Allison Weeks

Hello Homemakers , and welcome to the Art of Home podcast , where we are exploring how Homemakers cultivate a place to belong . I'm your host , alison Weeks . I'm a wife , a mom to four grown kids , granny to one baby boy , and I've been practicing the Art of Home for 31 years now . Well , fall has finally arrived in South Texas and I just couldn't be happier . We've been enjoying such beautiful weather here , opened up all the windows , airing out the house I finally feel like I can burn the fall candles and it feels right and eating all the pumpkin things , except pumpkin pie , because if you follow me on Instagram , you know I am not a fan of pumpkin pie . It's basically baby food in a pie shell . Anyway , how about you ? Is fall well underway and you're part of the world , and what are some of the things that you do to celebrate fall and to usher in that wonderful , wonderful season ? There's a lot going on , as there is always a lot going on in the fall , but this year especially , some extra travel that we have happening and some extra projects around our house . But it's all good things and I am just enjoying every minute of it . As far as the podcast goes , I'm gearing up for holiday homemaking and for another round of guest listener interviews . If you want to know all of that , all of what's going on and what's coming on the podcast , make sure that you're subscribed to our newsletter , homemaker Happy Mail . It's free , it comes out every Friday during our regular seasons and all you have to do is go to the artofhomepodcastcom Slash subscribe to get on our mailing list . The newsletter is the place where you're going to get detailed show notes that cover all the things that our guest shares with us , their hints and their tips and their recipes that they share or any other resources that they share . The place to get it is in the newsletter . Like I said before , it's also the place to be in the know about what is happening on the podcast , particularly when I open up applications for you all to be guest on the show , because I'm going to tell the newsletter audience a few days before I tell the internet , before I open it up on Instagram and Facebook . That's going to be coming up really soon , so make sure you're subscribed to the newsletter so you will be the first to know and get your application in Also coming up .

Allison Weeks

We have our third annual holiday homemaking series . This is one of my favorite parts of doing this podcast . I get to compile together the short little holiday stories from every one of the women that you have heard from this past year on the podcast . When I interview them for their regular interview , we take a little time at the end and I record a little 10 , 15 minute segment with them all about what Christmas is like at their house and what are their traditions . What kind of food do they eat , what do they do for gifts all that kind of stuff . It's so fun . This year is going to be no exception . I also interspersed some things from my experience of holiday homemaking for the past 31 years . During those episodes I'll give you some fun poems and maybe some fun readings .

Allison Weeks

This year I'm actually going to be focusing a lot on decorating , because if you've listened to this show for any length of time , you know that I am a Christmas crazy lady . I have got seven trees yes , seven . Now they're not all big . We have one large tree and then the rest are smaller trees that we just have throughout the house in different places . But I have a lot of experience in this area and so I thought I would share with you all some of the things that I've learned over the years about what works and what doesn't work Basically everything from how to get ahead and a jumpstart on your decorating without having your house look like Christmas in the middle of September , and then what to do with it at the end . How do you organize it , how do you store it away , how do you keep track of it all , and then all sorts of things in between . So those are the kind of things that you'll be hearing from me on this year's season holiday homemaking , which is going to start the Wednesday after Thanksgiving , so that'll be the last Wednesday in November and we will have four weeks of those wonderful episodes to look forward to .

Allison Weeks

Also , we have an Advent guide . Just to put a bug in your ear , it's the same guide . We put it out last year . It will be the same guide . I'll just alter it a bit so that the dates line up for 2023 . It's a very simple little daily guide that walks you through the four weeks of Advent , the themes for each of those weeks , and it's a little truth for each day related to that theme , a scripture related to that truth , and then a song suggestion , and so you can use this for your own personal devotion , but you can use it with your kids , with your family , however you would like , and that's free . So we'll be telling you more about that as we get closer to Christmas .

Allison Weeks

Okay , so , before we jump into today's episode , I usually talk about this at the end , but I wanted to bring it up here at the beginning in case you weren't aware , everything we do here on the art of home is free , and this is a privately funded ministry and we are happy to be able to offer all of these podcasts and resources to you to help you in your homemaking journey . But there are a few ways that you can give back and say thank you if you find value in this kind of content . So the first and most important thing that you can do is share this with someone that you know . That's the best way that we can grow is by you sharing with your neighbor , with your sister , with your friend , and then she shares with one person , and then so on and so on . So share with someone you know . Number two you can leave us a rating and a review on your podcast listening app . That is just a really helpful way for others . When they do a search on homemaking and this show hopefully comes up , they can scroll down and read the reviews and they can know if this is a good fit for them . And I want to give a shout out to Jackie M , who left us a review this lovely review at the beginning of October .

Allison Weeks

I found this podcast when I was engaged and now I am a homemaking wife and mama . The interviews are very informative and filled with good conversation , and Allison is a great interviewer . Thanks , jackie . So much of what is discussed I resonate with and helps me to have supportive role models to emulate in my daily life . Thank you and don't stop . Thank you so much , jackie . These kind of reviews and these kind of notes just mean the world to me . It really does help me to not stop and to keep going .

Allison Weeks

Podcasting is such a unique and cool medium , but it is very much a one-way conversation . It's not like a YouTube channel where we can have a comment box at the bottom , or even on Instagram where we have comments back and forth . There's really not any way to comment on every episode . So when I hear from you guys , it just encourages me so much that this is actually resonating with you all . It's reaching the right people and it's making an impact . I trust , whether I hear from you or not , that the Lord's going to do good things with it and he will do with it what he wants to . But it really means a lot to me when I hear from you guys . So thanks so much .

