Who Are We? Mance and Elizabeth Davis live in Middle Tennessee with their three daughters ages nine, five, and two years.
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Farm Fresh Eggs: A Move Toward Buying Local Food
For a long time, I have been buying white, homogenized, mass-produced eggs from the supermarket. I had forgotten the pleasure of seeing each unique, free-range, farm-fresh egg...This week, in an attempt to move toward buying more local food...I found a friend willing to sell me these beautiful farm-fresh eggs on a weekly basis!
A Tale of Frugal Intentions Gone Awry
A few weeks ago, I visited a store that had a lot of yarn marked for clearance...so of course I bought a skein of lovely, mint green for only a dollar! I looked around for another skein to match it, but it seemed to be the only one. So, I bought it anyway, and left the store with my selection in hand. I congratulated myself for my frugal purchase, and I envisioned the baby cap that I would make for my youngest daughter for only $1.00!
What Money Is Good For: Teaching Your Children About Money’s Place In Life
Money doesn't make you happy. Money doesn't make you a success. Money doesn't make you a better person.
And, yet...why do people place such great importance on money? Because they don't understand its place in life. Money is simply the grease that allows the world to work the way it does.That's all.
5 Inalienable Truths About Clutter
This week, my husband and I have attempted to reclaim our home from the clutter…In an effort to increase storage capacity and organization, we recently purchased pre-fabricated wardrobe cabinets for each daughter. The three cabinets came in boxes with paper instructions...and required assembly.
Three Simple Strategies for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions
Don't allow yourself to become defeated by the bad rap that New Year's resolutions usually get. You will never change, if you never try. Sure you may have setbacks, but set your sights on the goal, and push forward in 2010! By using these three simple strategies, you can reach your goals!
Save Money on Your Grocery Budget – Tip #2: Eat Whole and Fresh
Do you want to save money on your grocery budget? Purchase or grow foods that are whole and healthy for you. Most of the time, they cost less and are better for you. Avoid highly-processed and highly-packaged items that cost an arm and a leg and are not nearly as conducive to optimal health.
Save Money on Your Food Budget – Tip #5: Waste Not
One of the simplest ways to save money on your grocery budget is to avoid wasting food. Making the most of every dollar is a great way to stretch your pocketbook, and it’s as simple as using what you have.
Memorize Bible Verses With Ease!
I have often heard that an effective way to memorize information is through repetition, repetition, repetition! Use this method of learning to memorize Scripture, facts, and verses of all kinds. It's easy and fun and can be adapted to master all sorts of information.
A Thrifty Sewing Project: Placemat Purses and Totes
I had been shopping one day in the Dollar Tree, and I had purchased some placemats to make purses out of...The placemat cost a dollar, and I lined the interior of the purse with remnants of an old shirt that my sister-in-law was going to send to Goodwill. A little bit of orange ribbon, some orange silk flower petals, and a bit of blue yarn from grandmother’s yarn stash (for the crocheted flower center)…and the purse was a thrifty masterpiece at less than three dollars!
Arrows in the Hand of a Mighty Man
...the influence that a man has extends far into the future through the lives of his children. He is not limited by time and space to the area that surrounds him…to the lives of the people he can physically touch. Rather, a man’s power to impact the world can travel far into the distance…farther than he has the power to see or perhaps even comprehend.
Don’t Flush Those Dollar Bills!
As, I pondered the three piles of roasted chicken bones…I remembered a life lesson that I learned as a teen from an older, wiser friend who had successfully raised seven children to adulthood. “What would you think if I were to flush a dollar bill down the toilet?” she asked. “You would think I was very foolish, wouldn’t you?”
Save Money on Your Grocery Budget – Tip #3: Buy in Bulk
Buying in bulk is a great way to save money on your grocery bill! Purchase foods in large quantities and store the items until you need them. Often, the price per unit is cheaper in larger quantities, and you can take advantage of sale prices and specials. Also, you will have these items on hand when you need them, and aren’t tempted to make impulse buys.
