Conquering Mt. Washmore

Being a mom of many, I have definitely had my moments (OK, maybe years, not moments) of never being caught up on laundry; or, of having a permanent large pile of clean laundry on my bedroom floor. It never seemed to get folded and put away. We would just rummage through it when we needed something. But, the laundry was always out of control and it drove me nuts!! After much trial and error, I have come up with a solution that has been working well for over 10 years now.

Basically, I wash all the clothes twice a week. Monday and Thursday work best for me.  I don’t have kids wash their own clothes for a few reasons; although, they do help me when I need it. I don’t mind doing the laundry myself. As I do it, I can make sure the clothes are in good condition and pull out any torn or outgrown clothes, etc. I also don’t want to compete for time in the washing machine if others in the house are trying to do their own laundry. And, I don’t want people running tiny loads of laundry when I can fill up the washer.

We have several spots where we collect dirty clothes – one in the garage, where we keep all the younger kids’ clothes, one in the master bedroom and one in the kids’ bathroom upstairs. In the morning, I have the kids round up the dirty clothes and take them to the garage.  I sort them into piles by color. I know many people that don’t separate their colors, but I like to do my best to keep the colors from becoming muddy, hoping to be a good steward of the clothing God has given us. In the picture below, I have 5 piles of regular laundry. Behind those, I have a basket of cold water wash, which I usually only do once a week.

My laundry room isn’t very large and it has 2 doors and cupboards that open onto it, so keeping  anything on the floor in the laundry room doesn’t work well. Since my garage is just outside the laundry room, it’s a good place to sort the clothes. When a load comes out of the dryer, I take it back to the garage where I have an area set up for laundry.  The setup has varied over the years, depending on the space in the garage and on how many kids I am doing laundry for. This is our basic setup now. Each kid has a basket of their own, and I use one basket for my husband and me.

I set the basket of freshly cleaned clothes on the table and start sorting.  The upper shelf is for the older kids. The basket on the far left of that shelf is giveaways. So, when things are outgrown, they go into that basket. (I used to have a whole system for storing outgrown clothes to save them for the next child, but we don’t need that anymore.) My basket is on the left of the table. And, the younger kids’ baskets are under the table. I simply pull a piece of clothing out of basket and put it in the basket of the person who owns that item. If it goes in my basket, I fold it first. The blue basket on the floor in the picture is socks. I throw all socks in there and everyone finds their own. (Although, last week I did attempt sorting socks into each basket again. We’ll see if that lasts.)

Simple as that – as each basket comes from the laundry room, I sort it. I rarely let the baskets of clean clothes pile up. This way, when the kids say “Mom, have you seen my (insert specific item of clothing here)” I can either tell them I remember washing it and it’s in their clean clothes basket. Or, I might tell them it’s in a certain dirty clothes pile. And, of course, there are those times when I don’t know where their missing clothing is. (As a matter of fact, right now, two kids are looking for their rock climbing shirts in the dirty clothes pile.)

To help me sort clean clothes, each child is assigned a certain number of dots. For instance, my oldest daughter gets one dot put on the tag of her clothing. My second daughter gets two dots, and so on. One thing I would change to this system is that I would not do a 1, 2, 3 dot for the boys and a 1,2,3 dot for the girls, basically because, in my case, a boy/girl of similar size ends up with the same number of dots. Usually that’s not a problem, but when we get matching shirts from Sukkot or theater, it’s hard to tell whose is whose. But, we’re too far into the dot system to change it now.

As we get new clothes, we put on the dots before they enter the clothing collection. When clothing gets handed down from one child to the next, we just add a dot. Simple as that. And, it makes sorting laundry so much easier for me!

After the laundry is sorted, each person is in charge of putting away their own laundry. When my children were smaller, and we used the big kid/little kid buddy system, big kids were in charge of putting away their little buddy’s laundry or helping them put it away, depending on the age of the little buddy. But, since my littlest is 6, she is old enough to put away her own laundry. So, everyone does their own. This way, even when clean clothes haven’t been put away in a timely manner, we can still find what we need pretty easily.

In between clothes washing days, I wash towels, sheets and any other miscellaneous stuff that needs to be washed. And, I usually take the weekend off from laundry.

The School of Messi Antics

Those of us in the Torah observant/Messianic/Hebrew roots movement - it goes by many names, but you get the idea – we’re all disciples, disciples at the same school. We’re all students. We’re just at different levels of education. And, on top of that, we have different interests. We have our core curriculum, which is the Bible and more specifically, the Torah. But, we have different electives. Some focus on temple rituals, others on Hebrew language, the names, calendar issues, extra-Biblical books, new moon, when the Sabbath starts, Shavuot timing, Passover timing, certain terminology, etc. The list goes on and on.

