Take a Kilo of Mince

Like a lot of families on a tight budget, we eat quite a few mince dishes.  Mince is no longer cheap, but the ability to stretch a little bit a very long way makes it an economical meat when trying to balance a budget in a hungry household.  Tonight as I cooked one of our family favourites, Macaroni Beef, I began to number off the alternatives we like using mince.  U.S. readers may know this as ground beef.

Macaroni Beef

Spaghetti Bolognese

Lasagna

Curried Mince

Savoury Mince

Chow Mien Mince

Tacos

Rissoles

Shepherd's Pie

Meat Pie

Obviously some of these are eaten with pasta of some shape or rice or potato.

Please share with me any relatively simple and economical ,
tried and true, mince recipes.

Brain Drain #1

Another installment of what has become the Weekly Waffle!


Do you ever find that one week seems to just roll into the next?  You know you've accomplished some of your goals, made the appointments, cooked the meals, but where did all of those seven days disappear to?

                    " The older you are the faster they go!"

I used to think that a very silly quote when I was young but of course it is true.  As my very serious brother went to great lengths to explain to me recently.  It is the ratio of time (a day, a week, a year) to the number of years you have lived.  And as I have lived quite a few, they are flying.  Twelve year olds waiting for their birthday (and being allowed Face Book) find that time drags very slowly.  Roll on March.

#  My daughter got a fine.  Quite a large fine :-(  for driving over 40kph) in a school zone.  It's the first time she has been pulled over and it was a very busy morning.  We had the van packed with big children, little children, oldies and swimming gear galore.  Fortunately, we had everyone appropriated seated/ harnessed.  The annoying thing was we drive this road numerous times each week and just last Friday  on our way to swimming, we had discussed the hours for the reduced limit in front of the two schools which are on that road.  You could kick yourself!

# It has been a hard week for her as she also received a similarly large fine for her two dogs "escaping".  We have had the pleasure of her two LARGE beasts here this last twelve months along with the family. One small back yard and two big dogs are not such a great arrangement. 

# I have missed January and now February's Ladies Bible Study.  :-(  I do miss my sisters from church and particularly their wisdom and fellowship.  As I said, each week seems to fly by and I am finding that I cannot keep up with extra curricula stuff so well these days.  My priorities are clear and I accept my limitations but I recognise that I am more often feeling spiritually dry as a direct result of this loss of fellowship.  It has been a season to re-evaluate my walk and reliance on the Lord. He alone is sufficient.  I know that is one of my weak areas as I am a social body by nature.  I also miss having the opportunity to pray with the others and know more of their needs.  Some times I can (wrongly) feel that I am the only one with problems .  I know.  Selfish.  Proud.

# A couple of good articles linked on Facebook have spoken to me this week.  Susan at Kerugma linked to "Meet the Enemy".  A good blog post on pride.

  My dear elderly friend Nancy, in the US linked to this news story of a pastor called Yousef in Iran who is facing a death sentence for his stedfastness to his Christian faith.  It is a brutal reminder to us in our cushy lives, where Christianity is at least tolerated, that the Lord's people, our sisters and brothers, are still living and dying for Christ's sake.

#  Also, a friend who suffers chronic illness and is often bed ridden posted this status with which I could well relate.

"Hard to explain to someone who has no clue. It's a daily struggle being in pain or feeling sick on the inside while you look fine on the outside. Please put this as your status for at least 1 hour if you or someone you know has an invisible illness (PTSD, Anxiety, Bipolar, Depression, Diabetes, LUPUS, Fibromyalgia, MS, ME, Arthritis, Celiac, Post Polio, Cancer, Crohn's Disease, Heart Disease, Epilepsy, Autism,M.D.,C.F.S etc.) " Never judge what you don't understand, I don't know which of my friends will copy. Be interesting to find out!!!.."

 

This is a reminder to me that there are many people who suffer, often in silence.  Whatever it is that is afflicting us, there are always people worse off.  This dear woman who relies so much on outside help.  My cousin's eighteen year old daughter  with excruciating back pain to which there seems to be no answer or cure.  She is facing the possibility that her whole life will be affected by this torment.  A relative by marriage who has end stage cancer but still keeps a cheerful countenance even when he doesn't know what is going on around him.

