The Wood Cook Stove

Last week I hosted a giveaway for a copy of my family cookbook. Annette @ The Ward House commented on the cover picture.  She said it looks almost exactly like the stove they currently use. So I decided to tell the story of "our" stove.

About 45 years ago my grandparents moved to the Ozarks. At that time, they heated with wood. I'm pretty sure they didn't actually cook with wood, too. At least, not most of the time. After all, this was the mid-1960s... not the 1800s! But they found this lovely antique "wood cook stove" at a second-hand place and bought it for $20!

When Granddaddy got ready to build their house, he designed the kitchen around it with a native-stone alcove for it to sit in. The opposite side of wall has a beautiful stone fireplace which they also used for heat. Many times they would build a small fire in the "cook stove" when they just wanted a little warmth on a chilly spring morning, but didn't need a big fire to heat the whole house. To my knowledge, Grandmother didn't use the stove for her main cooking, but she did keep a kettle of water on top and would sometimes use the oven for making cornbread or biscuits when the electric range had something else in the oven.

One year, after I was married, we were there for Thanksgiving or Christmas. The power went out and I remember they finished cooking the turkey in the wood stove. It made me realize how handy it is to have equipment that doesn't rely on electricity or technology to operate. We love our modern conveniences, but when they are down we have major problems.

My grandparents are gone to Heaven now. My parents currently live in the house that Granddaddy built, and the "wood cook stove" is still in it's alcove. One of my uncles inherited the stove, but for now he has chosen to leave it where it is. Mother and Dad still build a little fire in it when they want to warm up the kitchen on a chilly morning.

Not very many things in my life are exactly where they have been as long as I can remember. The years bring so many changes. It's just part of life. But sometimes I take comfort in things that haven't changed.

And now for the winner of my cookbook... It goes to Sara @ RyanSaraNCora! Congratulations, Sara! Email me with your mailing address and I'll get your cookbook out to you.

If anyone else is interested, I do still have a few cookbooks left for sale. I am offering them for $10 each, or two-for-$15, postage-paid.

December Daybook

I like to participate in The Simple Woman's Daybook every now and then. Here's a glimpse of what my day looks like in December.

Outside my window... It is cold! Currently 9 degrees with a wind chill of -8. Brrr!! Thankfully not much snow yet.

I am thinking... about my to-do list for the coming week, which includes homeschool and work, as usual, in the midst of preparations for Christmas.

I am thankful for... a loving Heavenly Father who can be trusted to take care of us.

I am wearing... a typical "homeschool mom uniform"-- denim jumper, sage green long-sleeve t-shirt, and my Lands' End fleece slippers

I am remembering... other Christmases.

I am currently reading... A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

I am hoping... to post the winner of my cookbook giveaway later today. There were a lot of entries to go through! If you haven't entered yet, go ahead. I'll leave it open until I have a chance to post about it.

On my mind... decisions to be made for the coming year.

Noticing that... I am enjoying the Christmas season more now that my children are old enough to take over most of the preparations-- decorating, gift-wrapping, baking.

Pondering these words...

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the Lord will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

Isaiah 60:1-2

From the kitchen... my daughters made sugar cookies yesterday, with plans to make several other kinds in the next couple of weeks to share with friends and neighbors.

Around the house... after a stay-at-home weekend filled with several different projects, the house needs a good cleaning!

One of my favorite things... a giant peppermint stick in my Christmas stocking! This is a tradition "Santa" started when I was a teen. I have continued it with my family. Everybody loves it!

From my picture journal... This little vignette that my youngest daughter set up beneath our Christmas tree makes me smile.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

This is one of my favorite family pictures from my babyhood, even though the sun was too bright and the photographer managed to cut off the top of Daddy's head. I just love how Mother is snuggled up against Dad with chubby little me cuddled in her arms. This was during the few short months that I was an only child! (My twin sisters came along when I was 19 months old, followed closely by two little brothers.)

I read a quote somewhere once that says, "The greatest gift a father can give his children is to love their mother." My siblings and I agree that we are so blessed to have such a precious gift-- our parents still adore each other. And they love their children. In a generation where many older dads don't verbally express their love, mine does! Nearly every time I talk to him, he reminds me, "You know I love you, don't you?"

I love you, too, Dad! Hope you have a great birthday!

All About Spelling - review

For spelling this year we have been using All About Spelling, which we had the opportunity to review for the TOS Homeschool Crew. I was really impressed when I received the package to see how much was included, and how much of the work had been done for me. I did have to pull the cards apart (they were perforated) and cut apart the letter tiles and stick magnets on the backs of them-- but that was a piece of cake compared to making my own from scratch.

The instructions suggest using the tiles on a large magnetic wipe-off board. We happened to already have one, so that set-up worked out great for us. It's bright... it's colorful... it has all these fun manipulatives. The real question is: How well does it work as a spelling program? For us, it has been great for remedial work!

We received Levels 1 and 2 to review. My 14-year-old daughter has learning delays, so I just started with Level 1. Turns out, that level was really easy for her. However, the review of the phonics rules as we went through each lesson was just what she needed. We were able to whiz through the whole book pretty quickly, doing two, and sometimes three, lessons a day. Now we are well into Level 2 and we have begun to slow down a bit.

Having the letter tiles and drill cards to use in conjunction with a marker board has been a good combination of hands-on, visual, and auditory learning which seems to be helping the phonics rules stick in my daughter's memory in a way they never have before. The set also came with a phonogram CD-ROM.

There are five levels with a sixth one in the works. Each level comes with a teacher's manual and student materials kit (the flash cards and a progress chart). Level 1 is $29.95 and the other levels are $39.95. In addition, the "starter kit" with the letter tiles, magnets and phonogram CD is $26.95. It is a one-time purchase that you would use through all the levels.

The Aroma of Christ

In my blog-hopping recently I came across this cheery graphic at The 160 Acrewoods. It caught my eye because I enjoy coffee so much... but I especially liked the verse that Amy Deanne put with the picture. She gave permission to use the graphic on our blogs, so I just took her up on it.

For me, coffee is more than just a beverage, it's this whole experience... the fragrance, the warmth of the mug, the flavor. It's actually more like a comfort food. Just the aroma makes me desire the whole "experience".

As a Christian, I want the "aroma" of my life to encourage others to seek the "experience" for themselves. I pray that it does.