Time for Nature, and for Pondering on our Lives

Dear Friends,

A merry day to you, dear ones! Thank you for your comments on our last post~ our children do actually like to try wild foods, even though we've had a few "interesting" experiments that were too tough to eat :) .

Today we were able to harvest some cattail roots, which we roasted along with carrots, onions, and yams. Although they are quite fibrous, they have a nice, sweet starchy taste, and would be a great survival food.

I made an accidental discovery this week that I thought I'd share with you~if you dig up dandelions that are just sprouting up and put them in water, the greens grow in your house and are much less bitter and dirty! I'll be digging up a lot more of them, for sure.


We have actually had temperatures reach into the 60s these past two days, and have been out to enjoy nature as much as possible. We keep checking last year's nettle patch to see if they've come up yet; so far, no luck! We did find a few treasures by the river, though, to add to our collection: fresh-water clam shells, a hummingbird nest, and pretty pine cones and rocks. We even had the experience of hearing a Scotch pine popping its seeds out; it sounded a lot like popcorn! Pine seeds, even small ones, can be eaten for a high protein snack, and are quite tasty, too.

Nature Journaling is such fun! . . .

As is picnicking in high winds! Grab that lettuce before it blows away!

I was asked if I would post something about my conversion story for the way I live, and have been pondering this for the last week or so. Mostly, I can say that I was "saved through childbirth", in that only after being home with my children was the Lord able to whisper into my ear the changes that He wanted in me. A few ideals that would define my lifestyle are: natural living (homeschooling, home birthing, natural healing and diet), and godly, old-fashioned womanhood.

I grew up a self-conscious, visionless tomboy, never quite feeling like I fit in with everyone else, but not knowing where I did fit in. I certainly never dreamed of having a large family or being a homeschooling housewife! Little by little, though, as I would hold my babies while they were sleeping, the Lord would put ideas into my heart that would change my life forever. He introduced to me to people who had life-changing information. Plus, He made it too uncomfortable for me to wear pants while pregnant, so I had to wear dresses whether I liked it or not!

With each baby girl I was sent, more and more I would think about the legacy that I would leave my daughters. I wanted to have them remember me like I remember my Grandma; always wearing a dress and apron around the house, and keeping herself well-groomed, even if no one was expected to come over.

My birth experience in the hospital, as well as the few times that we took our babies to the doctor, led me to feel that there had to be a gentler way to birth and healing, as well.

I can think of a few things that came into my life just when I was ready to receive them : Dr. Christopher and his School of Natural Healing, Sarah ban Breathnach's "Simple Abundance" and "Mrs. Sharp's Tradition", Vision Forum and its wonderful products, and the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education. These were little seeds, planted in my life, that have brought forth much fruit in their own way! I now am confident enough to handle most common illnesses and emergencies; I try to dress and live in a manner that I hope I would not be ashamed of if the Savior came to my door; my children are being raised with the "gentle art of learning"; and I am learning to become more self-sufficient through gardening, sewing, preserving, and using wild foods, etc. I still feel like I have so much to learn in all of these areas, and am so grateful for my patient husband who has had to learn and grow along with me, and has been gracious enough to allow me to do so many things that are indeed "not of this world"! ;-)

I would like to encourage anyone reading this, who may feel afraid of living in a way that is separate from the world, to just let the Spirit of the Lord fill you with peace. It IS worth it, although it certainly is not easy! You will feel a peace and confidence in your life that you have never felt before, even through the heartaches and trials.

I love this quote which I found recently, and I think it sums up so much of my own life's experience~

"If you have attempted to fit whatever mold and failed to do so, you are probably lucky. You may be an exile of some sort, but you have sheltered your soul. There is an odd phenomenon that happens when one keeps trying to fit and fails. Even though the outcast is driven away, she is at the same time driven right into the arms of her psychic and true kin, whether these be a course of study, an art form, or a group of people. It is worse to stay where one does not belong at all than to wander about lost for a while and looking for the psychic and soulful kinship one requires. It is never a mistake to search for what one requires. Never.

~Clarissa Pinkola Estes

It has been such a blessing for me to have"met" so many kindred spirits through the internet; may we all be blessed as we find and follow the unique path that the Lord has for each of our lives.

Love,

Marqueta