The thing is, with our main textbook, there is no way we’re ever going to know all there is to know about it. We can study and study and study and still be a novice. This isn’t the type of school where you learn the majority of what you need to know and graduate in 4 years. No, this is a lifetime school. So, we have plenty of time to explore electives. But, we need a good enough foundation in the basics to ensure that those electives don’t lead us away from the core curriculum.

Some of us have been attending this school longer than others, so it’s important to remember that we’re all at a different level of education. Those that have been at the school a shorter amount of time might very well know more about some of the electives than students that have been here much longer. And, students that have been here a lot longer might have a lot more education than the new students think. It appears to me that the new students start getting a little more education and begin to think that the long-time students don’t know about this information because they disagree with their conclusion.

I often get the feeling that newer students think I’m ignorant or complacent if I’m not excited about the elective course they’re taking. As I look at the younger students, I realize that I’ve taken many of the courses they’re taking. What I’ve done with that knowledge might vary from what they’re taught. Different understanding on a subject leads to the idea that I’ve never looked into it before, but different understanding is not necessarily because I have no knowledge or interest in the subject. Just because young students haven’t seen me study certain topics or don’t see me living out what that teacher says should be lived out, doesn’t mean I haven’t studied it.

In the decades that I have been at this school, I have done plenty of unlearning. I’ve taken some courses many times. Sometimes, I end up believing the same as I did when I started. Sometimes, I realize that I had things really wrong, or that something isn’t as important as I originally thought. Sometimes when the course is over, I realize that my conclusion is different from someone else’s, and their conclusion is just as valid.

I’ve attended this school my whole life. I’ve taken lots of and lots of electives. Some, I’ve taken many times. Some I’ve just taken once. Some, I didn’t even take the whole class. The overview was enough for me. I find it best to keep reviewing the core curriculum. That doesn’t mean I never take electives. It means that I spend much of my time focusing on the core – the basics, arithmetic, if you will. I can’t do well in algebra if I haven’t mastered addition and subtraction. So, I often go back and review the basics. Then I study other subjects that require a good foundation in the basics. And, with a foundation in the basics, I am more able to discern wrong teachings, wrong attitudes, wrong actions – in myself and in others.

I don’t want to spend a lot of time sharing with students that think I’m uneducated or apathetic; or with students that think they know it all or have all truth in any one (or more than one) topic. I don’t want to discuss my viewpoints with those that say they’re respectful of others’ viewpoints when their words and actions clearly show they aren’t. I want to spend time with students that realize they don’t know it all, are respectful of other students’ beliefs and are striving to be better educated and, most importantly, live out that education in all areas of life.

Musings on the Sabbath

I’ve kept the Sabbath all my life. And, I’ve done many different things while keeping the Sabbath. I’ve followed man made rules and I’ve ignored manmade rules. I’ve bought and not bought. I’ve gone swimming on a hot day and not gone swimming. I’ve gone for hikes and not gone for hikes. I’ve used the computer and not used the computer. I’ve done homework and not done homework. I’ve gone out with friends and not gone out with friends.  I’ve watched movies and not watched movies.  I’ve made it special and not made it special. I’ve put my whole heart into it and I’ve made it mundane. I’ve washed dishes and I’ve used paper plates. . I’ve set aside extra time for God and I’ve not set aside extra time for God.

There are so many grey areas when it comes to keeping the Sabbath.  God didn’t give us a long list of do’s and don’ts. He didn’t specify every little thing we should or shouldn’t do. Basically, what He told us to do is not work – you and your entire household. (Ex 20:8-11)

So, the main thing that I, and we as a family, have always done is not work on the Sabbath.  When we interview(ed) for a job, we say we don’t work from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. Because of that, we might not get the job. But, if that’s the case, then it’s not the job for us. When contractors ask Jim to work on Saturday, he declines. The kids’ chore charts are noticeably blank on the Sabbath – except for grooming themselves and feeding the pets.

There aren’t very many things we can DO that are a sign between us and God. He says in Exodus 31:13, 17 and Ezekiel 20:19-20 – “they will be a sign between Me and you”. I find that pretty exciting!  I can follow His laws and keep His Sabbath.  And, the Sabbath is specified in addition to statutes, judgments and laws. I see that as significant. If there is something that is a sign between me and Him, I want to do it!! I want to give it my all.

I don’t always accomplish this perfectly, or even as well as I’d like to. I’ve had times when it would be more convenient to keep working as the sun set. I’ve had times when I haven’t finished my chores or my work. I’ve had times when I didn’t get all the cleaning done or when I didn’t pay that bill I meant to pay.

I’ve had times when the dust on top of that eye-level cupboard top in the kitchen or the bay window is screaming out to me after sunset. But, when I ignore it, I know the dust will still be waiting for me after Sabbath is over, the laundry will wait patiently, anything that needs to be done will still be waiting. And, that’s OK.

