THE HOUSE DOCTOR - EVERYONE MUST START SOMEWHERE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Do you often get discouraged about your home? 

Do you catch yourself thinking that your home has great possibilities but you never seem to find the time or the energy to bring it up to the full potential you know is there? 

I understand that feeling.  Years ago I found myself wondering what to do with my own home.  We bought the house because it had enough individual bedrooms for all of us.  That is what you do when you are a family of six.  That is usually all you CAN do if you're a middle-class growing family living in America today.   It wasn't about the charm or the beautiful view, no; it was about having enough space for a growing family to spread out and be comfortable. 

On the other hand, we did have a feeling that God led us to the place. I've always felt there were things hiding behind all the clutter, just waiting to be discovered.   Over the years I have spotted lots of overlooked charm lurking in the less obvious spaces within the walls of our home.  Over and over through the years I've said those unique things just needed to be polished up and shinned a bit and brought out into the open.  The house had a personality, but it seemed to be hiding behind all the clutter and accumulated junk of a very busy family.   

By the time the kids were grown and living happily out on their own, things really needed organization and freshening up.  The longer you live in a space, the more you know what it needs.  But I was too discouraged to start.  It felt overwhelming.  My life was SO busy with family, a professional career in architecture, developing my writing career into something I could enjoy after retirement, and a growing ministry along side of  my husband.  I could not see a way to find the time for all the things I wanted to do to the house.  Also, the budget was always very tight. Big families require lots of money just to exist and we were in the middle of an economic crunch in this country.  There was no extra cash just laying around for me to be creative with.

After years of raising kids, cooking, washing clothes and cleaning around the clock, I felt the weight of our mortgage wasn't living up to its full potential.  Every time I wrote the check to the mortgage company I caught myself thinking; I could be living somewhere newer and fresher for half the price.  But I knew with just a little fixing up, I could also double the value of my home.  It was a constant dilemma    I looked around myself and noticed that most everything we had in the house seemed outdated and old.  We had not kept things fresh and new as the years had passed by.  There were so many little problems here and there that had not been addressed.  We had simply overlooked them and lived with them, hoping to address them one day.    I knew I could fill a notebook just by writing them down in a list.  I didn't want to.  I felt overwhelmed with the huge list of things that needed to be done. 

Then a magical spark of thought occurred to me.  Suddenly I realized that I was just taking the wrong approach.  I quit dreading the "tasks" and begin to think of my home as an organic, evolving art project.  Art must be savored and it takes time for good art to come forth.  It takes a lot of little sections to make up the whole of a beautiful painting.  This process was the starting place for how my home began coming together after we became empty-nester's.  Once I experienced this method of thinking I wished I had used it all along.  My children would have loved the whole idea when they were growing up, instead they had to feel our "dread" time when we would try to check off a boring list of chores instead of creating a lovely piece of art out of our home.  They had to experience us settling for "what we can do" instead of dreaming of "what we WANT to do."  The old saying "change your attitude; change the world" holds true here.  I would encourage anyone not to let circumstances hold them back from whatever dreams they hold in their hearts for their home.  Forget about the rest of the world, hold on to your own particular dream and don't let it go.

I told myself that every room was an unfinished masterpiece, and I had the opportunity of a lifetime to be a great artist.

I quit worrying about the things that I kept putting off because of the cost.  Instead I tried to think of creative ways to get the effects I wanted without spending a lot.  I considered the things I could do for free and did those things first.  Elbow grease is free.  Giving unneeded items to charity is free and it also gets rid of clutter.  Paint is very inexpensive and easy to do.  A little cleaning, a little less clutter and a fresh coat of paint can totally change a space.  

I also quit thinking of the house as a whole finished project and began to concentrate on one section at a time.  By completing things one step at a time, one space at a time, I allowed myself not to get stressed about the other looming projects that I was not yet able to pay attention to.

During the duration of the whole process, I found a comical comparison.  My house was in the same shape that I had fallen into.  We both needed a work out!  We both needed to go to the gym and get physically fit.  It would take time, diligence and patience.  It would take will-power.  It would take staying power, long-term staying power.  When I started thinking of my own physical fitness and the house's physical fitness at the same time, I was oddly more motivated to follow through on both.    If I needed to eat healthier and lose weight, so did my house.  There were tons of unhealthy junk things laying around that I decided to purge from our home.  As I purged the house of the unhealthy junk, I also started purging my cabinets of unhealthy food items.  The house and I were going to get healthy together.  I loved the whole idea!  It always helps to have a partner, even if it is a house.  A house always listens when you talk and never disagrees with you.  It will let you experiment all you want and allow you the grace to change your mind occasionally.     

