On Monday & Tuesday I had a small contest about family traditions. You can read that post
here. I used Random.org to generate a winner and the winner was Cardamom's Pod! She won a blog feature here and so without further ado...let me introduce you to Cardamom's Pod!
Oh, and let me say that I'm so excited to meet her & feature her!
1) What name do you go by in bloggy land?
Cardamoms Pod, or Cardamom - but I also use my real name, Kimarie. I answer to all of the above.
2) What's your blog name and how did you come up with that name?
Cardamom's Pod. I love herbs and spices, and cardamom is the only one with "mom" in it! It also comes in pods, which makes me think of a group of people. It's unique and I just liked it; ran it by a few other people and they liked it. Freshly ground spices are intensely flavorful and should be savored - just like everyday life in our family as we face whatever God brings our way!
3) When did you start blogging and why?
I started blogging on March 29, 2009. People had been telling my husband and I for years that we should blog, simply because of the variety of experiences we've had with our large family, and how we like to think outside the box. We like to tell stories and enjoy humor, and our friends kept saying other people would really like to read about our lives. The impetus to get me started was my friend Kimberly at Raising Olives. She started her blog before mine, and then asked for photos of decluttering projects. I had one I really didn't want to tackle, and decided to jump into blogging to hold myself accountable! It's just taken off since then! My husband has plans to start his own blog very soon...
4) What do you enjoy most about blogging?
I have found that it is an enjoyable creative outlet for me. I like writing, photography, and layout - and blogging employs all of those. It also helps me to chronicle and organize my thoughts and ideas, and to focus on on the positive. The feedback I'm getting now is encouraging to me - that what God has taught me in my life can be shared with others to make their lives easier and more joyful.
5) What other hobbies do you have?
Aside from cooking, baking, sewing, gardening, farming - as my daughter said, "those aren't hobbies - those are your job!" - when I have time, I enjoy crocheting, learning to knit with Knifty Knitter, and calligraphy. I've always enjoyed archery and shooting, but lately I've really taking a liking to shooting clays!
6) What's your favorite book you've ever read?
I have a really hard time picking favorite books, because I like so many for different reasons. But the title that jumped into my mind is "Jane Eyre" by Emily Bronte.
7) What do you want people to remember you for?
I would like to be remembered for being a godly and loving wife, mother, and friend.
8) What's your favorite kind of weather and season?
We love the Florida "winter" - no bugs, crisp days, we can turn off the a/c and open the windows! We spend as much time outside as possible - lots of projects, as well as bonfires and camping out in our yard. The low humidity just makes me feel alive and energetic! My idea of a perfect day is a moderate temperature, slight breeze, and puffy clouds dotted across the sky.
9) Tell us about your family in 1 or 2 sentences per family member:
My husband David is incredibly smart, hard-working, upbeat, and just plain fun to be around. We've been married for 15 years and I can NOT imagine my life without him.
Tabitha (14) is an awesome cook, and a natural organizer/manager who can run the house better than me! She loves horses, and is writing several books.
Jonathan (12) is hard-working and dependable, and is our deputy security officer. He raises snakes and mice and loves anything to do with hunting, fishing, or shooting.
Deborah (11) is our kindness barometer, everyone's favorite story-reader, and comes up with some of the deepest theological questions/conclusions.
Samuel (10) is our cuddle-bug, and has always gravitated to the babies in our family. With his keen senses, he is the official spotter on all hunting expeditions.
Nathaniel (9) is our Y2K baby, a talented artist, quick-witted comedian, and always busy with something. He will probably end up as a great illustrator or movie director!
Elizabeth (7) is very princess-like, elegant, and thinks a day is not complete unless she can bake or cook something.
Esther (6) is energetic, fearless, always busy writing, drawing or playing piano, and has a very tender heart.
Miriam (4) has been one of our strongest-willed children, but is very loving and sweet. She has huge blue eyes and loves being near Mommy and Daddy.
Sarah (2) is Miriam's shadow (which isn't always good!) and has been the loudest child we've had. She is fun, and very loving - and pretends everything (from ice cube trays to sweet potatoes to empty ketchup bottles) is a baby.
10) About our family traditions...
Our family traditions change as our children grow - but we have a few regulars and are adding more.
We make eggnog - from scratch - for Christmas and New Year's. I usually quadruple a recipe and use 24 eggs, ending up with about 2 gallons - I think this year we'll need to make more. We grate whole nutmeg or sprinkle cinnamon over it. This started 15 years ago when we were first married and family came to visit us at Christmas. This tradition is my personal favorite! It's delicious, healthy, and very filling.
For Thanksgiving, my oldest daughter makes pumpkin pies from scratch, using pumpkins bought on sale after Halloween. The kids scrape and cook the pumpkin, and make the pies. Last year they cleaned all the seeds out of the pulp and roasted them. My daughter says 8 pies is a minimum number, "so we can have lots of leftovers."
Another fun tradition for us is "Farm Week". My husband takes a week of vacation and we stay home, spending the entire week doing projects for our animals and yard - fencing, barn repairs, construction of needed items. We make sure all the children are involved down to the littlest one - the jobs of nail-bucket holder and stump chopper are important, too! The afternoons usually include fishing, swimming, shooting, games, and there's lots of hearty meals for all the hard workers. We make sure to take lots of pictures, too, that we enjoy looking at years later.
For 3 years in a row we had a "Country Day" at our place and invited a bunch of homeschooling families. We barbecued, took nature walks on our 20 acres, had potato sack races and a hay ride. We haven't done this for a couple years but my children and their friends still talk about it, and we are planning to begin it again.
Now, run over and visit her site at
http://www.cardamomspod.com/!
