A Happy Home Media

Art Journaling: What I Need

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:24:08 +0000

I’m very much enjoying art journaling, beginner that I am. It’s a definite stretcher for me to break from using just words to dump my brain and to try to (literally) draw it out. Although, it’s funny, I still filled up the page with words! I was thinking about how I needed to guard my [...]

Dehydrating Sourdough Starter

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:12:20 +0000

I rarely make yeast baked goods since (a) I don’t consider it the healthiest choice, (b) we don’t use grains much anyway. I’ve been using and rotating four sourdough starters for years, and lately I decided it was time to retire two of them. I didn’t want to throw them away however, so I dehydrated [...]

Mixed Media Bookmarks

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sat, 11 May 2013 15:02:30 +0000

I enjoyed making bookmarks for our new book club. I recently figured that I’ve been running book clubs for twelve years now! It’s always a blessing to get together. We meet once a month, for one chapter a month. It sounds like a long time to get through a book, but it works out great [...]

How to Build Awareness

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:12:13 +0000

I was talking with some friends yesterday about how our drive for getting things *done* sometimes makes our awareness of needs–and blessings–in front of us sorely lacking. The problem is that as often as we push past cultivating awareness of our surroundings (and the people in them), that God-given sense of ours becomes dull. Really, [...]

Why Being Might Be More Important than Doing

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:44:26 +0000

To-do lists are easy for me to come up with. Last night I dumped my brain onto paper and listed out a good seven or eight things I wanted to accomplish in the upcoming week. I vaguely acknowledged that there are always (at least) seven or eight things for me to hit no matter how [...]

The Problem of Pinterest

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:38:46 +0000

Pinterest has been a wonderful tool to organize all of the website pages and ideas I love. I no longer have to remember sites, clutter up my bookmarks, or lose places when the internet goes down or I mindlessly close up the dozens of tabs waiting for that elusive time I call “later.” Furthermore, I [...]

The Blessing of Down Syndrome

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 03:33:55 +0000

Ruby Mae is coming on five years old and we thought (with the encouragement of a reader–thank you!) that it was high time we did a podcast about her and Down Syndrome. What follows is a our story. It may be a bit (or more) of meandering but it was a late night and [...]

It’s Kidding Season (No Joke!)

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 04:29:40 +0000

Spring is definitely here. Between the heavy frost and the warm sunny days, the buds beginning to unfurl and the weeds waking with a vengeance, the whole atmosphere around here says, “It’s spring!” The quietness of winter is gone, too. The robins are singing, the hummingbirds zipping…and then there’s our dairy goat herd queen, Splat. [...]

You Can’t Do It All…Or Can You?

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:48:31 +0000

You can’t do it all. Or so they say. But what is the “all” that “it” entails? Defining priorities seems to be a constant challenge in our culture and time. With so many choices at our fingertips and roads to take under our wheels, it is akin to an eternal buffet that our eyes [...]

A Quilt, Some Kids, and Mice!

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:30:18 +0000

Last night was exciting. I was so excited in fact that I was downright nauseated by the stress of it all. Although, my son tossed his cookies last night as well so maybe it was something we ate. In any case, we got our first two kids of the season and thankfully my friend was [...]

Life in a Computer Time

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 05:03:20 +0000

I currently have 34 tabs open on my browser(s) of things to read and deal with and a hundred and some-odd emails that are *not* junk but awaiting my attention. I belong to six online groups that are important to me. And I have several different classes I’m taking at once that all involve at [...]

Churning the Waters: My Craft Room Remodel

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 23:51:09 +0000

I know I’ve been quiet here. I’m finding myself stepping away from a lot of things, activities, and even people, so it makes sense that other areas would get a little choppy too. It’s like I’ve been throwing everything up into the air and just standing there waiting to see how things would fall into [...]