I took a "before" photo of myself, then I went through the house taking "before" photos of each area of our home.  I figured by the time I was thinner and healthier, the house would be too!  It was nice having a partner to walk this journey with. This house has always been there for me! I realized it had been waiting patiently for years for me to get with the program.  It felt as if the house had a soul of its own and we had become best friends simply because of the memories we had made together.  We even loved each other's flaws; nothing had been hidden in our relationship, everything was out on the table.  We were now ready to help each other correct the little flaws that were not so charming.

SUMMARY FOR STARTING TO PUT YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER:

1.  Think of your home as an evolving organic art project.  Each room is an unfinished masterpiece and you have the opportunity of a lifetime to be a very creative artist.

2.  Don't look at the whole picture.  Pick a starting place and focus on one section at a time.

3,  Great art takes time.  Savor the process.  Don't allow yourself to get stressed about what you are leaving undone.  Keep reminding yourself of what you ARE getting done and stay with that until you finish.

4.  No matter where you are working in your home there will always be two basic first steps:  clear the clutter and clean.  Just completing these two steps will work wonders for your willingness to go on.

5.  Take "before" photos before you start to do anything.  Study these and imagine you are a visitor coming to your home for the first time.  Open your eyes to the little details that you automatically block out because you are so familiar with the space.  Jot down notes and ideas and number them in the order that you think they should be accomplished.  Just do one section of your spaces at a time.  

6.  Schedule a few hours a week to do the work you have decided to do.  Block that off on your personal calendar and do not let anyone else eat up your time.  You have a right and a responsibility to care for your own home.   This is not selfish - but it is NECESSARY.  Think of your home as your biggest investment.  Tell everyone else you're busy during that time.  Look over the list that you have mapped out and begin!



So where to begin anyway?  

For me, it seems logical to begin at the beginning.  Look around and see where that is for you.  Go for it!

In the meantime - Happy Creating!

THE HOUSE DOCTOR MAKING EVERYONE FEEL COMFORTABLE AND AT HOME

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Any season is a good time to consider the needs of overnight and weekend guests.

Khalil Gibran once said; “If it were not for guests all houses would be graves.”  That is a pretty frightening way of reminding us we need to consider how to entertain guests in our home. 

One important thing to keep in mind as you are letting your house evolve into a work of art that totally expresses your own thoughts, dreams and missions in life; would be the consideration of who your overnight and long-stay guests might turn out to be.

People are the most important part of life, so we need to be prepared to make them feel loved and welcomed.   Of course until YOU are comfortable in your home; no one will be comfortable, but once you have done the basics for making your home a haven and refuge for yourself and your family, why not consider what you have to work with that would make your long-term guests feel happy, relaxed and welcomed during their stays?  This will make your life richer too.  Anything that you ever do to show hospitality to someone else, increases the joy in your day.

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying here!  The first thought that most people have is this could turn into an expensive decorating project! Absolutely not!  If your friends don’t love you enough to come to see you in what you can afford to offer, they are not really your friends.  

Don’t go out and buy furniture and paint and decorative items to put into a room that looks like it should be a show case for Interior Design Magazine.  Work with what you have and what you can afford. 

Maybe you live in a one bedroom apartment and this whole concept seems far-fetched to you.  Not at all!  Any amount of space will do just fine.   You would simply have to scale your desires for decorating for guest down to a smaller, more practical, more workable scale. 

If you are still uncomfortable with dealing with overnight company after you read these suggestions, you can keep most of your guest invitations down to just day visits by utilizing your television, dining and patio spaces.  These are areas that you could tailor to your special guests’ taste.  Just change it all around when you have different guest coming for different reasons.  With a little thought, any space works here!  If you are paranoid about how well overnight would work for you - start with day visit and when you see how that turns out work up to overnight guests.  

