Do Not Forget The Holocaust

IMPORTANT: What is written in this article is disturbing to say the least (sickening would be more accurate) but it should still be heard by those who are old enough. However, it is not appropriate for young children. Please ask for your parents' permission before reading this. It would be nice if a parent could look it over first.

Note: I am going to try to present the facts of the holocaust in a clear and concise manner. I am not going to add words such as "horrible", "terrible", "awful", etc. to every sentence but that does not mean I don't feel that what the Nazis did was detestable.

April is Holocaust month. The Holocaust was a terrible tragedy in which 6,000,000 Jews lost their lives.

It was because of hatred: the Germans' deep hatred toward the Jews and anyone "inferior" to them.. The Germans believed they were a "superior" race and they wanted to get rid of everyone they believed to be "inferior" to them. AntiSemitism is a word which means prejudice against Jews. That accurately describes how many Germans felt.

In January 1933, Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. He got his cabinet to end individual freedoms. The freedom of speech, press, assembly, privacy, etc. was completely taken away. By the middle of the year, democracy was gone. Hitler spread his awful beliefs. He believed that the Germanic race was "superior." He called it an Aryan "master race." He said that the Germanic race must remain pure in order to take over the world. He thought the ideal model of a pure Aryan was blond, blue-eyed, and tall. Because of his beliefs, he wanted to eliminate all other races (especially the Jews and Roma (Gypsies)) and anyone else "inferior" such as the handicapped, elderly, and the mentally ill. This goes against what the Bible says!!! God wants us to love our neighbors as ourselves!

"And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." Acts 17:26

First, they murdered those who were handicapped (both physically and mentally). In 1935, the Nazis proclaimed new laws called the Nuremburg Laws. They stated that German Jews could not have Reich citizenship or marry German people. The laws said that you were a Jew if you had three or four Jewish grandparents even if you weren't a Jew (in terms of religion). Jews' identity cards were stamped with a red "J." November 9, 1938 was a night known as Kristallnacht, the "Night of Broken Glass." Jewish businesses, synagogues, schools, hospitals, and cemeteries were wrecked and looted. 30,000 Jewish men were arrested the next morning (just for being Jewish). The Germans were conquering other countries (during World War II) and soon had a huge Jewish population under their control. They forced the Jews to live in ghettos (marked off sections of town). These were miserable places where disease and starvation were common.

The "final solution" was the Nazis' code name for the planned termination of all European Jews. The Nazis began transporting the Jews from the ghettos to "extermination" camps and concentration camps. In two years, more than two million Jews were taken from the ghettos. Few ghettos were still around in eastern Europe by the summer of 1944. They also transported masses of Jews as well as Roma (Gypsies) from many distant countries which were occupied or controlled by Germany. Many Jews (as well as Roma, Jehovah Witnesses, Communists, and Socialists) died in these camps. The very young and the elderly were immediately put in gas chambers. Most of the others who were selected for forced labor died because of the deplorable conditions.

Finally, in 1944, liberation began. First one camp and then another was liberated. The prisoners were ill, thin, and exhausted but finally free. Unfortunately, many prisoners by this time could not digest the food that was given to them; they died soon after being freed. Some of the prisoners were joyful at being free; some felt guilty that they had survived while others had not. All of them would have to live with horrible memories of what had happened. But at last, the Nazis were defeated. What became of Adolf Hitler-the man who started all this? He committed suicide in the last days of the war.

Tribute to the Courageous

(A tribute to a few of the courageous people who assisted the Jews.)

Corrie Ten Boom risked her life hiding Jews in her house in Holland. The Gestapo (secret police of the Nazis) found out about her, her dad, and her sister, Betsie. They were all taken to prison. Her dad died soon after he arrived. After awhile, the sisters were transferred to a concentration camp where Betsie later died. After the war, Corrie Ten Boom encouraged people to forgive those who had mistreated them.

Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who (against the will of the Japanese government) issued thousands of visas to Jewish refugees. If you would like to know more about him, you can read Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story by Ken Mochizuki

Oskar Schindler was a man who saved approximately 1200 Jews by having them work in his factories. He gave generously of his time and money to rescue the Jews. He was a millionaire but he died poor. Nowadays, there are more than seven thousand descendants of the Schindler-Jews.

"Let nothing be done trough strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
" Philippians 2:3,4

How does it apply to us?

We can see what awful things happen when one group of people hate another group of people. In this case, it was simply because of a difference in race. (Actually, we all descended from Adam and Eve so we are one human race.) We also see how easily people believe propaganda. Germans were told the Jews were "inferior" to them and some believed this lie (and others) which Hitler spread. Yet we can see that courageous people can make a difference. We should not be quick to believe men's ideas. We must compare what we hear to the Word of God. If it goes against with what God says, we need to stand against it.

"Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the Lord understand all things." Proverbs 28:5

"The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going." Proverbs 14:15

In addition, we, as a nation, should pray for our leaders (both present and future). We can pray that they will be God-fearing men who will stand strong in their faith and govern this country according to God's principles. We can also pray for wisdom in the choosing of our nation's leaders (who we vote for).

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked rule, the people mourn." Proverbs 29:2

A Poem by Miss Kaitlyn

This poem is based on Psalms 95:1-5

My Thanks for Our Salvation

Sing, and let us lift up our praise,

Shout the news of our salvation.

In thanksgiving we echo the joyous phrase,

Of our Reconciliation.

For the Lord is the God above all the kings,

His hands, they shaped the earth.

