Lori Seaborg

A Writing Space

It's difficult for me to write unless there is no clutter around me and no interruptions. That is an almost impossible wish in a family of six, especially with the children being so young!

So I whined about that today. Actually, I whined about it all week. 

My man finally pursed his lips at me, which he does when he gets annoyed at me, so it annoys me that he purses me. Then I'm annoyed at him being annoyed. Not good.

I decided to use my gift of ingenuity (once, when he wasn't pursing his lips at me, my man said he appreciated my ingenuity - it was when I was dressing the baby in odds and ends because it was the first cold snap of the year and we were caught without warm clothes. She looked cute - and warm - in her plaids and stripes!). Instead of whining about not having a writing space, I would do something about it!

After walking around the house and finding fault with nearly every space, I decided upon the desk in my bedroom. By clearing it and untangling the power cords, I was able to create a surprisingly large space for writing. To make the space more cozy, since coziness attracts better words, I found an old bookcase in the garage, dusted it off, and put it within arm's reach of my desk. On the bookcase I placed a basket for papers and a basket for electronic gadgets like the digital camera and cute little USB driver that I had to have last month. On the desk is a piece of pottery for pencils. Across from me, on the wall, is a bulletin board with letters and pictures from the children ("I love you, Mom, my speuale [special] grl!" says one from our 6 year old daughter). Above the bulletin board is a wire basket shelf to hold Pothos plants (those pretty green vines seen in doctor's offices).

My point? Whining is too slow! I didn't get my cozy writing space by whining.

Ingenuity, on the other hand, is effective and it is cheap. Without spending a penny I was able to make a space to write.

Tomorrow I will have to think of a new excuse not to write.

(Originally published on my 2004-05 Keeping the Home blog)

Lacking Self-Discipline

I think writers are considered right-brainers -- right? Which means we are a highly creative lot, which means we all struggle with self-discipline? I'm hoping for some company here, anyway. I've recognized recently that I lack discipline in a very BIG way.

Perhaps admitting my problem is the first step toward fixing it, like admitting one is an alcoholic is the first step to healing. If so, then I announce:

I LACK SELF-DISCIPLINE

Okay, that said, I am now resolving to do something about it. I really, really want to write and I feel like that is what God is UNquestionably asking me to do for Him. I procrastinate out of fear (oh, another admission! Is that step 2?).

A couple of days ago, I mentioned that I think I lack self-discipline to my dad (I know I do, but it sounds less harsh on myself to say, "I think"). He said, "You're going to have to get over that to be a writer." Then he went on to remind me of my brilliantly talented grandfather who journaled and wrote poetry, but never sat down and committed himself to sharing his writing talent with others.

I don't want to tell Jesus, "Oh, I wish I had written something for you, I know you wanted me to, but -you know - I was so busy."

I want to place a finished manuscript at His feet.

(Originally published on my 2004-05 Keeping the Home blog)

A Simple Christmas

We're going to have a simple Christmas this year, removing the
emphasis on presents and putting it instead on family togetherness.
We have several ideas of what to do with ourselves on Christmas Eve,
which is the day of most of the celebrating for our family. On
Christmas Day, we traditionally just open stockings in the morning
upon waking (at any time) and then prepare an enormous meal akin to
Thanksgiving Dinner.

Christmas Day will be spent at my parents' house, which is 50 miles
away. Christmas Eve will be at our house – our first Christmas in
this new house which God blessed us with the last day of January of
this year. We will make a fire in the fireplace and start our
festivities at around 4pm. Here are some ideas of what we will do
together this year:

• Open gifts. We do this in one of two ways: My family's way
is to open them one-by-one, with the Daddy of the host family
passing them out one at a time. Everyone watches as each gift is
opened. Tim's family's way is to have the youngest able child
(toddler or older) pass out the gifts to each person, all of them.
Then the youngest opens all of his or her gifts while everyone
watches. When he or she is done, the next oldest opens his gifts,
until the very oldest person is last to open gifts (at this point
the smaller children are busily playing with their new toys).

• Go "fishing." Tim's family did this when he was a child.
It is like the "fishing" for presents that is done at birthday
parties or at little fairs. The children toss a "fishing line" over
a sheet or a board, where the adult on the other side clips a gift
to the line. The adult cheats, of course, and sends over a gift
that she knows the child will like. We use $1 toys for this.