Do you have a friend who loves classic movies?  Keep a stash just for him/her in a little basket next to your other movies.  Put a ribbon or special tie around that particular stack that speaks of their personality, or make the basket have some sentimental value that relates to some place you two have shared in the past.  See if they don’t pick up on this.  You will probably be surprised at how delighted just one little thing like this can make a guest feel.  If they have given you decorative gifts - make sure they are prominently displayed in a pretty and appropriate way.   Do you have photos of things you and your guest have done together in the past?  Share the memories in a frame here and there for their visit.

Maybe you have a friend who loves gourmet cooking.  Why not prepare a special meal for them on your own dining room table in some dishes or with some place mats that only that person would relate to?  Or better yet, offer to buy the groceries for them to cook their special dish in your home.  Keep the spices they like to use stocked on your shelves.  Candlelight at the table and a good bottle of wine goes a long way with these folks.

Do you have a friend who loves the outdoors?  Make your apartment patio into an oasis that will make them feel like they are in a tropical jungle or an African rain forest.  Scatter twinkling lights among the plants and have a special beverage handy for serving while you sit on the deck at night and watch the stars.  Do you have a telescope?  Bring it out for the occasion.  

Do you have friends who are into literary things who love to read and write?  Dedicate a section of your bookcases to their favorite authors (buy them at second hand book stores, the older the better) and use interesting coffee mugs and different styled old spectacles around the room as if old Hemingway himself had just had coffee in your overstuffed recliner.   Leave one book open to some favorite passage you have shared with them on your coffee table. 

These are all things that are simple yet “do-able” on a budget, a little at a time.  Most of the stuff I'm speaking of can be found cheap in junk stores or at your local supermarket.  Just come up with some thoughtful little themes and ideas according to the people you are entertaining.  Also plan activities for going out according to their personal styles.  

Take the outdoors personality to your favorite local park, plan hikes and trips to local scenery.  Take an artsy person to a local art event.  If your friend loves music, plan for them to come during a time when one of your favorite musicians is in town.  Take your gourmet personality to one of the local upscale restaurants or an interesting and unusual little community grocery store.

If you find yourself limited on sleeping space, wall beds are great whenever you feel you can afford one.  They can line a wall and look just like book shelves and storage. Use one wall to hide a wall bed and put a sleeper sofa in front of it and you now have TWO double beds in one room if you have several people sleeping over.   Your living room could instantly become a guest room in a matter of minutes simply by rearranging a few pieces of furniture.  If you feel your guest needs more privacy, give them your room and YOU take the sofa or the wall bed.  You want to rise earlier than them the in the morning anyway, so you can prepare a nice leisurely breakfast to start the visit off on a pleasant note.  Just give them the luxury of sleeping late and you get up a little early and clean up and clear the living room before they wake up.  So you see; not having a guest room should not interfere with your ability to ask people to sleep over or stay for a weekend!

For children, keep an extra sleeping bag around and make them a small tent on the floor.  They will feel like they are on a camping trip and consider it a great adventure!  Toys are cheap at the dollar store.  You would be surprised how far some crayons and a coloring book will go.  Puzzles are good for older kids.  

Maybe you have a house with one, two or three extra bedrooms.  All of the above applies just the same.  Consider the guest that come and go most often and think of them as you prepare these extra rooms.  Choose neutral colors in your bedclothes so that you can decorate with splashes of color in throws and pillows and accessories in different ways according to who is coming when.  Stock up on good sheets and comfortable pillows and blankets.  

Just remember to let your house grow and change and expand and breathe as you do.  Live where you are in the moment and take your home there too.  Invite your guests to know who you are, not some stranger who is putting on a show.  This will involve constantly changing with life and evolving with the size and interests of your family.  Lean on the side of simple and uncomplicated whenever possible. Try to keep up-to-date with where you are in life and share where you are with your company.  Don't stay stuck in yesterday forever, but don't let your best memories ever be wasted.  It is lots of fun to pull out scrapbooks and look at old home movies where you all were together.  Not every visit, mind you, but at least every other year.  Add to these as you go and keep them fresh, yet don't cull the best oldies.

If I let it remodeling would be a problem for me with our guests.  We live in an older home that we have been remodeling for years as we have had the time.  This has evolved into a hobby and the remodeling simply never ends, especially now, after raising four kids.  Sometimes it gives us interesting puzzles to figure out when we have house guests.  We just take a deep breath and live through it being as creative as we can and hoping our guest know that we want to care for them from where we are and not let anything interfere with our friendships.     

