Mozzarella Madness

In the last few months, we've had lots of extra milk because of Rose working for a little dairy every morning. Carrie has learned to make mozzarella cheese. 

 

Here she is kneading and pulling this curdled milk that has turned into the early stages of mozzarella cheese. It's amazing how adding an enzyme and cooking at certain temperatures for certain times, etc., makes milk turn into cheese.

Rose's friend she works for also sends home extra cream after days when she separates cream.

Then we churn homemade icecream!

I keep thinking lately about the verse in Proverbs about the virtuous woman. 

It says, "She looketh well to the ways of her household and eateth not the bread of idleness."

I'm sometimes overwhelmed with the many projects going on around our house and the many children and the amount of noise and people going every which way. 

As for me, everywhere I turn there are projects looming, things needing tended to,

laundry to wash or take down or iron or dry or mend;

stuff in basement needing sorted, old tops needing cut into rags like Hannah and I did today after going through piles of old clothes; new gardens needing watered, animals needing tended, goats chased in, pigs butchered (that happened yesterday, a whole day of butchering a pig and making sausage and then cleaning up for an hour or so afterward), shopping, correspondence, helping friends, practicing music, making the next meal, washing dishes, straining milk, cleaning the cat litter box, sweeping the garage, putting new oil on the porch swing, digging a hole to replace the broken gate post by the driveway, mowing, putting away the straw bales, exercising the dogs and advertising the puppies, editing a writing project for a relative and friend...the endless list never stops. 

"She looks well to the ways of her household."

Sometimes, like today, I had a worse day and had to do more sit-down work. I felt like a failure.

And if I can't sleep, like tonight after going to bed in exhaustion and defeat--I blog. 

But the goal is to look well to the ways of our household--

not just looking after all the things needing to be done but looking after the hearts of the husband and children.

These need to be tended, too. 

Stories listened to; splinters pulled out; attention paid to their eager discoveries and excited accomplishments; hugs and kisses shared at night or when saying goodbye; counsel given; confessions listened to and forgiven and prayed about; God's Word prioritized and taught; smiles doled out; tender greetings remembered; appreciation shown in words and hugs (not just assuming they know they are appreciated).

It's a big task. 

Lord, I need Your help every day to do what You want done,

and not to be in despair when I can't do all of what I would like to do.