• Have a fondue dinner. My mother has a salad bar supper at
her house when she hosts Christmas Eve. When I host, we have my
favorite meal, fondue. We will cook meats and melted cheese and
maybe even chocolate.

• Have a time of Christmas goodies and hot cocoa. We serve
several types of cookies and several types of homemade candies.
There is always a cheese ball and crackers, and we have non-
alcoholic Sparkling Apple Cider or Sparkling Grape Juice.

• Sing carols (wishing we had a piano!)

• Read the Bible Christmas story, with the children acting out
the parts of Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds or angels. We drape
cloth over them for quick costumes and have them stand in the
hallway. Daddy starts reading the Christmas story and the children
come out as their character is called. A doll is used for Baby
Jesus when we don't have an infant in the house. The toddler is
often a sheep, since she is going to wander like one. The shepherd,
our 4 year old this year, will try to keep his sheep in line. I'm
sure the sheep were not all cooperative even on the first Christmas!

• Read the "Night Before Christmas", explaining that Santa is
Saint Nicholas, a man who loved Jesus long ago.

• Watch "It's a Wonderful Life", if we have time or if we need
something more to do. Perhaps we will just let it play in the
background, or not at all.

Wish I could peek in on you and your family's traditions this
Christmas!

Lori Seaborg

Lori's TidBits

As promised, I have a few holiday tips to share with you:

* Next year, think of celebrating in Santa-style on St. Nicholas
Day, which is Santa's birthday, on December 6th. You may wish to
lay out your shoes the night before St. Nicholas Day as they do in
Holland and Germany each year. When you awaken in the morning,
Santa (er, you) will have placed sweets, cookies, and/or a small
gift in the shoes. Why make Santa such a big part of Christmas Day
when he can have his own day? Celebrating St. Nicholas Day extends
the festivities while leaving Christmas Day to only Jesus.

* Nicholas was a kind man around AD 325 who liked to help others
anonymously. Over time he became a legend. When he died, he was
called Saint Nicholas. Nicholas loved Jesus, history tells us, so I
doubt that he would be comfortable overshadowing Jesus on Christmas
Day.

* Again, this tidbit may be too late for this Christmas, but I
thought I'd pass it on. Some people like to give their children
only three gifts for Christmas, with the idea that if three gifts
were all Jesus received (from the wise men), then it is enough for
their children. If you want to limit your gift-giving to only
three, here is another idea based on Jesus' gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh:

For Gold : Give the child a gift he really wants, as gold
represents something desirable.

For Frankincense: Give the child a gift she needs. Frankincense
was of high value at the time of Jesus.

For Myrrh: Give the child something of educational value, because
myrrh was used to help in healing.

* Cinnamon-Applesauce Ornaments:

Mix 1 cup cinnamon and 3/4 cup applesauce and 2 Tablespoons white
glue in a bowl. Knead the "dough". Roll out and cut with cookie
cutters. Pierce with a straw if you want a hole in teh ornament for
hanging. Bake in a low oven until dry (I did 250 for 1-2 hours) or
let air-dry.

Makes around 2 dozen small oranments. Mmmm! Your house will smell
good while doing this project!

* It is not too late to invite someone over for the holidays. In
fact, just after Christmas is an even better time to invite someone,
as many people become lonely after the holidays or suffer from
depression during that time. Make it simple on yourself and serve a
one-dish meal like pizza. For dessert, eat your Christmas goodies,
of course! Play a card game or board game with your guest while
listening to Christmas music. In doing this, you are practicing
hospitality.

* We are having a frugal Christmas this year since we do not know
what our future holds income-wise. Here is what we are doing for
some gifts:

1. I made several types of candy to ship out to our married
siblings. They were shipped in tins that I found at WalMart for
around $1 each.

2. Magazine subscriptions are inexpensive at this time of the
year. I was able to get 3 subscriptions of Everyday Foods (a Martha
Steward magazine) for only $30 for my sisters-in-law to enjoy all
year round.

3. The children are making napkin rings and wreath ornaments out of
Sculpey clay for gifts. The clay is a bit expensive, it seems when
you buy it, but a little goes a very long way.