Spring Cometh

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 06:20:26 +0000

Well, “finishing something” sounded like a great idea but alas resistance comes knocking and I am more than eager to open the door and allow it to hinder me. Although, I suppose I could say that I finished a book (I did), so that would in essence open up the opportunity to start things anew here [...]

Mapping Down Syndrome

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 05:49:39 +0000

I am trying to read Road Map to Holland but I can’t even get through the third paragraph of the first chapter without tearing up and putting the book down. It’s been four years and I can’t believe it’s still so raw deep down in there somewhere. I remember the chaos, the confusion, the [...]

Finish Something!

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 08:15:42 +0000

Ironically I am not. Finished with something that is. My goal was to complete a project that has been on pause or forgotten about and I ended up doing what I normally do: Started a New Project. I got inspired to do something with the pretty red fabric I’ve been stashing and naturally [...]

Opportunity and Strawberries

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:00:28 +0000

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. Sir Frances Bacon Yesterday I carefully teased apart and planted the strawberry starts I had purchased at the local nursery. My previous strawberry bed had become a wasteland of sticks and leaves and dried up remains of hard thimble-sized red things I could not [...]

Homeschoolers and the College Question. College Plus: An Option Worth Considering

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 22:54:26 +0000

“Knowledge, learning, talents are not necessarily connected with sound moral and political principles. And eminent abilities, accompanied with depravity of heart, render the possessor tenfold more dangerous in a community.” Noah Webster “Oxford did little to improve John’s spiritual life…” Basil Miller, John Wesley Homeschoolers are out-of-the-box parents and educators. There are many stripes [...]

Does Your Home Have These Three Foundations?

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 18:14:06 +0000

I like to read through the Bible, front to back, in addition to Psalms and Proverbs. Some days I get a half hour or more of reading, and others I’m just thankful for the short devotions I had with my babies. This morning I found myself in 1 Chronicles. It is full of genealogies, lists [...]

Peasant Bread: Sourdough

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:47:17 +0000

Salt. Water. Flour. And starter. That’s how easy it is to gather the ingredients for simple, wholesome sourdough bread. I remember the folks at Forgotten Way sharing how we ought to for the sake of health and finances “eat like a peasant” more. Well, by choice or by force, more of us are [...]

Forward

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 05:36:28 +0000

The posting trot I was in put my right brain into full drive and allowed the more responsible, list making, planning, fault-finding, detail-oriented left side of my hammer brain to melt into nothing more than an acknowledging nod to the sound of Lola’s rhythmic breath. I held the reigns loosely and kept my eyes soft, [...]

Merry Christmas!

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 19:47:31 +0000

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15 From our home to yours, Merry Christmas!

Can Mothers Adore Thee Un-Joyful?

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 23:31:39 +0000

Well, I think I’m as ready as I’m gonna be. The cards are getting sent out late, but I have a little something for each child to unwrap on Christmas day and that makes me feel “ready”. But I’m having a hard time with remembering mamas all over the world that not only have no [...]

In a Cramming Consumption Mode

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 06:19:39 +0000

For better and worse, I’ve been in consumption mode and that is one reason I’ve been lacking in producing much of anything meaningful and worth the time either to write or to ask anyone to read. My absence here has been sniffed out even by more aggressive spammers, and I find myself logging on just [...]

Living the Forgotten Way Lifestyle

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 19:08:10 +0000

Daniel and Abby Jo are joining us to share their off-grid experiences with living the Forgotten Way. You’re sure to enjoy their story! Daniel and Abby Jo’s blog: The Grandpa Jakes Campfire Cooker can be found here. Isn’t it a beauty? The book that Daniel enjoyed as a 14 [...]

Christmas and the Sense of Hunger

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 15:47:47 +0000

The man in front of me could not afford the $45 worth of groceries in his cart. Twice his card declined, and he politely told the cashier he’d have to come back “in December”. I glanced at the cart he abandoned as he left the store. It had real food in it: milk, oatmeal, fruit. [...]

