Follow along with me as I give myself a refresher course in how to manage a home well. Whether you're a future keeper at home or whether you've been keeping a home for fifty years, we'll all learn something together.
We ought to be grateful simply because God asks us to. However, we benefit and our households benefit when we maintain a grateful attitude. Since this is the month of Thankgsiving for those of us in the U.S., I thought I'd post this interesting article about what some researchers found concerning thankfulness.
I just found this recipe today, and I thought I'd try it as I have had some barley in my pantry for a while. I made a few little changes in the recipe. It's a nice, rainy day to be in here, and I didn't want to run to the store to buy a few little ingredients when I knew I had stuff on hand that would work as well. The stew looks yummy!
HOMEMAKING AS AN ART:
Here are five ways to add an artistic touch to your home keeping. Some of these may overlap with points we've already studied, but they should help keep our motivation fresh:
1) What artistic talents do you have? Read the Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Shaffer to learn ways to use your obvious or hidden talents in the home. You may discover that you have a talent you never even considered. This is an old book, but you might find it on the shelves of your local library or be able to order it for reading through your library system.
2) Read an interview talking about the life of a gifted artist. Perhaps, you will read about a musician, a dancer, or a painter -- depending on your particular interests. Note the dedication required to become accomplished in any artistic field. One key ingredient is practice, practice, practice. Those of you who have taken ballet lessons or who who have played a sport know what I mean. The way you learn is to practice drills over and over until they become second nature to you. Even then, you continue to perform theses drills in an effort to perfect your technique and to stay in practice for your art or sport. These drills are done not in the spotlight, but in the background. When we see an athlete step on the field or an artist come out onto the stage, we see the performance and we applaud. However, this feedback for a wonderful performance is only a small part of the time the artist or athlete has spent learning his or her craft. Most of his or her time is spent in the lonely pursuit of improvement, and often feedback from coaches and teachers is corrective in nature. To keep the joy of the art or sport in the "off hours", the artist or athlete must practice merely for the love of that art or that sport.
Home keeping is a lot like that. We have "drills" that must be done every day: make the bed, do the laundry, cook the food, clear the table. We also have drills in terms of the people we love -- making time for them, doing kind things for them, etc. Much of the time, our families do not applaud all of this behind the scenes practice that goes into the keeping of a beautiful, loving home. But, they do appreciate the overall beauty of our home, even if they don't realize the minute planning and practice and detail that produces beautiful memories of home. In order to keep going in the little things, we must do it as a labor of love with all of the dedication (and more!) that an artist or athlete pours into his or her profession. After all, we are doing something even greater than producing a beautiful painting, scoring a game winning touchdown, or composing a symphony for the ages. We are loving the souls of our family and our guests. The impact of our work might be felt in eternity.
Also, the great thing about keeping a home is that you can always learn, always grow, and always move to a higher level of skill. So, we must not give up on the "drills" of home keeping because they seem boring or burdensome in the moment. We can remember that these things add up to our goal of creating a godly, loving, sheltering, and welcoming home.
3) Work from your inner spaces out. Keep yourself neatly groomed. Keep your bathroom fresh, your bed made, your clothes in order. Keep your planning notebook up to date, and your purse cleaned out. Aim for peace and beauty in your heart first of all, and then think of it spreading out from there. You don't have to aim for perfection in this, but just an atmosphere of peace and beauty. It's hard to keep a beautiful home when you are feeling disordered in your thoughts or are disordered in your personal spaces. Of course, we will all face troubling or discouraging emotions in life, and we do not do ourselves a service by stuffing them and trying to just soldier through tough times. But, we can keep serenity in our hearts by looking to Christ, praying to the point of peace, by sharing our feelings with a trusted friend, by focusing our thoughts on the things in Phil. 4:4-8, and getting help if we need it. Inward calmness, peace, and order have a way of working outward in our lives.
4) Read a book about drawing or painting. Even if you never pick up a paintbrush, the things you learn about perspective, color, lines, and shape will help you bring beauty into your home keeping. For example, you will have a better eye for materials to select when doing crafts. You will also have a better eye for arranging furniture or knickknacks or pictures on a wall. For advanced study, read a book about photography and use the tips you learn in taking family photos.
