story – Page 3 – Nancy Tart: Writing for Life

Minuit’s Story

This story of Minuit, the Dwarf Holland Lop bunny who became Kimberly’s best gift ever, and how Kimberly fell in love with her “snuggle bunny” gifted by her big sisters!

January 2, 2019

Minuit’s Story

There was a girl, Kimberly, who fell in love in 2013 when she was 6 and a black and white “retired stud rabbit” she called “Mister Walter Rabbit” was left on her family’s back porch.

Mom found out Mr. Walter Rabbit was over 12! (Rabbits average 10 years.) That didn’t matter to Kimberly. She slid down the kiddie slide with him, she put him on his blanket in the baby buggy and dragged it around like a rickshaw, she slept with him, she loved him more than any animal ever before, and with a little help from her oldest sister, took care of him “all by myself!”

Kimberly and Mr. Walter Rabbit were inseparable for over two years!

Fast forward to 2018 and Kimberly helped build a Guinea Pig cage for the big girls’ three new “girl Guinea Pigs” – but Becky’s angel was actually TobyMac (read more here). Kimberly’s little Avery love was far older than the lady let us know, and Kimberly only was able to love on Avery for almost a year.

Kimberly’s loss of her “baby” Guinea Pig came only two days after her Grandfather passed away. Kimberly cried that this would be her saddest Christmas ever.

It wasn’t a great financial year for her parents, so they were very busy with trying to pick up odd jobs and stay working so they could pay bills on time. Kimberly’s mom listened and tried to console her, but she knew Kimberly would have to heal herself because words don’t fill wounded hearts. Kimberly’s mom’s Daddy was Kimberly’s Grandfather.

Kimberly’s mom had only been home for a couple hours after a temp job that morning when Becky and Christina, Kimberly’s two older sisters who had been working babysitting and odd jobs too, came excitedly up to Mom. The younglings were asleep (except the baby brother), and Becky gave Mom $50 and said, “we found this bunny for Kimberly and it’s just perfect and the lady just texted us… they are back from candlelight service and we need you to drive over and pick it up with us.”

Mom was flabbergasted. The teenagers had researched, found a local bunny breeder with the specific kind of bunnies Kimberly had wanted (Dwarf Holland Lops) and she was holding a black female (the EXACT color and sex Kimberly said she was going to buy “once I save enough”) for them.

IT WAS CHRISTMAS EVE!

Christina babysat, Becky kept Mom awake, baby brother fell asleep in the van, and Mom taxied the proud big sister out to pick up “the perfect gift” and ferry it home.

The big sisters had planned ahead with feed, a very nice cage (a pair of Guinea Pigs came in it, but it was not used now as they had the big run), the bedding, and even a waterer and feeder. They prepped the bunny cage, set it under the Christmas tree (it was nearly 11pm now!), and tossed a thin sheet over it. Both were so giddy they could barely sleep! Because of her black fur, black eyes, and sweetness, this perfect bunny was called “Minuit,” which is French for “Midnight.”

On Christmas morning, the kids gathered around to open presents and the suspense was just too much for Dad, because Kimberly hadn’t even seemed to notice the animal cage covered in sheet! Dad said, “Kimberly, that sheet is in the way, please fold it up.”

Kimberly grabbed the sheet and almost screamed! (Poor Minuit!) Kimberly was so happy she was in tears! As Christina and Becky reassured her the 9 week old bunny was hers, she scooped her out of the cage and snuggled her on the couch. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Kimberly cried and after everyone had finished adoring the new bunny, she gasped, “Mom, I thought this would be the saddest Christmas, but this is my best Christmas gift ever!”

Leave it to amazing, thoughtful, caring big sisters to research something you really desire, manage a way to get it for you, and give you the best Christmas surprise you’ve ever had!

I hope you enjoyed this story of Minuit, the Dwarf Holland Lop bunny who became Kimberly’s best gift ever, and how Kimberly fell in love with her “snuggle bunny!”

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later…

~Nancy Tart

Pondering in My Heart

My pregnancy brain thoughts about Mary in her culture and her time – and how it relates to us in our time.