4. We want the children to shop for each other so they can practice
selflessness, but we didn't have enough extra money to let them ALL
shop for ALL of them. So this year, we assigned them each one
sibling and they have $10 to spend as wisely as they possibly can.
I can't wait to see how well they do! (As of now, they are thinking
that 10 dollar store gifts would be great -- I'm trying to teach
them about watching out for quality as well as price).

5. My dad always got a can of peanuts from us when I was a kid, but
this year I think I will make it a little more special and give
him "Spiced Nuts". I will look on the Internet for a recipe. (He
also always got a pair of socks from us kids)

6. For Alyssa Belle, our 1-year-old, I am making a patchwork quilt
out of cordoroy and denim clothes that she used to wear. I cut the
clothes into 4" squares. The back is from a flannel blanket that
she used as an infant.


7. I made some cinnamon candles from paraffin wax and cinnamon
oil. I melted the wax, added the fragrance, then poured the wax
into little tins that I found at WalMart for .50 each (they match
the ones I mentioned above, #1).

* For Jesus' birthday (and because it's a great dessert) have Red
Velvet Cake. Decorate the cake with white frosting in the shape of
a bow so that you can tell those gathered that the cake represents
the gift Jesus gave us on His birthday when He came to Earth to save
us from our sins. The red cake represents Jesus' blood on the cross
and the white frosting represents that our hearts are washed as
white as snow because of His sacrifice.

Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

Lori Seaborg

One Thought at a Time

We have been in a hard time, but it was a very, very hard from August 26th to November 3rd when we just seemed to be "in the fire" on a daily basis. Our trials during that time included losing our sole income when my dh lost his job senselessly and unexpectedly and Hurricane Ivan hitting our area hard.

During that time, and even now when I get scared because we lost our insurance policies with the job and when I worry about future money, I remember something that I read a long time ago: We can only have one thought at a time.

That seems impossible for us multi-tasking moms, but it is true. You can only think ONE thought at a time. That means I can either dwell on our hard times, or thank God for what I can find that is good.

It has helped me to remember that. Sometimes I find my thoughts going back to what I want to tell my man's former bosses who fired him, negative #%@!% thoughts. Then I remind myself that I can only think one thought at a time, so I DECIDE to think something positive. Before long, I feel more upbeat and happy.

(Originally published on my 2004-2005 Keeping the Home blog)

Today I Have Been...

Simmering....Apples, orange pieces, cloves, a dash of nutmeg, and cinnamon sticks in a tiny crockpot

Baking/Cooking......Homemade pizza, quick cinnamon rolls (non-yeast), peanut brittle, English toffee, and the crust for pecan bars

Reading..."And the Shofar Blew" by Francine Rivers

Playing....At a Sunday School brunch after church, where Santa made a visit to the children

Enjoying....A long nap with everyone after our brunch

Watching..."The Santa Clause" with the whole family on blankets in front of the fire this evening

Going...to bed!

(Originally published on my 2005-2008 Keeping the Home blog)

Lori's TidBits

Lori's TidBits is an occasional column with Odds and Ends that I
think of sharing with you:

* Organize your groceries on the store's conveyor belt so the
cashier will bag them in that way. Organize them by where they will
go in your home; fridge items, freezer items, bakery, cans and
pasta. Some may still get mixed up, but not many! And by doing
this, you will have more luck that the cashier will not put the
Tilex with the bread or the canned beans on top of the bananas.

* When kitchen counters are less cluttered, the counter is easier
to wipe clean and makes the kitchen look neat. Consider keeping
even the toaster, coffee maker and Kitchen Aide in a cabinet, if
possible. You'll be more inspired to cook and bake with clean
counters waiting for you!

* I noticed recently, when visiting my Born Organized friend, that
she does not have clutter - not on her counter tops, not on her
desk, not on her floors. I wondered if she has a place where she
just stores things in case she might need them. She says she does
not. She gets rid of items regularly so that items don't
accumulate, causing clutter, which in turn causes messiness.

* Put a load of laundry in the washer in the evening, and in the
morning it is ready to be dried. I keep up with my laundry in this
way, and it is very simple to do, not taking up much time. Yes, the
clothes still smell fresh and are just as clean even though they sat
in the washer for a few hours over night.