My Father’s Grapes
My father takes great care in cultivating his grape vines. They are his pride and joy, and when harvest time comes…well, the reward is worth the effort! His grapes are of the highest quality. We make juice and jelly, sometimes preserves, and of course…we eat them fresh from the stem. They are a beauty to behold, and a joyful wonder to eat!
Aunt Mary’s Legacy
Aunt Mary made so many of my clothes and the clothes of many, many others...She taught me so many things about sewing. She took me to fabric stores on Saturdays when I was a little girl to buy fabric. She showed me how to lay a pattern on a fold. She showed me how to pick out the very best looking buttons. She showed me how to put in a zipper. And, she showed me how to use a seam ripper to take out my mistakes…oh, my many mistakes!
Working With Daddy
Friday evening, my two oldest daughters worked on a project with their Daddy... They each used their hammers and nails. They helped as he instructed. They spent the evening together...It was a poignant reminder of how important it is to invest time in our children, for there are many things that my children will remember long into their adulthood.
Reflections of Kindness
Kindness is something that brings joy to the one who gives it as well as the one who receives it. Kindness is reflected back upon the giver. And, the reflections often reverberate to others like the ripples in a pool when the first object is dropped into the water.
Depression Era Memories: The Autograph Book
When I was about ten or twelve years old, one of my special gifts was an autograph book. I think it was one of my most precious treasures. I am sure people got tired of me going around saying, “Would you please sign my autograph book?”
Chicken and Dumplings for Pa-Pa
The girls and I made chicken and dumplings for “Pa-Pa” for his birthday. I like the more traditional Southern version of stewing a chicken and simply adding the dumplings to the broth after picking the bones clean. This is the way good Southern folks do it without all the fancy stuff.
A Sunshine Yellow Chest
I love a great bargain! This past weekend I found a fantastic deal while out yard-sale hopping with my family. A bright yellow three-drawer chest became mine for only five dollars!
This morning, I awoke with a feeling of joy at what possibilities the day would bring. Little seeds of happiness began to unfurl within me as I realized that this day had no expectations placed upon it yet.
I love a summer day that begins early and bright with no plans or obligations, no hustle and bustle, no demands to hurry at break-neck speed toward a nebulous goal. I love the peace of a morning that begins soon after sunrise when the children are still abed, the birds are chirping amid gently blowing leaves, and there is nothing that calls but a puttering trip to see how much the garden has grown in the night.
 Basil growing in the sun  Harvesting a basket full of herbs  Ripening red raspberries  Blueberries turning  Climbing cucumbers on a wire trellis  Figs growing in the shade of their own large leaves  A Table full of herbs ready to hang and dry
This morning, I rejoiced in the opportunity to savor each moment…
to hover lovingly over my growing herbs,
to see how many raspberries had deepened to red while we were away at church yesterday,
to smile at that first ripe cherry tomato of the season that I will leave for chubby two-year old fingers to pluck from the vine,
to thump off the Japanese beetles from the blueberry bushes that I am reluctant to spray because little hands are ever ready to harvest them straight into an expectant mouth,
to gently pick off the few yellowing leaves from healthy tomato plants adorned with yellow blooms,
to wrap delicate tendrils of each climbing cucumber vine around a rung on the fence,
to peek at the figs growing under the shade of giant, bushy leaves,
to stand in the early morning shade of the sugar maple trees and feel my hair blow in the balmy breeze before the day turns hot,
to pray in thankfulness over a cup of warm coffee and two slices of buttered toast…
Oh, what a day this will be…
Elizabeth
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 46:10
I recently constructed these soft, felt manipulatives for use in my youngest daughter’s Bible class. Each letter of the word BIBLE is made by stitching together two layers of felt that have been cut into alphabet shapes using pinking shears. Each letter is stuffed with cotton balls to create a three-dimensional effect.