5) Review your mission statement to help you keep on track. If you haven't written one yet, read the posts in this course pertaining to the mission statement. Use your mission statement as a positive tool. You may focus too much on what you don't get done or how you may have made a home keeping mistake or two (or many!), and, thus, discourage yourself. Instead, forget what is behind and set your mind on the goal. Remind yourself that mistakes along the way are just part of the process of learning. No household goes smoothly all of the time. Every home keeper experiences troubles or flops. Just keep on the path, and you will see benefits in time. In fact, you probably already have many things to be thankful for in your home keeping, and you probably have already achieved more than you know. So, look for the blessings and the achievements and thank the Lord for these things.
Record the sounds, sights, tastes, and textures of late October. Include a photo of trees that are changing colors. Think about happy memories that have to do with fall and write about some of them. Especially concentrate on happy memories that have to do with home or family.
Stew
Fall is a great time to cook stew. As the weather turns colder, we naturally crave foods that are warm and hearty -- such as stew, soup, or chili. Stew is a particularly inexpensive way to provide your family with that warm and hearty sensation, as well as some healthy nutritional value. It also has a pleasing aroma.
To "stew" food involves cooking meat and/or vegetables slowly in liquid and serving them in the gravy that results from this slow cooking process. The liquid in the stew is generally cooked at a simmering, rather than boiling, point. The longer the stew simmers, the more the flavors combine and work together to create a wonderful taste.
The reason that stew is economical is that it is a suitable way of cooking the least tender and, thus, least costly cuts of meat. There are vegetable stews, as well, which usually depend on some type of inexpensive bean or legume as the main ingredient.
The liquid in stews is often thickened. One way to do this is by coating the meat with flour and searing the meat before adding the other ingredients and the liquid. Another way is to make a roux or a beuerre manie. These involve mixing butter and flour in equal parts. When using a roux, you melt the fat in a pan and add the flour, cooking it so that the mixture will not taste too "floury" in the stew or sauce. With a beuerre manie, you knead the butter and flour together in a ball and then whisk it in the pan. Another way to thicken the sauce in a stew is to add cornstarch. You can also take up a bit of the simmering liquid into a small cup, add flour to the liquid in the cup, and whisk it until there are no lumps. Then, you can add the liquid/flour mixture slowly back into the stew. This last method is helpful if you realize that your stew is too thin well into the cooking process.
A common American stew is made of stew meat (beef), potatoes, carrots, and onions. However, beef is just one of many meats that can form the basis for a stew. Lamb, chicken, pork, and game are often stewed.
In the South, particularly in south Georgia and north Florida, Brunswick stew is popular. Though it was probably originally made with squirrel and corn, today's Brunswick stew is more likely to be made of chicken, beef, and pork or, most likely, some combination thereof. This is especially true if you eat stew made in a restaurant. Sometimes, home cooks also add rabbit or venison. Most recipes call for corn, onion, and tomatoes, and some recipes also add okra or lima beans. Many people serve Brunswick stew as a side dish for a meal of barbecued meat.
Chicken stew can be served with dumplings, with is a popular American way of topping a stew. Dumplings in stew can either be drop dumplings -- which fluff up when cooked -- or more like thick, wide noodles.
This weeks homework: Find a new recipe for stew, cook it, and record it in your home economics book and/or blog about it. You probably have a few favorite ways to prepare stew already. Most long-time cooks know how to stew without using a recipe. But, try something just a little different this time.
Organization:
Have you attacked your attic cleaning projects? What about the garage?
Have you planned your Thanksgiving meal? Your Christmas meal? It's not too early to draw up menus for these events. As we've been discussing, it's easier on the budget to start buying non-perishable items you will need. Work them in to your weekly grocery lists item by item. By doing this, you won't have to buy all of the ingredients for large, holiday meals during one budget period.
How's your fall/get ready for holiday cleaning coming along?
Here are a few things you can do now to make life easier during the holiday season:
1) Cook a few meals to freeze. Choose a recipe that will be soothing on a cold day (if you live where you have winter weather). Use this for super busy days around the holidays. You can even freeze some main dishes in large enough quantities to feed your family and any guests that might be in the home. 2) Are you doing homemade gifts this year? If so, how are they coming along? If you would like to do some homemade gifts but haven't gotten started already, search for ideas on the Internet for gifts that will be quick and easy to make. Buy the supplies and take any beginning steps that you need to. 3) Start now and work non-perishable holiday items into your weekly food shopping. This can be easier on the budget than having to buy all of the items needed to make holiday meals or to serve extra guests during the holidays all at once. 4) Stock items in your guest bathroom. 5) If you do Christmas stockings, you can begin now to stock up on little items. This, too, can be easier on the budget than buying all of your holiday gifts at one time.