# And now for the good news!  A good friend's husband has been cleared of anything sinister after scans of his brain indicated that there may be a problem.  They have waited several months for a specialist appointment.  Thank you, Lord.

So, what happened to thoughtful, themed posts from Ruby?  My own brain is not functioning at peak potential right now.  I know you will forgive my waffling.  I feel I can write to you as friends these days!

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?

From my scattered brain.....

I am not OCD,,,,,,,Noooooooooo not one little bit! You only need to look at my house, my yard, my car, my clothes to know that I am quite laid back and not one bit fussy.  Mind you, I would like to be more fussy and have everything just so but personality, husband, family and so many other factors make me what I am.

I do however, have a couple of quirky little characteristics.
Take this thing that is happening on my blog.  If nothing else I am punctual and lateness is frustrating and sometimes annoying to me.  I mind the time.  But for some weeks now my blog timing has been all out of sync.  I have checked on the settings on the blog,  I have checked all the settings on the computer. Yet comments are saying they are posted at all odd hours of the day and night.  US friends who comment at night I awake to find have posted (supposedly) in the mid afternoon.  My own comments saying 2.00am when it is evening here.  Quite frustrating.  If you've had this problem and know how to fix it, can you let me know?  I see other blogs with incorrect time stamps and always assumed the blogger hasn't bothered to set it......just not me :-)

What I am loving from Blogger at the moment is the reply function.  I would sometimes envy that natty little innovation on the Wordpress blogs and then presto!  I see I have it with out even changing a setting.  Okay, so I went overboard and replied to EVERY comment on my last post, just to try it out, but I think it is great. 

I loved the comments on my post about the anniversary of the death of  my little son.  Thank you all.  I wanted to answer each of those comments because they were like little sympathy cards to me and meant a lot.

And just to finish, on a totally random note, my other weird little quirk.
I have to stack things in a certain order in my grocery trolley.  When I get to the checkout I have to load them on the belt in a certain order.  Not necessarily the same order every time but with things correctly grouped.  I am sure this helps the check out person.  I see people flinging their milk with the tins and fruit with the washing powder and it causes me some stress!!!!!  Maybe, if I tried a little harder I could be OCD.   Nah...........

Another waffly post. 

Wishing you all a pleasant and relaxing weekend. 

Time heals all wounds

The death of a child, of any loved one, but especially a child, leaves a wounded heart in the parents and family of that little one.  When my beautiful son died, twenty five years ago, I thought my world was spinning out of control.  I knew I would never be quite the same.  I was much more fragile and emotional.  I laughed less.  I empathised with others better but had to fight envy as my friends brought home their happy, healthy, live babies.

Time heals all wounds but leaves a scar.

On this twenty fifth anniversary of Warriors  death, I can praise God for his short eight days on earth.  I can remember him with poignant motherly love ♥  There is no bitterness just sweet savouring of the memories of our first born that leave a lingering longing to touch, to see, to hold.  Time has indeed healed that gaping wound but the scar is sensitive, precious, just below the surface.

My paternal grandmother had a still born child in the 1920s .  Norah was her fifth child and first daughter.  Although she went on to have five more healthy babies, in her old age she told my aunt that the pain of returning home with empty arms still remained with her.  In those days still born children were whisked away so she never saw her little Norah and yet she never forgot her. Grandma ached for her all her long life.

Just a few years ago, identifying so much with my grandmother's grief, I tracked down the unmarked grave site of that sweet baby.  My Aunty Norah.  Loved but never known.  Her mortal remains lie in the same cemetary as my own little boy.

Thank you Lord, for these precious little ones and all of the much loved babies you have taken before they had to endure the harsh realities of life.

"I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

2 Samuel 12:23

Unless the Lord builds the house

Thank you very much for all the kind words of encouragement after my last post.

My heart felt desire is to trust the Lord and continue doing the best we can here.

It is true, and it is good for me to remember, that the Lord can and does protect us even in less than ideal situations.  Is it weakness to feel at times that we cannot go on?  It is when we acknowledge our own frailty that we better cling to Christ, for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Although we are far from perfect, we are children of God, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.  Our children are covenanted to be His!