Understand, that even though there are times when I might be inconvenienced or I might want to do something else, I LOVE the Sabbath. We LOVE the Sabbath. The Sabbath is not a burden. We look forward to it all week. The little kids count down the days. We enjoy setting aside that time.

If we make it a point to set aside the time God has put in His calendar for us, we will be blessed. Simple as that. He doesn’t ask much of us. Just as the kids know that Daddy will be home for the Sabbath, I know that my Abba will be ready to meet with me as I set the Sabbath day apart and obey Him. We stop our work as He commanded. We dance, sing, pray, study, worship, laugh, eat, enjoy.  We delight in His Sabbath (Isaiah 58:13). We make it a set apart time – a restful time, a holy time, a kadosh time, a peaceful time.

Shabbat shalom!

The Trials of Trees

When we first started our backyard farm, I definitely thought it would be easier than it is. And, when we bought our fruit trees last year, I thought we would plant them and they would grow and we would have delicious fruit.  Alas, it’s not necessarily that easy. Here is our tree lineup.

Our pomegranate tree is not looking great.  My mother (a green thumb and my own personal walking gardening encyclopedia)  said that pomegranates grow quickly. So, I bought this tiny specimen of a pomegranate tree.  And, basically, it hasn’t grown since last year when we planted it.  And, it looks pretty unhealthy.  I contemplated getting a new one, but I thought I’d give it some more TLC and hope it improves.

Next in line is our persimmon tree.  It is a fuyu persimmon.  We love fuyu persimmons.  It is a full size tree.  Last year it got leaves, but bore no fruit.  This year, I’m looking at it and wondering if it’s even going to give us leaves.  It’s not looking very promising.

Next is our Satsuma tangerine (cutie) tree.  We love cuties.  When I buy those wonderful 3 pound bags at the store when they are on sale, I have to limit the kids or they will eat it all in one sitting. We bought a dwarf cutie and last year it gave us probably 20-30 tangerines.  Considering it’s size, I’d say that’s pretty good.

Next is our fruit salad tree.  It’s a 4-in-1 stone fruit – peach, nectarine, plum, apricot. This is my dream tree – how to get all these types of fruit without having enough room for 4 trees. The tree in the picture is actually a new specimen.  The one I bought last year didn’t do anything.  Actually, when we planted it, it didn’t have much in the way of roots.  Dh said I should take it back to the nursery.  I was thinking we should give it a chance, but I should have listened to him. It never even got any leaves.  The other day when the kids were playing, my son accidentally ran into it and broke it right off at ground level.  So, I got a new tree. And, today, one week after planting it and taking this picture, we already have leaves and blossoms coming on. Yippee!

Next is our 4-in-1 apple tree.  Last year it gave us 3 kinds of apples and the 4^th type just barely got some leaves.  But, this year, even that branch is looking promising. And, the leaves are sprouting even though when I went to pull the grass from around the trunk, I realized there were about 3 inches of root showing. Yikes! I added soil and mulch, so hopefully it will forgive me.

Our last new tree is a dwarf Meyer lemon.  It gave us some fruit last year, but not as much as I had hoped for.  When it first started getting fruit, there were tons of lemons on there.  But, most of them slowly fell off as they started to grow.  I found out that a tree will only grow what it can support.  And, since this is still a pretty tiny tree, it could only support a few lemons.  Hopefully it will do better this year.

When we moved into this house 5 years ago, this tree was already here.  It is a navel orange.  It gives us the most delicious, juicy oranges.  We had a huge branch break off a couple of years ago (almost half the tree), but it still gave us tons of oranges this year.  I thought all our trees would be as wonderful as this one if I just planted them in the ground.  I’m finding it’s not that easy, but I still have hope.

Musings of a Back (and Front) Yard Farmer

Here, in Southern California, the weather is starting to look like spring.  Even though it is still winter, there are days when it is 80 degrees outside. The weather tends to flip flop from beautiful, warm and sunny to cool and rainy and everywhere in between.  As the beautiful Spring-like days become more common, I start to think about gardening.

Then, I go outside and start inspecting my little backyard farm … and realize maybe I don’t want to think about gardening. Ay-yay-yay. There is a lot of work to be done.  Granted, I haven’t done much work on it during the Winter months.  But, as I look around, I see I have a lot of catching up to do.

For instance, the Melon Patch, as we affectionately call it doesn't even resemble a melon patch. It kind of resembles more of a garbage patch.  Or, at the very least, it resembles the junk pile on a real farm bigger than the size of a backyard. We have an empty chicken tractor there.  The last chicken vacated that tractor (by dying) months ago. Next to that is the broken up skeleton of what used to provide shade on our patio.  