Have you learned the sale cycles in your area yet? For example, what food items are plentiful in your area during autumn? What recipes can you use to work these items into your menu. Seasonally fresh items are generally very nutritious and usually at their most inexpensive price of the year. Do you know when local department stores, grocery stores, and other stores stock items?
Even if you think you know your area's retail rhythms, you need to keep current. Whatever is happening in the economy in a particular year affects your area's retail cycles. For example, this year retailers are running more frequent sales on clothing. Winter coats and other fall items are already on sale. Given the current economic conditions, retailers know that people are saving rather than spending. They are trying to entice more shoppers into the stores. They also know that people will most likely reduce their holiday spending, which cuts into revenue that retailers depend upon. If you need to fill in gaps in your family's wardrobe and have the budget to do so, this can work in your favor. You may be able to pick up some needed items for a lower cost than in previous years.
We have had several cases of swine flu in our church and in our city. Remember, keeping surfaces in your home clean is one way you can fight the spread of flus, colds, and other viruses. Are you remembering to keep doorknobs, phones, light switches, and other frequently touched but not often noticed areas clean?
How are your bathrooms? If you have completed the cleaning and organizing you want to do in your master bedroom, now's a good time to tackle the bathrooms in your house. If you keep your first aid supplies and medicines in your bathroom, check those. Make sure you have enough items and that they are up to date. Remember, the steamy moisture of a bathroom can mean that the bathroom is not the best place to store certain medicines. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions.
What is the condition of your towels? Are the bindings coming lose? If you don't want to replace the towels, stitch the bindings back on.
Clean your bathrooms from high to low. Clean any curtains. Replace curtain liners that are mildewed. Clean light fixtures.
When was the last time you scrubbed your bathroom scale?
In what condition are bathmats? Do you need to wash or replace them?
Do you keep cosmetics in your bathroom? Are they organized?
Do you keep cleaning supplies in your bathroom? Are they organized? Do you have enough?
Are your children's bathrooms safety proofed?
Have you sanitized the waste bucket?
Remember, fresh bathrooms are wonderful during the cooler months. For one reason, if you do catch a winter virus, it's more pleasant to come into a sparkling bathroom. Also, on gloomy days, a pretty bathroom retreat can be pleasant for you and for your family.
Don't forget scented candles --at least in bathrooms where small children can't be hurt by them. Even if you do have small children, they may enjoy taking a candlelight bath with you there to supervise.
One of the most feminine, yet demanding forms of exercise is ballet. Other forms of dance, such as jazz, provide good workouts, as well. Dance develops graceful, feminine movement, long and lean rather than bulky muscles, and a generally feminine body. Dance also stretches and relaxes muscles. You and your daughters can greatly improve your health by doing danced based exercise DVD's or by taking a dance class. There are many ballet based workout routines on the market, so do your research before you buy one. Some ballet DVD's are geared for those who actually want to learn and to perfect ballet technique. They are structured like a true ballet class. Other tapes are "loosely" based on ballet and are more for fun and exercise than for the serious ballet student. Either form of DVD can provide an enjoyable way to get a good workout, as well as to develop feminine physique and movement. I personally do not think I would advise daughters to pursue careers in dance, as there are many pitfalls that can befall a young lady who embarks on that course. However, dance does not have to become a career. It can simply be a wonderful way to improve health and grace.