* After cleaning your carpet, or anytime you have a wet spot on
your carpet, lay down a towel or sheet over the damp area so that
your children (and spouse!) won't track dirt onto the wet area,
causing more damage. Tell the children that the carpet is "hot
lava" and they must step on the "rocks" (the towels/sheet) or they
will melt in the lava. My children call our toddler the "Lava
Monster" because she does not understand our game and walks in the
lava.

* When the baby screams uncontrollably, allow yourself to spoil her
for a few moments and hold her – even if she is just being
irritable. Don't give into her completely! If you want her to take
a nap and know she is tired, just hug her for a few minutes, then
lay her back down again. When she is older, you will be glad for
those sweet moments, and you will not regret having spent them with
her.

* Today, I made roasted turkey, boiled potatoes, gravy, two loaves
of banana bread, and Rice Krispy treats. That list does not include
breakfast (cheese omelets) and lunch ("face food," see below).
Still, I do not feel like I was in the kitchen much at all. The
turkey went into the oven around lunchtime, the potatoes went into
the pot in the late afternoon, the gravy was whipped up in minutes,
the Rice Krispy treats take only about 10 minutes to make, and the
banana bread was made while waiting for Tim to come home from
work. My kitchen was kept clean the entire time by doing dishes as
I had them to do. It was a stress-less day in the kitchen with the
work staggered as it was.

* When we need to go to the grocery store and do not
have "anything" to make for lunch, we have "Face Food." The
children love this meal the most, and request it often. However, we
only reserve it for lean times or for times when the pantry is low.
Today was a day like that. For Face Food, we simply pull items out
of the fridge and cupboard such as crackers, apples, bananas, Cheez-
Its, pretzels, sliced cheese, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows,
carrots, hot dogs, and anything else we can find. The kids get out
big dinner plates and make faces with their food: Ritz cracker eyes
with raisin eyeballs, apple mouths, hot dog slices for a nose….
Today, the kids made an underwater park instead of a face. It was
their idea since I had shaped the hot dogs into octopuses. Many
times our face food meals are more nutritious than otherwise!

Soon, I will send some more holiday tips.

Have a good day tomorrow!

Lori Seaborg

Today's To Do List

1. Pay bills - DONE*

2. Have a Christmas tea for Mom when she comes to visit today (from 50 miles away), a simple thing, just tea and Christmas cookies, a cheese ball and Ritz.

3. Mop the floors which I've been avoiding.

4. Place order at LeeValley for Christmas gifts.

5. Place book order at Overstock and/or Amazon (I've decided I'm going to be the book aunt from now on).

6. Make cookie dough to freeze or to bake:

- Cut-out cookies
- Chocolate ones
- Those powdery balls (Russian or Mexican somethings)

7. Wrap gifts to put under empty tree.

8. For homeschool, have the children do math as they string cinnamon sticks or bay leaves onto wires and have them write in their journals. A light day for school, as is all of the month of December.

9. Download the printer onto this new computer, another task I've avoided.

10. Write for 2 hours minimum this evening.

And change diapers, dress the baby, turn the 4-year-old's clothes right-side-out, feed the chickens, eat, stand in the sun at least once, etc. etc.. It's 8:15am, I'd better get busy!

*I like to write things on my to-do list even if I have already done them. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to then cross them out.

(Originally published on my 2005-2008 Keeping the Home blog)

Recipe: Simmering Potpourri for the Holidays

I keep a tiny crock pot of this potpourri simmering all day long,
from about Halloween on (you may also use a pan on the stovetop).
Below is a list of ingredient possibilities. Just use whatever you
have on hand, and whatever you think would add to the scent already
started. This year, we are blessed enough to have our own citrus
trees producing. In other years, I would use citrus peels after
using the fruit in cooking. You may also do without the citrus -
remember, this is a "this 'n that" type of recipe!

I keep the crock pot filled with water or apple juice as it
evaporates. You can reuse the spices and citrus in the crock or pan
until they start to look too wilted or "yucky."

This recipe may also be used as a dry potpourri. I like to keep it
in a bowl where I enjoy it as a dry potpourri, but can easily get to
it to add a tablespoon now and then to my simmering mini crock pot.


