What do I always say?  What is my most oft typed phrase?  As I visit your blogs, what is the one Copperswife quote I read most often?  Repeat after me, "Hold your plans loosely." 
    
     It has been an incredible season here for holding plans loosely.  Illness after illness has run through my home.  My husband is the only one that has not been sick for, what seems like, months on end.  We attribute his healthy immune system to all of the horrible things that I'm sure he is exposed to on a daily basis at the county jail.  (Just the thought actually makes me shudder!).







 
     



     The plans made for this school year, hashed out and sweated over during the month of August, have certainly been helpful in helping us to get back on track after each illness.  I cannot imagine where we would be if those plans were not in place, carefully tucked into binders, for me to refer to when I'm not feeling my best, or when it's been over a week since anyone was well enough to do any school work. 
    













     Dani has had the opportunity to be out of town for a couple of days every week for the last three weeks.  I'm so happy that she was able to go, but we miss her when she's gone.  I do, of course, know that one day she will leave our home for a home of our own.  For now, though, she is a member of this household, and anytime one of us is gone for any length of time, the balance is off just a bit, causing us to shift our routine and responsibilities. 
    

    
     I think it's really important to set goals, both long term and short term, and to make plans for the days, weeks and months of your year.  Failure to plan is planning to fail, right?  Of course, right!  I spent many hours in late December and early January setting goals and making plans for the year.  Lord willing, a good percentage of those plans will come to fruition by year's end.  However, providence has a way of causing plans to change, or to be postponed or, at the very least, re-prioritized.
    

     One example:  I set three home improvement goals for my home for the year.  Aaron's bathroom was slated for the first project.  We already have a good portion of the items needed for the project, and the bathroom is small.  It would have been a fairly quick, inexpensive project.  I am grateful that I have learned to hold my plans loosely, allowing other needful things to take precedence, because.....
    
      
      My boys' bedroom furniture fell apart.  My husband has repaired all of the dresser drawers several times, and finally declared that they are now beyond repair.  My "boys" are fast becoming men - Aaron is over six feet tall, and my "baby" is almost as tall as I am.  The upper bunk was no longer adequate to support Aaron, and the slats of the lower bunk were beginning to show signs of wear, too.  One day, about a month ago, my husband decided that we should see about purchasing something sturdier and more practical for them.  We were blessed to find exactly what we wanted, on sale, at a time when the store was paying the sales tax for the customer.  The furniture (a pair of captain's beds, with four drawers and a cabinet under each, and a night stand) was ordered, and it finally arrived this week.  Dani found new bedding for the guys, a set that is just about perfect for the look we wanted, at Target on clearance!  Love that girl's keen eye for a bargain!
    
     The boys' room has now been made the first project of the year.  Our My Points gift cards to Home Depot will get the ball rolling next week as we buy the lumber so that my husband can begin building the window and door trim for their room.  We'll follow up with paint, new blinds and a few other things.  I'll share our progress as it is made.
    
     I also set some "creativity" goals for the year.  I love sewing.  I love knitting.  I like embroidery and a few other crafts.  Most years, because I've not set goals, not a whole lot of creating gets done!  My good friend, Bren, whom I've never met in real life but hope to, really encouraged me this year, as we worked on our goals for the year at the same time but thousands of miles apart, to set some creativity goals.  (Oh, my!  The grammar police will have a field day with that last sentence!).  So, I set some creativity goals, and I was well on the way toward meeting some of the short term "deadlines" when I caught yet another virus.  I've been able re-set some of those creativity goals, and I hope to finish up one project yet this weekend - but I'll not lament if it doesn't quite happen.

     I would like to apologize for my delay in getting the rest of the February holiday posts up.  I'm still hoping to get to all of them, but I realize that I may only be able to flesh out one or two more.  I am so sorry that they aren't already up.  I know, though, that you understand that I must first look well to the ways of my own household, making sure that all of my responsibilities here are taken care of.  If you missed the prior posts, you will find Groundhog Day here and Chinese (Lunar) New Year here. 
    
     You see, there is no point in fretting over the things that cannot be helped.  Still, I do not mean to say that your plans are not important, and that you make them in a "loosey goosey" manner, caring not whether those plans are ever completed. 
    
      In my own home, as well as in the lives of a few close friends, this year has already been a year that has seen carefully laid plans set aside.  Illness.  New jobs.  Failed marriages.  Lengthy hospital stays.  New babies - those that have arrived or those still growing safely tucked inside their mother's wombs.  All of these have, in one way or another, changed plans.  I'm still praying that the plans made for the year come to fruition, but I know that in God's economy they may not. 
    