The plants don’t resemble the corn, beans and melons that I like to plant there.  I found a few ripe tomatoes on a volunteer tomato plant, which is pretty exciting for wintertime.  I also see the remains of a once-thriving butternut squash vine that I didn’t plant … because we don’t really like butternut squash. On the wall are some dead vines. Although, I do see that my berries are starting to make a tiny bit of progress. However, the dragon fruit plant is, sadly, not doing well. And, as you can tell by the weeds overrunning the place, the chickens haven’t even had a chance to work on that area as they usually do in the winter.

I thought I’d do better if I checked out the garden beds. But, alas, not much luck there, either.  The first two beds are looking good.  The chickens have been working the soil there for a while.  We had a nice, thick layer of leaves on top that the chickens have worked into the soil. It’s nice to have the chickens do this work for us, especially since they don’t lay eggs during the winter.  In addition to preparing the soil, they also kindly eat our kitchen scraps for us. Those are some well-fed chickens, I tell ya’. The second bed has a millet plant that not only can I not get rid of, but it apparently doubled in size since last year.  And, the third bed just needs the chickens to work on the leaves.

However, beds 4 and 5 seem to be getting the best of me.  I can’t figure out how to keep them from getting completely overrun by grass. You actually can’t see all the grass because it’s covered with leaves. I’ve tried pulling all the grass out by hand, roots and all, but it still crept back in from the surrounding grass. I also tried covering the grass with cardboard and then dirt before planting. That didn’t work, either. I covered the walkways around the beds with thick, black plastic, but it doesn’t seem to help. And, that last bed has really not grown much of anything for me since we started the garden several years ago.

On the bright side, though.  I do have one beautiful specimen of a chard plant growing in one of the beds.  It supplies me with lovely greens for my green drinks.  I even manage to get a leaf or two into the kids’ smoothies. Try not to be distracted by the farmyard junk in the background.  We're just trying to keep it the ambiance right.

Moving to the front yard, I find climbing roses which have never quite looked healthy; although, last year we got several beautiful roses out of it.

 I have my Nuccio’s Pearl Camellia that I splurged on because I love the flowers it is supposed to grow.

However, for the last 3 years, the best I have gotten is buds that end up turning brown and falling off.

I even managed to kill a mint plant, which, I think is a pretty impressive feat in itself. I didn't think anyone could kill mint.

And, last, but not least – my parkway. It’s supposed to be filled with thick, lovely creeping thyme ground cover like this.

But, sadly, I have never gotten it to look any better than this. I will even admit that this picture was taken immediately after weeding the parkway.

I can’t really explain to you the incredible amount of hours that I have put into weeding this parkway.  It began when we had heavy rains that flooded the parkway after we planted the seeds.  I didn’t know which plants that grew after that were weeds and which were thyme.  When I finally figured it out, I had quite a weeding job to do.  And, I’ve spent countless hours weeding it ever since.

The yard isn’t looking too bad considering we’re just coming out of winter.  And, over the last several years, I can slowly see the goal coming into bloom.  I see I have my work cut out for me in the months to come.

I did find one exciting thing while I was out there, though.  The freesias are blooming!

The Steps of a Good Man

For several months, I've been thinking about writing scripture on our stairs.  You know how you see those clever pinterest posts or other internet ideas that you think are great, but you never get around to doing them?  Well, I finally got around to doing this one.  First, I had to decide which scripture to do. As I was perusing the Bible for a good candidate, I came across the perfect scripture. It is one of hubby's favorite scriptures and it's perfect for the stairs.

I wanted to surprise my hubby. So, when he went to a Bible study conference for a few days, I knew this was my chance. Of course, this was a late night project.  I had to do it after the little guys were in bed.  So, sometime after midnight, I started painting scripture. When I got done, I realized two things: 1 was that I needed to make the words on the top step higher up so they could be seen from the ground level; 2 was that I had skipped a line. O.o So, after scrubbing off almost half the steps, I redid it.  And, I must say, I was very happy with the final results.

This is the view from the front door.

 Ps 37:23-24

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by Yahweh,
And He delights in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For Yahweh upholds him with His hand.

Be Careful Where You Get Your Advice

I was doing Elijah's reading lesson with him the other day.  He mentioned that he had gum in his hair and showed me the gum behind his ear.

I told him we would get it out in a little bit and I continued with our lesson. But, as he was reading, my mind started mulling over the large clump of gum he had behind his ear. And, I asked him, "were you storing your gum behind your ear like Violet Beauregarde?"  Sure enough, that was his plan.  As Violet says, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, "Well, I'm a gum chewer, normally. But when I heard about these ticket things of Wonka's, I laid off the gum and switched to candy bars, instead. Now, of course, I'm right back on gum. I chew it all day, except at mealtimes when I stick it behind my ear."

It wasn't a very good plan.  And, he didn't enjoy the process of me getting the gum out of his hair.  But, I sure found the whole thing entertaining. :)