October Contest Winners
Thank you for participating in the October giveaway. We were so blessed by your entries. We have a gift for everyone who entered. I would like you all to have a copy of my workshop and instructions for “Making Your Own Holiday Recipe Notebook,” so just contact us at pubshisher@remembrancepress.com, let us know you left a comment and request your copy of the “recipe workshop” and we will email it to you.
The Girlhood Home Companion 2009 Christmas Issue and the “Make Your Own Holiday Recipe Notebook” workshop on audio CD with Jill Novak are on the way to each of our winners!
The winners are Angela, Kim, Robin, Jen and Mandy.
They said,
“Although baking cookies for Christmas is a fairly common practice in many households, we have a different spin on the tradition. Years ago, I acquired a delicious sugar cookie recipe that became a hit with our family and friends. So, now at every Christmas, my husband, daughters and I set aside time to make cut-out cookies. We are a fairly artistic family & have developed our own art in decorating the cookies… they result in a beautiful product & not one is the same. (Most people hesitate to eat them because they enjoy looking at them.) This year, we plan to make Thanksgiving cookies and deliver them to all of our neighbors and my husbands’ co-workers with a note of giving thanks for them. Should be fun!” – Angela
“As a child, my grandmother found a recipe for Pumpkin Swirls. This quickly became a fall favorite and to this day my mom and I make them. When our children were preschool age, we started the tradition of taking cookies to the local fireman that were working on Christmas Day. We were and are still amazed at how thankful they are that we would take time to visit them and with treats! The kids get excited and every year we try to make it to more and more firehouses. Last year we were able to spend Christmas with my parents and we included them in the tradition. It brought tears to my mom’s eyes to see the excitement of the kids and the thankfulness of the firemen!” – Kim
“For a short time we thought that there weren’t going to be any more Thanksgiving Traditions for our family. My mother had gotten tired of the routine not being an enthusiastic cook herself and my mother-in-law was going through some major crises at the same time. I began to think that perhaps Thanksgiving was becoming a thing of the past.
As I was thinking about putting up the decorations for Christmas a little early, my sweet son Adam came into the room. He was probably about five at the time. He cuddled up close and whispered to me, “Mama, aren’t we ever going to have a feast again.”
It broke my heart and I suddenly realized that although the matriarchs of a family usually like to continue traditions for the family that my time had suddenly come!
I immediately began to plan, to bake and to invite! We told all of our family on both sides that we would be having Thanksgiving at our home and that they were all welcome. I made a few dishes that were always on the table in my home growing up, but I also made my mother-in-law’s dressing and a few new dishes as well!
We have had Thanksgiving in our home with any and all invited for fourteen years now and I wouldn’t trade with anyone for the world.
A traditional pie in our home growing up came from my grandmother who never followed a recipe in her life! But to make it simple for everyone, I will just say that you can substitute butternut squash for pumpkin in any of your favorite recipes. It will come out a beautiful golden color and taste a little milder than pumpkin.” – Robin
“Every year when I was a kid my Mom and I made cookie trays for our neighbors. We spent weeks making different types of cookies and cinnamon rolls. This is one of my fondest memories as a child. Then bundling up and heading out to deliver these goodies.” – Jen
“When our family was still all at home and young, I taught them each how to make 1 item for Thanksgiving. So now when they come home with their own families for our “gathering” –they prepare that dish. My oldest does creamed onions, then there is the cranberry sweet potato rolls, frozen cranberry tip tops for appetizer, pumpkin pies, apple pies, creamed corn bake. I take care of the Turkey, dressing, and gravy. Because we have nine children, with the work divided it isn’t hard to put Thanksgiving Dinner on the table. We still have a few at home and each one has their specialty. Coming home for Thanksgiving is special for us all.