Allison Weeks

And then , finally , the third thing that you can do is , if you are so movely , you can give financially to this ministry by giving us a tip , and our virtual tips are buy me a coffee , and tips are given as , like coffees , you can buy us one coffee or two , or three , or 20 if you want , and they're $5 each . So it's a one-time gift and it's just a way to say , hey , I love this content and I just want to support what you're doing here . So , for all of those of you who have given through , buy Me a Coffee , thank you so much . Just go to buymeacoffeecom . Slash the art of home if you would like to give . Okay , now , that's enough housekeeping , let's get on to today's episode .

Allison Weeks

Today I'm talking with seasoned homemaker Roan Johnson , and her name is Roan R-O-A-N . I had to ask her to help me understand how to say her name and she said it's just like Joan , but with an R , because when I first saw it I thought it was Roan , but it's not . It's R-O-A-N Roan , like Joan , but with an R . She is such a neat lady If you can't tell from the very beginning .

Allison Weeks

She is a Southern Belle , she's from Mississippi and she just has a wealth of knowledge . She has been homemaking for 32 years with her husband , jimmy , and she has five kids . She's got some grandkids . She's almost to the empty nest . Her last one is still home and he's a senior in high school . But she has homeschooled all her children all the way through . She is just a really cool lady . She's super organized . She has a lot of practical suggestions and ideas to share . She's been through some really difficult challenges . With all of her pregnancies she was very , very sick and she also had a breast cancer diagnosis when she was 42 . She shares with us about both of those challenges and how they affected her homemaking and what she learned Then . She is just a wealth of information about hospitality ideas and navigating through the seasons of homemaking and just all kinds of stuff .

Allison Weeks

I know you're going to love this conversation , so let's get to it , shall we ? Thank you so much for trusting us with some of your time today . I know that it's valuable . I know you have a lot going on , and so I'm really honored that you chose to spend some of that time with us , as you do your good work , and it is good work that you're doing in the home . If you hear nothing else from today's episode , let it be that the work of the home is important , it's valuable . Yes , it's hard , but it is good work . So keep going , and whatever you are applying your hands to as you listen today , I know that you're going to enjoy Roan's story of home . Welcome to the art of home . I am here with seasoned homemaker Roan Johnson and we are going to hear her story of home . But before we do that , roan

Beginnings & Learning Curves

Allison Weeks

, why don't you just introduce yourself ? Tell us a little bit about who you are today ?

Roan Johnson

Okay , my name is Roan Johnson . I live in Mississippi and I have been married for 32 years to my husband , Jimmy . We have five children . Their ages are 28 , 26 , 24 , 19 , and 17 . The oldest three are married and we have four granddaughters the 19 year old is a sophomore in college and the 17 year old is a senior in high school . I have home schooled all of my children and this is my last and 22nd year of home schooling . I enjoy reading , planning , exercising , cleaning things out and organizing . My newest hobby is bird watching and I also like to do kind of cross stitch and put together puzzles when I have time .

Allison Weeks

Okay , there's a lot there . I did not know that you only had granddaughters . So that's fun . You love to exercise . I noticed on your blog you were a marathon runner . Yes , not anymore .

Roan Johnson

Not anymore . I don't know if I love to exercise , but I can include it as a hobby because I always have in some form . No , I stopped running a few years ago . I had an injury and I just never got back into it . So now I walk and just do exercise videos . But if you can think of a kind of exercise , I've probably done it over the years , from CrossFit to stepper aerobic classes , you know , to running , etc .

Allison Weeks

How many marathons have you run ?

Roan Johnson

Well , I trained for six and ran six , but one of them was actually canceled the day before because of inclement weather . But my friend and husband and I ran the distance anyway .

Allison Weeks

So we did it .

Roan Johnson

It wasn't a smart thing .

Allison Weeks

It was very , very cold there was a reason why they canceled for the weather . Yes , there is .

Roan Johnson

But anyway . So , yes , six , and I can't even count the amount of half marathons . That was my favorite distance when I was running , but now I just walk .

Allison Weeks

Okay , I have to ask you did you ever do a Disney ?

Roan Johnson

one ? I did . Yes , which one did you do ? I've done the half twice and the full once , and my husband has done the goofy and the dopey challenge .

Allison Weeks

Did you do the one like the marathon weekend in January ?

Roan Johnson

Yes , that's the ones we've always done in January .

Allison Weeks

Yes , they have multiple ones at different Disney's . I did . I had a brief stint of running and I did two half marathons and so I got to do the princess . Oh fun the year that I turned 40 and it was so fun . I did it with my sister-in-law and we dressed up .

Allison Weeks

Yes , that was snow white and she was Cinderella and she has blonde hair . It was perfect . It was so fun and I just always tell everybody if you enjoy running or if you just have a goal to maybe do a half marathon , and if you can make that work , of course it's Disney . They do it up Right .

Roan Johnson

Yes , my husband still wants to go back and do it again , so I could do the 5K or the 10K . Yeah , cool .

Allison Weeks

All right . Well , I guess we better get into . We could talk about all these things and count across it . I want to know how you're still doing that , because we're probably the same age . Yes , your eyes , girl . I used to do a lot across it and I cannot see . I even got the magnifying thingy , but I can't see .

Roan Johnson

Yes , Well , it's hard and I just picked it up in the last couple of years , picked it back up like I've taken a 25 year break . Oh , okay , but I have to turn on the overhead light , have a light , the reading glasses , and I can only do it for about 30 minutes .