We were not through with all of our on-going other remodeling projects when our children suddenly all grew wings of their own and left us for their own homes!  Turning the empty rooms into guest rooms could have been a whole different story full of major complications, but when we actually took the time to stop and think it through and put our thoughts in order, they were actually pretty easy.   

At first we simply deep cleaned and reorganized, then we used our imaginations and made the furniture on hand work for the rooms.  That isn't to say that I don’t dream of a completely new more-modern bathroom and new carpets and paint and furniture in these bedrooms – it is just to say that I’ve done the very best with what I have to offer my guests in the place of life that I am living from right now.   I also keep in mind that half the world lives in a space as small as my living room alone, and that keeps a balance in what I do. I’ll let you in on another secret; our guests don’t even notice that we don’t have all of those shinny new  things.  They love staying in these rooms and are very comfortable there.  After all, we are saving them a bundle on hotel costs and providing a very comfortable change of scenery for their little mini-vacation stay at our castle!    

If you can afford to go overboard, go ahead and have your fun!  If you are a normal person on a budget like me, take every update one step at a time.  Think it all through and work carefully and slowly with what you REALLY need and not some picture that a magazine put into  your head that will not be at all practical for you or your guests and most likely will not look the same in your spaces.

Any moment now that door bell will ring.  Who will be your house guest?  .

 Make a list of your “regular” guests that will probably come often and think of the things that would help them relax in your house.  A blend of tea, a type of soap, a particular song in the background, a certain wine, a favorite flower, a special dish, a candle scent; whatever that person likes and relates to.  

Make two list, one for day guests and one for those who will come in from out of town and stay awhile, days, weeks, hopefully not months!  Don’t make them THAT comfortable, just add in some flair that will tell them you are thinking about them, respect their taste and want them around. Keep it simple and comfortable.  Imagine them staying in your rooms and roaming the local community.  What would you enjoy if you were them?

It was Robert Brault that made that profound observation “We labor to make a house a home, then every time we’re expecting visitors, we rush to turn it back into a house!”  Be careful to keep a balance and not make this mistake by being too extreme.  Then, don’t be surprised if you find your house full of happy people all the time!

Once you make your list of possible guests and imagine each of them spending a night in your home; I suggest you think about who your most “regular” guests are and begin to incorporate certain elements into your space that will make them smile and feel welcomed, comfortable and relaxed.  This is especially true if you find yourself in any type of transition in your family or career.  Change your home to fit your current situation in life and share that with your guests.  Have a box labeled just for each of your favorite guests and keep them stored away until needed.  You can pull out and scatter in a mater of minutes and already have a plan in order when they call on Friday night to tell you they are dropping in on Saturday morning.  Keep clean sheets ON your beds so you don't have to pull out for unexpected guest.  Keep your guest rooms clean and vacuumed.  Keep toiletries stocked and have extras on hand for use at any moment.

Other than that......don't go crazy with major changes.

For instance, we suddenly found ourselves empty nesters.  We had this big house full of empty bedrooms.   We had spent our whole lives concentrating on putting a roof over the heads of four active kids, then they suddenly developed into wonderful young adults with homes and ideas of their own and left!  If this happens at your house just be sure to realize this is progress!  Don’t be sad, the successful mission has been accomplished!

Set the basic themes that will be constant in your guest rooms around the personalities of  your most frequent guests.  At our house, that would be our two grandchildren.  

When we first became empty nesters  and decided to turn our children's old rooms into guest rooms, I did not have the heart to tear out the original artwork that our twins had so carefully chosen for their bedrooms; so I just decorated around them.   One of our twin daughters had painted a whole wall to be Vincent Van Gough's Starry Starry Night, and the other twin daughter had used New York at Night on a wall.   It was decided, at least for awhile, that our guests would either stay in The Van Gough Room, or The New York Room.  The kids all laughed at my sentimental attitude, but they loved it too! (They actually were often our most frequent house guests.)   I played up both themes in both rooms and even had one of the twins to use her art skills to paint signs for me to set on the night stands in each room that said “New York Room” and “Van Gough Room.”

Sweet, comfortable little reading nook I set up for our guests with only things I had on hand.