We always start our morning with a special cranberry sweet bread twist, pumpkin dip and a fruit tray. While we sample this traditional breakfast, we read the scriptures and speak of the ways the Lord has worked in our lives since the previous year. We give Him thanks and praise early…It is because of Him that we can be thankful.” – Mandy
Angela, Kim, Robin, Jen and Mandy will each receive The Girlhood Home Companion 2009 Christmas Issue and the “Make Your Own Holiday Recipe Notebook” workshop on audio CD with Jill Novak
Blessings,
Jill and Eric Novak
October Girlhood Giveaway
Five blessed ladies will receive a copy of The Girlhood Home Companion 2009 Christmas Issue and the “Make Your Own Holiday Recipe Notebook” workshop on audio CD with Jill Novak .
Here are the entry rules. Leave a comment here about some of your favorite Thanksgiving or Christmas recipe traditions. Tell why you like a certain recipe(s) and how it/they became traditional fare for your family celebrations.
If you blog or facebook, post your comments there as well, and link back to our contest. You can use the graphics right here for the contest.
Happy commenting and may the best posts win!
Jill & Eric Novak
The October Tea Cozy Club
I love autumn. I think it is possibly my most favorite season of all as the harvest takes center stage in one of nature’s grandest productions. Familiar textures and aromas tantalize the senses and the changing foliage turns the landscape into a riotous feast for the eyes. Vibrant mums, multi-colored pumpkins, and rustling cornstalks decorate doorways, while falling leaves dot neighborhood yards in confetti-like carpets of yellow, red, and brown. Feathery goldenrod and purple asters add a vivid splash of color to nearby fields. Within weeks the whole countryside takes on a golden hue.
We change also. October is the month when our focus turns to preparing our homes for the long winter months ahead. The colder temperatures draw the family inside, and the kitchen becomes the center of family comfort. Whether serving steaming pots of soup or pieces of thickly sliced bread, nurturing meals abound from the family table as autumn ushers forth.
The pears gathered at the end of September have finally ripened and pear butter time begins. Scurrying about like our squirrel friends burying nuts all over the yard, we hurry to “put up” our precious jars of preserves before the cold weather really sets in. With grateful hearts, we celebrate God’s provision as yet another amber colored jar of pear butter is added to the pantry shelf. Yes, autumn is a time when you surely reap what you have sowed, and sometimes what others have sowed, as well.
My children have learned the diplomatic art asking neighbors if they can pick unwanted fruit in trade for a jar of pear or apple butter. The neighbors couldn’t be happier to have the fruit serve a useful purpose, and the children couldn’t be happier to spread the rich gooey preserves on English muffins or toast. The remaining fruit that isn’t preserved will find its way to our tea table to be savored in sandwiches or deserts.
In this month’s tea cozy, we share a variety of tea sandwiches and desserts made with pears, the golden fruit of autumn. Enjoy these “pearfectly” delectable recipes and a cup of pear tea as you listen to this month’s tea cozy conversation with Linda Stubbs of Prairie Flower Farm. Linda shares about her family’s business venture as they participated in the Wichita Farmer’s market and God’s faithfulness in touching people’s lives through His bountiful provision.
We pray this installment of The Tea Cozy Club is a blessing to you as you settle back and enjoy a taste of autumn and an inspiring story for your spirit. We thank God for His abundant blessings as we celebrate the harvest together with you.
Affectionately,
Jill Novak and Family
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Time for the September Giveaway
We’re excited to bring you another great Remembrance Press Giveaway. This time we’re giving away seven, yes (7), Most Cherished Lessons audio workshops for mothers and daughters (description below).
Here’s what you have to do to win. Tell us about one of the most memorable lessons you have learned in life. What was it? And who was involved in teaching it to you? This is open to mothers, daughters and grandmothers.
We will pull the winners’ names midnight, September 20th.
Cultivating a Teachable Spirit for Daughters:
What is your attitude toward receiving instruction from your mother? This isn’t a question you may normally ask yourself, but the answer will determine if you are teachable or not. In this workshop, Jill and Claire Novak will show you why you should treasure your mother’s wisdom and knowledge above anyone else’s and how to develop a teachable spirit towards her instruction. See how viewing your mother as your greatest friend and mentor will allow you to graciously receive her God-ordained council and enable you to safely navigate through life’s sometimes confusing path from girlhood to womanhood.