The children are ages one to two years old. They love holding the letters while we sing:
Oh…the B – I - B - L - E…
That’s the book for me…
I read and study, and then obey…
The B – I - B - L - E…
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119:11
Elizabeth
This morning, my daughters and I were saddened to discover our once frisky little black goldfishy hidden in the weeds of the aquarium. Yesterday, we had been keeping a vigil beside the tank in hopes that our tiny friend would pull through. But, in the night…he slipped away, and this morning we were moved to conduct a simple farewell burial in the compost pile.
“Can we bury him?” my 5 year old daughter inquired.
And so, we said a simple prayer of thanks for the happiness that he brought while he was alive. Our nine-year old constructed a grave stone, and each one of us placed a flower upon the mound…
Oh the sweetness and sincerity of youth! May I ever be mindful of blessings and creatures great and small.
Elizabeth
“The snow kept coming till it was drifted and banked against the house. In the mornings the window panes were covered with frost in beautiful pictures of trees and flowers and fairies.
Ma said that Jack Frost came in the night and made the pictures, while everyone was asleep…”
-excerpt from Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
We’ve had one of the coldest, snowiest winters in a long time in Middle Tennessee. School has been closed for snow for many days during the month of January. We are just beginning February, and more snow is expected over the next week or so.
Over the past month, our family has enjoyed sledding and making snowmen and snow angels, and we have loved the beauty and quiet of a winter snowfall.
While many around us are beginning to wish for warmer weather and spring, the girls have enjoyed snow days and warm fires in the woodstove.
 It is always so nice to venture out into the snow for a while to see what is out there…
 …but, there is really nothing like the cozy warmth and wonderful smell of a crackling wood fire to make you feel comforted after a blustery trek into the wintery weather.
We’ve burned a lot of wood this winter, and I am thankful for the extra wood that we stored in the barn this past fall.
This evening was my eldest daughter’s night to be the dinner helper, and she has developed a keen interest in pioneer days and the simpler life of long ago. We have recently listened to Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder on audiobook, and she has been reading Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare. So, tonight…she asked if we could cook dinner without electricity on the woodstove over a wood fire.
We prepared chicken with garlic and herbs and rice with peas and corn in two of my cast-iron skillets. I pulled out my pottery bean pot and we baked some beans on the back of the stove. Oh…what fun on a wintery night!
| What wintery activities have you enjoyed this winter? What old-fashioned children’s books or classics are your favorites? |
I’ve been away from this space for far too long…
Living a full and abundant life worth the living has been absorbing these last few months, and I have been so busy with the day-to-day tasks that I have neglected to document some of the beautiful and simple things that have happened.
However, for the past few days, we have been snowbound due to a lovely winter snowstorm, and I have had a few moments to reflect upon the past year and to be filled with anticipation for the new one that we have embarked upon.
And, I realized that I missed telling our story. I missed recording and documenting the simple things that go on from day to day…and I missed reading the stories of those out there in the blogging world who live life authentically and simply and joyfully. So, I hope to return to Life Worth The Living more regularly and with a renewed resolve to focus on what is modest and real and worth living…
Elizabeth
“That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.”
Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862)
| Please leave a comment. Your comments encourage and inspire me, and I love to connect with you and know about your ideas and suggestions! |
 Rhododendron A few years ago, for my father’s birthday in April, we gave him a rhododendron bush. Rhododendrons love shade and grow well in wooded areas. Since my parents’ home is in a forest, a rhododendron seemed like the perfect choice. This spring, the blooms have been absolutely glorious!
The day I took this picture, a beautiful butterfly was fluttering from bloom to bloom enjoying a wonderful feast. But, I was just too slow to capture a good picture!
My eldest daughter and I ventured out to our small kitchen herb garden one evening to snip herbs for dinner.
“Mama…I think this is the most wonderful life in the world to be able to walk outside an pick your own food for dinner!” she exclaimed.
Oh, my sweet baby girl. I think so, too!
Savory Herb and Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms
1 Cup Fresh Herbs (We used parsley, dill, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and chives.)
½ Cup Chopped Fresh Green Onions
2 Cloves Fresh Garlic, minced
2 Cups Fresh Breadcrumbs
1 16 oz. Container Fresh Mushrooms (Button, Shitake, Baby Portobello, etc.)