Allison Weeks

Okay , well , that makes it feel better , all right . Well , let's go back to the beginning of your story , and when would you say that you first became a homemaker ? And when you did , did you have any skills ?

Roan Johnson

Okay , I first became a homemaker when I got married , which was one month after graduating from college and I was 21 . I did have skills . My mother was a very talented homemaker . She cooked , cleaned , decorated , so she did yard work , she could repair things and she could paint walls , refinish furniture , all the things . So we didn't have formal lessons , but I think just from being around that all my life , I just kind of learned how to do some of those things . Not all of them , but I knew how to cook , clean and do laundry because I was doing that , you know , in the home . I'm not artistic or creative , so I did not get all of those other gifts from her . I know how to sew . I don't enjoy sewing , but you know I know how to , and I have made clothes for my children . But it's not , it's not a gift . The other place I got skills , though , were I read , probably when I was first married , books by Emily Barnes I don't know if you're ready or her books .

Allison Weeks

Yes .

Roan Johnson

I mean she had lots of just practical ideas for organizing and keeping her home . And then later on I found Sally Clarkson , and I've read all of her things as well . So I feel like I was pretty , pretty well equipped for the basic , the basic things .

Allison Weeks

Okay . Well , what were you not equipped for ? What was something that you had a steep learning curve for ?

Roan Johnson

Well , I thought about that and I think it was time management , not that I . I guess I was so excited I wanted to do everything , and so I had to figure out how to fit it all in . It was kind of that . And also about two months after we got married I did start working full time . I was a schoolteacher . So when August came , I started working full time , and so that took time away from my little home , because as a schoolteacher I was also bringing work home nights and weekends . So that was really the thing I wanted to do everything , and I had to really figure out how to spread it out through the week and on the weekends . Thankfully , the first probably three years we were married we lived in very tiny places . We lived in student housing for two years and that apartment was 400 square feet , so it didn't . I could plug my vacuum cleaner in one outlet and do the whole apartment , so that helped my time management because there wasn't a whole lot of space to have to clean .

Allison Weeks

Yeah , that's . That's funny , but that was a benefit of having very little space . I remember that . So how long did you work outside the home ?

Roan Johnson

For three years . My husband was still in school while we were when we first got married , so he had three more years and I worked those three years and then I retired because we were ready to start our family , and I will get into this later . It turned out great that I retired because that's when I had one of my first challenges . Oh , okay , soon after that .

Allison Weeks

All right , okay . Well , let's talk about expectations . How , how well did the day-to-day reality of homemaking match your expectations ?

Roan Johnson

It really was what I expected . I was so happy to be a homemaker and to have my own little space . But I think one adjustment I had I was a little lonely at first and I think it's because I had come straight from college . I'd always lived in the dorm . I did live in the sorority house for a while and then , like I said , we got married a month later and my husband was in school . He did work that summer . The new school was the school year time , but I just we were in a new town and I just I was just a little bit lonely at first but I quickly , you know , made friends , joined some organizations and I made some friends at school and at church . But that was I think that was an adjustment to go from being around so many people to just kind of be about myself .

Allison Weeks

For sure it's . I think it's a big adjustment when you get married at a at a major life stage like that . You had two , two big things happen at the same time . You graduated college and that move from college life to adult life is very it's a big move . I'm watching you know I've had three kids . I'm watching my third child through that , getting ready to go through that . Right now he's about to graduate college and it's very different . It's a different way of life . It can be lonely . Even he was fighting loneliness because he's no longer living on campus . He has his own place now by himself . But to tack on getting married with that , that brings other challenges because , like we were talking about before we started recording , you're the one in the friend group who's doing all the things before everybody else Right , right . So like were you ? Were you got married right after you graduated ? Were a lot of your other friends getting married or not yet ?

Roan Johnson

Because they were . We called it the season of weddings for about two years . I think I was a bridesmaid eight times in those two years . But but I came from , you know , we , we all moved to different places , right , we were all in college together . So I'm trying to think I don't think I had anybody from my close friend group that moved where we did , and another level of it was of the loneliness I think it first was I did .

Roan Johnson

I did have one college friend that did live there , but my husband was in school and so he was in medical school , so it was school all day and then study until midnight . And so not only did I have , you know , maybe not as many friends at first , you know , even he was occupied , sure , yeah , it at the day , but , like I said , it didn't take me long . They actually at the time had organization for the spouses of the students that I quickly joined , and so I had friends who were in the same position that I was and we met monthly and we played Bunko and we did service opportunities and and we had speakers that came in and gave us lots of , lots of practical advice . That some of it was homemaking related , some of it was like helping us budget our time and our money . And again , this was in the early nineties . I don't even know if they have these types of organizations now , but it was . It was a lifesaver for me to find that that friend group in person .

Allison Weeks

I mean this was before the internet . I mean the internet was around .

Roan Johnson

Oh right , no , I didn't know what the internet was . No , not in 1991 . I don't think it .

Allison Weeks

Right , I think it's a . I think I don't think there's as much of that as there used to be . I had a similar organization , a couple of things I was able to be a part of when I was in that same place around the same time , but now I think there's less of that , but it's still out there and I would just encourage listeners to . I love how you said you know you just got involved , you took advantage of the resources that were available to you . This organization for the spouses , which that sounds amazing .