Girlhood’s Most Cherished Lessons for Mothers:
You are the greatest curriculum your daughter will ever study. Yes, girlhood is a priceless training ground with many opportunities to teach your daughter the lessons for becoming a godly woman — the most important being “caught” and not “taught.” So what kind of teacher are you? Are you approachable or too busy? Gentle or harsh? Physically warm and nurturing or brusque and distracted? Jill Novak will encourage you to catch the vision for gently mentoring your daughter through spontaneous everyday moments or planned activities. Make the most of this precious season in your daughter’s life as you both learn from Girlhood s Most Cherished Lessons.
May God richly bless you,
Jill
ultivating a Teachable Spirit for Daughters
Dear Daughter,
What is your attitude toward receiving instruction from your mother? This isn’t a question you may normally ask yourself, but the answer will determine if you are teachable or not. In this workshop, Jill and Claire Novak will show you why you should treasure your mother’s wisdom and knowledge above anyone else’s and how to develop a teachable spirit towards her instruction. See how viewing your mother as your greatest friend and mentor will allow you to graciously receive her God-ordained council and enable you to safely navigate through life’s sometimes confusing path from girlhood to womanhood.
Order Your September Tea Cozy Today!
The September Tea Cozy
Wanda Gibert from Heritage House Press, shares the story of how her Aunt Cleo taught her to preserve the summer’s bounty, make delicious soups, and create a worshipful home where others are drawn to the Lord on a daily basis. You’ll be encouraged to adopt this godly woman as a role model for both you and your daughter. When I graduate this world’s shores, I want to be remembered for living everyday to its fullest in the Lord, just like Aunt Cleo. After hearing her story, I believe you will too!
Just $4.95
Purchase a single installment here:
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Ministry Begins in the Home
Grandpa when he first came home in 2009
It isn’t easy to convey how my 92-year-old father’s needs have impacted our lives, but we just want to say how grateful we are for those of you who have prayed and keep praying for us. Grandpa is at a very fragile age, and although he is mentally sharp, he is physically challenged.
I started blogging in August about our journey together . I hope these blog entries help you gain insight into our situation. You can read about why Grandpa came home and some of the funny experiences we’ve ad over the last three years taking care of him. He is a constant source of writing material, and we all have a lot to learn from Grandpa!
Grandpa after being home for three years – Easter 2013
These are two of the more serious posts about bringing Grandpa home. Make sure you read the funny ones, too!
Taking Care of Grandpa
Counting the Cost
I want to share some of the beautiful “thank you” notes we have received. Thank you, dear sisters, from the bottom of my heart.
Jill
Dear Girlhood Home Companion,
We are so sorry that your family is having a difficult time. We are praying for you… As a new subscriber, I had never seen an issue…The magazine exceeds my expectations!
May God richly bless you as you continue this endeavor.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Elizabeth Nicholson
I hate to hear about the delay in production, but family comes first! Hope everything works out soon for you all. I am praying for your family. Thanks for the tea cozy. I had all the past magazines but one and was so excited to be able to print it out and add it to my collection. Your magazines are such a blessing to my family and I pray that God will bless your family during this time of transition.
Shelia
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
…I am so sorry to hear about your father’s health. My husband and I are living with and caring for his aging parents. His Mom was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer just 7 weeks ago. Life has been absolutely turned upside down for us as well.
Please let me encourage you, as I’m certain that you would me…..if given the opportunity. Our Heavenly Father is not surprised by the trials that you are now facing…He knows exactly where you are, What you need as well as When you have need of it. He loves you with an everlasting love and NOTHING can ever change that. This evening, I’m praying for you for divine wisdom and direction. I don’t have to know all that you’re going through….but my Jesus knows…and HE wants you to know that I, as so many others are… praying for you and your family…
Again, THANK YOU for the ministry provided to me and my granddaughters through your lovely magazine…. Our prayer is that the Lord will continue to allow you to minister as you have been…BUT…truth be told…Ministry does begin in the home…THANK YOU for living that example…
Blessings and my sincere prayer goes out to you today!
