Thanksgiving Lessons: Mixed Media Journal
Couch Talk
It is Thanksgiving week and I would be remiss not to mention a few things for which I want to thank God. I learned quite a bit this year about my misplaced priorities. I have always measured my daily profitability by creativity. If I didn’t have creative time during the day, I would feel that I hadn’t accomplished anything.
Being home with all my children since March of this year has dropped my creative time more than half of what it was while they were in school. And of course, once we started schooling at home, it has decreased even more. As you can imagine, maintaining the house and the daily needs of my family take up a lot of my extra time but God is changing my heart about how I judge profitability. I am learning to enjoy the extra time that I spend with my children and I have even found myself suggesting family activities in our free hours. Hours that I would otherwise spend doing what I want to do.
The biggest lesson I have learned in 2020 is that time spent with my children/family is a better gage of profitability than my creative time. Creative time has its place but when it comes down to it, investing in the lives of my children is more worthwhile.
StencilGirl Column
If you want to see how I journaled what I learned from this year, my Lessons and Blessings Journal is over at the StencilGirl blog today. I have LOTS of pictures and journal pages, using my StencilGirl stencils. You can see it HERE.
The Little Chef
Pumpkin Rice Krispy Treats
Another blessing from this year has been the fabulous online charter school we found for our boys. My littlest man joined baking club which meets every other week and in between he has been attending virtual field trips that have kept him baking and cooking up a storm. He has gained so much confidence in the kitchen and surprised us with all his delicious bakes. Here are a few of his recent makes in class.
Pumpkin Raviolli
Yeasted Dinner Rolls
Apple Pie
Tea Day
I am joining the T day ladies, hosted by Elizabeth and Bleubeard. For my drink today, I am sharing my new tea again. Taste-wise it didn’t have any pear flavor so I was disappointed. I tasted only white tea. Not to mention that I broke out in hives two hours within drinking a cup of this tea. I decided to give it one more try in the hopes that it was something I ate and not the tea. I made a pot the next day but the hives remained. I haven’t had a cup since but a week later, I still have the hives. So that is a mystery.
Happy Tea Day,
Kate
Your little baker is amazing. What a fabulous skill for someone to learn. And very nice journal pages too. I hope your hives don’t last as long as mine. (I don’t want to scare you but it has been 3 years- and it all started from cleaning in my attic). So I can really relate. I hope thy disappear ASAP. Have a great Thanksgiving and T day too. Hugs-Erika
I think it’s awesome that your family cooks and bakes together. I spent allot of time in the kitchen with Mom and also at my Grandma’s farm learning and enjoying cooking and baking. I am in my 70s so when I was a kid growing up my Mom spent allot of time with us kids and we had allot of family time, especially at meals I think it is really important.
Happy T and Happy Thanksgiving Kathy
So glad you can appreciate the time spent with your kids, and that they are developing so well. Your little boy is a great cook, that’s for sure. Enjoy Thanksgiving, have a happy T Day and a great week, hugs, Valerie
A cute family you have!
Your lessons-book is great, too, something to always look back to.
Oh, that apple pie looks lovely. Great “hobby”! My brother loves to cook, to, and he tea<ches his children as well.
Happy T-day!
I enjoyed seeing your journal at Stencil Girl. I’ve yet to use my Bind-it-All, but it looks like you enjoy using yours.
Your son is quite the baker. Much, much better than I, in fact. Sorry to read you got the hives from your tea. I hope it clears before Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing your son’s cooking and your journal with us, along with the pear tea for T this Tuesday, Kate.
Being with your family is so important and your time invested in your children is invaluable and I’m sure so rewarding too 😀. Loving the photo of them all and your little baker looks like he’s cooking up a storm! A piece of that yummy apple pie would go so nicely with my cuppa this monring! Happy T Day wishes! Hugs, Jo x
2020 has been a difficult year, due to covid-19, so I’m glad to hear you’ve found some positives as we all try to adapt to so many changes in how we live. Your son has made a lot of delicious looking food and desserts. Happy T-Day!
I love how you express the change in priorities in these times. Priceless 🙂 The baking club sounds delightful. Happy T Tuesday!
Congratulations to the Baker. His pie looks awesome! So happy to hear he’s having a good school experience. And learning a life skill is very important. Happy T Day and Happy Thanksgiving. PS I’ve had a few outbreaks of hives. I think caused by stress so it might not be what you are eating or drinking.
What a lovely post Kate. Our young ones grow up so fast so how wonderful to have so much special time with them! My personal creative hours took a back seat when our son was in school up to his senior year. Your little bake is quite the chef, and perhaps he will one day have his own bakery-it all looks yummy! How cool that there is a baking club for him. Happy Thanksgiving, and happy T day!
All I can say is, you have a beautiful family and this post made me smile and feel happy. Thank you.
Another beautiful and thought-provoking muse, Kate. I’ve had some ephiphanies too in the “shelter-in-place” world. Lovely photo of you (not-so) littles. Your daughter looks so pretty in the dress you made for her (from a bed sheet if I recall.
OMGosh, your son’s apple pie looks prettier than any I’ve made! And ravioli from scratch – I’m really impressed.
I’m sorry to hear about your reaction to the tea (most likely).
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy T-Day! Stay safe and stay well. Hugs, Eileen
What a great photo of your kids. It’s good that you are learning some life lessons. Time invested in your kids is never wasted and needs a lot of creativity. I’m glad the homeschooling system you chose is proving to be really good. Your son is quite the baker! Bless him. He’s doing really well and is making things better than many a housewife would.
Have you still got the hives? It might not be the tea… Could be anything, new brand of fabric softener or hand sanitiser. I hope it goes soon. All the best.
Happy T-Day,
Lisca
You have such lovely children! All the food looks yummy! Happy Thanksgiving.
I think this year has been a revealing one to most people this year and I hope that a lot of lessons have been learnt! I have enjoyed more time with my hubby – we always enjoyed each other’s company but I think we enjoy it more now. I have missed meeting up with friends and family but we have started to craft together and instead of taking turns to cook we cook together too sometimes! Your little chef looks to be coming quite accomplished! popped over to see that fabulous journal too – love! Hope you solve the reason for your hives! Take care! Belated Happy T Day and Happy Thanksgiving! Chrisxx