December 24, 2018

Pondering in My Heart

It’s Christmas Eve.

Usually, at this time, my mind overflows with thoughts about Mary, Jesus’ mother. I think about her boldness when she says “let it be to me as you have said.” I think about how the Bible always adds this little line after something she hears or watches; “and Mary pondered this in her heart.”

I especially feel empathy over the Christmases when I’ve been pregnant. (2009 and 2011 when my babies came a few days into the new year were very busy with my pondering… so much that I wrote a children’s story about Jesus’ birth one of those years!) This year, my little blessing is due to show up in about eight or ten weeks.

I like to study the culture of the person I’m trying to study: the historical significance of their world, the turmoil they faced, the cultural norms that differ from what we have today. These little details help me to step into their shoes and wiggle my toes around. I like to imagine what it would have been like to be Mary, likely between 12 and 14 years old, among her Jewish community controlled by an Empirical Roman government when highways were roamed by soldiers and bandits, family and community were everything (so doing something against the community would have been horrid), and the talk of sedition (rebellion) was strong and swiftly crushed. I wonder about her life: her childhood, her struggles as a parent, wife, and community member. I remember that when she said “let it be unto me…” she was just a normal girl allowing God to use her.

She was like any one of us.

She had to humble herself before God and she doubted; as she even said, “but how can this be…” questioning the miracle before agreeing to be part of it.

She must have been a logical thinker like me. “…pondered this in her heart…” That is what I do all the time. Whether or not I speak, write, or pray about it, I think about everything that God surprises me with in life. I want to put the puzzle together, but realize that God knows far more than me so I relax and resign myself to just “pondering” (thinking) and praying about what I don’t understand.

I love how the Bible uses real, authentic people. People just like you and me are scattered in every story. Every one of them has doubts, challenges, questions, obstacles, and life choices just like us. Every one of them must make their own decisions, just like us.

We like to think of them in their glory – after they’ve moved to where they are in victory. We remember David killing Goliath, Samson destroying the false temple, Mary as Jesus’ mother at or after his birth, Peter evangelizing, Paul traveling all over the known world, etc. But each of them started as a normal person who had to make his or her own active choice to give of themselves and allow God to take the lead.

During Christmastime when I’m constantly rereading the story of Jesus’ birth to my children, I’m reminded that I have to humble myself and allow God to continually take control in my life so I can be and do what God has planned for me. I encourage you to give God control over every aspect of your life – He designed you, He knows you best! He knows the desires of your heart and sometimes you may not even know them yourself!

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later…

~Nancy Tart

Pearson Christmas Party 2018

Picture overload! My family’s Christmas party 2018.

December 22, 2018

Pearson Christmas Party

Imagine twelve adults and thirteen children racing around a beautifully decorated house and every single one of them is acting like they are somewhere in that magic child age around 5 to 8. That was our Christmas party this year. It was the best!

My amazing sister and brother hosted.

Katy is always ready for a picture!

Livy painting faces! Anastasia is concentrating on being very still. She was rewarded with a beautiful butterfly!

Jaquline got snowflakes to match her dress!

Mrs. Claus and helpers! Tina, Christina (Christy the elf), and Mandy (Elsa-elf!)

Liam was here, but jumped out of the way! Brother-cousin time L-to-R JJ, Lucas, Isaac

This video shows our baby sister’s personality – it matches the hat!

Group Selfie! Tina, Ray, Becca, Charles, Allison

The teenage grandchildren (Becky, 13, and Christina, 15)

Bouncy Hat plus Sherlock Pipe (both with accents…)

The pro (Aunt Becca) teaching JJ how to take a selfie… (He knows he’s adorable!)

Mom and the boys (silly faces): L-to-R Nathan, Ray, Tina, Charles, Louis, and Andy

Mom and the girls: L-to-R Mary, Kayla, Katy, Allison, Tina, Becca, and me.

We did not get a group picture, or a full cousin picture, because everyone was just having too much fun! The girls (my pictures come from Christina, Becky, and Kimberly) managed to get many active shots.