Allison Weeks

You got it , you know you , you did bunco you , you know you find something because it can be very lonely , especially if you're full time homemaking and you don't have children yet or you have small children . Right , find , find the resources that are out there available to you . We talk a lot about , you know . Go to the library story time that's free and that's where the moms hang out . Go to these different daytime meetings or organizations within reason . Obviously , you have work to do at home , but I think sometimes we they don't . It's hard to think outside the box , especially if you're dealing with loneliness and you just kind of feel like , oh , there's just nobody who's going to relate or understand .

Roan Johnson

So I'm glad you mentioned that .

Roan Johnson

Well , I will say I did the same thing again when we moved . So we lived in that town for nine more years while my husband was doing all of his training . And then we moved here in the year 2000 and it was a brand new town and I didn't know anybody . So I with that , not the first year because I wasn't homeschooling that first year , but that next year I did join the homeschool organization and I just started going to the things . If they had a cookie party , we went . If they had a you know history event , we went . And over that first year I met a core group of ladies that I'm still friends with , you know , 23 years later . So I do encourage my daughters as they're , as they have moved , as they have moved different places , to just find something you know , a group of moms . Like I said , the library is always great . I did that too .

Allison Weeks

Yeah , okay , cool , all right . So I know that you

Priorities & Challenges

Allison Weeks

enjoy organizing things and I'm assuming time is one of those things that you enjoy organizing , so let's talk about that . What are some practical ways that you managed your household over the years ? What worked well and what didn't work well ?

Roan Johnson

Okay , list and a planner I am . I'm one of those list-makers . I write things down every day and , yes , I will write something down if I did it , so I can get off . I can get off , yes , but I found , though , through the years that that routines is what worked better than like specific time increments . So I I would make a list and I just kind of like to work through things in the same order every day . So when my children were young , that would be like breakfast chores , bible time , you know school subjects . We tried to do our school in the same order . I tried to rotate through the children while others , you know , someone would be playing with a younger one or playing it working independently .

Roan Johnson

I tried to serve meals , you know roughly the same time that we have the markers . We had rest time . After lunch we had the five o'clock tidy . Every day May not be at five o'clock , but that's what I always called it . So that that was a practical way I managed .

Roan Johnson

The home was just having some order and the predictability of the order . Of course , if we had a outside appointment or something , you know that would interrupt that . But I do the same today with my task , like with my house cleaning . I have an order that I like to to clean my house and I start at the top and work through , and some weeks I can get through it in four days . Sometimes it takes me two weeks to get through the list and then I'll just , you know , start over . But the other thing that goes along with those routines is inside our pantry door . I had like a command central and it wasn't fancy , it was just paper that I printed out . But I had all of the . I have my husband's work schedule . He works somewhere different every day so we have that up there so I'll know what days to pack his lunch .

Roan Johnson

I had all the practice schedules for the kids . I had seating charts for our van because , listen , it was a thing , anything that could be argued over . I made a chart so it rotated , rotated every week , and so at first it was like who gets to sit by the baby , and then it was who has to sit by the baby to give them the pacifier or whatever . But I had a seating chart that rotated . I had a checklist for my leaving the house things .

Roan Johnson

If we were going to a sports practice had a checklist so the older kids could help me . All these things have to go in the bag . I had a checklist for our church bag . If it , like I said , if we had to make a decision repeatedly , I just assigned it a rotation . And a little fun fact on all of my charts from my children my younger children were little was Leah and Sam shoes . I cannot tell you how many times I would get somewhere and I think , oh my goodness , the baby does not even have on shoes and I would run into our general and buy some shoes . So I started putting that on all of our on all our checklist Leah and Sam shoes .

Allison Weeks

Okay , so command central on the back of the pantry door . I'm trying to envision what this look like . I'm a practical , like visual person and if somebody wants to know how they could implement this in their house , okay , how did you do that ?

Roan Johnson

Well , I tried to make it look cute . I laminated some pretty scrapbook paper and like covered the back of the door and it was laminated so I could tape the things up . You tape them and remove them . And the reason I didn't have just one master calendar was it was just too much to put on a square and I needed to see about three months at a time and so , like I said , my husband would have two months of his schedule and it's very complicated and very tiny print and it was to be too much to copy . So I would have probably six pieces of paper .

Roan Johnson

But I also had the kids chores . We tried every chore system that's out there . We have tried and they've worked . It's just I would get tired of one or they would get older and the needs would change , so the most recent one would just be eliminated . Checklist , and I guess I'm sure I have a picture on my blog when I did it . Yeah , I tried to document all of this . Now I still have it . It still has the work schedule . It has my son's cross country meet schedule .

Allison Weeks

Very cool .

Roan Johnson

It doesn't have his chore chart anymore . He pretty much knows what to do , but it's there .

Allison Weeks

Maybe we can dig up some old photos from your when you were in the trenches days and from your blog or something . Yeah , I'll look for something we can put that in the newsletter , because that's a really I love that system . That's great because you , you're right , you can't when you're , especially when you've got a large family . So you're talking seven people that you're trying to manage all the things for that little they get . You know the wall calendar typically has a square . Maybe you might get one that's got a two inch square .

Roan Johnson

Right , and you can only see one month at a time , and sometimes I needed to see more than one month .

Allison Weeks

Exactly , exactly . That's a great , really great tool . All right , well , let's move on to special challenges . So you said , I know you have at least one to share , so let's talk about your special challenges in home making and how'd you work through that and what did you learn and how'd you grow ?

