I’ve woken up before everyone else this Sunday morning, it’s been a relaxing Friday and Saturday so far. I realised I hadn’t done any ‘brain’ work so that must be the reason to wake up early. Yes the pot of coffee is in front of me. And no, it’s not lazy sunday – I opened the wrong one, it’s Lavazza and actually tastes quite nice (with a chocolate brownie…. I know… It’s Nigella’s recipe, you want it? wait a minute, here’s the link. They are scrummy. She said to add two chocolate bars. I don’t have chocolate in the house anymore unless it’s a gift, this way it’s still a treat 
Anyways. I did have a ‘polar bar’ for the children’s snacks – it’s a take off of the penguin bar (really) and we squashed that up really small and added two of those and it tastes great as a substitute. Oh and bc we always add/edit recipes instead of 1 cup plain flour I added 1/4 cup polenta. The grittiness of the polenta/mealie meal (remember I’m married to a Zimbabwean ) makes it really special.
A few weeks ago I cut out all of the pieces to make bunting. Beautiful pink triangles with hot pink bias binding, it was for one of Beth’s best friends’ birthday. Anyways. I never got round to making it so I bought some cute as can be but turned out to be ever so small bunting……. I got the sewing machine out the other day to complete the project. Well. What do you know. My trusty Singer 522 had a small problem. Every other time my machine has broken it’s stopped working. Fixed by adjusting tension, rethreading etc… This time was different. It just wouldn’t stop. I turned the lamp on and off it went whizzing invisible thread. I turned it off, used it’s super power to wind the bobbin, and it was too speedy that it broke the thread. I thought ok it’s obviously the pedal (which during this entire time I hadn’t put my foot on….!) so I pressed the pedal. Then I smelt a nasty, burnt out smell. The pedal was smoking. I threw it outside into the rain. I imagined a fire on the kitchen table, burning my kitchen floor and waking Ben from his sleep. Oh dear. Yes, I think throwing it outside was the best thing to do. Sigh. No bunting. But you’re smiling, right? So now, where can you hire a sewing machine from? That’s right. I totally had a dream that I could hire a machine, and then if the tension goes all crazy, or the pedal just has a mind of it’s own you return it… 
In the midst of my calls to a Singer repair shop I have found out that my Old Fashioned Singer Machine (the ornament) is from the 1950′s. In what? 40 or so more years it will be a proper antique!
I’m reading two books at the moment (properly) I have a third, but I haven’t got very far so will write about that one another time. I’m reading Anna Smith’s: ‘Meet Mrs. Smith’ again. I love her heart for her family, her love for justice and the way she and her husband have compassion and act upon it to change situations. She writes about the reality of family life – ie leaving the house with toddlers in such a compelling way that I’ve been laughing at it even though it’s a daily reality!
My second book is more a devotional book: ‘Barefoot in the Kitchen’ by Alie Stibbe. A friend bought this book for me when Bethany was little and reading it now Ben is ‘little’ (oh he is, even though he has such l-o-o-o-n-g legs). The chapter on a simple life reminds me of another book I dip into entitled something like ‘how to live a simple life’ which crudely summed up refer to a life emptied of clutter. Cupboards, wardrobes and junk are all in order – so to reflect your inner self. Must have affected me as yesterday I cleaned out the bureau, the under-stairs cupboard and under Beth’s bed. Well, all of this is good to have your house in order, so to speak. And to have your heart in order. But I’m not yet feeling the connection. I am sure I will when I can’t find {anything I’ve lost} and it is neatly put away saving me time? Energy? Anxiety? We shall see. I did however find a cute red coat that I had forgotten about, and a baby sling – which I was certain I’d given away
Alie’s book is a series of short devotionals and I am now reading a chapter on ‘Lord of the Pots and Pans’. She writes about St Benedict and how he urged the cellerar to ” provide the brethren with their regular allowance of food, without fuss or keeping them waiting, so as not to make for them an occasion to sin”
The Alie writes:
If the kitchen had become my holy ground, the the cooker and sink that I worked at and the table where we ate were my alter. Similarly, the pots, pans, cutlery and crockery were the holy vessels – and I should treat them as such.
I have been reading and re-reading this, trying to make better sense of it! Well, I get it. My life as a Mum isn’t just about raising happy, contented, enthusiastic, educated, delightful children - which I really enjoy doing. It’s about every area of my life for the glory of God. The washing up? The cleaning? Joel Osteen talks about the same kind of thing as he urges you to wash your car, keep your house clean, be the best you can as God has given it to you to steward/look after! I want to do the best with all I have been given. The ‘talents’ that God has entrusted to me. I want to be like the one in the parable of the talents who invests wisely, and does a ‘good’ job to make their Master proud and to have a good return for their work! I want to be rather like the one who doubled what God gave and then was given more. Not just doubled it like one of them in the story. Nor do I want to hide what I have in the ground and make up an excuse about my time, or my effort.
With love and thankfulness for all I have, A xox
Matthew 25 (the message bible) 14-18“It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.
19-21“After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
22-23“The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
24-25“The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’
26-27“The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
28-30“‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’
) But, one tip on martin’s money saving review said:
