What I did on my summer vacation

Hi there blog readers! No, I didn't die. I'm still here. I just have had a
very busy summer.

It always strikes me as odd how, in the summer, when there is no school (and
therefore no homeschooling duties for me), I have far less time than when we
are back into our regular school schedule in the fall. Strange, isn't it?

I have been doing something productive this summer, though. Let's see if I
can update it for you with the top ten things I did during my summer
vacation, ok?

10. I had a garden. Unfortunately, this was probably one of the worst
garden-years we have had in a long time. I am not sure why either. What an
irony, that while I am selling an ebook called Growing Your Groceries at my
website, I had a real flop in my
own backyard. At least, the grapes, raspberries, and other perennial fruits
did well where the annual vegetables failed. Not only that, but I got the
motherlode of hot peppers this year! In short, it was just too miserably hot
this year to do much work in the garden, and even with frequent watering
everything except the warm loving plants looked wilted.

9. I worked in VBS. Vacation Bible School is one of the busiest yet funnest
weeks each summer. It is always amazing to me how our little church in the
country can attract hundreds of children during VBS week. This summer, I
worked in the craft department, which was a blessing. I have worked in
different areas over the years, and I would have to say that the time really
flew in the craft station. It left me saying at the end of each day, "We're
done already??". In contrast, my teen daughter worked in the toddler nursery
where some sort of time warp was causing time to move at a snail's pace she
said.

8. I helped a friend get her website published. It always amazes me how God
brings people across our path for a reason in the various circumstances of
life. Ever just be drawn to someone for no particular reason (or so you
think)? Well, I met Christine last year at my kids' art class, and we hit it
off, as we chatted from month to month as we dropped our children off. This
past summer, she was getting her own artwork up on her site, but her web
designer bailed on her when the project was halfway over, and what he did do
was not really work fit for an artists site (maybe a techie though).
Thankfully for her, I also do websites, and as an artist, I am able to make
them look cool, not just full of well-ordered code (LOL). Anyway, we worked
something out, and the finished product looks awesome, though I am still
tweaking it here and there. Check
out her original artwork here.

7. I researched other payment options for my website. Right now I am just
using Paypal on my website, with the option of paying by mail with a check.
I have noticed that while many people like Paypal or at least use Paypal,
may others don't care for it at all. I applied for a merchant account that
would allow me to accept credit and debit cards. I really had mixed feelings
about this for a long time because I have strong feelings about debt, but I
have also come to realize that not everyone uses a credit card to get
themselves into a miry pit of no return--some just use it for convenience.
Anyway, I will soon be accepting Credit Cards on ye olde website as soon as
I figure out how to finish installing that module ;).

6. I have configured a new bookstore for my website, which should help the
website to flow better. I felt bad raising some shipping prices, and
changing how I calculate shipping, but I had to do it. I was starting to
lose money on shipping, and I also needed to figure out how to make my
international shipping easier/less complex for everyone. It seemed a lot of
people overlooked that button, and I am not a confrontational person so I
had a hard time telling people they needed to pay more. I think the new
website looks nicer, and I also have some new products on the bookstore,
including Melvin Peterman's Graphic Design, Drafting and Technical drawing
books for helping your children further develop their creative skills. I am
also pleased to announce that I will be selling some more watercolor
painting DVDs by Watercolor artist Bobbi Dubins. These painting DVDs are not
the sort of DVD that assumes you already know how to use watercolor. Ms.
Dubins has developed these to teach someone who has never held a brush
before how to use this medium. My children and I watched them again and
again, and learned so much from her through these DVDs. We just had to make
them available to everyone else!

5. I took a portrait and oil painting class with Brother Don West. Ok, maybe
I should rephrase that. My children took a portrait class and an oil
painting class with Mr. West. However, Mr. West's policy is that moms draw
for free, and so I joined them. I really learned a lot from both of the
classes. I actually went to college to learn Art and Design, but I can tell
you this: I have learned far more from Mr. West, and from DVDs such as the
ones by Mr. West and by Bobbi Dubins, than I ever learned in college. For
the portrait class we drew a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and learned all
about this fascinating historical figure while creating a very realistic
pencil drawing of his face. Mr. West also explained to us how to use the
techniques we were learning to draw any face. For the oil painting
class, we drew a painting entitled "Serve" which was of a mother bird
feeding her babies. We learned basic oil painting techniques, and how to
create different effects in paint. I also found out that technology has
allowed us to progress to the point that there are now water-soluble oil
based paints available! They are by Artisan or by Max2. These oil paints
don't smell (As badly anyway) and can be cleaned up by soap and water while
the paint is still wet. They are now on my birthday wish list! :-) Remember,
folks, we sell Mr. Don West's amazing Christian Art for Kids DVDs in our
bookstore. Check it out!

4. I continued to pursue my business education at "Spare Bedroom College"
(that's where you learn on your own while locked in the spare bedroom
certain hours each day instead of paying some overstuffed academic with
Permanent Head Damage--PhD.-- an obscene amount of money for information you
can find cheaper online via ebooks, podcasts, teleseminars, and so forth by
people who are actually successful by following their own advice, and not
just making money by handing out advice they've never put into practice
themselves). I have learned a lot about business practices that work, and
that honor the Lord. I want to continue to build our family business for His
glory, not just for our own. With my husband's advancing age, and the
greatly unstable work situation we have faced in recent years, God has been
leading us more and more towards self employment, starting of course with
Joyful Momma Publishing which started as just a personal website. My husband
can't work in the manufacturing sector forever, and so as his work load
becomes harder to sustain, we are prayerfully exploring other options. I
love to learn, as do my children, and so they have been at Spare Bedroom
College with me quite a bit this summer too, and as part of their
homeschooling this year, my two oldest are developing business ideas they
feel God has given them. Pray for us, if you think of it.

3. I finished the Basics of Frugal Cooking ebook. I am so glad for it too.
I really had planned to get that one done in March or April of this past
year, but as you know, life happens. I also was working on Mothering with
Fibromyalgia, which is also almost done, but not quite. Sometimes i think
the Lord allows things to happen to our well laid plans to remind us that He
is indeed the one in control of our lives, and that we really don't know
what tomorrow holds. We can make our plans, but truly our futures are in His
hand, amen?

2. I adjusted to my husband's new work schedule. Having a husband who works
a weird shift really affects the whole family. I have had to get used to
making dinner at lunchtime, making lunch around dinner for the children and
I, and not seeing him come home every night from work (unless of course I am
up past my bedtime ;)).

1. Wow, what can I say for my big #1? I enjoyed my family, and also the
neighborhood kids too (who were in and out of my house most of the summer).
We caught snakes, frogs, toads, and praying mantises. We picked flowers. We
did all of the projects from our Botany curriculum that we couldn't do when
we were buried under 2 feet of snow last winter ;). We watched our dog have
puppies and our cat have kitties. We tearfully sold the puppies (Well, I was
happy, but everyone else was crying!).

blessings,
Kimberly