Roan Johnson

Okay , Well , I have two sets of challenges and they both are health related , and the reason they were challenges is during those seasons I really could not do any home making , so I considered that a pretty big challenge . The first one was during each of my pregnancies , and what I alluded to earlier was my husband and I decided that we were ready to start a family . So when he graduated school , I turned in my notice to to not go back to school because I was hoping I would get pregnant and I did not want to have to break my contract you know the middle of the year . But as it turned out , I did get pregnant and I was very , very sick and there is no way that I could have worked . And I meant to look up the pronunciation for this . It has a name , I think it's hyperemesis gravidia . It means nausea and vomiting all day , every day .

Allison Weeks

Oh , my goodness .

Roan Johnson

And I had not heard of that . I did not have any friends that had that and when I faced it the first time I really did not know what was wrong with me . But I quickly learned the pattern with each of my pregnancies . It started like clockwork at week seven . It would start to ease off around week 15 or 16 and usually by week 20 , I didn't throw up anymore , but it was debilitating and I could not do anything and it was hard for me to explain to some people .

Roan Johnson

You know , I was playing tennis when I first pregnancy and the girl called me . She said well , are you not coming back ? I said I cannot . I said I cannot hold my head up and she said I don't understand . I played tennis . I was seven months pregnant . I said I'm sorry . I said I cannot hold my head up . You know , but for whatever reason hormones , I have no idea my doctor kept thinking the first time oh , this is a fluke . And then the second time well , some people have this twice . But then we learned it was it was going to be every time . So the challenge was , like I said , I couldn't do anything . I had to go , stay with my parents . The more children I had , the more guilt I felt because there were more people to not take care of . I wasn't able to , you know , be the wife I wanted to be , so really , during the pregnancies I've now , I know lessons that I've learned , but I really I couldn't grasp any lessons . My only prayer was thank you , lord , for another day .

Roan Johnson

I know I'm closer to the end you know of this and I would , of course , be grateful for the reason that I was having a baby , but I , you know , I can see now the lessons I learned a little bit of letting go of the control and letting other people help me , but it really was just a bad , a bad time .

Allison Weeks

Oh my gosh , I can't even imagine . I can't imagine . At least it wasn't the whole pregnancy Right ?

Roan Johnson

Yes , it didn't feel great after that , but it was just that low level of eakiness .

Allison Weeks

Yeah , you're just throwing up constantly , like you were the first part . Yeah , it was just anyway , oh gosh , okay , bad memory . That is a big challenge , so probably the best lesson you could pass on to someone who's either got what you had or is just dealing with regular morning sickness and all that is to let other people help you and lower your standards a little bit maybe .

Roan Johnson

Yes , I did , and I , like I said , I had my parents and my father-in-law . With the last two pregnancies , I had some teenage girls that would come over every day . So , anyway , my second challenge I actually I feel like I learned more from it wasn't as it wasn't a repetitive challenge , thankfully , but in 2012 , so I guess that would be about I don't know how many years ago 11 and a half years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer , and I was , I was , I felt like I was very young , I was 42 . And so that was a surprise , and at first I didn't have any physical . You know , I didn't have the physical impairment that I did with the pregnancy , but it was just the first half of that . The anxiety just kept me from being able to do my homemaking . I was just consumed with the unknown and just test procedures , biopsies , et cetera . I was very blessed though it was found very early , and after all of that period of about a month of that anxiety , I ended up having a double mastectomy , and so then the second part of the challenge kicked in , which was the physical that I was not prepared for .

Roan Johnson

This was during the season , while I was running and training for the marathons and so I was in pretty good shape and they said it'll take you at least six weeks to recover and I thought , oh no , I'll be fine in a week . But I wasn't , and so that was hard . Again , it was just letting other people do things for me . I had by this time I'd had many years . My younger child was six , so I had gone six years without having no pregnancy . So I was pretty good at helping other people and taking most people and sending cards and helping out . But until those things were done for me , I really did not realize the impact that that has , of course , now we have .

Roan Johnson

During this challenge I had people texting me and sending messages . I had my blog then and I just that was . One of the lessons that I guess was reiterated to me was how important it is to help other people in need and how impactful a card is . I would get texts from like a friend maybe I haven't seen in 10 years with scripture , and , of course , the meals and all the practical things helping with the children . None of my children were driving at this time , so taking them places , letting them stay with them , anyway . So I really I feel like I would learn more lessons with this challenge . And the biggest one of all I felt so I'm not sure the word , the power of prayer , was made so real to me . I felt when I had all the anxiety I really I could feel the peace . I could kind of feel it turning from anxiety to peace and I know that was because of all the people that were praying for me . So I'm just encouraged now to do even more for other people and it really upped my game in that .

Allison Weeks

That's a good testimony to that . So you were at the time . You said none of your kids were driving , so they're all home . You're still homeschooling through all of this . Yes , Right and wow , I can't even imagine how did . How did you manage that ? Did you ? Were you , do you do any kind of co-ops ? Or were you just having people help you with the homeschooling , or how did that work ?

Roan Johnson

Well , the oldest one was 17 and she didn't have her license yet . She just didn't . But most of this happened in . It was like February , march , april , may , and we did what we could up until I had the surgery . But then I just said , you know what we're done , my high schoolers kind of finished up their stuff and we just we just finished the school year early . I think that the next , that next summer , we probably picked back up in July , but I did not do a co-op then . But the little ones were six and eight , so it was okay . We just finished up our math and I I did a lot of read aloud so I was able once I , you know , got my strength back , I was able to read you know , and keep that up .