The mountains cry out and the rocks will sing

Much less than what He is worth.

~Miss Kaitlyn

You can find Miss Kaitlyn at The Purple Princess.

Spring Cleaning

Perhaps you have heard the well known idiom, “Cleanliness is next to godliness”. Many people quote it as a verse from the Bible, but it actually is nowhere to be found in God’s word. Even so, cleanliness is still very important to us mothers and maidens in training.

A well-kept and orderly home is essential year round, but spring is the perfect season to go a little deeper and tend to matters that have been put off during the busyness of the rest of the year. A clean home is extremely helpful in maximizing efficiency, allowing our life’s work to flow more smoothly, and to promote order, not to mention it being more aesthetically appealing.

I want to credit Reader’s Digest with some excellent tips for spring cleaning. If you are busy, don’t fret, I’m giving you the condensed version!

1.Welcome visitors with clean doormats. Beat them with a broom or even the old fashioned way…with a stick! Give them a thorough cleaning. They are sure protection against dirt that gets tracked into your house, so keep them clean enough to function the most efficiently.

2. Finish your floors. Apply wax or apply a sealer following label directions in order to protect the floors in your kitchen from another year of wear and tear. You can even use a combination wash-and-wax floor cleaner. There’s nothing wrong with saving time! If your floors are no-wax floors then they do not need a polishing treatment. Be sure to follow label directions depending on the product you are using. For wood floors, simply move furniture or rugs aside, apply a wood to polish, clean, and add a new wax coating.

3. Clean upholstery and carpets. These fabrics have absorbed a year’s worth of dirt, body oil, and germs will need a thorough cleaning. This will also extend the life of these important furnishings and flooring.

4. Vacuum the smart way. It is not necessary to move every piece of furniture to another room. Simply move bigger items a little to the left or to the right. Vacuum the area that was occupied by the furniture and then return it back to its rightful place.

5. Wash walls, cabinets, baseboards, and woodwork. Dirt, dust, and grease from the kitchen clings to vertical surfaces making it necessary to give a good cleaning. Use a sponge and dishwashing detergent as you wash the surface in sections. Tip: Use two separate buckets—one for your cleaning solution and the other for squeezing out your sponge. Dry washed areas with a clean cloth if necessary.

6. Clean your light fixtures. Just use a stepladder, all-purpose cleaner, a sponge, and a polish cloth in order to brighten your globes and fixtures.

7. Clean ceiling fixtures. Use a vacuum attachment with a soft attachment to remove dust and dirt from ceiling fans and air-conditioner vents.

8.Check your refrigerator coils and clothes dryer vent. Long handled brushes are now available or a special attachment to your vacuum cleaner can be used to clean built-up dust that can shut down units or cause fire by overheating due to dust.

This deep down cleaning can be a big undertaking. Break this heavy duty job into smaller parts. For example, take two of these tasks a week and in one month all your spring cleaning will be complete! I conclude with a gentle reminder, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men” (Col 3:23 KJV). Put on some praise music as you offer this service unto Him. Mothers, include your daughters. Daughters, join forces with your moms. Enjoy the fruit of your labor—a pristine, uncluttered, tranquil abode!

We'd like to also share some cleaning tips for the girls rooms!

1. Let's begin with SHOES!- Most girls to have shoes that they rarely wear. Go through them and decide if you can give them away. Then reorganize the space in your closet where you keep your shoes.

2. Window Sills- Talk to your mom about what kind of cleaner you can use to clean around the tracks of your window sills. Many windows gather mold during the winter months and it's time to get that cleaned out!

3. Curtains- Do you have curtains you can clean? Is it possible to sew some new curtains? Dress up your windows with some lighter fabric with pastel colors.

4. Shelves- Not only do you want to dust off your shelves, but clean off all your knick knacks as well.

5. Jackets- If you're done wearing your heavy coats, wash them and store them for next year or donate them to a local shelter.

6. Carpets- Thoroughly vacuum your carpet and steam clean it for freshness.

7. Bathroom Cabinets- Go through all your shampoo bottles, drawers, and cabinets. See what you can toss and wipe the shelves down.

I hope this will help you get started on cleaning our your little space. You'll feel great once you're done!

Healthy Steps

Now that the spring time is coming soon that means that the fruits will be in season. So, I thought that I would name some fruits and say what benefits they provide. Therefore:

Vitamin A- Peaches, apples, apricots, and lemons.
Vitamin B- Bananas.
Vitamin C- Citrus fruits, strawberries, and honey dew melons.
Vitamin D- Orange juice.
Vitamin E- Kiwi and mangoes.
Vitamin K- Kiwifruit, plums, blueberries, apricots, grapes, peaches, and cantaloupe melon.
Vitamin P- Acerola cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, grapes, and the pulp of the citrus fruits.

You can also freeze the fruits and use them later in a fruit smoothie.
If you decide to freeze the washed fruit before you use it try putting each individual piece of fruit on a piece of wax paper on a cookie tray and place it in the freezer. Then, once frozen, take each piece and put it in the bag so that it is easier to take the fruit out once you finish. Also, when placing the fruit in the bag, be sure that, once the bag is filled, that you release as much air out of the bag as possible for easier storage.

So I have come up with some tasty fruit smoothie recipes and have decided to share them with you all.

