of these books twice!!

Go on  treat yourself to a new notebook, after reading each book consider and take notes on the following:

Note what you found helpful about this book 

Note anything you found controversial within the book 

Note any challenges you received while reading this book  Note any other thoughts that may be helpful for future discussion 

Interact with others regarding the reading roundabout – use it as a tool for edifying conversation.

Remember it’s not a test but a means of learning more together. 

Please pray to this end.

At the end of the roundabout please return all books to Elaine.      

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We don’t put any pressure on our ladies to show that they have read the books.  Not every lady reads every book but they do receive one each month and generally all are read.  The Roundabout is a tool to help others not only to read but to read a wider range of books than they may choose to read themselves.  We discuss the book during private conversation and also informally during our ladies nights at church.  It would be possible to have more formal discussions about the books but we are happy with a relaxed approach.    

Each year we ask for £2.00 for each reader towards buying new books, these along with our church library and our personal collections make up the chosen books.  The new books we buy are dontated to the church library after that session of reading is over.

I hope these simple guidelines are helpful, let me know if you decide to host a reading roundabout in your church or group.

All credit for the Reading Roundabout idea goes to a dear sister and Pastors wife in the  Reformed Baptist Church in Grand Rapids Michigan.  (Titus 2:3).

Elaine