Orange peels *
Lemon peels *
Lime peels *
Star Anise
Whole cloves
Whole allspice
Ginger pieces
Cinnamon pieces or broken sticks
Bay leaves
Apple juice or Water
Ground spices (sprinkled on top of liquid)

* Citrus Peels:
Use them straight from the kitchen for yourself, but if packaging
some of this simmering potpourri for a gift, here is how to dry it:

Peel the citrus from the fruit. Cut or tear the peel into 1" pieces.

Spread the peel on a paper-towel-lined pan. Place in a preheated
175F oven, or set oven to WARM. Dry in oven for 1-1/2 hours, tossing
occasionally. Peels should be leathery and/or slightly crunchy.
Spread peels on dry paper towels to air dry for another 24 hours
(rush this in your oven if making for Christmas gifts).

Clarity, from a Child's Viewpoint

Brenden , our nine-year-old, and I were at the table last night around 10pm. I was letting him stay up late for no reason other than that it is nice to spoil a child now and then. If I spoil all 4 at once, they seem to gang up on me and expect it more. If I spoil only one at a time, it is our secret, so nobody finds out about it. Spending time with them one-on-one is one of my favorite things to do, and yet I have to talk myself into noticing that I haven't done it in a while! Why is that??

Anyway, Brenden decided to make some hot chocolate. He was sitting at the table, noisily slurping it from a spoon. I was engrossed in a book but decided to put it down and join him. I wondered where our conversation would go, as it always leads to interesting places when he is my companion.

To start it out, I asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" The answer changes almost weekly. He said, in a too-mature voice, "Well, actchically (he says actually, his favorite word, wrong every time), I'm not sure. I might be an inventor, though."

I said, "Oh, my, you'd make a great inventor," as I do about all of his chosen occupations. We talked for a while about inventions and things to invent and inventors.

After a lull in our conversation, I heard myself say, "I want to be a writer."

 

Brenden, still lost in inventor-thoughts, absentmindedly murmured, "Oh, yes."

"Wait a minute!" He looked at me full in the face, alert. "You already are a writer!"

There is not a book with my name on it; there is not a magazine masthead with "Lori Seaborg" on it; there's not even yet an e-book with my name listed as the author...

 

But Brenden thinks I am a writer simply because he sees me write.

 

There is nothing like a child to see you for who you are or for who you have the potential to be.

 

by Lori Seaborg

Finding My Life Purpose in Mexico

My husband and I returned last evening from a week-long trip to
Mexico. We went to Puerto Vallarta, which is a touristy and
Americanized city, but we stayed in a hotel on the outskirts of
town, situated in an authentic Mexican village called Mismaloya.

We went as a couple to Mexico to attend Tim's brother's wedding
there, but I went as an individual to get some inspiration into what
God would have me do with my life. Do you find yourself asking God
that question over and over? I do.

Mismaloya is a village situated at the base of huge pointed
mountains with cobblestone streets and a gurgling river. Barefooted
children run across the river on a suspension bridge after school
each day at 1pm, then fill the village with their shouts and
laughter. The village people live in rough housing, made of wood or
sometimes concrete.

They do have power as the street is lit up at night and some
televisions can be heard but there is no air conditioning. The
women and children hang out on the sidewalks or in doorways, the
grandmothers embroidering on linens to sell to tourists for 150
pesos each. The mothers all seem to have a baby to carry while the
other children roam the main street or play soccer. Everyone looks
dusty due to the tourist buses that drive quickly through the
village on the way to waterfalls up the mountain. It is obvious
that money is not in abundance in the village of Mismaloya.
Everything is picturesque, but only because it looks so quaint to
our American eyes. To live there would give one a completely
different attitude toward it. I doubt it would be comfortable at
all!

I've always appreciated all that America has to offer its citizens
in the way of wealth and freedom. But this time, as we flew over
the Mexican-U.S. border, I could literally see the wealth from so
high up in the air. On the Mexico side, the land was mostly in its
natural state, but on the American side farms were in abundance,
along with factories and roads, trains, and stores.

What are we doing with this abundance? Are we using it to our
advantage or to the advantage of God? What would God have us do
with the "leg up" that we have been given over the rest of the
world?