Strawberry Delite
1 cup strawberries, hulled
1 banana, broken into chunks
1 peaches
1/4 cup orange-peach-mango juice
1/2 cup ice

Jess's Fruit Medley Smoothie
2 one inch chunks of pineapple
2 small slices of mango
3 two inch chunks of bananas
7 strawberries, hulled
1 ½ cups of orange juice
½ cup of lemonade
1 cup of ice
1 apple
2 handfuls of Concord Grapes
2 tablespoon of raspberries
2 one inch chunks of cantaloupe
2 one inch chunks of honeydew Mellon
2 slices of kiwi (long ways)

Blend ‘till thick. If it turns out too thick, add more juice. If it turns out to watery, add more ice.

I hope you enjoyed this article and that you will try the recipes. They are very good!

Lip Protection

The sun is beginning to come out here in California, therefore, that means more sun and more chapped lips. At least for me, my lips always fight against being chapped. Here are some steps for taking care of your lips.

Step 1: Exfoliate your lips; this gets rid of the dead skin cells. Using a soft bristle toothbrush, gently massage your lips. Alternatively, take a dry washcloth and do the same. You can make a baking soda an olive oil mixture for this.

Step 2: Always apply lip balm that has sunscreen in it.

Step 3: Use Vaseline to help dry, cracked lips. You can also use it as a top coat for lipstick, it helps it stay on longer, or if you run out of lip gloss and want some shine.

Step 4: Put on lip balm prior to applying your lipstick, which is protection for your lips. This will help the lipstick go on smoother.

Here is a recipe for homemade lip balm

This recipe for lip balm is made with fresh cranberries that will leave your lips soft and give them a hint of color.

Ingredients
10 fresh cranberries
1 tbsp sweet almond oil
1 tsp honey
1 drop of Vitamin E oil

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together in a micro safe bowl.

Microwave for a couple of minutes or until the mixture just begins to boil. (The bowl may also be heated in a pan of water on a stove top).

Stir well and gently crush the berries. Let the mixture cool for five minutes and then strain through a fine strainer to remove all of the fruit pieces. Stir again and set aside to cool completely.

Once the mixture has finished cooling, transfer it into a small, plastic container or tin for you to keep. I sure hope that these tips and this recipe have helped you.

TV Turn Off Week.

TV turn off week is April 21-27.

Anyone feels special when the rest of their family steps away from the television set to spend time with them. Just think, in the eighteen hundreds, they did not have television let alone electricity. They had to be creative to think of different things to do as a family.

If you are having a difficult time thinking of other things to do, here are some ideas of what to do: Start a family night, that doesn’t mean that it should be centered around the television; Schedule to go on a hike or a walk; Go to the library; Go on a picnic; Play a board game; Put on a play; Have a pillow fight; Host a tickle fight; Play catch; Have a barbecue at the park; or plan a trip together and let everyone plan a different part of the trip. Our family is planning a trip to Disneyland and we each get to plan a portion of our trip.

Those are just a few of the many, many things that you could think of to have fun with your family. Be creative. Do the things that interest each and every individual member of your family.

We have done a few of these things, and we have done a few others that I didn’t put on there. I wanted you to think of some things yourself. Here are some things about television that you might not know. They are very interesting.

Did you know?

The television is on for 7 hours and 40 minutes each day in the typical American home.

The average American watches four hours of television each day.

Fifty percent of all American households have three or more televisions.

American parents on average spend less than 40 minutes each week in meaningful conversations with their children.

56% of American children between 8 and 16 have a television in their bedroom.

Only 1 in 12 American families require their children to finish their homework before watching television.

Half of all Americans think they watch too much television.

I hope that this article will help you to rethink the time that you spend in front of the television and the time that you spend with your family.




You may have noticed the name I chose for God in the graphic. Jehovah-Shapat is the name used for God our judge. Let's allow Him to be our judge in what we watch on television.

PB&J

Certain things just go together like bread and butter, milk and cookies, and of course….peanut butter and jelly. If you really like that very last combination, you should try celebrating National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day on April 2!

According to a Smuckers timeline, PB & J sandwiches go all the way back to 3000 BC. That was when the Egyptians baked the first leavened bread. In 1500 BC, peanuts were first discovered. Thousands of years later, in 1762, there is record of the very first sandwich. In 1890, peanut butter was invented. Of course, the greatest invention was sliced bread! About seven decades ago, jams, jellies, and preserves became popular. Finally, in the 1940’s, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich was invented.

Most people know of the famous peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Usually that is the big thing in my lunch box! Today I will be teaching you a peanut butter and jelly recipe, but with a brand new twist.

Ingredients:
1 18-ounce roll refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
6 tablespoon preserves, such as raspberry, cherry or strawberry
1 pint of vanilla bean ice cream

Directions…

1. Prepare cookies according to instructions.

2. Place about 1 tablespoon of ice cream on each flat side of one cookie.

3. Place 1 teaspoon of jam or preserves on each flat side of 1 cookie.

Top with another cookie, flat side down, and press lightly.
Repeat with remaining cookies, jam, and ice cream. This is a fun and simple recipe. I hope you enjoy this wonderful little snack!

Psalm 34:8,"O taste and see that the LORD is good..."(KJV)

Jelly Beans!

National Jelly Bean Day

April 22^nd is National Jelly Bean Day. Jelly beans have been in America since the 1800's. They used to be sold as penny candy in stores. Jelly Belly has over 50 flavors. What is your favorite flavor? Some interesting ones are Toasted Marshmallow, Tutti-Frutti, Buttered Toast, and Chocolate Cherry Cake.

