Winter

Winter

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch

It is time to visit with Patrice. She has had a busy week, so I just wanted to tell her thank you for doing this
today.

Here are this weeks questions:

1.    Do you prefer wallpaper or paint?
Paint, I love the smell of fresh paint. The house we lived in before this one had wall paper in every room. It was crazy, but I had little kids and the two year old was a great wall paper stripper. I would give them the tools and they would work all day if I had let them. We stripped and stripped wall paper and I swore never again would I have wall paper.

2.    What qualities make a good friend?
I thought about this question as I walked this morning. I think in the beginning of my life, a good friend, was having tons and tons of them and being very popular. ( I wasn't I was too shy.) Then the stage of having one best friend who I could tell my secrets to, (I lived in the country so it was my horse.) Then I got married and had a family and I didn't have time for the kind of friends to go out shopping with or go to lunch with, besides I was homeschooling, You can't take 6 kids along on a lunch date. Since most of those years I was pregnant or nursing so my pretty clothes always smelled like baby barf.
So now, you would think I would have time for that, but still I don't, my children I would say are my friends because, I think that is the relationship I have put the most work into. I never look at someone that way to be my friend, a friend to me is the person I spend time with and pray for and share our lives with, even if it is in an email or a comment. So for me, I guess, a friend is whomever God sends that needs a hug, or a note or a prayer. Now it is not what they give me but what I can give to them.

 3.   Are you planning a summer vacation?
Okay, when I first started blogging, it was in the summer. I kept reading blogs with people taking pictures of lakes and the beaches and all kinds of places. I kept thinking why are these people going to this place or that place, then it dawned on me, it is summer, people go on vacation in summer. Does that tell you? We never go on vacation and haven't in years and years. We did when the kids were small but now, it really never even crosses our minds to even put that in planning a year. So nope, never plan a summer vacation.

4.    Do you have a garage, carport, park on the street or park in your driveway?
We have a garage, and yes we park in it. The kids have to park in the driveway.

5.    Tell me something interesting about your week. (oops- please)
Well, it has cooled off and we should have rain today and tomorrow. It is beautiful. I am really thankful to be alive on days like today.
School is coming down to a close. Which means I have to get in the doom closet to get next year and my final year of homeschooling.
But, I will be passing the baton off to my girls, so that when I get into the doom closet this year, I will also be getting pre school and kindergarten materials for my grand children. To me that is exciting. To have the joy of that is beyond my wildest dreams.

15 comments:

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

I love the smell of fresh paint ... so many people don't, but I certainly do. There was a lot of wallpaper in our previous house, and after we finally got it all stripped, I swore - NO MORE WALLPAPER!

My daughter homeschools, and I've seen firsthand how much work, time and effort goes into homeschooling. Homeschooling moms rock!

While my hubby and I travel a lot now that we're retired, we never took vacations while we were working. We couldn't afford to travel, and even if we had, our busy times at work conflicted so that we wouldn't have been able to get away. Now that we're retired, we love to travel ... but we travel during the off season. Traveling in May and September to the beach means that we still get warm weather but we don't have the crowds ... and we can save on lodging. So no summer vacations for us.

Janettessage.blogspot.com said...

Oh enjoyed and can so relate to almost all of your answers...vacation, well haven't had one in decades...so I never plan to have one and if we get a short trip anywhere in the year I am excited

Friends...oh I understand that one...I allow God to establish them and then I don't feel I need to keep them up, He does and refreshes me...everyone is soooooooooo busy now days that it can become a chore unless He is knitting our hearts

Congratulations on passing the torch..oh my!!! Girl look at what you have done...graduated six children from home schooling...one thing I will not have done, since Stephen will graduate from public school. I am sending you the largest pat on the back!!

TexWisGirl said...

i do hope you get rains!

Christine said...

Now that is something I've been praying about this week and maybe you could advise me - how to be a parent and yet a friend to my children. My eldest is just 13 and the youngest 8. They tend to want all friendship and no disciplining - it's a tricky line to walk!
So admire you for homeschooling.
Christine

Julia said...

Hi Kim, great answers as usual. I can see little kids stripping wallpaper. That's too funny.
How nice that your girls will fallow in your footsteps with home schooling. Maybe then you can go on vacations.

I'm off to Patrice to visit on her porch.
Take care, hugs. JB

Razzberry Corner said...

Great post, very interesting. I especially like the part about friends. It's hard for me to remember to let go and let God build relationships. Thanks for the insight.

~Lynn

Kessie said...

Ooh, these are good questions. I ought to tackle them. After I take a nap, that is. :-)

~*~The Family~*~ said...

#1 - pure genius to give the tools to the two year old.

Kerin said...

Great post.
Get's me thinking about how I would answer each question as well.

I know that I would pick paint over wallpaper too!
Easier to change the look of a room with a fresh new coat of paint, and not nearly as expensive as wallpaper.

Gotta run... dinner is needing to be prepared.

Happy Wednesday :)

Maryann said...

I like the thought of passing the baton to your children...kind of seeing things come full circle, the homeschooling season of your life ending while beginning for your children....kind of neat

Debbie said...

I really enjoyed this post. We rarely took vacations either. Still don't. I guess driving 1000 miles to see my daughter and her little family counts as a vaca huh?? I loved your answer about friends. My sisters have always been my closest friends. My oldest sister and I are only 18 months apart. And I have 2 other close girl friends that I have had for years and years....but there were several years in there when we rarely if ever saw each other as we were soo busy raising our kids. But we have the time now and truthfully I cherish our times together. A real friend is with you through the good times and the bad. Loves you unconditionally. Gives more than they receive. I love that your daughers are going to carry on the homeschooling you started. Can't tell you how much I admire you doing that! Hope you had a good day. It is raining here all of a sudden...hard...and the sun is shining too. Rainbows are everywhere! Soo cool.

Sue said...

Just always enjoy your front porch chats, this is such a fun meme, and always plan to join. I love your thoughts on friendship and feel exactly the same, I prefer paint too, and we don't plan summer vacations, just to busy, I enjoy our farm so much.
Hugs,
Sue

Anonymous said...

Nice answers. This is one of my favourite memes.

Patrice said...

I like paint too-it cleans better. Answer #2 just struck me because I have gone through all those phases of friendship. I'm glad you're only an e-mail away!:) We don't do vacation either. My sister lives at the beach, so I may be able to steal a night or two there. Not sure. Your last answer made me think of how wonderful it is for you to know your grandkids will be homeschooled.Your girls will bless those children with what you blessed yours with! I survived the airport trip. Hubby is doing well. Thanks for being there.

Homeschool on the Croft said...

Yes, I love the smell of fresh paint too... so clean and fresh and lovely :)

What an amazing feeling it must be to be passing the baton on to your kids. What a blessing that they are now following on the same homeschooling journey. That surely must make your heart sing :))