This was our first year without my Daddy. Katy and Andy had set up the layout so that he would have a comfy chair, a central view, close to food, close to everything in what Kimberly called “Santa Boompa’s throne.” (The chair with the footstool, Mom’s seat was supposed to be the matching one next to his.) From this view you could see Livy’s facepainting station (she is so talented), the Selfie station (which was hilarious), the “dance floor” (right in front – so much fun!), the food and beverage buffet area was to the left (easy access to refills and the silly shenanigans going on in there), and the covered porch area was just behind it (where not just the boys were showing off their strength… or trying to).

Even though he wasn’t there, I didn’t feel like Daddy was missing. I heard him in my brothers, Mom, and several of the children. I heard his laugh when the boys were showing off. I could hear him cheering each one on. I felt his smile as Anastasia passed out gifts for each of the sister- and brother-cousins. The little ones ran around giving drawings, toys, and hugs to each other and I felt him smile because he loved to give. I felt his heart as Kimberly reminded me she needed my phone to “take pictures and movies for Grandma,” because “Granddaddy always likes to get pictures for Grandma!”

My Daddy’s legacy lives as the humor and fun he always had rubbed off on us kids and our children. We love to see each other smile and laugh. We encourage each other. We share with each other. We love.

This makes me so happy I cried on the way home.

Daddy isn’t really gone. I miss him so bad; I miss being able to talk with him. No one listens to me chatter away about the story ideas I have like he did. Daddy didn’t seem to mind if it was the fifth – or fiftieth – time I told a cute something the kids did or a neat thing I learned; he never said “I’ve already heard that.” I miss that, yes.

But he’s here. I keep hearing the sing-song voice from the Disney cartoon: “he lives in you.”

Daddy lives in all 25 of us that were there (and the 4 who weren’t) in some way. His legacy is us.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

New Story Release! Fibbing Fisherman

New Release! The fifth book in the Devonians children’s series ~ check it out!

November 25, 2018

New Story Release!

Greetings! I’m so excited about the fifth book in the Devonians Series! One of my illustrators (Rebeccah) did an amazing job of sketching out a scene for cover art again! This time her scene sketch is within the village of Covenant instead of along the banks of the Creek. It’s currently available in ebook format on nook and kindle.

The Devonians are space castaways who have developed a colony on a strange new planet (they name it Devonia).

This newest story, Fibbing Fishermen, begins after Alena’s Baby.

Michael Summers, who loves to go fishing, is listening to a Meeting lesson about Peter and the other fishermen who followed Jesus long ago on Earth. He starts daydreaming about going fishing. He knows they will have a long week or two of planting tubers so figures he’d better go fishing right now! But he doesn’t get permission.

For a peek into this newest story, read this excerpt from “Fibbing Fishermen!”

The big barn was open at the middle with the two big ladders and as tall as three houses stacked together! Michael had three fishhooks in his pocket. He always carried stuff in his pockets. He discovered a roll of the very slender braided twine in the big barn. While he was cutting two lengths of the twine that were twice as long as his arms outstretched, as his dad had taught him, Stephen Taylor showed up.

“What are you doing with fishing twine?” Stephen demanded.

Michael froze. He stammered, “nothing, why?”

“Nothing?” Stephen snorted, “looks like you’re going fishing to me.”

Michael didn’t say anything for a moment.

“If you let me go along, I won’t tell your dad,” Stephen offered.

“You don’t have permission to go fishing,” Michael said. He started looping the cut twine into a coil.

“Neither do you.”

Michael stammered, “I’m just fixing stuff.”

“You’re lying.”

Michael weighed his options quickly. No, he hadn’t yet left the meetinghouse grounds, so he wasn’t technically doing anything wrong yet. He could stop now and go back to listen with the others. But then he remembered how much work there was to come in the next week or two and how he wouldn’t get another chance to go fishing until all of the planting was done.

“I’m going to Ice Cube Creek to help with dinner,” Michael sighed, “two fishermen would catch more fish.”

Stephen smirked. He knew Michael didn’t have permission either.

The two boys sneaked off to the creek with their fishing gear.