You can go here to learn more about Jelly Belly jelly beans and take a virtual tour of the factory: http://jellybelly.com/Cultures/en-US/default.htm

Here is a jelly bean prayer poem: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/easter/jellybean.htm

Did you know that President Ronald Reagan really liked Jelly Belly jelly beans! He had a jar of them on his desk in the Oval Office and he had some sent to the astronauts aboard the Challenger.

~It takes 7-10 days to make a batch of jelly beans.

~Approximately 40 million jelly beans are sent out from factories each day!

How many jelly beans do you think are in this jar? Just give your best guess!

Pet Dental Care

Pet Dental care

I do not know about you, but my dog's teeth stink! In order to fix that problem you should brush your dog's teeth at least once a month. There are certain ways to clean your pet’s teeth.

1. Make sure your pet is relaxed in a good position.

2. Choose a brush that is appropriate for your pet’s mouth, and be sure the brush is a soft brush, or your pet will get hurt.

3.Make sure your pet is in either a cleared out sink or a cleared tub. If your pet is too big for the sink, I would go for the tub. Some people put their pet on the floor in a towel.

4.Apply toothpaste to the toothbrush, make sure the toothpaste is not human toothpaste, or your pet will get sick.

5.Slow strokes up and down the gum line move the brush up, down, side to side. Apply toothpaste every few seconds.

6.Massage the gum line and work on the bottom stroke.

7. Love your pet and show affection to your pet and give it a treat for a good job.

I hope that this article will help your pet to have clean teeth, and make sure that you get the right toothpaste. If you can not find the right kind, just use baking soda.

An IMPORTANT Question

An IMPORTANT question

Every summer, my friend Nate comes to visit his grandmother. Two boys live right across the street from him, and he plays with them all the time. The two boy’s names are Frankie and Tommy. They come to my house a lot and ask if I can play, of course supervised. When I go outside to play with them I often wonder if they knew if they died that day where they would go. So as I wondered that inside, I decided to bring a Bible tract out and talk about it with them. I started out just with a normal conversation, for example: “Do you go to a church, which church do you go to.” After that, I got into the important conversation.

I said, “If anyone of you guys died today, where would you go?” Nate said with an, I do not care attitude, “I don’t really care where I go.” Tommy had the same attitude. Frankie was into what I was saying. He acted like he really wanted to know. Frankie said, “I don’t know where I would go.” He asked if I could tell him, I said “Sure.” I gave him a Bible tract and I read off the back to him that told about the Romans Road, and John 3:16 and other verses that had to do with the sort. He said that he wanted to know for sure where he would go. I said, “Would you like to kneel with me and ask for Jesus to save you?” He said, “Yes!”


Frankie knelt with me in a word of pray. After I prayed with him, I told him that if he didn’t mean that pray he will not go. He said he meant it! I was so excited for Frankie! I knew that the Angels and God were all singing for joy and praising! But as they left, I realized that the other two were not saved. I went inside my house crying so hard. My mom asked what was wrong, and I told her about Nate and Tommy didn’t want to get saved and were not into it. She told me, that they will have to think about that the rest of there lives about if they did die were they would go. I told her that I would pray for Nate and Tommy, to accept Jesus as there Savior.

I am still praying for them today, and I hope you will pray for them too. I am also praying for Nate to talk to his brother, Tommy and Nate and for him to keep asking them that question, “Where would you go if you died today?”


*Boys’ names are not their real names, for safety reasons.

April Birth Month

April Birth Month

I found out online that April’s Birth month flowers are the Daisy or the Sweet Pea. I love those flowers a lot so I think this is a great opportunity for me to experience the meanings of them and the beauty that is inside of them.


The Daisy and the Sweet Pea are both very delicate flowers and are very exquisite. They both have such beautiful colors and different ones at that. Their colors are usually, yellow, red and are sometimes colorless. A Daisy means tenderness, virtue, loyal love, and fragility. Sweet Peas means “Thanks for a lovely time.” A Sweet pea also means delicacy, lasting pleasure, and remembers me. These flowers mean more than just a cluster of beauty, it means love, purity, delicacy, long lasting love and forever remembering you.


Also Diamonds are so beautiful and once I found out that a diamond was April’s Birth Stone, I was so surprised! I love Diamonds they are so exquisite and remarkably beautiful! They are often clear but they can be either, white or clear. Diamonds are the world’s most precious gems. They are the hardest natural material. Each parcel is worth around, $42,500 there are many parcels in a diamond a lot isn’t it! They are very expensive doing to its beauty and hardness and parcels.


So remember the next time someone gives you flowers, don’t think about how much they were, but think about the love and enjoyable things that, that person went through to get you that bouquet of flowers or even one flower. Or if you get the flowers for that person or one flower think about the meaning behind it and make sure that, that person will know what you mean.

History of the Auntie Anne's Pretzel

History of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels

Auntie Anne’s started back in 1988, when Anne Beiler and her husband his name is Jonas, sold snacks that included, hand-made soft pretzels. They were both trying to make different varieties of ingredients to make different pretzels. Then it struck them, they created a new kind of pretzel that was beyond delicious! Their corporation grew to 940 positions. They are now making their one billionth pretzel!

My mom, my younger sister, and I went to Auntie Anne’s and I purchased an original pretzel with salt, my mom purchased a raisin pretzel with cinnamon and sugar, and my sister purchased a cinnamon and sugar pretzel. While we were waiting in line, my sister and I walked over and talked to a worker whose name was Jonathon. He told me that the most popular pretzel is the original; they sell about 400 original pretzels a day! Auntie Anne's has a reading program too. If you read 5 books you get a free pretzel! Check with your local store for more details.