Debbie Fletcher
May The Lord bless you and your family for your selfless deeds. My family and I took care of my grandfather until he passed away three years ago. Caring for him was a blessing, especially for my children to get to know him so well. I hope everything works out well for your family and situation. My family enjoys your magazine very much.
Mary Barela
Thank you for letting us know about the delay…I will pray that you can bless your father in his care and that you can be where God wants your family to be.
Faye Miller
Thank you, Novak family. You have the most beautiful publication which I know is a reflection of your family’s beauty. We appreciate your generosity for this.Blessings,
Esther Beal
Dear Novak family,
Thank you for your creative way of fulfilling my subscription. I am looking forward to reading all the issues as I have time. I pray that you will sense the comfort of the Lord, live in the grace God gives for this special time of testing and that His leading will be very clear.
Sincerely,
Holly
Psalm 92:1,2,4 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty, I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in Him will I trust. He shall cover thee with His feathers and under His wings shalt thou trust.
Thank you for your continued understanding,
The Novak Family & Grandpa
Time for The Summer Girlhood Home Companion Giveaway
Yes, it’s time for The Summer Girlhood Home Companion Giveaway! To celebrate summer and friendship, we’re giving away “seven” issues of our beautiful (and very popular) “Between Friends” summer issue.
Here’s what you have to do to win. Tell us what you appreciate most about your dearest friend (or friends). Is there someone who has helped you through a tough time in the past? Tell us what she did to support you. Or do you have a special friend who draws you to Christ? What about a special friendship with a grandmother, mother, daughter or sister? Tell us what qualities you appreciate most in your friend and pay a tribute here. We’d love to hear your story.
This contest runs through midnight, July 23rd, so enter now to win – and don’t forget to tell your friends!
Blessings,
Jill Novak
The Eye of a Naturalist ~ Teaching Your Child to Observe by Jill Novak
A few years ago, I was awakened by the gentle flapping of the shade on my bedroom window. After a particularly cold and rainy spring, a warm summer breeze beckoned me to go exploring–first thing, while the children were still asleep. Slinging my digital camera over one shoulder and tucking the video camera and tripod under my arm, I tiptoed to the back door and quietly let myself out. My mission? To photograph and video tape the wildflowers on the hill by our house.
As a natural journalist and homeschool mom, I’ve learned to take advantage of “divine appointments” with God’s creation. Even though I’m accustomed to the landscape of my own backyard, I try not to let a season pass without capturing some of the same specimens anew in the pages of my journal and sharing my observations with my children. Little did I know that this morning was to be especially rewarding.
As I stepped into the sunlight, I was greeted by a cherished, seasonal event–the sight and sound of barn swallows performing aerial acrobatics above the long stretch of grass between the house and the silo. As in years past, I stood in awe, marveling at their agility as they swooped and flew at an alarming rate of speed, just inches above the ground. After watching their maneuvers for a few minutes, I continued walking up the hill to where the wildflowers grow. As I followed a trail through the tall grass and past the entrance of the silo, I heard a loud, insistent chirping coming from inside. Peering into the dim interior, to my utter astonishment, I saw six baby barn swallows on the floor, flapping their wings excitedly as their mother circled low and flew back up to the top of the silo. Every time she circled, they opened their mouths to be fed.
I quickly set up the digital camera and began recording this unusual happening. Suddenly, I remembered our four cats and how they’re prone to follow me on my jaunts into the field. Right then and there, I decided to rescue the baby barn swallows before they were found out. I ran down to the house and woke up the kids. They were excited about my discovery and after rounding up the birds, they carried them down to the kitchen table where they held them in their hands and drew from life. I even set up the video camera in the living room and sketched one little fellow from different angles. They were all very docile and obliging.
Remembering how the babies opened their mouths when their mother flew by, we took them outside and set them on the lawn to be fed (after locking the cats in the garage, of course). To our surprise, not only did their mother swoop down to feed them, but other barn swallows did as well. Later that day, we tossed them gently into the air, hoping they would take off. When it became evident that they weren’t quite getting the hang of flying, we placed them in an aquarium with a lid for safe keeping. The next day we repeated the process again.