Van Gough Room as a simple guest room - before grandchildren came along.  Simple, clean, first attempt to make a child's room into a workable living space for our guests.  We did zero remodeling - just cleaned and furnished with what we had on hand,

New York Room converted to a clean, comfortable space for guests to sleep.  Again, I used what i had and added nothing - just cleaned and tried to make as comfortable as possible.

Our daughter in her New York Room a few months before she left home to live on her own.  It stayed basically the same for our house guests, until our grandson came along and we made "little boy" changes for his stays.

New York Room - We DID add the ceiling fan - but other than that - just cleaned and arranged what we had.

Our guests thought all this crazy decorating was cute and they related these "themed rooms" to such as many international hotels are famous for.  I was so glad I did not go with my first inclination to prime and paint over their original and creative artwork.  A piece of each of their lives can still reside in our home, and yet our guest think they have stumbled upon some original decorating idea done just for them!

 Then grandchildren came along and needed to stay overnight often.........  

  The Van Gough Room lent itself naturally to the little girl things for our granddaughter.  
We added her doll house and her books and some feminine artwork above the bed.  We scattered some photos of her Mommie and Daddy.

It became a perfect room for a little girl visiting her grandparents; plus she had the history of sleeping in the room where her own Mommy grew up and  Mommy's artwork was still on the walls!

  She loves it!

 

When our oldest daughter got married and we added a five year old grandson to the

family.  

 He loved staying in the New York Room on his first few visits with his parents; so we just incorporated this room into more themes that a little boy would enjoy.  

Now there is a toy box full of his toys.  An old Christmas cookie jar that he is partial to keeping around, a desk that is old, worn and kid proof where he can do his own artwork (which he LOVES to do), a collection of photos of him with our daughter and our son-in-law over the desk, and elements of the beach are scattered here and there (shells and starfish and beach photos) because he loves the beach. 

I’m also thinking of adding a live turtle one day – haven’t done that yet.  That would be a fun surprise for him.  I'll let him name the little turtle.  

I've considered painting some of the furniture an aqua color to give it an even more beachy/cottage type of look, but haven't done that yet either.  Since he lives in another state but visits often, I always try to have some little surprise on his desk when he comes and something decorative for the season we are in that a young boy would relate to.  He has his own little tree at Christmas.  He has a basket full of goodies at Passover/Easter, and he finds lots of other little seasonal surprises on his visits.    

This all sounds and IS a bit eclectic; but he loves it, and so do the other people who stay in that room from time to time when he isn’t with us.
  

The two guest rooms are not so childish that an adult would not feel comfortable in them, so they have duel purposes.  There is a bathroom between these two Jack and Jill bedrooms that I am hoping to update one day, but for now I have just made it as shiny clean and comfortable as possible for any guests who come and go.  I try to have clean pretty towels and a fresh shower curtain hanging.  I like to use guest soaps that relate to the season we are in, and I keep the bath area and the sink area well stocked with good soaps, shampoos, cream rinse paper goods and lotions. 

Cost for remodeling guest rooms and bath - (except for one fan fixture) -  zero!

I have taken an old wardrobe and put it into the Van Gough room.  It is the one you see in the photos with the doll house on top.   I use it for nothing but fresh sheets and extra pillows and blankets.  I’m a sucker for a beautiful quilt.  I have a few that my grandmother pieced together by hand!   I reserve these for our guest  and store them in this wardrobe that now holds the doll house my parents gave my granddaughter and a statue of Ruth gleaning wheat that belonged to my grandmother.  Don’t worry; the statue is high enough that she can’t grab it and break it.  Somehow I think my grandmother and my granddaughter would have loved knowing each other, so this is my way of making them connect.  One day I will tell my granddaughter all I know of the grandmother that died not long after my birth.   I've been told I'm a lot like her in many ways.

I'll bet this plain old ordinary stuff isn't what you were expecting, but you know what - it all works so well!  It is the little things that make a guest feel loved, not the big things.  You will never regret the thought you put into making your company feel loved and at home.  

Any moment now that door bell will ring.  Who will be your next house guest?  .

Remember that there is a chance you might be entertaining angels unaware.....put your heart into it and all will be well!

HOW TO ENJOY MY "IN SEASON" BLOG - A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBTITLES

My name is Sheila Gail Landgraf.  I am a freelance writer.  All writers are advised to write about the things that they love and hold dear.  I have done this for the past four years inside this little blog space called IN SEASON.  

So; welcome to the blog!   