National Pretzel Day is full of excitement and fun. Everyone makes different types of pretzels and taste them. Share your favorite home-made pretzel with us! In celebration of National Pretzel day, we are giving away this free $5 gift card to Auntie Anne's so you can get your free pretzel. Simply reply to this message to enter. Leave a link where you can be contacted. If you link to this article and talk about this on your blog we'll enter your name TWICE into the contest!

Introducing Lil' Gracie

We are so happy to introduce to you Lil' Gracie! Each month Lil' Gracie will be joining us and bringing her friends to play in paper doll format.

Right Click and 'Save Target As' to your computer: Limited time only and no longer available.

Here's the fun part for you! We have created a bio on Lil' Gracie and are looking for creative writers who would like to participate in creating Lil' Gracie short stories!

About Lil' Gracie:

Lil' Gracie lives in a small farming community just outside of a large metropolitan city. She lives with her 6 other siblings and her parents which she calls Mommy and Papa. Lil' Gracie takes care of the family's chickens, helps with the dishes, and practices sewing by hand every day. Mommy has a sewing machine, but only her oldest sister, Rebekah, is allowed to use it. Lil' Gracie's birthday is February 1st and she is 8 years old. Her mommy teaches her each day from her grammar book, Primary Language Lessons and her Victory Drill Book. Lil' Gracie enjoys learning math from her sister, Rebekah and science from her other sister, Rachael. (paper dolls to be introduced in future issues of GGM)

Story submissions guidelines are as follows:

-All submissions must not be published anywhere else on the internet or in any print publication at any time.

-All submissions become property of GGM, however authors will be credited when story is published.

-All submissions may be sent via e-mail to our Senior Moderator. We will then send you a permission form for you to print out and have a parent sign and return via snail mail before submission can be published.

-Short stories should be between 1500-2000 words.
-Be conservative in nature.
-Portray Christ-like qualities.
-Have a godly moral to the story.

We reserve the right to deny publication of any story with or without explanation. GGM reserves the right to edit submissions for grammar and content as necessary. We may also combine more than one submission together, and if we do so, all authors will be credited when published. Short stories about Lil' Gracie may at some time be published in print publication and will be owned by GGM, however all authors will remain credited. Submissions are voluntary and will not be compensated financially at any time.

Free Downloads

**These downloads were for a limited time and are no longer available**

Think on These Things

Last month's Trivia Princess Winner was Charger01, AGAIN! Great job Charger! Here is your award, you can email us for the code to wear on your blog.


This month's questions are:
1. What is the second species of bird mentioned in the Bible?
2. What is the name for the summit of Mt. Pisgah?
3. Who was the father of Enoch?
4. Which disciple(s) had the surname Barjona?
5. What does Proverbs 24 say you shouldn't do when your enemy falls?


The first to answer all five questions correctly will be our winner!

(Replies will remain hidden until next month when we announce the winner.)

Pet of the Month April 2008 'Butter'

Butter the Angel

by TulipsCorner

My dog Butter is special to me because she is always there to give me a lick if I'm down. She's extremely hyper and loves to jump up on the table and gets treats down to eat. She'll eat just about anything you give her. There's hardly been a time when she would spit out something (except a tomato). She loves her people and is always getting into some sort of mess. She's the best dog in the world to me because she's my little angel.



If you would like to submit a photo of your pet for Pet of the Month, please send in your submissions, and be sure to have your parent's permission. Monthly pets of the month will be entered in a drawing at the end of the year for a prize!

Family Matters

It's been just one full year since I saw my family spread so thin that we rarely had any time together as a family. My husband works, and each of my children at the time were all involved in various other activities that kept us all in different locations for extended periods of time. Now there is nothing sinful about going to a activity with good people and having godly fellowship, but when our schedule became so busy that there was no longer family time, then we had to make an adjustment in our lives. It was time to pull the family back in together.

Some may say that they wouldn't want to spend so much time with their parents, or siblings, and yet why is that? Why would a teen girl desire to be with her friends over choosing to be with her parents? Why is spending the night with a friend more important than being with your sister? Why is it that some parents want their child to get 'out of their hair' for a night? I can understand a mom and dad wanting to get our for a nice dinner together, it's important for the marriage to have time alone away from the children, but what I'm talking about is a parent who strongly desires to be away from their children just to be away from them.

The other day my girls were at a group meeting at church and my girls decided to sit together. A few of my older daughters friends asked why she had her little sister sitting with her. They questioned her as if this was an unpleasant thing. She spoke right up, without hesitation, and said she likes having her sister sit with her. This is not the normal response from most teens today.

I have found that since having my children home with me, it has brought our family closer together. If you wanted to learn how to be a great seamstress you would spend more time practicing your sewing skills. If you desired to be a better baker you would spend more time reading, studying, and practicing baking more. Let's say you wanted to learn graphic design, well then you would spend hours and hours perfecting your talent. Maybe you want to play the piano, do you spend just one or two hours a week practicing? As a stay at home mom with my children at home I have had so much more hands on practice being a mom and have seen such blessings come from this.

My family isn't perfect by any means. We have areas we each need to work on to become better people, yet we have seen such incredible improvements in our family relationships. Last night, as I was settling into bed, I noticed a light through the crack of the door jam. I was tired and not wanting to get up again, yet I didn't want to shout through a closed door and wake the rest of the family, so I got up to see who was still awake at such a late hour. As I quietly tip toed through the living room I could hear whispering coming from one of the rooms. As I leaned in to see what my older two girls were doing, I was so pleased to see that they were praying together. What a difference from the girls I knew just a year ago that wanted nothing to do with each other. Yes, bringing them home full time was indeed the best decision we made for our family.