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
½ Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Olive Oil Cooking Spray, divided
Salt and Pepper to Taste
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Clean mushrooms and remove stems from caps. Chop stems and reserve.
Spray caps with olive oil cooking spray or toss them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil and then salt and pepper them to taste. Place the caps on a baking sheet with the cup sides up.
 Chopping Herbs Chop the fresh herbs and green onions and combine in a bowl with the chopped mushroom stems.
 Sautee the green onions and herbs in 1 tablespoon olive oil until the mushrooms are tender and juicy. Add the minced garlic, and sautee for one minute more.
 Remove from heat and combine in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the mushroom caps with the cheese/herb/breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted, the mushrooms are tender and juicy, and the breadcrumbs are a golden brown. (15-20 minutes)
Elizabeth
 photo courtesy of Wikimendia Commons When I was a very young child, I remember that we had a peony bush in our yard. It was always filled with lovely blooms on Mother’s Day. My father or I often picked a full bloom for my mother, and she would proudly pin it to her dress to wear to church. Even after I grew up and left home, my father would arise early and take his walk out into the yard to snip a blossom for my mother on the second Sunday in May.
My mother always told me that a white bloom on your lapel showed honor and remembrance for a mother who has passed, while a pink bloom celebrates the life of a mother who is still with you.
Two years ago, my husband and my children gave me a vivid pink peony for our own yard. Last year, it had no blooms and it died back to the ground in the harsh winter cold. I feared that it had not been strong enough to survive.
How joyful we all were when it sent out lovely stalks and leaves in early spring! And, then…we cried with delight when we realized that it was forming buds and would have full, lavish blooms just in time for Mother’s Day.
My little four year old who loves all flowers would ask every day if she could go look at the peony bush to see if it had bloomed. Oh, the excitement when finally those little buds unfurled their feathery petals!
 Mama's Little Peony Helper
Thank you my darlings for such a special Mother’s Day present that I hope to enjoy for many years to come! And Happy Mother’s Day to my own Mother who has taught me how to love and mother my own little peonies! May this be a day of blessings and joy to all beloved mothers everywhere…
Happy Mother’s Day!
Elizabeth
Early in the spring, I begin to get spring fever. The itch to uncover my herb bed and see what has survived the harshness of winter begins to consume me. I tell myself to resist the urge to clear the leaves and see what tiny tendrils are emerging to embrace the beautiful spring sun. I impatiently watch the weather and check for signs of last frosts. And, then…when it seems that spring has really arrived, I begin the exciting job of uncovering my herbs!
 Winterized Herb Bed The next few photos are some that I took about a month ago. I believe that these were taken during the last week of March.
As I began removing the brown oak leaves and debris, I grew more and more excited! Despite one of the longest, coldest winters that we have had in a while…tiny, tender shoots of pale green were thriving beneath their winter blanket…
 Catnip and Chives Catnip and pale green chives as well as a healthy stand of garlic chives are thrusting their heads sunward.
 A Closeup View of a Clump of Tender Green Chives These chives are still a pale, pale green…some are almost white from being covered with a blanket of oak leaves. They have been waiting patiently for the sunlight of spring.
 Lemon Balm Tendrils Beginning shoots of lemon balm emerge from the dark, damp earth. Tiny leaves of green on slender, white stems. Oh, the thrill of seeing such a hopeful sign of renewal!
 Curly Leaf Parsley How joyful I was at seeing this little sprig of curly leaf parsley! This is the first time I have ever been successful at overwintering parsley! It usually acts as an annual in our climate. This year, I will have a jump start on parsley growth.
 Thyme and Leggy Sage Look at how leggy my sage had gotten over the winter. It had stretched itself up through the leaves trying to get a peek at the winter sunlight. The thyme was all woody sprigs and bare. It had to be trimmed back to allow for healthy new spring growth.