While we certainly don't want to over-emphasize the importance of appearance to the keeper at home, the fact is that we encourage our families and feel better about ourselves when we make an effort to present ourselves in as lovely a way as possible. Taking care of ourselves does not have to be expensive. Here are ten drug store items that will help contribute to a neat and lovely appearance:
1) Pond's Cold Cream -- You can't beat this old basic. It takes off make-up, acts as an emergency moisturizer and body lotion when you are traveling and don't want to carry multiple products, and is very inexpensive. 2) Four-sided nail file/butter/shiner/polisher block. You can find these at the dollar stores. You can also find these in nail sections of drugstores and Wal-Mart. These do just more than file your nails into shape. They buff, shine, get rid of ridges, etc. 3) Neutregena (sp?) dry sunblock -- has a pleasant feel to the skin and protects the skin from sun damage. As a fair-skinned person who has spent too much time in the sun, I would recommend that any woman use sun protection. If you're under twenty, get i n the habit now to protect your skin for later. Much of the sun damaage that surfaces in our thirties and later is simply the visible working out of damage suffered before the age of twenty. 4) L'Oreal eye make-up remover -- I love this eye make-up remover. If you use Pond's, thoughk you don't need an extra eye-make-up remover unless you happen to enjoy a particular brand, as I do. 5) Cotton rounds/cotton puffs -- great for a number of uses, particularly in cleaning face 6) A nice lip gloss orm even better, a protective gloss such as Chapstick -- great for when you are not wearing lipstick or if you don't wear make-up in general. Protects lips and gives a subtle sheen. Can also be used under lipstick to smooth lips before lipstick application or over lipstick to soften the look. 7) A skin oil for body; some oils can also be used to deep condidtion hair. Drugstores often carry inexpensive oils. 8) Small make-up bags for organizing items in your drawer, purse, or suitcase. Can be used for more than make-up items -- Use one for items you may need such as a few safety pens, a spot remover pen, a few tissues, feminine protection, clear nail polish to stop runs in hose, a comb, etc. Choose one in a color that makes you feel cheerful. 9) A soothing body lotion, perhaps one with coconut oil in it or shea butter or some other soothing agent. Or use a lotion that is formulated to take care of extremely dry skin, such as Eucerin. 10) A bath pillow and some bath salts -- fill up that tub and soak your way to a relaxed body and soft skin.
Other inexpensive items to pretty up your bedroom and other areas of yoru home: scented candles,pretty candle holders or mirrored plates to catch the candle's glow, padded clothes hangers, closet sachets or cedar chips, a small container of philodendrum (hard to kill and quick to grow -- not expensive), lemons to put in a bowl or in a glass jar; glass containers fo rthe table such as you might use for salad dressings; pretty kitchen cloths or pot holders, etc.
If you wear make-up, you will find that many drugstore brands are as effective as more expensive make-ups. One exception might be foundation. It's good to visit a make0up counter and have someone help yo match your foundation exactly. Plus, the better cosmetic lines do have foudnations that really do look good on your skin. Of course, you can make drugstore foundations work for you. But, if you are going to purchase only one product from a more epxensive line, foudnation woudl be a good start.
There's a lot you can do on a small budget to look pretty and to add touches of lovliness to your home.
We're moving into fall. For your book of days, here are some ideas:
1) Take photos of your yard each week through the fall season and paste in your book. Or, take one a month for the next three months. 2) Jot down sights and smells of fall that delight you. 3) Write about how it feels to have accomplished a fall project. 4) Record anything sweet, cute, funny, or inspiring that your husband and children say.
For your home economics book, here's some ideas:
Continue to work out your plan for the fall. Jot down some fall recipes. Study what produce is available in your area during the autumn and make a menu plan that incorporates those foods.
The holidays are coming. Inventory your gift wrapping supplies. Do you have holiday papers? Do you need tape, labels, mailing paper, boxes, gift bags, ribbon, gift tags, etc.? Now's a great time to make sure that your holiday gift wrapping supplies are in order. Later on, when the holidays are nearer, bring out the materials you have put together this week and set up a holiday gift wrapping station. Be sure it's out of reach of little hands and pet. (I put my supplies in the corner of our bonus room.) Visit the dollar store for inexpensive wrapping supplies. Also, if you bought holiday papers or ribbons at an after-Christmas sale last year, make sure you know where you stored them!! Sometimes, Christmas items bought at after-Christmas sales don't make it into your regular Christmas storage, especially if you buy them after you have already cleaned up all of your holiday stuff.
Don't forget about Thanksgiving cards or Christmas cards if you use them.
If you plan to write a Christmas letter, start thinking of ideas.
The earlier you can be prepared, the smoother the holiday season will be. Fall is a busy, busy time for most keepers at home, so do the best you can with the time you have.
Are you still doing your fall cleaning? Now's a great time to reorganize and thoroughly clean your bedrooms.
Let's start with the master bedroom. This is either the room you share with your beloved spouse or the room where you sleep. A cluttered bedroom isn't conducive to either rest or romance. Yet, so often, we let the master bedroom become the catchall room. We've talked about that before, but now that we're moving into fall, it's time to take another look at this important room.