Where are you in your family relationships? Where is your strongest desire in your relationships? Is your family the most important relationship you have aside of Christ? Are you placing more importance on your friends than your family? Do you forsake your sister to fit in with the girls you know?

Spending time with family is such a valuable asset to our lives. Now maybe your family isn't very connected this way. Maybe you trust your friends more than your family. I know that while I was growing up, I became closer to my friends than my family and had my parents tried to keep me away from my friends, I would have rebelled. I grew up in the public school, spending large portions of time with my friends and once I became a young teen, I chose spending the night with friends over going to see family members in another city.

Both my parents worked long hours and my mom taught me to cook the family's dinner over the phone. By the time we came to sit at the table for dinner, we had just about fifteen minutes to chat over dinner then it was time for me to clean the kitchen. After that it was time to prepare for bed and then onto another day with a similar schedule. I used to look forward to the weekends when my parents had time off, until I was a teen. Once I was about fifteen years old I could take the bus or ride my bike to a friend's house. Once I was sixteen and had my driver's license, I was ready to go from school to work each night. My family time became less and less until I didn't want to go back.

I became eighteen years old during the school year and moved out before I even graduated high school. I still graduated and worked hard to provide for myself, but my family relationships became so weak. I rarely if ever called home to speak to my family. I recall my mom calling me to tell me that my sister missed me. She was just nine years old and I didn't want anything to do with a little sister. I was too busy and had my own life. Mom pleaded with me to spend time with my sister. I made arrangements to spend an afternoon with her, but only out of obligation to my mom. I loved my sister, but I didn't really know her. I hadn't spent much time with her at all.

Once I graduated from high school I moved to another state. I was such an independent girl, had a job, a car, and an apartment by the time I was nineteen years old. In the world today that would be seen as successful, yet my family was falling apart. My first birthday away from home I didn't hear from anyone! When I called my grandma to talk to her about my frustration she replied with such a sweet honest answer. "Lisa, you missed your Mother's birthday." Her words struck me with such a blow that I was speechless. I had become such a selfish person! I had to begin to mend my family relationships on my own. The ball was now in my court. Now maybe you'd say that the fault lies with my busy parents, and maybe so, yet I made my choices on my own. It was a long road back to becoming a family again and it took many years to mend our family connection and yet even now, seventeen years later, our family still struggles to maintain a solid relationship in unity. This is certainly not what I want to see happen within my own family now.

If you have a family that has a difficult time connecting, it's not too late to mend those relationships. Life isn't about friends, fun, and money. Life isn't about working a job, buying a car, or spending the night with a friend. It's the family that matters. Come by and review the tips that Mrs. D. shared last month in her article under Bridging the Gap, Mother and Daughter Time. Begin Bridging that Gap, and bring life back to your family today!

Ephesians 6:1-2, "Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise." (KJV)

Portfolio de Couturier: Pioneer Days

Portfolio de Couturier: Pioneer Days
The year was 1848 and New Territory was added to the United States of America…Oregon Territory. This new territory included the areas we now know as the states of Oregon, Montana, Washington and Idaho, but then it was one large area of land that was opened up for settlers and pioneers.

The opportunity to settle in the new land had many people excited about the possibility it could hold. People looking for new farmland, timber and a chance for a new life could find it in the Oregon Territory.

The journey was hard and long, taking at least 4 months to reach your destination. Wagons were small, thus requiring people to pack only what they would need…nothing more. With little space to pack more then just your necessities, women were required to leave their fancy hoop skirts and crinolines behind. Some ladies made working gowns and aprons to take with them, while other insisted on bringing along their costly silks and satins.

A new life in Oregon meant making do with what you had and also learning new ways to sew garments. Without access to ready made gowns, silk fabrics and dress shops ladies on the frontier learned to make their own fabrics.

One of the most important items a pioneer lady or girl could own was the Sunbonnet.
With the hot sun, and harsh weather conditions the sunbonnet was their do it all fashion accessory. Some of the early sunbonnet styles were made with casing in the brim of the sunbonnet, so that wooden slats could be inserted into it to hold the brim of the bonnet out to shield the face.

Many styles of the Sunbonnets were made, fancy versions for church and social occasions, sturdy homespun bonnets for doing farm chores and warm wool bonnets for the harsh and cold winters on the prairie.

Straw bonnets were popular because straw was so readably available. Girls and ladies found braiding bonnets to be an enjoyable pastime and it also gave them something to do when walking those long dusty trails on the way to Oregon.



What did Girls and Ladies in Pioneer Days wear?

Many of the garments that girls and ladies wore were made to be practical and wear well. Aprons and pinafores were a must when working or doing chores in the kitchen. Dresses were simple styles with long full skirts and long sleeves that could be rolled up for working or fancier sleeve styles were made for Sunday Dresses.

The styles for fancy dresses or Sunday Dresses were kept relatively simple in design, perhaps accented with hand made lace or some pretty pieces of silk on the neckline or sleeves. For winter time, girls and ladies wore warm wool coats and knitted or crocheted scarves, shawls and hats or bonnets.

A Petticoat was a must have item in any girls or ladies wardrobe. Made of a pretty white cotton or linen a lady always tried her best to keep them snowy white even on the dusty prairie. Petticoats were also a place that girls could practice their lace making skills and embroidery work. Girls and ladies would often have a couple petticoats, one for everyday, another for Sunday best and finally a heavy flannel or wool on for winter. If you wanted to look especially stylish you could layer on more then one petticoat for a full skirted effect.