Michael wasn’t sure what time it was, but his stomach was saying it was nearly suppertime. He’d skipped out on lunch, anyway. But they hadn’t caught any fish. His excuse didn’t really work without any fish. Michael was wondering if God had ordered all the fish to stay away from the two disobedient boys when a rustling disturbance pulled him from his thoughts.

… (be sure to find out what “disturbance” they encounter and continue reading Fibbing Fishermen here! Or browse all my titles and formats here!)

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Thankfulness

Time to reflect: thankfulness

November 21, 2018

Thankfulness

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow is also my 16^th wedding anniversary!

The time leading up to Thanksgiving is when I usually reflect on the amazing things that God has done for us. I often start with how every move in my life led to new experiences that helped build who I am – and the time I wrote in my journal “I’ll move with them one last time.”

That was to Saint Augustine when I was 18.

Just after that move (January 2002) I went to a family reunion where every adult teased me about not having a boyfriend (had never dated) and I remember replying with “in God’s time it will happen.” It was an awesome fun time where I met many relatives and learned many stories about my late grandparents.

January 2003, one year later, I was married, carrying our first child, and working in the town where my husband’s family had lived for generations. The roots I’d wanted as a child I married into. I instantly had two amazing grandmothers. Grandma Jeannette taught me amazing things like crochet and canning food and cooking or preserving local Florida produce. I loved learning by her side. Grandma Honey had the most fascinating stories of Cracker life as a young girl and her journey as a mother, wife, and artist (she painted amazing landscapes).

If I had planned my life (as I did in notebooks since being ten years old) it would not have included a 4-month courtship. I always planned on “knowing someone” for years – generally all the way through 6 or 8 years of university – before marrying. God had other plans.

I didn’t plan on immediately getting pregnant – married in November and baby’s beautiful face is framed in our wedding cake topper on our first anniversary photo. God had other plans.

We both planned on having a big family, but then our naïve thoughts of “big” were relative to the world around us – he thought 7 like his grandparents, I thought 7 like my parents. We agreed early on that we’d let God decide our family size. I don’t think either of us were truly thinking we’d ever be blessed with 7, maybe 3 or 5; maybe, and that would be “big.” God had other plans.

Our little blessing growing within me now was totally not “according to plan” as I’d gotten sick and we’d decided it wasn’t a prudent time to start new life. God laughed; this little one was already growing. And the hormonal imbalance caused by my reaction to multiple medications which my research said would take 18 to 24 months to reset, was reset by the pregnancy within 5 months. Although we thought we were planning well, God had other plans.

I love how my life didn’t go according to my “plans” – and I’ve kept diaries since I was ten, so I can look back at plans I made. I didn’t stop making plans, I am a planner and organizer by nature, but I so love it when God’s plan intervenes and “surprise” life things happen. I love God’s plans and how they are so different (sometimes) from my “plans” but so reflect my true heart.

From little things like my future sister and I working at the same place at the same time without knowing each other to amazing life events like marriage and births; in each, I see God’s powerful hand. I’m so thankful for His direction and for the wisdom to allow Him to lead me.

I’m thankful for the ability to keep our family sustained.

We’ve always had jobs.

When one door closes, God always had something else waiting in the wings for us. Sometimes far different from what we expected, but still awesome.

I was at an interview and someone commented on the variety of jobs I’ve had (Software Developer, Customer Service aka Ride Operator, Bank Teller, Business Office Manager of a Skilled Nursing Facility, Co-owner & Manager of a Transportation Company) – I had to add my recent update to that list as I’m currently a Gymnastics Coach. His question was what could I bring to this job (food retail)? Well, each position has taught me new skills and the list proves I can learn anything.

This official job experience doesn’t list that I’m a published author of over 50 books in children’s, educational, and young adult genres!

It’s amazing to me that God found me a job where I can combine my love of teaching, physical fitness, and a childhood dream! (Gymnastics Coach) I love the environment in which I work and the people with which I have the privilege of working. Someone said it’s a step down to go from business owner to working for another small business. Nope. Not at all. I bring a work ethic with me where I understand the challenge of being a small business owner and I always work my job as if it’s my company – even far before I was a business owner. Ask me, it’s “my gym” – just because I get to work there!