Basic Herbs in My Home

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:24:41 +0000

It’s that time of year when harvest is closed and the dark and cold outside foster rejuvenation of mind and body. It’s a time to find quiet, catch up on reading, pick up the knitting needles (or scrapbooking…or whatever…) again and take advantage of more hours to sleep. For me, it’s also a time to [...]

Why Sons Need Their Father’s Leadership

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:58:33 +0000

How would you lead your barefoot son through a maze of bear traps? What if he were blinded to them? What if you were too busy doing other things to even notice he was embarking on that journey? And what does “slipping and checking” have to do with any of that? Listen in on [...]

Heirloom

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 17:16:10 +0000

My YaYa, brother and I bringing bread to the oven. We crawled up the mountain on gravel roads for hours, slowly snaking up in the midst of dirt and brush and the odd dilapidated auto meeting us on the downhill. The passage was narrow and guardrails would have been pointless anyway. I remember the crunch [...]

The Mid-Fall Homeschooling Slump

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:48:27 +0000

To be a schoolmaster is next to being a king. Do you count it a mean employment to imbue the minds of your fellow citizens in their earnest years with the best literature and with the love of Christ, and to return them to their country honest and virtuous men? In the opinion of fools, [...]

The Reality of Living Off the Grid

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 15:19:18 +0000

Meet my off-grid friend! Bugging out to live off the grid sounds very intriguing, especially in our current economy with our need to simplify and downsize. But what is it really like? Listen in on the conversation I had with a young mother, telling me a bit of how it really is. [...]

Busy, Busy, Dreadfully Busy…

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 04:42:11 +0000

Aren’t we all? I dislike being so busy. You know, I haven’t worn a watch in at least 15 years, so maybe it’s time to chuck the calendar as well because I can’t seem to just have a week with nothing on it. Oh, it’s not full of bad things at all, and much [...]

Eclectic Decorating

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:49:58 +0000

When we moved to our large home from our tiny condo, I felt a bit overwhelmed. ”Ok, Lord,” I said dubiously, “You built this house. Guess You’ll have to furnish it.” Well, amazingly enough, He has. Over the years we’ve gotten a lot of things for free: a dining set, a pair of sofas, a [...]

Goal Setting: Why?

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:23:16 +0000

My Handstitched bedcover, wool on linen, County Fair 2012 I’ve been perusing some books regarding setting goals (and perhaps, more importantly, meeting them), and I’ve thus far had some persistent thoughts regarding my “someday I wanna” goals: Everything I wish to do, I am in some small form already doing, even if it is just [...]

Captivated: Finding Freedom in a Media Captive Culture

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:58:37 +0000

“We’re so busy….busy doing what?” Corey “What captures your attention controls your life”. That quote still resonates with me along with my blog post, Narrowing. How do I live a life, if not outside of, alongside of, a virtual world? It’s ironic that we now can store our information, our documented lives and our work, [...]

UnDocumented

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:35:54 +0000

I’m sitting here with the laptop on my (where else?) lap, and thinking about all I’ve been doing lately. What I haven’t been doing is documenting everything. There’s just something freeing about being able to, say, take a hike with the kids and not take a camera to share it with others. I’m finding a difference between [...]

Babies, Quilts, Paint and More

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 04:59:43 +0000

I’m still here. Sort of. But I still don’t think I have much to say anymore. One thing I’ve done is remove my computer to my craft room, and because of that it’s been real easy not to even check my emails. I’m finding I like not checking emails. I’ve also turned off my cell [...]

Cursive First? And Is Teaching Latin a Fad?

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 04:31:35 +0000

NOTE: Sarah is graciously offering a 10% discount on any materials you purchase through her, through Labor Day 2012. Use coupon code A Happy Home Media. I had the opportunity to ask Sarah Gunning Moser two questions that have been on my mind: 1. What’s the deal with teaching cursive first? That is, why not [...]