Roan Johnson

But I was going to say something about , oh , and I had to have another surgery in October and so that it what the recovery wasn't as long , but I knew , I kind of knew that was coming . So I think that that summer , I'm pretty sure we started our school back in July . We just had our break , you know kind of springish on summer , and then we took off some time , you know in October , for me to recover . But I think , having the older kids , they were able to , you know , cook and clean and and I did have a housekeeper during this time , owning off probably probably about half the time I've been a homemaker , when the children were little and all homeschooling , I did have some help . So I had someone coming in once a week and at least cleaning the main part of the house , so that was very helpful .

Allison Weeks

Yeah that , I'm glad you said that , because I think sometimes I'm watching the younger generation now and they are like ooh , doing all the things , and I just want to give them permission , Like it's okay to have some help , right ?

Roan Johnson

You know , just right right , I feel guilty about that , but I had to have it .

Allison Weeks

A lot , a lot of them do . When I was doing the home schooling and the homemaking , I had a housekeeper , I think , like every other week come in just to hit the because for one my schedule , I was basically doing two jobs . I was doing my homemaking and I was homeschooling . That's two jobs , Right . And then we were always home , Right . So it's extremist because everyone is there all the time and cooking three meals a day and anyway , I just wanted to throw that out there . You don't . You don't have to be going through a cancer recovery , but you know it's okay .

Roan Johnson

Right , oh right , oh yes . I wish I still had a housekeeper and it's just me and one kid at home .

Allison Weeks

Well , thank you for sharing about those , those challenges . How about

Hospitality

Allison Weeks

hospitality ? I would love to hear how . First of all , how have you invited your kids into participating in homemaking with you ? Because that's kind of I see that as a hospitality to the people that live with you . You're inviting them in . Let's make a home together .

Roan Johnson

Right , I really just tried to include them in our everyday life . I really we didn't have formal cooking lessons . I did formally show them how to , like , clean a bathroom , you know , or how to iron , but mostly I just kept them nearby when they were little . Whatever I was doing , I had them nearby and I was holding clothes , I would give them a little washcloth to fold . I do the same with my little granddaughters Now , if I was cooking , I would give them something to stir when I was cleaning , you know , give them a cloth , and so really just by just participating , and everybody had chores every day and , like I said , we had the five o'clock tidy every day where we always , you know , work together cleaning things up .

Allison Weeks

Yeah , what is . Why don't you talk about that ? What was the five o'clock tidy ?

Roan Johnson

Okay , the five o'clock tidy is the main area of the house . Everybody just picks up all of their stuff and we just have the counters clean . You know , when we had toys on the floor , you know the toys clean your shoes , your jackets . I actually did it before lunch too . I really didn't like the clutter . But the five o'clock was the main one . The idea was behind it . Behind it was you know , daddy will be coming home soon . We don't want him to break his neck when he walks in the door .

Roan Johnson

So I always said time for the five o'clock tidy , and it may be six o'clock or four o'clock , and also I throughout the day . If I found things that belong to each child , we would put them in there . Each kid has a laundry bucket which is just a dishpan with their name on it , and so they part of the five o'clock tidy was to empty your laundry bucket , and so when kids were helping to clean up , they would , you know , find a toy or a book . They would put it in each kid's bucket and if I don't lock , everybody puts up their laundry bucket that has laundry and stuff and , yeah , just kind of reset the home before the evening meal .

Allison Weeks

Cool , that's a great system . I like that a lot . So what is a practical way that you showed hospitality in your homemaking ?

Roan Johnson

Okay , I want to talk about birthdays . Okay , we I like to celebrate all the holidays , but birthdays I think it just kind of grew over the years . But the night after everybody goes to bed I like to decorate the table for the next morning for the birthday person and , depending on the age of the child and their interest , I've done like an American girl doll table . I would sneak in their room and get the things I would need to decorate . Or I've done Legos , or last year for my husband I even do it for him now too . I did a Mississippi state themed table cause his birthday's in the fall during football season , and so I would . Sometimes they would have a gift that went along with a theme and I'd put that on the table , or I would have their gifts wrapped . I wrap all the gifts in the like in front of the fireplace .

Roan Johnson

As they've gotten older , the decorations have been the gifts cause I really don't have a theme for a 17 year old boy , so I just tried to get plates that match the wrapping paper . So when they get up in the morning , the tables all set and they would always choose what they wanted for their breakfast , and so I'd cook the breakfast and we'd open the presents . Since they were homeschool , we always had the day off from school on a birthday and my husband most of the time was able to get that day off from work , so we would just have a day off and this was a big deal . When the kids were little , all your siblings would do your chores for the day .

Roan Johnson

So you'd have the day off for chores and we have a lot of pets , so there's a lot of pet care or taking out trash or whatever . And then for a second meal of the day , I would let them either choose a restaurant that we would go out to for lunch or supper , or they may ask me to fix a special meal and then I would have a dessert . So that's the main way . They've really looked forward to that . I even do it when you're grown . If you're home on your birthday , I will make you a birthday table .

Allison Weeks

Oh , I love that . That is a great tradition , Really awesome . Okay cool . Anything else about hospitality ?

Roan Johnson

Well , I can talk about hospitality to others , or are you ready for that one ? Yes , well , we say that we run the Johnson Hotel . We were always up to hosting guests . We host visiting preachers , their families , people that happen to be traveling through , sometimes alone , sometimes their families . I host teen Bible studies , family Bible studies , baby showers , waiting showers and , over the last I guess , 10 years , lots of college students , lots and lots of college students . Sometimes it's been maybe groups of three or four college kids passing through , and twice and we have this for the third time upcoming next month I've hosted a college cross-country team which is about 20 or 23 people that's my biggest , hosting A lot they say you're hosting them overnight .