If you ever lose this link and want to look it up again just go to your search engine and type in dancinginseason@blogspot.com.  I'm easy to find.  
You can also bookmark this page.  

At first my articles had nothing in common.  They were all stand alone thoughts with  no rhyme or reason to the order of the messages and no arrangement or organization could be found.  I simply had this hodge-podge of random subjects which finally began to include more and more thoughts on some of  the same common subjects that have finally proven themselves to be worthy of my time.  I've cared about a certain number of subjects enough to be writing them down over and over in different forms for the whole world to share.  The various titles and subtitles have finally begun to take on order and shape and each category of writing has come to life in its own particular and unique way to land and live on these pages.  I've only kept the ones I hope to be found worthy of your readership. I only hope that you understand the word "worthy" is a multifaceted word.  It can mean different things to different people based solely on their perspective at the time.  

My purpose in writing this article is to tell you how my blog works and to explain how it can be of more interest to you.  No one will like all of the articles.  Everyone will like some of the articles.  The trick is to know how to notice the ones you prefer.

WHAT TO KNOW WHEN YOU SEE THE SUB-HEADINGS OF MY ARTICLES:

COME AS A CHILD:  This is an on-going weekly bible study that started in Genesis and follows through the bible in chronological order.  You can review the past articles if you are just now joining; no problem.  This study has been well received and it may never end!  I publish these every Thursday.   The whole idea started with an adult bible study I held in my home.  When the study ended many wanted to continue; so I basically started the blog for their sake.  Most of these lessons illustrate how God wants us to come to Him with the innocent heart of a child, loving and open and willing to believe His word without question or doubt.  The concept is to leave your preconceived notions and whatever you have been taught by others and take a fresh new look at the scriptures as if God were teaching them directly to you for the first time.  You should approach the lessons like a child with the element of wonder and full anticipation that you will hear directly from God in the process.  Each child of God is unique, hears in a different way, and each message for each child could be different.  The question to ponder is:  What is God showing you?   The results of this concept have been amazing to many as they have grown closer to God in their daily walk.   

OH THE PLACES WE WILL GO:  These subtitles contain informational articles about fun places for families to visit, mostly in the South, as well as family friendly fun things to do together (trips, adventures, crafts, projects, games, etc.)   It is all about wholesome, healthy play time with your family in mind, most of it involves inexpensive little trips and delightful places to travel.  I wholeheartedly believe that God wants us to learn more about how to rest and how to play together.  I think He loves for families to discover these times along the way and that these fun experiences help busy families to bond together.  So here are some simple ideas.  I've organized these into articles subtitled OH THE PLACES WE WILL GO.  

FOOD ART AND FAMILY TRADITIONS:   We all want to eat right, but truth be told, we are all too busy!  It is hard and complicated to look up the menus, write down the recipes, make the grocery list, gather the groceries and cook decent and healthy home cooked meals for our families at the end of long days at work or busy days caring for children.  Thought should be given to better health and well being.  We all know this is the best way to live!  Yet, we find it too hard to organize and too complicated to carry out on a day to day basis.   With these articles, I've tried to make simple dinner plans available with recipes that are basic and easy to make.  My hope is simply to relieve some of the stress in your day, to make your own planning easier and simpler and less time consuming.  There is also another second reason.  Like a lot of other southern women, cooking and entertaining are like breathing for me. Not only do I want to do it, I HAVE to do it!   I constantly need these elements in my life.   I feel stressed if I cannot maintain at least a portion of cooking and entertaining in my own family.  So I've also tried to be creative and fun with many holiday, holy day and special occasion ideas.  These are for whenever you are in the mood and have the time to enjoy them.  I like to keep family traditions going through every season and these ideas are divided up into each month of the year and each season and reason for the recipes.  Some of these articles are simply about ways to make your own plans a lot easier to accomplish.  So check these out whenever you need a place to jump start your own thoughts and ideas.   I do claim to be a recipe expert based on the fact that I collect cookbooks.  I've done this for about 50 years now.  Most people have china cabinets for their china, at my house the china cabinet holds my favorite cookbooks!  So, novice or not - I do know a few things about this subject.  I've also written my own family cookbook called The Seasons of Landgraf Castle.