I’m thankful for all the steps along this life journey. I’m thankful for the people I’ve met along the way. I remember faces and some names – people like Mrs. Joy up the big hill when I was 8 in Eutawville, South Carolina who baked cookies with my sister and me and gave me my first cookbook. I remember Grandma Jeanette telling me after I’d been married a year or so, “honey, you were going to be my granddaughter, no way out of it” because she had prayed for me after meeting me at church (before I met her grandson). I’m thankful for mentors, family, and friends.

I’m thankful for all I see before me; God has been so gracious and generous to me and my family. We’ve been blessed so very much.

Every time I reflect on the blessings God has given me, I am overcome with gratefulness. I can’t help but whisper a prayer of thanks. Even though we won’t be “coming together” for “thanksgiving dinner” on the actual Thursday this year, we’ll get together on a different day with family and celebrate our thanks!

I pray blessings on you and your family as we reflect on all that we can be thankful for!

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

The Rumble of Life

How I love the blessing of carrying life!

November 14, 2018

The Rumble of Life

Today I’m very thankful for life.

My little unborn angel is rolling around and kicking, punching, or whatever inside me with such force Lucas and Jillian keep giggling at my stomach bouncing!

What an honor it is to be able to carry a new life!

From the first flutter-kicks I felt of Christina’s 15 years ago, I have been awed by the honor of being pregnant.

So, maybe my body isn’t always so happy about it, but that’s fixed. With Christina it was routine, wake up, eat, attempt a prenatal vitamin, upchuck said prenatal, get to work, run to the bathroom, there goes breakfast, and snack on some grapes or tuna salad very slowly throughout the day praying for no puking.

When I was pregnant with Becky I was under a midwife’s care and learned a ton about how nutrition affects pregnancy – then I managed to only upchuck every prenatal vitamin, mix, or powder I tried. So I stopped trying new supplements and simply focused on very healthy foods.

Just as Kimberly started along, my sister introduced me to Shakeology (a meal replacement nutrition drink) and the nausea with every successive pregnancy was gone! Great nutrition and my body tolerated it! I was over that hurdle.

Today, as our baby entertains older siblings, I’m answering standard questions: “How big is my baby?” (Lucas says this baby is HIS baby) “What color will baby’s hair be?” “When will my baby come out?” “How can baby be so strong already?” (This as Jillian’s hand was kicked off my belly.)

Their curiosity about new life reminds me of how fascinated I am by the whole process. I have general answers to give: “about this big,” (thanks to our scientific knowledge) “only God knows,” “when Baby is ready,” and “because Baby is strong like his big sisters and brother.” (I don’t like to say “it” when referring to the Baby, so if I have to use a pronoun, it’s going to be a masculine one – most of the time I can manage to just use “Baby” instead. The kids pick the one they want to use.)

My favorite question comes from Jaquline today (and I know she’s a veteran of two water births and about ready for a deeper explanation, but for now she’s still just eight): “How did Baby get inside you?”

“God took a bit of Daddy and put it in Mommy and mixed it together and He started Baby growing.” (Very simple, but literally truth. God set up everything and if He doesn’t choose to give the spark of life, the other stuff doesn’t matter. That has been my standard answer to that question for 14 years.)

This makes Jillian giggle while Lucas lays his head, ear down, on my tummy and says, “I love you, Baby! Thank you God for my baby!”

I wish I could pause that moment for a while.

Seconds later, they have raced back about daily things: Jillian is outside helping with morning chores, Lucas is vrooming a vehicle (I think it’s a wooden car) up the side of the couch, Jaquline is doing her schoolwork at the big table where Kimberly and Christina already have work laid out (although they popped up to take a break and feed livestock and pets) and Becky is lumbering about as she slowly wakes up. Life.

Today is full of impending activity: midwife appointment, college classes for Becky, college field trip for Becky (Louis will drive everyone to the park and make a fun day out of it; perks of big sister in a marine biology class), work (coaching) for me, work for Louis, normal stuff.