Pioneer girls and ladies would wear jewelry to dress up many of their outfits. Pins, Cameos and brooches of all kinds were popular to wear on blouses, dresses and shawls.
Earrings or earbobs, as they were called in the 1800’s, necklaces, lockets and bracelets were still worn just as they are today. Ladies were also fond of wearing pin watches; these were delicate little watch faces attached to a pin and were put on upside down so that the wearer could reach down and look at the face of the watch and it would be the right side to her.


Fun Fashion Facts:
Pioneer Ladies learned to make their own fabrics with homespun fibers and colored the cloth with home made dyes. Vegetables were the most popular items used for dying colors as well as store bought pigments.
Interested in trying your hand at a little Pioneer Fabric Dyeing?

I would recommend starting with tea dying. This process is quite easy and requires little supplies….here is recipe to get your started. Tea Dying gives fabrics an aged or antiqued appearance and looks great on a variety of things.

--- Pioneer Tea Dying ---

What fabrics to dye: Cottons, linens, flannel, denim and cotton lace.

Ideas of what to dye: Fabric, skirts, blouses, curtains, quilts…etc.

What kind of Tea to use: I have found that Regular Lipton teas works the best, but any kind of regular tea (not herbs, or berry) will do just fine.
The more tea you have in the kettle, the darker the tea dye will be.

---Tea Dying Recipe---

You will need about 5 to 8 bags of tea per batch
Large cooking kettle or pot
Wooden spoon or stirring spoon

Fill the kettle with water until about half full or full enough to submerge your fabric completely. (Do not put fabric in yet) Put on Medium heat and let simmer.

Open your tea bags and remove the little paper tags from the ends of the strings. Next put all your tea bags into the kettle and let them steep for about 5min or until the water looks like a big pot of tea. Turn the stove heat to medium low. Remove the tea bags and place your fabric into the water, stir with the spoon and continue to stir your fabric until desired color is reached.

Once you are pleased with the color, rinse your fabric in cold water…wring it out then put it on the clothesline (or in the dryer works too). You now have a custom tea dyed fabric!

Sincerely,
Miss Brielle

Portfolio de La Vie : Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls was born in 1867 on February 7th near the town of Pepin, Wisconsin. She was born to Charles and Caroline Ingalls, and her father's parental grandmother was from the famed family of Delano, who was descendants of the Mayflower passenger Richard Warren. Laura had one older sister, Mary Amelia, who became blinded after having scarlet fever. Laura also had a younger sister Caroline Celestia, whom they called Carrie. She also had a young brother, Charles, who died at the age of nine months, and then a sister named Grace Pearl.

You may already know quite a bit about Laura Ingalls because you grew up watching or reading "Little House" books. My older sister and I did. It was one of my sister's favourite TV series, and one worth watching. Laura Ingalls lived a truly remarkable life as a pioneer. When Laura was still a young girl her father bought a homestead on what was called the Indian Territory, but only after two years of living in Independence, Kansas, the Ingalls family moved back to their home in the "Big Woods".

When Pa got restless in the Big Woods, he moved the family, various times, to Walnut Grove, Minnesota, South Troy, Minnesota, and Burr Oak, Iowa. The family finally settled down in De Smet, Dakota Territory on a homestead claim, and the next spring Pa got a job working on the railroad in 1879. From the winter of 1879 to 1880 the Ingalls watched De Smet rise from the prairie plains. The next winter, as Laura recorded in her book The Long Winter, was one of the worst winters in the Dakotas. When everything was settled for the Ingalls Laura began to attend the school, and there she met another homesteader Almanzo Wilder.

When Laura was fifteen she took a position as a teacher, and over the next three years she managed her time so she could teach and attend school herself in De Smet. Laura never really said if she liked teaching or not, but she had felt it was her responsibility to earn wages to help her family. On August 25th, 1885, Laura quit her teaching and married Almanzo, who had accomplished a degree of prosperity on his homestead claim, because the rain had been in his favour. Laura went with Almanzo to his new claim and determined to help him make it a success. In 1886 on December 5th, Laura gave birth to her first child, Rose Wilder, and then three years later; Laura gave birth to an unnamed son, who died soon after his birth.

For the first few years of the Wilder's marriage, there were many trails for which they had to face, including the complications of the bout of diphtheria that Almanzo had, which left him partially paralyzed. Though he did recover, he had to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. This and many other roadblocks led to a series of disasters in the Wilder's life. Those include the death of their son, the destruction of their home and barn, which caught fire, and they were unable to earn a living from the 320 acres of prairie land on which they owned. These trails are recorded in The First Four Years, which was a manuscript that was found after the death of Rose Wilder Lane, and was published in 1971.

In 1890, the Wilders went from their home in South Dakota to spend a year with Almanzo's parents in Minnesota, on their prosperous farm, before they went to live, briefly, in Westville, Florida. They went to Florida, thinking it would improve Almanzo's health, but it only wilted Laura, who was used to the dry plains, and not the heat and humidity. So in 1892, the Wilder's soon returned to De Smet and purchased a small house. The Wilder's got special permission to put Rose, who was precocious, which means she was unusually advanced or mature in development, in the school. Almanzo took a job as a day laborer and Laura as a seamstress so they could save up enough money to start a farm again.