Here is a sample deep-cleaning plan for the master bedroom. You can either take a couple of intense days to do this or you can break it down into steps and spread those steps over a longer period of time. You can also adapt it to your needs. Everyone will have her own unique priorities for the bedroom.
1) Pick up any items that are out of place. Check the dresser, the floor, the nightstands, the bed, under the bed, etc. Throw away things that you do not use anymore. Throw away those little bits of trash that seem to collect on the floor of a bedroom and in little nooks. Put things that you want to use, but that either do not belong in the bedroom or that you want to move to another location in a box. Now's not the time to run all over the house to put those things away; you can do it when you are finished with the room. Put away clean clothes; wash any dirty items you may have found. 2) Dust down the ceiling, walls, corners, and baseboards of the room. If you have a ceiling fan in your room, dust that as well. 3) Rotate and/or flip your mattress so that it will wear evenly and not just in certain spots. This will prolong the life of your mattress. Vacuum your mattress. Wash all the bedding while you have everything off. If you haven't already switched to fall bedding, do that. For some of us, that simply means adding one extra blanket -- even a thin one. For those who live on cold climes, you may have a completely different set of bedding for fall than you do for winter. 4) Take down curtains or drapes and clean them or else vacuum them in place. 5) Dust all surfaces, furniture, etc. Polish furniture if desired. Repair any knicks or spots on furniture. Wash and iron and replace dresser scarves, etc. 6) Dust and clean knickknacks. 7) Make a note to turn the master bedroom clocks when the daylight savings time deadline arrives. 8) Clean the flooring in your bedroom according to what type it is. (hardwood, carpet, etc.) 9) Go through your lingerie. Toss out anything that doesn't look fresh anymore. Replace what you need to replace. Think ahead to cool weather. Do you need tights? Warm undergarments? A pretty nightie in a beautiful fall color? 10) Check hats, gloves, etc. If you store your coats in your closet, see if they need cleaning or any repair. 11) Do you wear jewelry? If you do, this is a good time to inventory it. Toss out or give away anything you don't wear anymore. Clean items that need cleaning. Does your wedding ring or engagement ring need maintenance? If so, take it in. Do you need to have any necklaces restrung? Do you need to untangle chains, get rid of that odd earring that no longer has a mate, etc.? Tip: Old costume jewelry can be a fun thing for your daughters to play with as is age appropriate. 12) We already talked about changing your wardrobe for fall. For those of us who are still in hot weather, that might mean simply putting away our most summery things right now. A good many people in the U.S. live in areas where three-season clothing can be worn almost year round. Some people like to dress in fall colors in the autumn. Others prefer to wear the colors that look best on them or are their favorites year round. It is your choice. 13) Polish fall shoes and handbags. 14) If you need to alter or mend autumn/winter clothing, now is a good time to do it or have it done. Do it before cold weather sets in! You may also want to have this chore out of the way before the holidays come, as well. 15) Do you want to paint your bedroom? Do you want to update it in any way? Make a list of things you'd like to do for your master bedroom and work it into your budget and into your calendar. It's probably best to do small things right now, as you might not want to be in the middle of a big painting job when the holidays roll around. 16) Do you have a master bathroom attached to your bedroom? Inventory towels and other needs. Add what you need. Throw away anything you don't want. Clean out all of the drawers and cabinets in your bathroom. 17) Polish or paint cabinets to freshen them, if you like. 18) Give your bathroom a thorough cleaning. 19) If you have bathroom curtains, clean them. 20) Replace shower curtain liner if appropriate. 21) Does your master shower or bath need re-caulking? 22) Clean bath mats 23) Clean tile. Do you need to re-grout the tile or clean the grout? 24) After cleaning thoroughly, polish translucent shower doors with something like Turtle Wax. This will prevent soapy build-up and make them easier to clean. 25) Clean and polish baseboards. 26) Do you have plants in bed or bathroom? Do they need re-potting? 27) Clean brushes, combs, hair tools, hair accessories
If you need to use your master bedroom for a double purpose, find creative ways to organize so that the purpose of your bedroom -- rest, relaxation, and, if you are married, romance -- is still the focus. Many people can't find any office or sewing or exercise space anywhere but in their master bedroom. If this is the case for you, do the best you can to keep your office/sewing materials neat so that they don't add clutter to the bedroom. Perhaps, you could make a screen or a curtain of some kind to partition off the area of your bedroom used for another purpose.