I’m swiping a few minutes just sitting here relishing this rumble in my tummy and thanking God for allowed me to hold His little child. Baby seems to realize the audience is gone and slowly curls up to rest. Baby is always most active with Lucas comes and explains something (why cars roll, what the sky looks like, how the big rooster is scary to snakes, how an orange tastes, how excited he is for “Baby to finally come out so I can see you”).

I love you, Baby Tart! Thank you, God, for my baby! (All of them!)

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

The King’s View

A very short story about the hawk that lives near our tiny farm. Enjoy!

October 8, 2018

The King’s View

(Today, enjoy a view of my “farm” from the eyes of “The King” – a large, beautiful hawk who lives in a nest in one of the pine trees in a neighbor’s property.)

Soaring over his domain, The King doesn’t think to look up; nothing flies higher than he. The calls from his chicks in the nest remind him that this trip’s fare needs to be a feast. The chicks are growing larger, hungrier, and bolder. Soon his mate must shove them from the nest to go soar into their own territories, but today, he must hunt to fill their ever-growing bellies.

The sharp images below relayed by his eyes present a veritable feast of opportunity. Tree-rats, overgrown frogs, and a few fat lizards sunning on the porches and driveways below all present easily caught but less than desired prey.

A cluster of rodents catch his eye, but he knows the hexagon-shaped glimmers mean they are protected by that horrid human invention called “chicken wire.” Though he refers to it as “the shiny barrier” instead of “chicken wire.” Six rodents are stretching in the afternoon sun, nocturnal in nature; they are fat, lazy, easy treats if it weren’t for that glimmering hexagon protection.

Cackles erupt from the wooden box under some shade trees – no, those chickens aren’t easy fare anymore. They used to be. He used to be able to outsmart the checkerboard rooster despite his three-inch spurs and heavy wings – he would get the younger chickens as they wandered away from the big rooster’s protection. Now there were two long-spurred giants. The checkerboard one was always outside chasing the wanderers back into the brush or waiting for a hawk to test his power. The second was a giant red one – that one was missing a spur that had fatally wounded a previous hawk. The King is wise enough not to attempt those chickens. But he always looks. If one wandered too far away or if that effective team was ever unwary…

No, today’s fare will have to be a few tree-rats. The King settles his decision with a precision dive and catch. He swoops in with amazing speed, executes his prey mercifully, and glides high on majestic wings to drop the prize in his anxious chicks’ nest. He returns to gather another partial meal for his growing offspring.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

New Venture

Why is a crazy never-used-makeup 35 year old starting to present it?

September 18, 2018

New Venture

Okay, so if you’ve been following this blog (or *gasp* actually know me), you know that my one experiment with makeup was as an overactive girl in the sweltering mid-Georgia summer. My attempt at rather cheap (I thought it was expensive then, but now know better) mascara, foundation, and blush rolled down my face and irritated my eyes as it literally was melted by the sun and sweat.

I did manage to wear lipstick a few times, like for my wedding, my sisters’ weddings, and my brother’s wedding. (Honestly, every time I bought a lipstick tube, it ended up being used by some child as a crayon.)

That was it.

Now, I have three daughters dabbling in makeup. Rebeccah loves it. I’ve researched everything I can and a few years ago found a couple of brands of makeup I liked and would buy for them. A few months ago, Kimberly and Rebeccah discovered my cousin Tiffany’s Facebook page loaded with tutorials, beautiful images, and the makeup line she sells. This past month, we discovered the lady who used to sell the face cleanser we’ve all used for over a decade doesn’t sell it anymore! No one I know does. If I’m going to buy a product that isn’t sold in stores, I’m going to buy it from someone I know.

Louis has been trying to talk me into makeup for years, and recently, God has opened my eyes that if I’m serious about wanting to please my husband, why am I so against getting “made-up” once a week when we have adult time? Really? I realized how petty I was seriously being. Yes, others who “put their face on” daily spend a lot of money on makeup, but I would be using it on the nights we go walking together. Three or four times a month. That was not going to break the bank.