In 1894, the couple moved for the finally time to Mansfield, Missouri, using their savings to place a payment on a piece of undelvopled land, which they named Rock Ridge Farm. It began as 40 acres of thickly-wooded stone-covered hillside, with a windowless cabin, but over the next 20 years the Wilder's turned it into to a 200 acre prosperous poultry, dairy, and fruit farm. They also replaced the little cabin with an impressive and unique ten-room farmhouse, complete with outbuildings. The Wilder's acquired financial security very slowly. The only income Almanzo brought was from selling wagonloads of firewood at 50 cents, which was the result of backbreaking work that worked towards the clearing of trees and the stones from land that eventually evolved into fertile fields and pastures. The apple trees that were there took seven years to bare fruit. Unfortunately the Wilder's were barely able to make it on their new farmland, and decided to move to Mansfield in the late 1890s and rent a small house. Almanzo then took a job as an oil salesman and general delivery man. Laura took on boarders and served meals at the local railroads. Any free time the couple had was spent improving the farm and looking to a better future.

During this period in the Wilder's life, Almanzo's parents came for a visit and presented Almanzo and Laura with a gift. The deed to the house they were renting, which was a boost for them so that they could eventually sell the Mansfield house and move back Rocky Ridge permanently and expanded their land. The house they had built there still stands today and is a testament to their labors. Laura was always involved in various clubs and associations, which was recognized as an authority in poultry farming and country living. Because of this, Laura was invited to speak in front of groups around the region. She also followed Roses as she developed a writing career, which also inspired her to write herself. She was given the opportunity to submit an article to the Missouri Ruralist in 1911, which led her to a permanent position as a columnist as well as an editor with the publication.

When Laura's "Little House" series began to receive notoriety the Wilder's wealth was stabilized, but even before then Laura's writing and working at a Farm Loan Association was enough for the family to live on and put them into the middle class. Rose encouraged her mother to use her writing career in national magazines, she as she had done. Laura was unsure of herself, and didn't want to go from something like the Missouri Ruralist to these well-known magazines. When she submitted anything it was heavily edited by Rose and placed through Rose's connections. For much of the 1920s and 1930s Rose's career continued to flourish and so she stayed with her parents at Rocky Ridge.

As Almanzo was in his 70s, help was hired to take care of the remaining farm work, which Almanzo could no longer manage. Everything seemed to be going well for the Wilder's, until the Stock Market crashed in 1929 and wiped out their investments. Rose was faced with the very gloomy choice of having to sell enough writing to maintain financial responsibility. Almanzo and Laura became dependent of Rose.

Laura, in 1930, asked Rose's opinion about writing a biographical manuscript about her childhood of the pioneer days. She wanted to preserve her life's story, especially now that with the Great Depression and the death her mother in 1924 and her sister Mary in 1928. She hoped that it would not only help her keep the memories of her life on record, but also bring in some income for her and Almanzo.

Much controversy surrounds how much of a part Rose played in the writing and publishing of her Mother's "Little House" series. Some think she was only there for support, while others think that Roses took Laura's manuscripts and turned them into the stories we have today. No one is certain. Though two of Rose's most successful novels, Let the Hurricane Roar (1932) and Free Land (1938), were written up during the time the "Little House" books were have many confused. Rose didn't take interest in writing "juvenile" books as she called them, but still it's not certain what part she had in the writing of the series.

At any rate the "Little House" series has remained one of the most loved stories of all times and is still being printed today. We have a few of the "Little House" series books around our house and at one time or another we've had them all from the library here. They truly are a treasure. The series has also been translated into many languages. By the mid-1930s the series had reached the earnings the Wilder couple had made over the past 50 years of marriage. Various honours and huge amounts of fan mail was given to Laura for this series. Her name received top billing on the covers of magazines where her fiction articles appeared.

In the late 1930s Rose left Rocky Ridge farm and established a home in Harlingen, Texas, and also in Connecticut. During these years Almanzo and Laura were often at home by themselves at the farm. Most of the surrounding property was sold, but them kept some to farm animals and tend to their flower and vegetable gardens. Almost daily carloads of fans would stop by to meet "Laura". The Wilder's lived independently without any financial worries until Almanzo died in 1949, at the age of 92. Laura was very grieved by the death of her beloved, but determined to live at Rocky Ridge, despite Rose's request for her mother to come live with her. During the next eight years Laura lived alone, and was looked after by a circle of friends and neighbors, most found it hard to believe that this was "Laura Ingalls Wilder". During these years Laura continued to correspond with many of her editors, fans, and friends.


Throughout the 1950s Rose came to spend the winters with her mother, and once Laura went with Rose to Connecticut by airplane. When Rose came to visit for Thanksgiving in 1956, she found her mother, who was now at the age of 89, very ill from undiagnosed diabetes and a weak heart. Several weeks at the hospital seemed to do Laura good and she was able to return home after Christmas. However she was old and very ill, and her health only declined. She had always remarked that she wanted to live until she was ninety as "Almanzo had", and she succeeded for three days after her ninetieth birthday, Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder died in her sleep at her beloved Mansfield home.

Rose left Mansfield for good shortly after Mother's death, but she did donate Rocky Ridge Farm and most all it's contents to the Laura Ingalls Wilder-Rose Wilder Lane Home Association, which continues to received thousands of annual visitors and is considered a National Historic Landmark.

In 2006 Laura was honoured on the Missouri Walk of Farm, and an Ingalls' cousin Reverend David Ingalls accepted the star in her place. The start is located in Marshfield, Missouri.