 Rooting Sage Cuttings You can see that I cut back all those leggy, woody stems of sage…back to the thickest part of the woody base. Those woody trimmings I then inserted into the ground to root in the early spring sun while the dirt was still dark and damp.
 Rich Homemade Compost Out of the compost tumbler, we took a wheelbarrow load of rich, dark, organic compost that we had tumbled over the winter. It had developed into a wonderful, fine dirt that was ready to apply on the herb bed. I spread a layer of this nutrient-rich soil over the entire bed.
After a few weeks of being allowed to warm in the sun, the entire bed was mulched with a natural golden-red birch bark mulch. The warm tones of the mulch really make the color of the lush green herbs pop out!
After about four weeks of growth, sunlight, and replenishing spring rain…you can see the results of my tender care.
 Chives, Garlic Chives and Catnip in Center The chives are blooming beautiful lavender blooms, and the catnip leaves are so large and luscious…maybe larger than I ever remember them being!
 Lemon Balm in Center Remember those tiny tendrils of lemon balm? Isn’t it amazing what a month of growth can bring!?
 Parsley and Oregano in Center The curly leaf parsley has done so well, and the oregano wasn’t even visible a month ago! You can also see tiny sprigs of lemon thyme that are beginning to emerge! I thought they had succumbed to the harsh winter…but they are finally peeping their head out. I am so glad! I would have hated to have the lemon thyme die. It was one of the first herbs I planted in this bed seven years ago. I cook with this thyme all the time! 
You can also see my little clump of volunteer leaf lettuce.
 Catnip and Sage See how happy my little sage is because it was trimmed back to the woody base? The rootings are coming along nicely, too. They haven’t died, but it will be some time before they are strong enough to transplant.
Oh…and did you notice the four little concrete turtles crawling around among the herbs? One big one (a Mommy turtle) and three little baby ones! These represent me and my three little turtles. I like them quite a lot. They make me smile. 
Soon, I plan to give you a recipe for savory stuffed mushrooms using all of these gorgeous fresh herbs! Check back soon…it won’t be long.
Elizabeth
| What spring projects have made you happy this season? Do you have any favorite recipes using fresh herbs? We would love to hear from you! Post your comments and recipes for everyone to enjoy! |
Spring is here in Middle Tennessee, and it’s hard to believe that my husband and I have been posting here for an entire year! Our first post at Life Worth The Living was just a few days over one year ago, and it was a new endeavor for us as we began chronicling our day-to-day activities and projects for anyone interested to read about and comment upon.
And, I must say that I never expected to meet all of the people that I have become acquainted with from both near and far. I have been amazed, touched, and humbled by the outpouring of friendship from around the world! The world seems to be a much smaller, friendlier place that I thought before launching Life Worth The Living in the spring of 2009! And, so I say…thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the dear, sweet comments that you have made and for all the wonderful support we have received throughout this year of writing our online diary about our lives. Thank you…and again I say thank you!
You may have noticed that posts to Life Worth The Living have been few over the past month. We have been quite busy outdoors with the coming of spring. We are preparing our garden for planting, we are working in our yard, and we are pruning bushes and planting new trees. Flowers are blooming, trees are covered in blossoms, and new leaf buds are emerging every day…
Signs of growth and renewal are everywhere! And, we have been rejoicing in the return of spring!
1. White Grape Hyacinths, 2. Tulip Tree, 3. Hyacinths, 4. Hawthorne, 5. Forsythia, 6. Daffodils 3, 7. Daffodils 2, 8. Daffodils 1
These are a few photos that I have taken over the past few days and weeks. I have taken many, many more, and I am excited about returning to Life Worth The Living on a more regular basis to share some of our springtime projects with you.
If you are interested in a particular topic that you would like to read about here at Life Worth The Living, leave us a comment! We look forward to hearing what topics you would like to read about. If you are too shy to leave a comment, then send us an email and tell us privately what you are interested in and what you enjoy. Any comments and emails would greatly encourage us and help us as we write future posts.
Thank you again for a wonderful year!
Elizabeth
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