So, I looked into being a makeup rep. As I’m browsing, I realize I’m crazy. Then I counter that with – I have five daughters, I’m sure I’ll be buying makeup for them too. I’m a BeachBody coach because I LOVE SHAKEOLOGY! I love the only whole food vitamin shake that I I don’t have a huge business through them, but one day I might when I can put more time into it. If I find a makeup line whose business practices and products I like, why shouldn’t I present it to others and perhaps make a little money? It is wise to invest money in products and businesses you love because you would recommend them anyway.

Now, like my beautiful cousin, I’m “presenting” for Younique – at least, as soon as I get my makeup! The starter packet came with items I was going to purchase anyway along with many others to try. I’ll be updating as I travel on this strange journey of learning the art of makeup at 35.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Hand-Me-Downs

A radio talk show guy’s comment made me ponder my absolute love of hand-me-downs and thrift shops.

September 4, 2018

Hand-Me-Downs

Driving to pick up a long-distance call, I was listening to Christian talk radio. A guy comes on talking about how he and his family love hand-me-downs.

I can totally relate! All my life I’ve loved, and lived in, hand-me-downs. When my kids get a bag of clothes, they all get excited. It’s sorting, trying on, modeling, and deciding how to “fix” something they love to make it fit (sewing skills). Anything we can’t use (and everything we grow out of or don’t have room for) gets passed on. We only allow them to keep what they can fit “in their drawers” and on their bit of hanging rack space. Rebeccah, who loves shoes, has created some interesting storage adaptations to stretch her allotted space to keep extra shoes.

Kids grow so fast! At one stage, Kimberly jumped through one full shoe size every month for about six months! During this same time, Jaquline sprouted through three shirt sizes and Rebeccah’s legs stretched by nearly a foot!

We had quite a few bags of shoes and clothes to give away! Most, we had received as hand-me-downs but they looked practically new! Lots of happy kids got to pass around clothes in this growth spurt. The girls like to plan who can get their clothes – if anyone we know needs them, if anyone is their size and is okay with used clothing, or if they know a friend who “loved” some outfit. Otherwise, we donate to Alpha-Omega or Betty Griffin Thrift.

The radio talk show guy was mentioning that he was super excited one day because a friend gave him some amazing hand-me-downs that were almost new and stylish. He was showing one off at work and realized he was wearing the emblem for a college he didn’t attend! So he almost felt embarrassed telling a coworker it was a hand-me-down. Then, he stopped. He said we are to be good stewards and trading clothing around if it still has wear in it is being a good steward of the materials (less waste) and finances (less purchases made). He told his coworker that the money he and his family saved on clothing allowed them to give more financially to charities they supported.

I had never thought of our hand-me-downs as “good stewardship” in that way! I have always told others that it saves waste (why throw something away when someone else can use it?) and it stretches our budget. I never actually thought of what I do with the money I save.

We do give a lot of what we make, sometimes we end up giving more in time than in money, but we still help in a lot of places monetarily.

When we do buy clothes, it’s usually underwear (I do buy that new from target on “clearance,” it seems some character is always going out of style), sneakers, or jeans. We go to the thrift shops on the day when said clothing is x% off or wait for an end-of-season sale (thrift shops do that too). So, annually, we spend about $300 on all 8 of us.

I never really thought about how much money I’d spend without hand-me-downs. Using thrift shop prices (I still wouldn’t buy new): I figured that for each growing child, I’d spend about $80 twice a year, and for each adult, I’d spend about $40 a year (what we already buy from thrift stores can’t be counted as savings). So for our family, that would be about (160×6)+(40×2)=$1,040 annually in addition to the $300 we already spend!

$1,040 is almost a rent payment.

That’s about three weeks’ of work.

Then I realized that I never buy anything new – furniture, animal cages, books, movies, games, toys, yarns, craft stuff… the list is endless. Except for food, most cell phones, a few tools, the coffee maker, most mattresses, and one computer, we’ve taken hand-me-downs or bought resale items when it comes to everything else. And we donate what we no longer need. Oh yeah, and the drum set was new – Louis got a full size eight piece drum set on a clearance sale for $120 about 10 years ago.