PEN ART:  I am a writer; body, soul and spirit!  I live and breath to write.   I have been writing my heart out for over fifty years.  Over the last five years, as I approach old age, I finally came to realize that writing is the sole purpose and reason that God put me here on planet earth.  It is about the only thing that I have been able to do well and consistently!  Because of this wake-up call from heaven, I have taken the frightening high-dive into becoming professional about this much beloved hobby.  It has been a long and rocky road and it hasn't been easy!   My blog is often the place where I hide when the journey gets rough and the tides get high on the sea of discouragement and nasty predators each author must face in order to become a "professional."   Fortunately I have been blessed by some awesome supporters who hold me up and keep me going.  When times get really rough though right here on these sacred pages, I find my solace.  I can be my own editor and happily and peacefully pursue my favorite past-time with the art of the written word.  This blog is my "practice" field.  I "practice" for at least one hour every day.  You get to enjoy the outcome of that under my PEN ART subtitles.  I'll be happy if people are even reading the words from my pen long after I leave this earth.  It would make me feel I left a legacy behind.  Here is where I include my own favorite short stories and poems, whenever the inspiration seems appropriate.  I welcome comments and critique on these.   Some of them are exclusively mine, and sometimes I share the poems and stories of other friends and and fellow writers who want to be guests on my blog, or people that I have found to be inspirational.   I love to read great writing as well as write.  Please let me know if you want to participate here!  I have written my first novel and am slowly beginning work on two more novel ideas; but I'll not share those here.  I'll let you know when they are published.  Pray that I find a good publisher!  I'm calling this section of my blog:  PEN ART.  Occasionally I will have to throw in some other art forms besides writing; such as music, painting, sketching, dance, etc., just for good measure.  All art is great!  If you want me to feature you - just let me know.  I'll also write here about the writer's guild that I am forming.  All in time.  Words have their own schedules!

SEASONS:  I LOVE the seasons of the earth as well as the seasons of the church,  I enjoy the celebrating of our cultural seasons in  the country of America.  I am a true Patriot, and I hold to the values of which this country was founded.  I like to remember these things in traditional and seasonal ways.  I love the Constitution and think it is the key to fair government.  I DO NOT believe it is organic and changeable every time the wind blows, but I do think it is flexible enough to handle the changing lives  and needs of the good citizens of our great country.  Often my heart breaks for the changes I see taking place within America.  I write about some of these things.  Sometimes I am also just as amazed at the modern-day heroes who step up and make a difference.  These are stories that MUST be told.   I sometimes write these thoughts down into words, or poems, and they can be found under a few articles with the subtitle of SEASONS.   SEASONS is also about the changing events of our planet and the wonders we experience in nature every year.   Every month has its own set of seasonal activities and events.  Some of these are almost forgotten days that I chose to resurrect.  There is something very special and unique about every month on our calendar.  I also LOVE the Hebrew calendar that God gave to Moses.    I want to notice these things.  I do not want them to quietly pass by while no one is looking.  I tend to take notice of all the little details of each season.   It is my hope that I can encourage others to keep the seasonal traditions of my God and my country and that I may help others to hold them dear.  It would make me happy to be of even a little use in teaching the young people of the coming generations the values of our forefathers and our church fathers, all of  which I feel have been too long neglected.  There is something to be said of the traditions each season brings.  These things must never be forgotten or swept under the rug by a culture that is either too busy or too self-centered to acknowledge them.  

THE HOUSE DOCTOR:  Decorating and remodeling are another hobby I have enjoyed for years.  I am not materialistic at all about this; it all stems from my belief that the home is the sanctuary of the heart.  I put a lot of heart and elbow grease into my decorating.  It may be pleasing to the eye, but it isn't just for show.   It all has purpose and blessing behind it.  Much stems from a desire to be constantly expressing hospitality and showing the love of God to others.  I love to assist with home improvement ideas that are practical toward this end.  The condition of my present home has been a slow 24 year evolution, and it continues to evolve.  A house that never changes is a house that has ceased to live.  It has been interesting to mark and share the daily changes and events of the house.  I'm probably the only woman on the face of this earth with a "home" scrapbook.  If you want a glimpse, it is free and I think you will find it interesting, maybe even fascinating.   I often feature little bits and pieces of my own home on this blog.  My theme song here is that a house should always be a HOME.  It should reflect the heart and soul of the person or people dwelling under it's roof. No homes should ever be the same.  Each should have their own personality and speak of the people living inside.  I live under the philosophy that a cardboard box can be charming if it reflects it's owner's personality.   Hence I have created these subtitles called THE HOUSE DOCTOR where I share my own experiences of making and remodeling a home and write down new ideas and suggestions that anyone can apply to their own remodeling plan for a better way to live.    I feature others here from time to time.  I love a community that shares it's ideas.   If you wish to be featured, please let me know!

