"Everything done for the sake of love acquires greatness and beauty." ~ St. Jose Marie Escriva
"Gaudium cum pace." ~ "joy with peace"~ the unfailing savory fruit of abandonment."
~ St. Jose Marie Escriva
We had a home day today. I love home days. I seem to get so much more accomplished when our days are not splintered by here and there.
What to do when a friend gives you about fifteen bags of beans? Cook 'em.
Beans, three different ways, all in one day:
Soak one pound of beans in a large bowl of water, overnight (water to two inches over beans).
The next day, place beans in a large pot and add more water, enough to boil. Add a quartered onion, celery (if you have it), a ham bone (if you have it), salt, pepper, garlic powder, and powdered mustard. Bring to boil. Turn down and simmer two hours, or until beans are tender. You may remove the bone and eat as is, or you may drain the beans and make baked beans (what we had for lunch), or you can eat as is with the addition of fresh spinach, rosemary, and bits of ham removed from the bone (what we had for dinner-we even had enough to invite a neighbor over for dinner!). Yum! And very economical, too!
My sweet sister is over the mountain folding freshly made baby wipes (surged flannel squares) for her little one due next month. I am doing some folding of lovely squares, too: napkins from the local thrift store, ten cents a piece!)
When we stay home, I have time to bake bread- unfortunately, one of the loves of my life (eating bread..sigh...) These rolls are especially nice because they take about an hour to make, start to finish. I usually don't sprinkle the tops with salt, but I forgot to put the salt in the dough....ooops!
We had a delightful lunch with an elderly neighbor today. We went to her house, about five miles down the road. She lives alone now, and it was so refreshing visiting with her, laughing, and just enjoying time together.
I'm so happy we have little girls that like pink. After all those boys, I wanted pink, pink, pink, ribbons, lace, and frills.
Here is our "history and reading program"...most books from the library. The basket is brimming with excellent picture book biographies of famous men and women: saints, inventors, artists, explorers. I read one biography a day to the younger children, and the older children choose one to read on their own. You would be amazed how much children learn from picture books. I love them too!
I was going to write tonight about how we can worship God. So here it is in a nutshell:
LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
We worship God by LOVING others.
If this is the only thing you ever remember and practice in life, you will be a success.
Guaranteed.