     The one thing I cling to, the one thing that never changes, is God's love for His own.  Come what may, I rest in that!

God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27 

      Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, is a fun celebration to observe with your kids.  I grew up in a city with a large Chinese population, and raised my daughters in an area filled with southeast Asian immigrants.  There was no ignoring Chinese New Year in our neighborhood!  Firecrackers exploded for days (and nights!) on end.  We frequently saw the crowds surrounding the lion and dragon dances as we drove through the local business district, and the sound of the drums always coaxed us to turn down the radio and roll down the car windows to listen.  Those were fun days!
    
     Chinese New Year is not a one day celebration; but rather, depending on the area, lasts from seven to fifteen days.  Homes are cleaned, new clothes bought or sewn, haircuts are given and special foods are prepared, all in preparation for welcoming in a time of new beginning.
    
     The celebration is held in conjunction with the track of the new moon, so the date of the beginning of Chinese New Year changes from year to year.  This year, 2010, Chinese New Year officially begins on February 14.  You can find the dates for future years here.  (Because of the conflict with Valentine's Day, you might want to take a look at Chinese New Year on another day during its fifteen day run.)

     Here are a few suggestions for you to use in your own family to celebrate Chinese New Year.

• If you live in or near a large metropolitan area, check to see if your city (or any civic organizations) are hosting a parade or other observance of the Chinese New Year.  Add the date to your calendar and plan to attend.  (Be sure your children are prepared to hear lots of firecrackers!)

• Check your local yellow pages for a large Asian market in your area.  Call and see if they will be hosting a dragon or lion dance in their store or parking lot.  They may be hosting both at different times during the New Year celebration.  They are very different performances!  Ask for dates and times, note them on your calendar and plan to attend.  Be sure to arrive early as large crowds typically gather.  (Again, there will be a lot of noise - drums, cymbals and, of course, firecrackers!) 
  

• Here's a video of the Lion Dance from Hong Kong in 2008.  The video begins with a minute or two of the fireworks over Victoria Harbor and then begins interspersing the dance.  This is, by far, the most athletic Lion Dance I've ever seen, including those I was privileged to see in San Francisco's China Town when I was a girl.  Fun!! 
  

• The very best book I've found to learn all about Chinese New Year is Happy New  Year! / Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts'ai! by Demi.  Though this book is out of print, it is worth searching out, and inexpensive, used copies are available. Happy New Year! / Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts'ai! is a very thorough look at every aspect of the Lunar New Year.  The reasons for everything, from cleaning the house, to the food that is prepared, the differences between and reasons for the Lion Dance and the Dragon Dance, etc., is given in brief, yet just-enough, detail.  Because this is a celebration with roots in Asian culture, explanations of the religious beliefs that accompany the festivities are also given.  Some families might want to skip these pages, but I've always felt that reading them with your children, so as to facilitate good, healthy discussion is the best in helping them understand religions other than their own and the great need for evangelism.  (Note: Demi has another title, Happy, Happy Chinese New Year!, which is a shortened version of the first title.  I've not seen this title, but most reviewers join me in recommending the first title.) 
  

• A gentler look at Chinese New Year, especially for the very young, is Grace Lin's Bringing in the New Year.  This sweet, colorful book follows a Chinese family as they prepare to greet the new year.  This is a very colorful book with a terrific fold-out at the end of the dancing dragon surrounded by children.  A brief, two-page further description of Chinese New Year follows for parents.  This books contains no religious commentary, but does mention "bad luck". 
  

• The Dragon Dance you might chance to see in your community would likely be a bit more amateur than this troupe from Singapore, but the dragon may be more fierce!  (Lit dragons at night time celebrations can be a lot of fun, but a bit overwhelming for some little ones.

• The Lunar New Year celebrations of China and other Asian nations reflect their religious beliefs.  Various "heavenly beings" and "guardians" are a part of these traditions.  Guide your children to several key verses in God's Word which tell us, without doubt, that there is only one, true God.  Here are a few to get you started:  Exodus 8:10, Deuteronomy 6:4, 1 Samuel 2:2, Jeremiah 14:22, and Mark 12:29.  I'm sure you know of many, many more!