Roan Johnson

They're saying four nights this year , oh my gosh . And the past ? They've stayed two or three . Well , they love the Johnson Hotel because I guess we live out in the country and I forget that a lot of people grow up inside a neighborhood or a town and I guess they just feel like it's fun to be out here in the woods and we have my son built a rock wall and we have four wheelers and a trampoline and woods and trails , but mostly food . We have food for the college kids but I will say that's my favorite , that's my favorite age .

Roan Johnson

I've learned to host as college kids because you don't have to supervise them , because they're adults , so I can go to bed if I'm tired . I don't feel like I have to talk to them all day and I love hosting all ages of people . But sometimes when you have someone your age or older , I feel a little more pressure to make sure they're okay and get them coffee and that's fine . But a college kid , really food . They just want food in a place to lay their head and wash their clothes . I always wash whoever's clothes or hair if they need me to wash their clothes and a couple other things we do . We have a Christmas party for my husband's extended family , so everybody helps to bring the food and we can have 70 people for that sometimes , and then , for I guess , about 20 years , we've only had to miss two . We've had an Easter egg hunt and I had about 400 to 500 candy filled eggs for all the kids to come and find . So so , yes , those are some of the things that we do and I enjoy it .

Allison Weeks

And it has . Well , I can tell the way you're talking about it . Oh my gosh , 400 to 500 eggs , oh , that's a lot . You know what I'm thinking ? I'm I'm thinking that's a lot of hiding places to figure out , like well , a lot of them I just throw .

Roan Johnson

We have a big field area and we kind of divided up between little kids and big kids and little kids they're just in the grass . But we do have a prize egg that may have like $5 in it and I do have to think of a really good hard place for that . Yeah , yeah , they're mostly they're in the same place every year , but different kids , you know different kids are looking for them every year .

Allison Weeks

Yeah , yeah , this is awesome . And you've almost answered this next question , like how does homemaking help build community ? I love that you love the college age , because that is such a good way to build community is to just love on those college kids , because they may not get a chance to go back to their homes . They may not have a one to go to , you know but , how else would you say that homemaking helps build community ?

Roan Johnson

Well , I thought about that and I think that having a home that is , you know , warm and inviting , I think it gives people like a sense of belonging . They can . I like for people to be able to relax and be themselves and , I think , just to have that interrupted time just to spend together , because if we can spend time together then we can , you know , share , have time to share burdens , you know , to get to know people , and that takes time and if you know , you know , if you know people's dreams and you know their difficulties , then you can encourage and help them and I just think the home provides a place , you know , just for you to be able to let your guard down and and strengthen those and build those relationships .

Allison Weeks

Yes , absolutely

Seasons of Homemaking

Allison Weeks

. I totally agree . Let's talk a little bit about homemaking seasons . What would you say is your most difficult transition has been your most difficult transition from one season to another throughout all the years you've been homemaking .

Roan Johnson

Okay , mine is going to be the summer of 2017 .

Allison Weeks

Okay , we're getting specific .

Roan Johnson

I am , because it was the transition of all of my children , you know , being Well they , someone had gone to college , but this is when everybody started getting married . So this was the transition . So what happened that summer of 2017 was , in June , one daughter got married and she moved overseas . And July , the next daughter got married and she moved 11 hours away , still in the same country , but far away . And then , in August , my son went to college 12 hours away .

Roan Johnson

So , really , once the dust settled and everybody was gone , I was just , I was just blindsided , just for that . It just seemed like we just shrunk . You know , all of a sudden , and during that summer , and I guess the spring leading up to it , you know , I was just preoccupied with the preparations for the showers . We had three graduations one graduated bachelors , one graduated associates , one graduated high school . You know , in the two weddings and when it hit me , I just I just mourned and I would , I just cried and cried and I just missed them and I was so happy for each , each person . I was happy for my child , my girls , that they were getting married , and I was happy for my son because he was , you know , getting to go off to college . But I call it happy , sad . You know I can be happy for them and their excitement , but I was sad for me because I missed them so much .

Roan Johnson

But thankfully I did have two more children at home , which my husband reminded me of , and they were probably had been a little neglected , you know , during that busy for three or four months , and I just , you know , started focusing on them and just said , well , now we're a family of four and , you know , for practical purposes , from day to day and so , and then , as far as the , I did have a lot of worry . You know I was worried about them , the one that moved overseas and the one that moves so far away , and they're married , and then , you know , my son , and so that Philippians four , four through seven , has always been ingrained in my mind , but I probably said it , you know , several times a day about . You know , don't be anxious for anything but prayer and offer thanksgiving , and then you know , peace of God will come . And so I just I just clung to that verse and and prayed every time I got worried .

Roan Johnson

I would just just say a prayer , you know for that , for that worry , and of course they were all fine they were , they were all excited , yeah , but that was tough . That was tough for my , for my mother's heart .

Allison Weeks

Yeah , so you have one left at home right now , right .

Roan Johnson

I do , I do Okay .

Allison Weeks

So 17, . They are very independent at that point , at least mine all over , absolutely yes . So it's almost like your nest is already empty . So how are you , how are you preparing to deal with that ? Do you feel prepared to deal with that , since you had that big blow , you know , in 2017 ? And then , how , what does your homemaking look like now and what you know ? How are you , what are you challenging yourself with new things and all that ? That's a multi-part question .