I left Mismaloya with the knowledge that the search for my life's
purpose is not as hard as I make it out to be. God gave me -- and
you -- talents. Those talents and the desires that keep the talents
alive, are what we are to be doing with our lives. It is simple to
figure out your purpose in life. As I read recently, "What are you
doing when you shine? That is what you are to do with your life!"

I shine when I am absorbed in my role as a mother and a wife. I
also shine when I write. It is safe to say that my talent and my
desire - and my life's purpose, then - is to write, and to
particularly write about being a wife and a mother.

What are you doing when you shine?

Do you shine when you dance or teach or create? Do you shine when
you bake or when you build a website or when you write a check to a
missionary? God does not want us on Earth to be miserable, forcing
ourselves to be what He has not given us the desire to be. If He
gave you a talent and a desire, look at it closely and see if
perhaps He would have you use it for Him. If you do not feel you
have a talent for anything, then see if any of your desires would
possibly lead in the direction that God would have for your life.

Along with our desires and talents, God gave us America. With that
gift of citizenship is the freedom and the means to pursue our
dreams and our God-given talents. We have a duty to God to not take
this country's citizenship for granted. We do not have to live our
days with only the goal of existing, as many must in Mismaloya. We
have so much abundance - even the most poor of us - that we have no
excuse but to realize our life's purpose.


What are you doing when you shine? Pray and examine your heart. I
will be praying for you this week!

Lori Seaborg
back in Fairhope, Alabama

"I AM a Writer"

This village of Mismaloya (Mexico) is so inspiring to me. As I write this, I can hear a cock crowing (he never stops!) and the river flowing over the rocks. The Mexicans walk by occasionally on the cobblestone street in front of me, or on the cobblestone pathway upon which my bench sits. They are a friendly lot, saying, “Hola,” each time they pass. Smiles are on their faces every time.

When I pause for words, looking up from my typing, I see flowers in abundance. Bougainvilleas are enormous here, and full of blooms. Hibiscus are as tall as buildings filled with colorful flowers. The trees’ brances are unique to me. They go up, then crooked, then back down to almost touch the river. Sometimes fruit or nuts fall from the trees, nearly missing me. Overhead are birds, always present. Less than ½ mile away is the Pacific Ocean, so cold, with its pounding waves and blue and green and grey waters.

I want this time in Puerto Vallarta to make me become a writer – I say, I “wanted” it to do so, for tomorrow is our last day here. I guess a location, no matter how exotic cannot make a writer. It is clear that that can only be accomplished by just sitting one’s buns down in a chair and writing! Daily. Daily, daily.

I just spend so much time wondering what I’m supposed to write about. What am I so high and mighty knowledgeable about? I feel as though I am not an authority on any subject at all, especially, particularly motherhood, which is what I think God wants me to write about. If He wants me to write to mothers, and if my supportive husband believes that I can do it, then why not just take the plunge and do it? What could possibly go wrong? The type of “no” one gets in this publishing business is a written “no”. That is so much more easy to swallow than a face-to-face “no”, or a phone-call “no”. That is all I have to lose!

On the other hand, if I do not write, I will lose my man’s trust in my self-discipline, God’s calling, and I will lose much more personally.

In this setting, on a wooden carved bench with my feet on a cobblestone path in Mismaloya village, with the river gurgling behind me as it passes over stones, beside the monstrous iguanas hiding in the rocks on the river edge, with the bougainvillea blooming in front of me, separating me from the vehicles carrying tourists to the mountains ---- in this place, this idyllic place, I say out loud, “I am a writer.” From now on , “I AM A WRITER.”

I WILL write every day. NOTHING will get in my way. NO INTERRUPTION will be placed in importance above this calling. I can take my writing with me wherever I am needed, whether it is in a hospital room or on a playground. I will take it, I will use my time wisely, and I WILL be self-disciplined.

* I will stop reading about writing – I have learned enough to start.
* I will stop scheduling writing time – instead, I will just write.
* I will stop giving excuses to myself because I am a busy mother – God knows that, yet He called me to write anyway.
* I will stop wondering what to write – instead, I will sit down and write, even if in sentence fragments; even if I write only, “I don’t know what to write.”
* I will stop wondering why I am such an authority. I will instead agree with God that I should be writing and leave the expert editing to Him.

(Originally published on my 2004-05 Keeping the Home blog)