Thank you. Thank you for all the encouragement last week. I continue to feel much better: much more like my regular self rather than my Eeyore self.
I’m still so excited about Silas’ new found love of being read to. And these faces! I love these little faces.
I started the weekend with a little get together with friends at my friend Lori’s house. We cooked a fancy meal together to celebrate my birthday (yes, still celebrating.) One of the highlights of the evening was using a blow torch for the first time. I chose a lemon tart for dessert that required a flame to caramelize sugar sprinkled on top. I don’t own a kitchen torch, but Jonny’s propane blow torch worked out well, although we were all a little nervous. (This is the recipe, from Martha Stewart. It’s been altered from the time it was published in the magazine, eliminating the need for the torch. My friend Eve replaced the crust called for in the recipe with a gluten free gingersnap cookie crumb crust. This may be my favorite dessert ever, but I am a huge lemon fan. I completely sympathized with Martha when she noted that the food she missed most when in prison was fresh lemon.)
Eve and I took turns. Lori of course was manning the camera, and Sarah was holding her sweet new baby girl!
(This photo was taken just seconds after the entire tart burst into flames. I thought the dessert would be ruined, but it wasn’t. The flames went out almost as quickly as they erupted, and Eve and I were able to keep the torch under control.)
Later….
I spent hours upon hours cleaning my kitchen. I had the hardest time sticking with it, but I did the deep cleaning I’ve been needing to do for weeks. Then Jonny had the presence of mind to tell me to take a photo. Some of you have asked for a photo of the kitchen. Of course this isn’t the whole thing, but it shows all of our cabinet and counter space. I am hoping for Jonny to build a set of pine shelves for the area on the left wall that hosts a couple of small home improvement store bought white shelves. I want three shelves that stretch from the left wall to the window, maybe in the same style that he made the boys’ shelves. Old wood would be my first choice, but we don’t have enough.
Meanwhile, upstairs: Clean clothes on the left, dirty on the right. This area looks better now, but only because I got all the dirty clothes washed and neatened the baskets of clean laundry. I’ll fold it later today. For now, I am focusing on the fact that I emptied the “one-sock” bag and made lots of matches and also bleached the shower curtains. I can’t do everything at once! And here’s the reality of the situation: If one room gets really clean, another is going to have to get pretty messy. That’s just the way things work here.
Part of the reason that the upstairs bath is so messy is that all eight of us are still sharing it for showers and baths. Progress on the downstairs bathroom has been sl0000000ow. Jonny has been too busy the last few months and is just now getting back to work on this project here and there. He is having a hard time following through. I understand. I feel the same way about the laundry (refer back to previous photo.)
And from my Sunday afternoon walk:
The temperatures were very mild this weekend, but the sun was hidden beneath a layer of permanent gray. Sunday started with a thick fog that never really lifted. My afternoon walk was perfect because I love fog, but driving home from Mass Sunday evening after dark was a little scary.
I’m starting the week with a deep cleaned kitchen. So good.
Alie says
Beautiful! I love your kitchen. I want a set of wooden shelves too.
I understand how things get with the house. I have 7 beautiful faces of my own, and I am really struggling with keeping anything picked up, much less clean. I am finding I don’t get projects done on weekends anymore… I think it’s a new stage & I will need to reorganize, distribute more chores to the kids, and be nicer to myself.
I once heard a joke at a homeschool conference: you have 3 things to do each day- cook, clean, & school. Only two of them will actually happen. So if you dh comes home to a clean house & a nice meal, he knows you didn’t do school that day LOL!
Rachel says
Ty for posting photos of what happens in your home when you tackle one room and another is sacrificed. I honestly thought that just happened in mine!
Anne says
You have a beautiful family, I love your beautiful photos, and I LOVE your gorgeous kitchen! I hope to have one like that some day. Keep up the outdoors walking and I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better. God Bless You and Your Family!
Ruth says
I love your kitchen and your kids are so beautiful! I’m so glad you’re feeling better. 🙂
Fräulein Rucksack says
So sweet of you sharing!
lori says
i want to come help with laundry! oh how i remember those days. gorgeous baby reading photos, and such happy friend ones! LOVE lemon too!
Kristen says
Looks like a very nice time with your girlfriends – nothing like a night out to cheer one up 🙂 You have to feel good about that kitchen – it looks fantastic! I hope it lasts a little while for you!
Heather says
Ginny,
Thank-you for sharing. I read often, but comment rarely; other readers seem to express my thoughts, too. But I very much enjoy your blog, your beautiful photos, and your candidness about life and children. So, thank-you. (and many happy returns of the day -belatedly) 🙂
Wendy says
First off–so glad that you are feeling more yourself. If find your kitchen and laundry pictures equally inspiring. We have a one-sock bag here, too–baby socks are the worst!