• You may wish to use this celebration as an opportunity to introduce, or further explore, the persecution that Chinese Christians endure for their faith.  Voice of the Martyrs has a unique Kids of Courage site where you can find information on China, as well as other countries where Christians are routinely persecuted.  Type the name of any country in the "search" box.  One example from China: 
  

  "Chinese police raided a Sunday school class of more than 30 children and took them to the police station in a large van. At the station, the children were taken into a room for questioning. A policeman began to threaten them. He told them they could not leave until they wrote, “I do not believe in Jesus” 100 times. Boldly, the children wrote: “I believe in Jesus today. I will believe in Jesus tomorrow. I will believe in Jesus forever.”

  The policemen did not know what to do. When the children’s parents came to the station, the police said they could not take their children home unless the parents said they didn’t believe in Jesus anymore. One widow said, “You will just have to keep them, because without Jesus, there would be no way for me to take care of them.” The annoyed policeman then allowed her to take her children."

• Go out for Chinese food, visit a Chinese bakery, or make your own Chinese food.  Fried rice is easy to prepare, and quite economical if you use left over vegetables and meats from the fridge.

• During a recent geography study of China, my boys enjoyed trying their hand at Chinese writing using a paint brush and black watercolor paint.   (A couple of examples are at the top of this post.)  Long Is a Dragon: Chinese Writing for Children, by Peggy Goldstein, made this easy and fun.  Older children will be able to tackle this on their own, while younger ones will need your help.  This book is, currently, out of print, but good, used copies are available inexpensively at Amazon.  As it turns out, the hardback used books are less expensive than the paperbacks.  I'll always buy a good, used hardback, even over a new paperback, especially when it's cheaper!

• Make Chinese scrolls.  You'll need plain white paper (off white would be great!) and popsicle sticks.  Simply trim the paper to the width of the popsicle sticks.  Glue a popsicle stick to each end of the paper and roll the paper around one stick until it meets the other.  We recently made scrolls from the Chinese writing we did using Long Is a Dragon.  (See the activity immediately above.)

• Here's a free Chinese New Year page to color. 
  

• Make some tea, pull up a comforter and gather on the couch to read the simple  tale of  Sam and the Lucky Money.  When Sam receives $4 of "lucky money" in the traditional, red envelopes of the New Year, he must decide how best to spend it.  Sam and his mom venture to town to shop for the New Year celebration and many treats and toys entice him.  However, after an encounter with a homeless man, Sam's choice becomes even more difficult.  

God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27 

God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27 

      That title pretty much describes my day today!  We have just changed internet service providers, which means new email addresses, but much faster service.  (Please note my email change in my "Contact Me" box on the side bar.)
    
     I've spent way too many hours the last few days changing account information with all of the businesses we deal with on line.  At one point in time this morning, I thought I had lost all of my account information with Amazon.  Can you say "panic"?  I just about did!!  The word "nightmare" was repeated and, apparently, quite frequently.  My boys are still mentioning it. 
     
     Amazon's customer service continues to amaze me.  They are THE BEST!  It took a couple of phone calls, and a couple of great customer service reps walking me through the steps, but my information has all been restored.  Whew!
    


     Dani left this morning and will be out of town for a day or two.  She's generally our "lunch lady".    My menu plan called for a very ambitious morning in the kitchen - four dozen muffins (two dozen each of two different recipes) and a double recipe of Cheeseburger Soup, by lunch time, and then a new recipe to prep for dinner tonight.   A dozen or so of each type of muffin went into the freezer, and we had a few with our soup for lunch.  A few more were set aside to have with sausage and fried eggs tomorrow morning for breakfast.  That left a few loaners available for hungry boys later on.






     Of course, homeschooling, laundry and other tasks were begging for my attention, too.
    
     Is is just me, or does Aaron look just a little too excited about school today?  Hmmmm......
    
     To top it all off, the new ISP provider paid us a service call this afternoon to work on fine tuning our service a bit. 
    
     It was a wonderful day to be at home tending to all of these things.  We're enjoying some much needed heavy rains, and I can hear the gusty wind blowing outside while we remain warm and cozy inside.  Copper had to run a few errands in town this morning, but he was able to stay in with us by the fire for the rest of the day.


      And can I just tell you that he brought me home a yummy Starbuck's drink from his trip to town?  Yes, he did.  LOVE that man!

     There's still a day or so left to enter my drawing to win a book.  Be sure to leave a comment at this post if you're interested.

     I'd certainly appreciate your remembering to pray for a sweet little girl we know who is very sick, too.  Thanks!

God bless you as you look well to the ways of your household!
Proverbs 31:27