We save for items we want (like our couch). We had a hand-me-down one that served great for a while, but Louis wanted a big one that all of us could sit on at once and it would double as a kid bed when guests came. We ended up saving and finally bought a really nice used sectional that had two backless sections that doubled as storage (bonus & I love dual-purpose!) and seats six adults without using the backless parts – it was on clearance at Alpha-Omega Thrift so we spent only $165 of the $200 we’d saved for it. (Yes, Louis was shopping, so we ended up buying $35 of future birthday gifts while we were there.) And one of my sisters said “let me crash here, this is comfy!”

The radio guy quoted the scripture about “where your treasure is, there your heart is also.”

Yes, my treasures are in my children, my family, my friends, the really important things in life. Our hand-me-down and thrift-store lifestyle helps me to understand that even though we have some cool stuff, it’s just temporary and I’m not really concerned with it. I mentally note that I’m wearing sandals from one sister, a skirt Christina grew out of that was a hand-me-down from a friend, and a shirt from another sister… all hand-me-downs!

I’m sure the radio guy is right. Our family is able to do as much giving as we do because we don’t spend “full retail” on temporary items. Our treasure is in heaven. Our treasure is the character growing in our six awesome blessings on loan from God…

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

New Release! The Tightrope Dare

New Squirrel Book just released! Read an excerpt from The Tightrope Dare!

August 24, 2018

New Release! The Tightrope Dare

Today I’m really excited to announce the release of “The Tightrope Dare,” the second adventure in The Landmark Tribe (furry squirrels lighting the way)! The illustrators have finally finished with this project!

Rebeccah did this illustration. She drew and colored both the cute little squawler and the full background!

Kimberly accented the drawing for digital copy and enhanced the details on the computer (some digital art manipulation).

Each of the Landmark Tribe books is narrated by a different member of the Tribe. This adventure is narrated by Nutty, a crunchie (the squirrel’s word for teenager) who may be just a bit over-confident (okay, maybe he likes to brag and exaggerate, as you can see from the excerpt below).

Our Landmark Tribe books are written for our church. Any sales we get go straight back to church because it is our squirrely church family who inspires characters in the Landmark Tribe and this series was created during a trip to church! (Read that story here!)

Come read a bit from “The Tightrope Dare” here:

This is the story of how, me, Nutty, greatest Crunchie in the Landmark Tribe and in all of the squirrel tribes in the Wooded Lands, saved the day with my big brawny arms!

“Nutty.”

And that is Walnut, whose favorite thing to do is do that deep sigh and say Nutty, like I’m really doing something wrong. He is a Crunchie in the Landmark Tribe too, but he is ages older than me. Walnut is almost as old as Kahoona, our great and powerful leader.

“Nutty.” Sighed Walnut again.

Okay, so he isn’t really that old, but almost.

On the day my story takes place, the winds were ripping squirrels from their nests and squawlers from their mother’s clutching paws.

“Nutty, seriously?” Walnut chided.

Okay, okay, so maybe the winds were just enough to make leaves dance, Walnut is only a season older than me, and maybe I am not the greatest Crunchie in all of the squirrel tribes and maybe I didn’t use my big brawny arms to save the day, but I’m telling the story and that sounds cool, doesn’t it?

And that sigh from Walnut means he agrees but doesn’t want to say I’m right about anything. Ever. And he certainly doesn’t want to admit that I, Nutty the Great, am cool. But I so am.

“Why do you start every sentence with a conjunction?” Walnut said in a bookish voice.

Honestly, he sounds so much like Grizzly, a new member of the Landmark tribe, that he seems like his real son. Grizzly talks with a gruff bear voice but through his nose like it is constantly pinched shut. And now Walnut has walked away so he can’t hear my awesome story. Okay, well, you will have to do. Stay right there and don’t move.

If you liked that and want to see how the Landmark Tribe of furry squirrels light the way in the Wooded Lands, click on the link to buy a copy or check out my Book List to view all the available formats!

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later…

~Nancy Tart

Tag: story

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