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Helen's Mulberry Lane Farm Journal
February 13, 2021
My prayer this Valentine's Day.
"If equal affection cannot be, let the more loving one be me."
W. H Auden
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A Little of This n' That
I'm a side-tracked home executive. Did I put that baking powder in the pancake recipe or was that the salt I just put in? Since all of my recipes are already in plastic page holders, I use an erasable marker to check things off as I put them in the recipe. Simple, yet effective. Now, I just put my marker down somewhere.....
From Matthew's children
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Now that I wear bi-focals, I find it hard to pluck my eyebrows, not to mention the unmentionable.....chin hairs. I have for years been bending over the sink in the bathroom and trying to get up close to the mirror. I did some online research (on one of those "stuck inside" ice storm days in early January) on how to accomplish this task without giving me back and neck strain. You probably already know this, but one can buy make-up mirrors that are magnified and come with lights! (I know...welcome to the 21st century, Helen. To be fair, I've been a little busy...) I bought one and I was amazed and delighted to be able to do this so easily. I was also shocked at how many hairs I could now see.....sigh. I also learned that one of the best tweezers are the kind shown below. I had never seen these before and I must say they work great!
I hate to spend/waste money on sticky notes. I make my own. I take any paper that has at least one blank side to it like junk mail, old envelopes, used card stock, used file folders, etc. Instead of throwing them away, I cut them up. If it is blank on both sides, I use one side, then cross it out, and put it back in my desk drawer to use the other side at some point. (Doubling my savings!) If I need to "stick" them to something, I use a paper clip or a piece of tape. The pieces don't have to be perfectly cut making this a great project for kids who love to cut paper. (Our work is children's play, so have them do something useful; it makes them feel needed and part of the family.)
Does your brown sugar get hard as rock sometimes? I learned this trick from my mother. Simply put a slice of apple in the container overnight and the brown sugar will be soft by morning. Remove the apple after twelve hours. Eat the apple.
Sometimes I just can't get to changing my bed sheets as often as I would like; please don't ask me how often I do it. This past week, I said to myself, "Self, why don't you at least just wash all of the pillow cases?" Ahhhhh.....yes....the sweetness when I drift off.
Home-made book marks from Rachel's girls
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I got engaged to Gerald on Valentine's Day, 1974. He ordered a lovely solitaire "Orange Blossom" diamond for me. Yes, it was a small diamond, but it came with a very big heart full of love. We sat together on a cold winter's day in Gerald's little VW bug, while he put it on my finger. No bells, no whistles, no fake instagram hullabaloo, no flowers, no music, no fancy nothin'. But for us, it was all we wanted. I have no regrets. I wouldn't change a thing.
I wear the same ring proudly now, never wanting a bigger diamond, or a fancier setting. Our lives have been just like that moment; simple, no fan-fare, no extravagant wedding, no wedding reception or cake, no wedding photographer, a simple honeymoon at a small deserted Christian camp, no expensive anniversary trips. We love our simple life at home, sleeping in our own beds every night, taking our daily walk, eating our meals together, working together every day in our God-given ministry, taking our weekly date out for Chinese food and grocery pick up. We're livin' the dream!
Just the two of us; just happy to have each other and to be together. When we married, we desired to never be apart again. Yes, we are joined like gorilla glue and we cherish the time we have together.
August 10, 1974, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
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Blessings,
Helen
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