August Almanac

Home Sweet Home

in August

Yes, well, um I'm still here. I guess I still consider myself a "blogger" even though I haven't been around in a while. Things have been pretty hectic here at Comfort Cottage during the month of August. Things usually are.

I promised an August almanac report last month. At the time I thought, "Well, what do I do in August?" HA!! Let me tell you, I just suffered from a little bout of amnesia. I now am recovered of my faculties and can give you a good report for your almanac.

Mrs. Sharp, whom I referenced last month, suggests using the slow and unfilled days for taking short family day-trips. I thought this to be a dandy idea (still being in my amnesia state) and proposed the idea to Mr. Wonderful. I figured if we worked it carefully; packing picnic lunches and not going too far abroad, we could conceivably & frugally take at least three day-trips in the month of August. Well, my excited proposal was met with a not-so-excited response. Needless to say, the day trips didn't happen. Mr. Wonderful sort of prefers staying close to home.

The next suggestion Mrs. Sharp gives is 'Preserving the Summer's Harvest'. Well, let me tell you this was about the time my amnesia left me. Oh yeah! NOW I remember. Every August for most of my adult life has been spent canning what Mr. Wonderful likes to stay home and produce. Now, don't get me wrong. I enjoy savoring the season's bounty by seeing all those colorful, beautiful, and full canning jars sitting in rows on the counter. I just had sort of forgotten about that when I planned all my other summer projects.

Summer projects are projects that generally must be preformed in that season because I am not teaching in our homeschool and because the weather is condusive. I did complete many of these and canning, too.

For the entire month of August I have been wrapping up many projects and trying to get ready for another school year. I would say that my almanac for August would include at the very least preserving, projects, & school planning. Even one of those is enough to fill the month. I hope you found your ideas for this month. I think for next August, I have decided to try my hand at completing more of my special projects during the school year. I hope to do this by scheduling a little time each day to work on just projects. I figure I can use my husband's shop for furniture painting and refinishing that I usually do outside. Most other projects involve decorating and improvement projects. If I can do this, then hopefully there won't be so many things crowding August. Maybe, just maybe, I can spend some time this year educating Mr. Wonderful to the splendors of day-trips. ;)

Here is another of my favorite almanacs. It was written by Karey Swann. It went around in the homeschool catalogs several years ago. She is evidently a really neat person. She catalogs alot of her 'neatness' here. The majority of the book is recipes for healthy eating and ponderings relating to home, family, and school. But, my favorite part is in the back. She gives us short descriptions of what makes each month unique in her family. I've gotten some good ideas from her.

I don't know if you can buy this new anymore. I am sure it would be available online somewhere.

Well, good to visit again. Hope to post more often as the summer busyness closes and is replaced by the busyness of the school year. :)hee-hee

Sisters

Sisters, Sisters, there were never such devoted Sisters....

When my sister and I get together we can't stop ourselves from pretending that we are the Haynes Sisters. We have fun singing in great cornball -style many of our favorite show tunes and various commercial jingles, but "Sisters" is our perpetual theme song.

We haven't always been devoted sisters. Times were hard and not always fun for us. I'm the oldest. Little sister is six years my junior. Really it wasn't until we both had lived some that we began to see our need for each other. It wasn't until God began to work in both of us that our devotion bloomed.

We live pretty far apart now, but we manage to see each other about twice a year. In the summer my nephew comes to play with his cousins and at thanksgiving we take turns going to each others homes. It is great fun because we scout out great antiquing spots to visit on our annual "Friday-after-thanksgiving-antiquing-jaunt".

I really love my sister. There have been some truly deep wounds to my heart that she has helped to heal. She is loyal to me. We are different and our lives run in different patterns. God made us two definite individuals. I can see so clearly that He has used the likenesses and differences we have so that we can understand each other the way few others every could.

I love you sis. Had a great time while you were here. See you thanksgiving.

Thank you Lord for the comfort of a sister who loves you.

Comfort Cottage Almanac

I would like to start the Comfort Cottage Almanac this month. I love almanacs. I realized just recently that I have put together quite a collection of different types of almanacs without really trying. Over the years my eyes would always light on these types of books at antique stores, yard sales, thrift shops, ect. I have always loved home. To me, part of home is tradition and custom. I figured out early on in my marriage that I wanted those things, knowing somehow that it would draw my young (and small) family together. I soon understood that, like good art, family traditions don't just happen. They take work and commitment on someone's part. You have to be aware of time and the rhythm and passage of it. You have to stay on top of what's coming next month. You have to be willing to clean, cook, sew, shop, invite, decorate, love; whatever it takes to make the tradition happen.

It is all about Love and the comfort of Love. God created the times and seasons. He initiated traditions and celebrations for His people. He knew how these things would draw us and bind us together with Him. We can see God in our traditions. So, can you make your cottage a 'comfort cottage'? Can you think of one tradition that can draw your family together that you could plan for next month? I'll start my almanac in this month of July. I will try to update my almanac at the start of each month to let you see some of our comforting customs around here.

Let's get started:

July

• I put up Mr. Wonderful's sweet corn.
• I try to work on decorating projects and furniture refinishing that I can't do during the school year.
• curriculum sale this month (YEAH!)
• My absolute favorite sister often visits me in this month.:)
• The boys love to fish, swim in the creek, play in their treehouse.
• Enjoy the air conditioning.
• I start canning any thing and everything it seems.
• Peaches come in this month.
• Blackberries are ripe right around the fourth.
• We have a lovely blueberry patch close by. It is up on a mountain. We go as a family in the evening and have a great time.
• I try to get in 'school' sewing. (Kindof hard to do, tho.)

Last, but certainly NOT least is our annual fourth of July picnic.

This year was our fifth annual.

First, the FUN. The annual baseball game. Everyone is welcome to play.

And FRIENDS. Everyone gets to visit in the cool, or outside. Go hiking or wading or just sit & talk.

The FOOD. This year I provided the BBQ and hotdogs, everyone brought wonderful things to go with it. YUM, YUM!

Mr. Wonderful scoped this cake out the minute it came in the door. He even had a piece before he had anything else. It was good. Great job, Virginia.

There were special sauces to add to your delectable cake if cake alone didn't satisfy.

This lovely concoction tasted so good, was patriotic, and was diabetic friendly. Amazing.

Of course, the FIREWORKS! We all pool our resources and have a wonderful display.

Most of all this month reminds us that even though it seems many of our freedoms may seem to stand on shaky ground we are STILL the 'freest' nation in the world. And it is only because we are granted that freedom by God. Please remember to thank Him for it.

Almanacs

I thought you might enjoy seeing some of my almanac collection. I'll try to show some different ones each month.

Here I have my Tasha Tudor almanacs. These are all set up according to the months of the year. I treasure these. (The New England Buttr'y Shelf Cookbook, The New England Buttr'y Shelf Almanac, Seasons of Delight, Around the Year, A Time To Keep)

Probably one of my favorites is Mrs. Sharp's Traditions. It is so wonderfully old fashioned. It takes each month and gently describes ways to incorporated special times and traditions into your family. I LOVE this book. This edition is out-of-print. There was a newer edition out a few years ago, I'm not sure it is still in print. I would suggest doing what you can to get the old one though. It was written before the author's unfortunate divorce. The tone of the second edition is somewhat more cynical and clipped. The art work has also been edited and is not as good as the first.

Hope this gets your wheels turning about making your own cottage a 'comfort cottage'.

Start that tradition list for next month.