Yoga v. God

There comes a time in a mom's life when she realizes she isn't just a woman on a mission, isn't just a Donna Quixote, isn't just flat crazy.  That moment of realization is a moment that I experienced in slow-motion, as if watching from a distance, and dare I say, as if I had experienced an out-of-body-not-my-mind moment... So many thoughts, so many emotions... I actually am a real person-not-just-a-crazed-mom; I am truly in this life-long commitment of parenthood for just this very fleeting moment of joy. I can see beyond the chore-dodging, schedule-stalling, fib-fashioning, homework-fussing... and see the flicker of the woman my daughter is to be in God's plan.   

We were at yoga.  All three of us.  Dad up in front, my girl at my side.  I was ready for the drama that usually ensues when she is faced with activity she doesn't want to partake in:  The eyeball rolling.  The full body drop because she is SOOOOO TIRED.  The look of pure irritation.  And yet, none of that happened.  

Instead... nothing prepared me for that one moment when I looked over and her feet were firmly planted on the yoga mat, arms open wide.  Her upper body was turned with confident posture.  Her head poised "just so" and her features were calm but determined.  Doesn't that all sound just like what her future in God's plan will be if she learns to be silent, obedient and stops to listen to Him?  

Feet firmly planted, open, confident posture, calm but determined...

I can't describe it other than to say, you CAN have a surreal yoga versus God moment.  

God wins.

Blessings in New Friendships

You know, nothing brings your home to life more than new friends coming over and exploring your place for the first time.

Last night Cap'n Jack and I cooked a regular, any time meal for some new friends from church.  The idea was healthy and easy.  Some whole wheat penne, big beautiful (ON SALE - really cheap, already shelled and deveined) shrimp from Alaska WHOOP WHOOP, roasted asparagus and sundried tomatoes.  Add a quick little side salad and it is done in 30-40 minutes!  It is honestly one of the easiest meals to toss together.  Now I have heard some people may argue that if pasta is involved it can't be healthy... I say, everything IN MODERATION.

I am a caregiver for my MamaMia who is a diabetic.  Without *some* carbs, obviously the more complex the better to slow the metabolizing of the carb so as not to spike her blood glucose, she would not be able to function.  Whole wheat pasta, paired with a healthy fat like olive oil,  some fiber and some protein and you have a perfect diabetic meal... IN MODERATION.  I do not pile on a heap of pasta, just an appropriately calculated carbohydrate serving.

However (and I always have a HOWEVER to throw in), I absolutely say that YOU DO WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.  If your choices are producing a healthy body, soul and mind... THEN GO FOR IT, BABY!  That's between you and Your Maker.  :)

UPDATE: Here's the recipe from last night... 

SHRIMP PENNE TOSS

3/4c. dry whole wheat penne per person

5 large shrimp per person

1/4lb asparagus per person

3tbsp sundried tomatoes per person

granulated garlic, olive oil, butter, fresh parm, sea salt, cracked pepper

Cut up asparagus into 1"-1.5" pieces, shake on healthy dose of granulated garlic, 

sea salt & cracked pepper, coat with olive oil and toss.  Roast at 425* roughly 30 minutes.

Boil up penne to al dente in pot of water with sea salt & some olive oil.

Cook up cleaned/deveined shrimp with sundried tomatoes, olive oil (&bit of butter if needed).

Toss all together in giant bowl, add a bit more olive oil if needed, top with fresh parm!

... Oy vey, that was a lot o' preachin' goin' on from atop my own little soap box!  I had to step away from the laptop and take a garden break!  I deadheaded some snapdragons, pulled out some withering leaves from the OkieDokies (aka artichokes), rinse and fill up several waterin' holes for my feathery friends and eat my first blackberry of the season!

 There is a bumper crop shortly behind this little guy!

I find it so sweet that God "emailed" me this verse today,
in light of all things I consider blessings...  I count my garden and my friends... Twice...

James 3:17-18

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 

Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

So, the short and (unintended) long of my recap of last night... THE LADIES WERE SIMPLY AMAZING.  They were a breath of fresh air in WeWeyantsCottage, bringing to life all the little details of our Unser Ewiges Heim (Our Forever Home).  And they are all welcome here any time.  I so appreciate their kindness and new-found friendships.