PIECES OF THE PUZZLE:  This is a subtitle that is full of deep theological thought.  I love pondering, studying and reaching for the stars in the realm of theology.  I want to make things simple here, easy for the common man to grasp and understand the difficult and confusing issues of knowing  and existing with God.  I want to unravel the complex theologies the temples of men have created and get back to God's simple truths.    

So you see, there are SO MANY things I want to share and say in this blog,  These subtitles will give you a clue into all of my favorite subjects.  They are each  varied and come in assorted shapes, colors and sizes.  So don't let just one article throw you off.  There is a lot more to discover, but you must dig into the blog to find the gold of it. I hope you accept the challenge!   I know there will be even more categories and subjects as I continue to blog in the years to come. Bear with me as I add one article after another.  Feel free to express your opinion!  

I love photography and a lot of the artwork for my blog comes from my own camera.  It is my gift to share these photos with you my cherished readers.  I find that old expression "a picture is worth a thousand words" to be true in most cases.  I will know I've achieved success as a writer though when my words can paint a thousand pictures inside your mind.  

Just think of me as your free continuing subscription to a great little magazine and think of my blog as a great big continuing magazine full of different and interesting subjects.  Have you seen those magazine price tags in the supermarket lines?  Why waste your time and money?  My blog is free and fun!

I'm so glad to have you here!  I hope you like the new "face-lift" I have given the blog.  I'm hearing from publishers that I need to improve my "platform."  So I've started with this blog.  I'm working with Blogger instead of Word press, so some things are simply out of my control, but I've brightened up and lightened up a lot of things for the coming year.  Blogger changed some functions that only allows google users to join,  so I'm basically starting over with my followers.  If you want to subscribe just look to the right of the article of the day I've featured and click that button that says "subscribe to blog posts."  Also, please, please, please use the comment button at the bottom of the page and let me know what you think!   I value your input and hope we can share life's journey a bit on these pages.

Thank you so much for visiting with me here.  I cherish your comments!  I long to have more followers - the more the merrier.  Please join me in walking through the seasonal roads of life.

God bless you and keep you always!

Sheila Gail Landgraf

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 102 GOD'S PEOPLE MOVE TO GOSHEN

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

As he had promised, Joseph told Pharaoh his father and brothers had arrived in the land with their flocks and herds and all that they owned.  He informed  Pharaoh that they were now residing in Goshen.  Joseph then arranged for  five of his brothers to be presented before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh asked the question they were expecting and anticipating:  “What is your occupation?”  They answered as Joseph had requested:  “Your servants are shepherds just as our father’s were.”

They explained to Pharaoh that they had come to live in Egypt for a while because the famine was severe in Canaan and their flocks had no pastures from which to graze.  They humbly requested to keep residing in Goshen.

Pharaoh said to Joseph; “Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.  Let them live in Goshen and if you know of any among them with special abilities, put them in charge of my own livestock.

Then Joseph brought his father, Jacob, and presented him before Pharaoh.  Jacob blessed Pharaoh and Pharaoh asked  Jocob's age.  Jacob told Pharaoh he was 130 years old.  He explained that his years had been difficult and they were not as long as that of many of his ancestors.  After their conversation Jacob blessed Pharaoh again and went out from him. 

The part of this story where Jacob blesses Pharaoh is interesting.  Pharaoh was the ruler of the land and he was being blessed by a foreigner that was also a despised shepherd.  The Egyptians hated shepherds, yet Pharaoh respectfully allowed Jacob's blessing and treated him with the honor and respect an elderly person deserves.  Was it because of his respect for Joseph?  One cannot help but wonder why this occurred in the way that it did.

So it was that Joseph’s family came to have property in the best parts of the land of Egypt.  They had food provided for them.  Their children and wives had food and their flocks had land to graze in.

All was well again as Joseph and Jacob rekindled their relationship as father and son and the relationships between Joseph and his brothers were restored.