A New Use For Teapots!!!!

Any one who has ever been to my house knows how much  I love collecting teapots and tea cups. They are so beautiful and yet practical! I love sitting down in my comfy chair to read with a steaming pot of tea wafting the scents of mangos and peaches around the room. Can anyone deny how heavenly this can be???

Okay, so I do get teased, mainly by my brothers, about my teapot collection (how many does a person really need? they ask) and I just laugh off their teasing, but I am here to share with you how I use my collection to bring joy to my husband!

There is a hysterical Dick van Dyke episode where he finds a bank book that his wife has been hiding away and seceretly stashing money. When he finally confronts his wife she explains that she has been saving up to buy him the sports car he's always dreamt of. He ask his wife where she ever got such an idea and she responds, "From my mother! [...] She saved for years to buy a really big, important gift for my father." He ask what the big, important gift was and her answer was "His own room!" What a hoot!!! She explains that her mother had a den added to their house with a pool table, etc. It's a very funny episode and you can watch the final scene on youtube here

What does that have to do with anything??? Well, I think I've seen that episode a few too many times over the years, because last autumn I decided to try doing the same sort of thing. Everytime Paul had to go out on the road without me I would take on odd jobs to make some money while he was away. I would take all the money I made and I would hide it in a teapot (Paul would NEVER go looking in a teapot) so that I could buy him a "really big, important present".

While we were on our honeymoon, we rented a motorcycle and really enjoyed riding it. Paul's been wanting one ever since and he spends alot of his spare time researching them and looking into used ones on craigslist. As I've said in previous posts, we are huge Dave Ramsey fans and worked really hard to save up and pay off all our student loans and credit card debt during the past year and a half. When received our letters saying that our student loans had been paid off, I felt like having them framed!!! We only have one small amount left to take care of before we are completely debt free and that we've been socking away money for and will take care of very soon, so I had no qualms with using my extra earnings to surprise Paul with something special.

For Easter I was able to surprise my hubby with a beautiful (though used and almost as old as me!) silver Honda Goldwing Aspencade! Honestly, at this point I don't know who is more excited- him or me??? It was at a reliable dealership that had just marked it down and it was an amazing deal! I felt so happy to be ab;e to surprise my husband and see my hard work make him so happy! We are both looking forward to a summer of saving money on gas while seeing the country and having alot of fun together. Our life together is such an adventure- its truly exciting!

So, for all those who have never found a reason to appreciate a small piece of chinaware used to hold hot water, let this be a lesson to you! My husband now has a new found appreciation for my china (even though it will ONLY be holding hot water for quite a while now!) and I am happy to be on the receiving end of his gratitude! =D

Have a cup of tea and think of all the exciting inspirations that little cup could hold for you!

On a closing note, I have an aunt who really wanted to have a little book published, so in her spare time (I can't really imagine her having any spare time since she has 12 kids!) she cleaned houses so that she could
earn the money to make her dream come true! There are so many ways to make things that seem impossible happen. It just takes a little creativity and a lot of patience! I'd love to hear if anyone else has done anything similiar and how they did it.

Yes, I am still here!

Hi everyone! Just a quick Sunday note to let everyone know that I gave up blogging and Facebook for Lent so that I could concentrate on my spiritual life, my home, my family and friends. People have been asking what's going on, so I just wanted to clarify since it was a last minute decision and I didn't post about it.

Since today is Sunday and a day of celebration, I would like to quickly share what has been going on in my life with a few quick bullet points.


1. My brother and his wife had my parents first grandchild last weekend. He was a whopping 8lbs 11oz and is happy and healthy- Praise God!


2. My husband and I just got home from a reunion in the mountains with the Brothers of the Eternal Song and their families. HEAVEN is the best way to describe the week.

3. I painted and reorganized my laundry room and that too is now a little slice of heaven!

4. I converted a spare bedroom into a lovely office and am now preparing for our first conference, The Tennessee Homeschool Conference in Memphis, next weekend and The St. Louis Homeschool Conference on the 26th and 27th! If you want to buy the most amazing Catholic childrens books as Lenten and Easter gifts for your children, grandchildren or godchildren you can request them here by leaving a comment or see me at one of these conferences :)

5. Life has been prayerful and good. I am going to see a specialist about some medical/fertility stuff, so if you can offer up a quick prayer I would really appreciate it! Also, hubby and I have been apart for a few weeks and he is going back on the road tomorrow. I will be staying home for 2 to 4 weeks without him- also not fun. Prayers that he will be safe while on the road alone are also greatly appreciated.



Hope you all are having a wonderful Lent. Grow closer to Christ each day!

My St. Joseph the Carpenter

I have finally rejoined the cyber world! I spent most of the month of October off the road and off the internet. It was a nice retreat from both, but I was unable to be with my hubby for most of October- sooo sad! We did enjoy a busy week at home together though.



We had a hole in our foyer that caused my foot to go into the basement one day when I got home from grocery shopping! I tottered with arms laden with groceries, but manage to escape without a broken ankle. Hubby decided something had to be done. He bought himself a few new toys, ahem- I mean tools and got the job done.


I find nothing more attractive than my husband doing manly manual labor around the house! He's like my personal St. Joseph, putting a roof over my head and protecting me from broken ankles! Men have such a beautiful and holy calling. I love seeing a man embracing all that is good and masculine.



I was distracting Paul from his work ( he was feeling a little camera shy), so I decided to take my non-electric vintage lawn mower for a SPIN, literally! I just love anything non-electric, "green-friendly" and old fashioned! It worked much better than I thought it would even without having the blades sharpened and oiled. It was a great work out and a lot of fun, but I think it would get old fast if I had to do my whole yard that way on a regular basis. My Dad said that he never found it "fun" when he was growing up using a similar one! Either way, I like it!







Paul did a beautiful job on the floor and we bought fabulous pine looking flooring that will make the room look so much warmer. We ran out of time to install it, but hopefully we can get the family to pitch in at New Years and get it done in a few hours. Then I will post some pictures of the finished project.


Hope everyone has a wonderful All Saints Day! God bless!

Sweetest Days

"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string." — L.M. Montgomery

Living in a truck forces me to enjoy quiet thoughts, quiet work and quiet time with my Lord and my husband. Thank you, Lord, for helping me to slow down and declutter my life. Thank you for the time to work with my hands. Blessed Mother, St. Anne be with me now and always.