Because You Want Your Children to Read

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:08:09 +0000

I’m very pleased to bring you this podcast regarding the state of literacy in our nation today and what we, as mothers and fathers can do about changing that tide beginning with our very own families. This is not content just for homeschoolers! Sarah Gunning Moser is a wealth of information and insight; I’m sure [...]

Narrowing

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:47:45 +0000

Genesis 5:22 And Enoch walked with God… I’ve had a difficult time with blogging lately, sort of feeling a bit dried up if you will. I think of pictures I want to share, but I don’t want to take the time to download, edit, upload, and publish. I think of some good insights I want [...]

Home is Where the View is Best

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 01:33:03 +0000

It’s been a crazy month. Between baby coming and goat kids coming and then nursing one that ended up dying (you can read that story here), it was high time for a road trip and time away. My days at home were literally like this: feed the fam, feed the baby, put the baby down, [...]

From Six to Fourteen

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:15:31 +0000

Goats that is. Four days after having my own baby, the first doe had her own. And in the last three days we added seven more kids (that’s what goat babies are: kids). As my husband says, it’s not our own baby keeping us up at night. It’s the goats! But I will say how [...]

One Baby Lost, One Baby Held: A Wee Lesson for Me

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:07:06 +0000

The sunshine has been glorious. Any tourist passing through our area lately would surely remark how dishonest those Pacific Northwesterners have been regarding the gray, the gloom, the rain. The secret is out, it’s all a ruse, we have wonderful sunshine come spring. Well…some years, anyway. Because I’m not weeding anything this year the entire [...]

Settling Into Spring

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:23:19 +0000

I’m sitting outside on the kitchen porch on a parisian yellow chair watching the breezes ripple their way through the firs and alders. The lavender lilacs are in bloom and their scent wafts by often enough to make me close my eyes and dream of summer. How can I transport to you the sound of [...]

A Baby Fresh From God

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:33:50 +0000

Thank you for your emails, tweets, calls, love and prayers. Our fifth girl arrived yesterday afternoon (nine days “late”) to greet her sisters and two brothers after a record (for me) labor of only 5 or 6 hours. She was born sunny side-up which made for the hardest labor I’ve ever had as well, [...]

Post-Due Date Waiting

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:19:55 +0000

Well, here I still am, now six days after my “due date” for baby number seven. It’s nothing new to me, this waiting for a “late” baby to show up; in fact, baby number five decided to wait a whopping 18 days (and he packed on the pounds to prove it, at 10lb 15oz). The [...]

Birthing Projects

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:41:20 +0000

Well, here I am late in the evening on my due date without more than a baby hiccup and once again I am reminded how much I hate “due dates”. What evil wrought about that dumb little circle thingy that puts THE date as when baby should arrive? Once again, I’m on the side of [...]

Art Journaling for Beginners

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 19:09:42 +0000

I’ve kept a handwritten journal for many, many years. In it are thoughts from my days, trials I’ve worked (and am working) through, ideas and lists, Bible studies and prayers, poetry, hopes and plans and just bunches of stuff that I wish I had from a great-grandma or two regarding their lives, good, bad [...]

Mocha Without the Machine

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:39:26 +0000

I have no regrets selling my espresso machine. It was expensive, it took up counter space, it took care, it demanded to be used, and it was just one more thing I needed to plug in and maintain. I’ve been ruthless in decluttering my house and I know I’m not finished yet! But I do [...]

10 Ways To Be Hospitable Without Going Nuts

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:23:53 +0000

1. Remember that people are more important than things. Having plastic on the furniture or carpets that cannot be walked on without first dubbing fresh socks speaks loudly that the house is not to be used to relax in, but to admire. If your family members can put their bare feet up on the [...]

Raising (and Butchering!) Your Own Meat Animals

Kerimae@aol.com (Keri Mae Lamar) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:57:48 +0000

Ever think about raising and butchering your own meat animals? Join me as I interview my friend Sonja to hear her experiences and advice. Warning: there may be some parts you might get "ick-ed" about!