Follow the same cleaning method above for the other bedrooms in your home. Assign chores to children who are old enough to participate in this fall cleaning/re-organization. If children have some ideas for creatively making their room their own, work with them to carry their ideas out as is appropriate for your budget and time.
If you are lucky enough to have a guest bedroom, be sure to include items that your guests will need. Also put out some interesting reading material or even pretty coffee-table style books. Provide a few sheets of stationary and some envelopes, as well as a pen. Make sure there is some space in a closet for hanging clothing and in a drawer for placing folded clothing.
Many of us use our guest rooms for a double purpose. It is probably better to do this with a guest room than your master bedroom, if at all possible. Again, be creative with storage ideas so that the room has a restful, rather than busy or cluttered, feeling.
Here are a few videos that give tips and ideas for bedrooms. Please note that just because I have put the video on here doesn't mean that I necessarily endorse everything in the video. These do, however, give some tips which you can use according to your discretion.
How to organize clothing drawers, especially when you share space with your husband.
How to organize kid's room:
How to fold hoodies so you can put them in drawers:
How to fold socks so that they fit well in drawers:
Woman who organized her closet to look like a boutique:
Here are a few more terms for our home economics glossary. These are related to carpets:
Berber -- a type of loop-pile carpet style. It is tufted with thick yarn such as wool or nylon or olefin. The Berber carpet may have random specks of color which contrast with the base hue. Berber carpeting gives an informal and casual look, yet it has a full and comfortable feel. Luster -- brightness or sheen of carpets, fibers, yarns, or fabrics. Pile -- the visible surface of a carpet -- It is made of yarn tufts in looped or cut fashion. Synonyms are nap or face. Pile crush -- This is when the pile falls due to heavy traffic or wear. The pile loses thickness because the the tufts collapse into the air space between them. Sometimes, this is irreversible. However, regular vacuuming can help to keep the pile lifted so that the pile either does not crush to begin with or perhaps fluff up pile which has fallen. Plush - Plush carpeting has a luxurious and smooth-textured curface. The individual tufts are only slightly visible. The overall appearance looks like a single level of yarn ends. This is usually a cut pile carpet, rather than a looped one. Looped pile -- carpet pile made of uncut loops. This may be tufted or woven. Tufted -- carpet made by pushing tufts of yarn through a carpet backing fabric. Twist -- the twisting of yarn around itself. The twist should be neat and well-defined. A tighter twist increases the durability of the carpet.
On with fall cleaning --
How's your fall cleaning coming? This week, turn some attention to your laundry area. Make sure it's neat. Throw away any old products that you know you won't use. Clean washer and dryer. Clean the floor. Sweep between and around washer/dryer. Take a week or so to make your laundry area shine.
You will spend a lot of time in your laundry area. Make it as pleasant as you possibly can. Some will find it easy, as they have large laundry rooms that have the possibility for organizing and decorating beautifully. Other may find that their washer and dryer are tucked away in a less than pretty area. Even if you can't think of many ways to make your laundry area a lovely and inspiring place, try hanging up one painting, cross-stitch, or other cheerful item just to have a pretty focal point.
Try out these links for some laundry room inspiration:
Focus Words: Love, Peace, Gooness, Righteousness, and Cheerful Diligence
Invest in good every day. Jesus went about doing good. Acts. She does him good all the days of her life. Proverbs 31
Review my day as I drop off to sleep and think about something I'd like to accomplish the next day. Pray about it.
Review my health and appearance and tend to it.
Think about things that are true, noble, etc. Train my thoughts to be cheerful and to set about my chores cheerfully -- to remember how much my husband depends on me to keep the household functioning. He actually depends as much or more on that now as we've gotten older, because he has more responsibility elsewhere.
One should not be assigned one's identity in a society by the job slot one happens to fill. If we truly believe in the dignity of labor, any task can be performed with equal pride because none can demean the basic dignity of a human being. Judith Martin
I adore being a wife to my dear hubby and a mother to two grown children and their wonderful spouses. I have loved reading and story-telling ever since childhood. In college, I majored in Journalism and minored in French and English literature. Since then, I have been a part-time freelance magazine writer and public relations writer. I also dabble in fiction, and I won an award for a novel proposal.