Over the next few days, the kids and I seemed to inhale information about barn swallows. From books on backyard birds to Midwest field guides and the encyclopedia, we learned all we could about our new feathered friends. What did barn swallows eat? Did they build a new nest every year or would they return to the one in the rafters of the grain barn? How many times a year did they reproduce? Where did they migrate to and when would they return? As we found the answers to our questions, we began to understand God’s design for these highly social creatures.
Finally, on the third day, their wings grew strong enough to carry them to the roof of the garage. At last, the confident youngsters flew into the branches of the buckthorn tree next to the garage, and eventually we witnessed them join the rest of the community on the roof of the grain barn where the older, more experienced barn swallows took turns pushing them off, encouraging them to fly. We all rejoiced when at last our dear little clown-faced friends graduated from “junior aviation school” and took to the sky.
Intentional Observation
Making the most of spontaneous encounters with nature requires the skill of observation. The Modern Oxford English dictionary describes the word observation as “the action or process of observing something or someone carefully or in order to gain information.” Observing nature close up and first hand should be a goal for any student who is passionate about drawing. Whether making a quick sketch or a more sustained drawing in great detail, observing a specimen involves more than giving it a brief glance and letting it go. It requires time to observe with the intention of getting the most out of the experience that you possibly can.
One of most intentionally observant naturalists I have come to adore is children’s author-illustrator Beatrix Potter. How I wish I could have tagged along behind Beatrix and her brother Bertram as they explored the Lake District of England during their family’s holidays there. No stone was left unturned in the path of these child naturalists. A friend of Beatrix’s father, the English painter and illustrator Sir John Millais, told Beatrix, “Plenty of people can draw, but you and my son John have observation.”
From an early age, Beatrix was deliberate in her quest to gain knowledge of the subject matter she chose to draw. She was gifted with an intense curiosity and need to understand; she didn’t just “appreciate” nature, she “recreated” it as well. And the originality in which she expressed her observations set Beatrix Potter far above the crowd of aspiring artists of her time. “It is all the same,” she said, “drawing, painting, modeling, the irresistible desire to copy any beautiful object which strikes the eye. Why cannot one be content to look at it? I cannot rest, I must draw, however poor the result.”
When it comes to drawing and recording observations, some artists like to work slowly. Watercolorist Patsy McNamara says, “I produce more of a sustained sketch. I’m uncomfortable trying to work quickly…My sketchbook is made up of slow, steady pages where I focus completely on my subject and lose myself in the process. My pages are about intense observation and gradual understanding, not about speed or an end product. It is a recorded form of active meditation, meant more to give me understanding than anything else.”
There is no method for nature journaling other than gaining understanding through one’s personal observations. The way I approach a subject depends on how it catches my eye, whether I will sketch it or draw it, what tools I will use, and even what effect I am trying to achieve. What nature journaling looks like for each of your children will be as unique and individual as their fingerprints.
We should never rush a child who wants to spend hours drawing in their journal. On the other hand, we should never demand a prolonged journaling session from a child who is not wired to be an artist. Not all children will gain understanding in the same manner–namely recording it in the pages of a journal. Auditory or kinesthetic children may need different avenues for “recording” their experiences, ones that heighten their sense of understanding and will be just as memorable.
More than One Way to Observe
Because of differing learning styles, not all children possess the gift of visual observation, but it is a skill that can be strengthened by giving them different avenues of exploration. Using our experience with the barn swallows as an example, the auditory child might want to imitate the sound of the chirping babies and practice his “bird call” for dad when he comes home from work. He could take the video camera out into the field and make a short documentary about the habits and habitat of barn swallows. The kinesthetic child could gain understanding of the anatomy of a barn swallow by modeling it out of clay or running around the yard waving her arms, swooping and diving and imitating the social behavior of barn swallows. All of these observations could be preserved through writing, drawing, and taking photographs of your child’s experiences to include in their nature journals.