Suddenexpression says
I love the pictures of the get together you had. You all look like you are having so much fun! And it’s always fun to do some experimenting! I bet the dessert was great!
Victoria @ Mommy Marginalia says
The beauty of your sweet little ones, the beauty of the nature you shared, and most of all the beauty of your honesty – I can always rely on a good dose of beauty when I stop by your space. Thank you!
Brigitte says
For socks, buy a bunch of old fashioned diaper pins and teach your kids to pin their socks together before they go in the laundry. I even had pins of different colors for my different children. Worked great. And I am not one of those super organized people either.
natali says
Great pics, the laundry one made my day! That dessert looked so yummy, I’m just a sucker for lemon desserts… looked like a fun celebration! Good to hear you are feeling better!
shwell says
Here’s a cartoon strip that I have stuck on the side of the fridge, I can see it when I am doing the dishes and it helps A LOT some days……….
http://catalog.fborfw.com/indexpanel.php?q=done+a+darned+thing&Submit=Search
Kim says
Love the pic of your gorgeous children. And a clean kitchen, nice!!!
Kristin says
You have the most gorgeous children! And your kitchen looks wonderful!
Joy says
The tart picture is funny. Your faces look half terrified/half amused. 🙂 The kitchen looks fabulous! I need to do a deep cleaning like that. Do you ever find yourself pushing piles of crap just outside the camera range? Guilty here!
Ginny says
Yes! I consider it a perfectly natural thing to do. I definitely shove the ugly stuff out of the way sometimes.
Taryn Kae Wilson @ Wooly Moss Roots says
Ginny,
That picture of your little ones watching the story is absolutely precious!
Love,
Taryn
Tricia says
Thanks for the laundry photo. I totally understand the reason behind documenting the beautiful things and letting the rest escape the eye of your camera. Still, sometimes it’s nice to see the all-too-human side of things. As a totally separate note, I’ve been thinking about you a lot because my littlest is a month younger than Silas and has gotten into Beatrix’s (shall we say) charming habit of decorating her face every time the markers or paints come out.
Genevieve says
Such a sweet picture of your three little ones!
It’s so nice to start the week with a well-cleaned kitchen. What a treat! And thank you for sharing the balancing photo of laundry with us. Such is life.
Jennyr says
In twenty-five years of marriage, I have always had an unfolded, mismatched sock basket. I’ve tried over and over to eliminate this from my life, but without success. Now, every week or week and a half, I dump it out on our bed, turn on netflix on the computer and have a sock folding party. Everyone helps and it’s over in no time. Maybe it’s not the best solution, but it’s working for us. I love your kitchen and the laundry piles as well. I just finished folding mine last night. The kitchen is on hold for a deep cleaning….
Thanks for those beautiful, beautiful faces.
Kathi says
Dear Ginny.
I found your blog by chance when I was traveling so in the whole wide web.
Your blog reads very nicely. And sometimes I have to smile when I
just something as suitable reading with you.
Happy Birthday, congratulations and all the best for you.
Today, I had to laugh heartily over your clothes,
because I know in the wild times here are those mountains, too.
Good luck with the climb.
Greetings
Kathi
bienfaitpourtoi says
“Good moms have sticky floors, dirty ovens and happy kids”
So, don’t feel guilty : you’re definitely a very , very good mom !
Kisses from France,
Nicole Spring says
Ginny, this may sound silly but I am thanking God right now b/c I feel like this post was a sign from him through you. I had to show my husband the picture of your perfect kitchen and then your laundry explosion upstairs. The one thing that is sure to start a fight between us is the state of our house. He has OCD so he gets really upset when it’s messy but I try to tell him most homes are this way (at least with parents who put their children first). Anyways… to make a long story short -Thank you, thank you for this. You also motivated me to tackle my kitchen today!
All my love and then some to you and your family!! <3 <3
Leah says
So glad you’re feeling better! And thank you for sharing the picture of the laundry explosion, it makes me feel more normal:) I fold our laundry on my room on my bed and laundry is often piled high. It’s so hard to keep up with it with 7 people. And you have 8!
heathermama hawkes says
you live in such a lovely area, the photos from your walk are just beautiful.
i love your kitchen. i think it is amazing how much can be done in a small kitchen. we have had small kitchens all along and i can whip up some good eats for a family of 8 in them. 🙂
Tracey says
It feels so good to start the day/week in a clean kitchen and yours is so pretty!
Even without little ones in the house now if I concentrate on really cleaning
one room the rest of the house falls apart, must be something in the air 😉
Meryl says
Beautiful kitchen! So light and bright. May I ask, what is the big silver thing all the way over on the left?
Melissa N says
I think it’s a Big Berkey, am I right? (water filter)
Ginny says
Yes, it’s a Berkey! It filters our water, takes out the nasty stuff and the fluoride.