Above all else, we are seeking to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

When children are all small in home schooled house holds, it is much easier to flex our time and use life experiences as practical lessons, as it should be.  But there is a certain pressure in the later years, especially nearing the end of formal school days, to toe the line.  Not only academically preparing for the work force, Uni or TAFE but also practically.  We have very flexible lives as home based people, but "the boss" may not be so pleased about employees who sleep in, can't stick to a schedule, wander off to the toilet at will, need a lot of supervision and encouragement and want to cook all manner of cheesy noodles and eggs for their lunch!  You get my drift.  I am very conscious of building good habits and good character.  In fact these and becoming a useful member of society far exceed the academic outcomes in my priorities.

Psalm 127 is beautiful isn't it?  It is best known as the "quiver full" verse but it says so much more to us.  Unless we seek to build upon that Rock, that firm foundation, we are like the foolish man building on the sand.   It encourages us not to be anxious and fretful but rest in the Lord and He gives us peace.  A mighty warrior will faithfully train up his household to serve the Lord.

Once again, thank you for your prayers and thoughts. 

God bless you my friends.

 

Psalm 127

 ¹Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

 ²It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

 ³Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

 ⁴As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

 ⁵Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Seeing things work together for good.

We often comfort other saints with the words of Romans 8: 28 "All things work together for good to them that love God."  It is a beautiful promise for the people of God to cling to. Sometimes, if we are the ones on the receiving end of some trial or temptation, the words can seem hollow or not applicable to us in our doubting state of mind.  Sometimes we just can not see the light at the end of tunnel but often, if we only care to look back and analyse our situation we can clearly see God's hand on our life through the greatest of afflictions.  It is the wonderful truth that God will not give us more than we can bear.  We will be tried and tested.......often, but His grace is sufficient!

I chose this pic as the house belongs to some people I know.

This time last year with the flood waters receding I could never have imagined how those traumatic events would pan out.  It has been good for me to look over my prayer journal from that time, and some of my posts.  To recall how desperate we felt and to know now the good hand of God, steering us through all  situations. So often we cry out to God but sometimes we do forget to give praise and thanks for prayers answered.  And sometimes we don't realise that God has resolved a situation because the answer has differed from what we envisioned.


I praise God for my children, all of them.  Last year saw the break down of my older daughter's relationship, her moving home with us and the arrival of her twins to join their two older brothers.  It also saw the birth of my younger daughter's second son!  We endured the month plus of my hospitalisation and the long recovery period.  Now we can gladly say "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth good to him."

Busy, busy!

These past answers to prayer and the many years before of knowing God's goodness have helped to soothe away some of my anxieties and fears.  If you read here regularly you are almost certainly a woman, you are more than likely to be a Christian sister, and there is a good "chance" you home school your children.  So sisters, will you pray for me now in a situation which is causing me quite a lot of disquiet.

During the holidays I felt markedly better than I had by the end of last term.  Alas, two weeks into school and I feel that peculiar weariness coming upon me again.  You would hardly believe how much I slept over the break.  Often 12+ hours a day!  Since we started back each day has begun later and later.  This morning I was just so listless that the boys carried on with the help of their older sister until lunch time.  The few hours after lunch I was fine and we managed to complete everything for the day but is this really fair......to everyone?  I know many mums continue to teach at home through all sorts of illness and dramas.  Mostly, they are short term situations though, like a birth, a house move or a sickness.  Would it be better for me and for everyone else in the family if the boys were at school?  Long term readers know that both of my lads have significant learning problems and at years 8 and 10 they would not just slide into a school situation.  This has never really been an option for me.

I love my boys and I want to do the best for them.  My commitment has not lessened but sometimes the spirit is willing but the body is not.  Please pray for us and perhaps pass on any ideas and opinions.  We have wonderful help from the Learning Support Unit at Groves but of course they do not see us day to day.  We are already utilising some DVD material and books but especially with the Science and History type things they really need me to watch it as well to be able to answer questions.

I'll leave you there folks.  If I am not reading and commenting you can see why.  When we are not eating, schooling, playing, shopping.....then I am sleeping!

The Bumble Bee and my GS1- The Boy Sweetheart ♥