Start Young, Observe for a Lifetime
We don’t have to limit a child’s nature experience by setting a coloring page in front of him or having him copy someone else’s lines – not when there is so much to gain by letting him handle and draw a specimen from life. As in the case of Beatrix Potter, English children traditionally begin nature study around the ages of five or six. We, too, can give our children the eye of a naturalist from an early age. When it comes to understanding the design of God’s creation, a bird in the hand will always be better than two in the bush.
Jill Novak and her husband Robert have been married for 29 years. They are the parents of five children, ages 23 to10. Together their family has produced The Gift of Family Writing, Becoming God’s Naturalist, Drawing is Life, The Sketch with Me DVD Series, and The Girlhood Home Companion Magazine.
Thank You for The Tea Cozy Club and Horse Club…
The Tea Cozy Club and Horse Club are always available, so order a subscription today and begin receiving them on a monthly basis!
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the tea cozy’s that you put out as we use them as part of our homeschool lessons. As they are full of wonderful information. I have learned a lot as well. And then I want to say THANK YOU to your daughter for writing the happy trail horse club. We have a 12 yr. old morgan. That we just LOVE! Both my daughter & I have really enjoyed each one. And again as a homeschool mom it turns into more learning. Her first one was about Sparks & Dr. Lew. Well after reading the lesson we went to his website to learn more about him & his ministry. Well come to find out a friend of mine is on his board for Sermon on the mount. Of which I did not know until we were talking one day about our lesson. Then we checked his calendar & found out he was going to be here in Oklahoma on 5-13 of which was my daughter 11th birthday. So she and I went to see his awesome show and we even got a chance to meet him in person which really made her birthday. THANK YOU THANK YOU for touching our lives!
Susan Devine
Yes, We Are Filling Orders Daily!
Thank you for all your kind comments and prayers concerning our situation with my father. As posted earlier, we have become my father’s full-time caregivers. Dad is 89 with Parkinson’s, limited mobility and other issues that demand daily love and care. It has not been easy taking on these new responsibilities, but in the context of family, we’re making it.
We love taking care of Dad, and for the most part it has been a very positive experience. Sometimes it is mentally challenging, though. Dad has periods of dementia, and his episodes are tough on everyone’s moral, but he generally is in good spirits because of His beautiful relationship with the Lord.
Eric, 19, is Dad’s morning caregiver and mornings are Dad’s toughest times. Eric is also your contact for orders. Sometimes the inconsistency of Dad’s behavior throws us all off schedule. Over the last 8 months, my mind has been totally befuddled by the enormity of our situation, so I apologize if you have talked with Eric or me and we forgot what we talked about. The stress of these circumstances shows up in the memory department.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Eric at publisher@remembrancepress.com if you are waiting for a past order or have a question. We are filling orders daily. Thank you ahead of time for your patience.
We still have two beautiful print issues of The Girlhood Home Companion still in stock (Between Friends – last year’s summer issue and Comfort and Joy – last year’s Christmas issue). If you ordered a subscription, we can fill part of that with these timeless issues or if you are new to our site and products, you can order them right from our store. Just email us at publisher@remembrancepress.com and let us know if you want your subscription partly filled in this way.
Also, don’t forget The Girlhood Back Issue Album ( 370 pages with Victorian black and white line art). The original Girlhood magazine was produced from 1998 to 2001. It is a delightful resource for building godly character that will bless both you and your daughter.
As far as the magazine goes, new production is still on hold, so please don’t hesitate to order back issues and audio workshops for mothers and daughters. We have many wonderful products in our store that are available and some new ones we hope to introduce as the Lord allows. If you are a new subscriber, we will be glad to fill part of your subscription with the two back issues we have in stock. They are timeless.
Don’t forget The Tea Cozy Club or Horse club or both! We have 12 completed installments of wonderful interviews and booklets that you can begin receiving in your email today!
Coming Soon: The Girlhood Home Companion on CD
I am going to be offering the seven beautiful color issues we have completed over the last two years in CD albums so you and your daughters can access this one-of-a-kind resource anytime. Hundreds of hours go into each magazine, and it would be shame for you to miss the opportunity to have this precious resource in your library because they sold out due to popular demand. Check back for availability.
Again, thank you for your patience. We will keep you posted on any new developments.
Blessings,
Jill