Shelley says
Thank you for showing a REAL house. I agree with the other comments about blogs that only show the “perfect” side of things. I don’t think it’s possible to have a completely clean house when you have young children. At our house, while I clean the upstairs, they mess up the downstairs. Then we rotate – I clean the downstairs, they mess up the upstairs.
A wise person once said the following about housework when you have young kids – Just don’t look below your knees.
Helena says
Oh my gosh, I love your kitchen!
Heather says
I use Eeyore as an adjective too! Glad your personal fog is beginning to lift. What a fun celebration, and I chuckled a bit when you mentioned Martha’s time in prison. A friend of mine does socks once a year. She has a huge bin and works on matching the errant ones.
Dawn says
I want you to know that I love your blog always, but especially these last posts. I am proud of you for stepping out on what must feel like a limb and posting your most vulnerable moments. Please know that every single one of us that read your blog have at one time or another (or even now) have these same moments. The post about being blue and the post today showing the beautiful sparkling kitchen but yet what happened upstairs while mama was busy perfecting the kitchen….so true, ALL OF IT! Thank you for sharing the beautiful but also the not so beautiful that is happening behind the scenes.
I read a few homesteading blogs that portray the perfect life and in the back of my mind, I am thinking….”I wonder when they scrub their bathroom toilets?” They seem to manage to sew beautiful clothes and knit sweaters and manage a farm full of animals, while making soap and cooking the most delicious looking pots of soup and the perfect crusted bread to feed their large family. I am betting their bathroom is a wreck, or they have a cleaning lady. If they shared these not so perfect moments, their “story” would be much more believable to me.
Melissa N says
amen and amen!
Grace says
Also, your kitchen looks amazing! Sparkling!
kimberly schildbach says
I kinda like your Eeyore self 🙂
Grace says
You had a great weekend! My favorite pictures are the ones from your walk. Also, is there a wedding cake just casually hanging around behind you in the last picture at Eve’s house?!
shwell says
I noticed that wedding cake too!
Ginny says
Yes, it’s a ceramic wedding cake that Lori found at Goodwill!
shwell says
I think that is even better!! awesome. I must look for one for a friend……
meghann says
I have to confess to being a little jealous of your deep-cleaned kitchen. Mine could certainly use one.
I’m so glad you’re feeling more like yourself. xo
Jeni says
Girl, every woman needs a blow torch! 🙂
…and last week I dubbed my bedroom “Mount Laundromore.” If I get all our laundry done, I get nothing else done all day long. Well, I might feed the kids, but that’s about it. Some people have the self discipline to do a little each day, but…apparently that’s not me. I can’t imagine how you keep everyone in your house in clean clothes, even sometimes.
Chelsea says
I’m always so grateful when others are brave enough to post pictures of their messes. It makes me feel so much more normal. I think m inspired to deep clean my kitchen now!!
Sarah Jane | beautiful dawn says
Ah, your deep kitchen cleaning is inspiring. And glad to see your house doesn’t look like that!;) Happy Monday to you!
Gina says
Beautiful kitchen. I love green. But most of all, I love the photographs of your mess, because I thought our bath was the only one that ever looked this way. Thank you!
Olivia says
My kitchen is getting a deep cleaning this week also. Well, at least it’s on the top of my to-do list. I also totally empathize with you on the cleaning and sharing a single bathroom bits. We have eight sharing one shower as well! Messiness is inevitable. 😉
Olivia says
Cloth diapers, clothing, laundry, towels, rugs, kitchen rags, curtains, knitting, sewing, upholstery,pillows…and so many other areas of my home covered in fabric of some kind and all of it, at one time or another needing cleaning. Never ending. Kitchen is gorgeous!
Teresa C says
I used to read the Very busy spider to my son all the time. I love Eric Carle books.
So good you feel better. Have a niCe week!
denise says
your kids faces….sigh, beautiful.
and I have always loved your kitchen
Michelle says
Deep cleaning my kitchen always feels good to me to. I’ll have to get on that this week. Rearranging, purging, sorting are very practical things to do and there is a final outcome, unlike laundry. 🙂
Dawn says
And I love all the dirty/clean laundry in heaps and piles because to me, that is a real house. And I agree. If one room gets the once over that means that another room is going to fall to the wayside. When you have a house full that is just the way things go and you know what? that is perfectly perfect and okay.
Happy Week to you!!
Peace~
Dawn
stephanie says
i love so much that you are able to see the outside precious nature despite your houshold. this is so real and nourishes so much.
Lori says
🙂 I love the kids reading! So adorable 🙂 I need to take a picture of my clean kitchen lol!
Andee says
What a great way to start the week. I love those first pictures of the kids! Have a great week.
Kristen says
I LOVE your kitchen (mine is begging me for a deep clean right now).