Blessings to you all on this wonderful morning (oops, 33 minutes into the afternoon already!).  I will close with my facebook status from this morning "coffee, birds, HGTV and bloggin'... great way to kick off my Saturday! oh, and let's just throw in a little light reading while I'm at it... "What we need is nothing short of a kingdom revolution." ~John Burke, Soul Revolution"

I kid, I KID!

Welp, after searching the www, I found that Homemaker's Hideaway is WAY OVER DONE. So, back to the drawing board I went... and what did I come up with?  Nothing all that exciting or original.  WeWeyantsCottage.  It'll certainly do, though, because my whole life is a smattering of We, of Weyants and of our beach Cottage calm life... So there ya go, WeWeyantsCottage it is!  

What's been happening here at the Cottage?  ARTICHOKES!  They are so cool!  I bet I get to eat one this weekend as a matter of fact!  

Also at the Cottage it has been a matter of reduce, reuse, recycle... AND GLASS!  Lots and LOTS of glass!  Mason jars, apothecary jars, canisters...  I just love me some beautiful clear glass these days!  Let's see, AH YES!  STAINLESS STEEL!  OH!  And lest I forget... CAST IRON!  It has been so nice just trimming back on things, finding treasures from flea markets and such, passing on items I no longer use, making room for less but better...

And after all that going on, we headed out for the weekend with some really amazing friends to celebrate their marriage!  This was our VIEW (thanks to sniqueaway.com)...  

Isn't it amazing?  Water's Edge Inn in the sweet town of Tiburon.  Ahhhh what a wonderful weekend it was, complete with a guitarist and here's his pic...  

(I kid, I KID!)

...impromptu appetizers on the deck with lots and LOTS of laughter.  THANK YOU FRIENDS for sharing your celebration with us!

The Mother's Day weekend ahead should prove special here at the Cottage.  I pray our Heavenly Father blesses you with family and friends to celebrate with no matter your title: grandma, mom, aunt, other mother, friend... They are all blessings and honors.  I pray you all appreciate your own role where God has cast  you.

And the winner is...

Homemaker's Hideaway!

After careful deliberation and funny snorts and giggles from my fam... Hideaway won!  Here is the 2nd draft list, in no particular order, that might give you a grin...

Homemaker's Hammock
Hollering Homemaker
Homemaker's Hideaway
However Homemaker
Hooligan Homemaker
Homemaker SchmoMaker
Homemaker Hallows
Homemaker's Handbag
Havering Homemaker
Hobknocker Homemaker

I was rather fond of both However and Hollering... okay, AND SchmoMaker... But the fam really did reel me in on those. 

Next up, a new profile pic and a, a, oh a doomaflocky... what is that thing called?  Well, a little pic that replaces the orange B... Gotta find one of those, too. 

But that's for another day when I'm not so tired.  Ever have one of those nights where you wake up and check the clock to make sure you don't oversleep... EVERY. 15. MINUTES?!?!  Yeah, both Cap'n Jack and I had one of those nights last night.  So, now I am off to say my prayers - one of which will be that the antihistamine knocks me out!

Hello dear friend, it's been quite a while...

Things at the Homestead have been busy.

Well, busy in the sense that I have been creative in very few ways... yet on the go in more ways than one. 

I am a caregiver - I think I have mentioned that before.  It has been a wild ride here lately.  Between appointments, counting to ten then backward again (and sometimes, rinse and repeat), errands and taxi service - let's just say apparently God has given me an extra 8 hours a day to make it to my job, schlep kids, cook semi-family acceptable foods, tidy (Cap'n Jack does the real cleaning), ministry stuff and such, oh and sleep a bit... well, you can see where the math on a 24 hour day is really A MIRACLE. 

Thus, God must have gifted me extra hours.

However, (the however never left) HOWEVER, that is all going to change as of this weekend!  I have had a week of staycation, it rained and rejuvenated all of God's glory and now to kick off the Refreshed Me... I am going to update Homemaker's Mercantile with an updated NAME ('bout time - The Merc is sadly a memory of over a year now), and The Homemaker is back up and running!

Stay tuned!