Roan Johnson

Right . Well , I am still busy right now because even with the one , I mean I'm still busy . I mean I'm still because he's here . I still cook a meal . Yes , you know , I have a meal every night . I still have laundry and he , I go to his practices . Sometimes I help out . He has cross-country practice or track practice twice a week , and so sometimes I'm helping , but mostly I'm just visiting . And my older daughter that lives here now she is an assistant coach for their team and so I will go and watch my little granddaughter so she can do her coaching thing . So I'm still busy right now and I help out with her . Her name is Olivia . I keep her little girl one day a week so she can , you know , be at home and do what she wants to do or run some errands or whatever .

Roan Johnson

So I also , when my the daughter that moved away overseas , they only stayed gone a year and they moved back , and so that was five years ago . So when they came back , I started cooking Sunday lunch and I had not done that my whole married life because I had all these children and it was all we could do to get to church service . I certainly couldn't , you know , prepare the meal and we would eat out a lot or eat sandwiches . But but five years ago I said I can do this , so I started cooking the Sunday meal and I do most of it on Saturday . I finally got it figured out . I have about five things that I rotate and so I do that and then when my and that keeps me busy because it's kind of in the back of my mind what am I going to prepare this week ? You know , I have to think about what all am I going to do on Saturday ? What do I have left to do Sunday morning ?

Roan Johnson

And when my daughter that moved , one of my daughters moved away last year that has three of our grandchildren , so our table , our Sunday table , kind of shrunk . So since she moved we have been inviting people over from church to complete our table . My table seats 10 , my kitchen table and there's six of us my husband and I , my son and then my daughter , her husband and baby . So we try to invite up to four more people . It kind of helped me with the transition , yeah , my table not being so empty . So I will continue that next year . I mean , even when he goes to college , I'll still have my daughter and her family and the people that I invite and you know , I don't know .

Roan Johnson

I think I'm afraid I'm going to spend all my time cleaning . I feel I there's everywhere , look , I'm thinking , well , that needs cleaning . Well , you know , deep cleaning I mean I do the regular stuff , but I think I have years of deep cleaning and I've got all kinds of things I can clean out and organize . So I hope to find some maybe more productive to other people things to fill with my time . But yeah , I could easily clean for a long time .

Allison Weeks

I don't have . I don't have that problem , but I do think it's . It's been interesting to hear your transitions from one season to the next , to the next and I , I love the paint , the picture you're painting about homemaking as an empty nester . It doesn't have to stop . You know , I had one person email me one time , a listener , and she had just found the show not too long ago and she was an empty nester .

Allison Weeks

And I want to say , you know , well , into her maybe 30 something years of homemaking , and she said you know , I've , I've decided to to still focus on that . And when people ask her , well , what are you going to do now ? I think maybe a childhood the last child had just moved out or something and she said , well , you know , they look at me like I'm crazy when I say I'm going to focus on my homemaking , like that's like not a valid option , but it's . It is because there's so much to do , not just in your own home , but like you're talking about inviting people to your Sunday table , reaching out to neighbors , reaching out to people and helping and serving in other ways . But particularly you have a daughter who is learning how to do homemaking , who has a child , and you're able to help her through your homemaking by providing meals we were talking about this before we started recording and what a benefit that is to her and she's trying to stay home correct Full time . Yes , yes , on a very limited budget .

Roan Johnson

Right , right . So I do think that that is a way that I'm able to help her and my other daughter that lives far away . I did share with you one of the things I've done is by their diapers , which seems small , but when you are a young mother that is a really big expense and that is something that I can help her with . And another thing I just thought about I have this is a small thing , but at my house I keep a little basket of diapers and wipes and a change of clothes and I have bibs and burp diapers . I just have all the things that they need so when they come over they don't . If they forget those things , it's fine , or they don't have to . You know purpose to bring those things .

Roan Johnson

As the grandchildren have come along , I have gotten a new bouncy seat and I have an exer saucer and I still had my crib . I now have three booster seats . But not only does that help when my daughters come , they don't have to bring their whole house , but when we invite families over to have a small child , I have three booster seats . They don't have to worry about where am I going to put my child , and I have a friend who has her daughter just had their first grandchild , and they actually live overseas , but they're coming home next month , and so I took her a basket yesterday . I said this is what you need for your guest bed or wherever . And she was so excited . She's , why didn't you think of that ? And I don't even know where I got the idea , but I gave her the basket and so she was so excited . I said so you just replenish it , and that way your daughter can just can just show up and not have to worry about you know if she brought enough supplies .

Allison Weeks

Yeah , that's . I'm working on that . I'm building up my supplies because my first grandbaby was just born last December and so we have . What do we have ? We have the pack and play . So when he , when they come here , they usually come on the weekends to hang out and eat and swim and stuff , and so they can put him down for a nap and they don't have to bring all that with them . We do have a high chair for him and we've got some toys for him . So we're working on building up our collection because I figured you know I was thinking the same thing .

Allison Weeks

I remember what a pain it was to have to haul all of our stuff with us wherever we went . And we did that because we , when we'd go see my parents or his parents , we we didn't live anywhere close and they just , they didn't have any other grandchildren yet because we're all , we're the oldest and I'm the only child and all that . So anyway , they weren't fully equipped because it would have been pointless for them , because we weren't there that often . So I recall how much of a pain it was to do that and I wanted to make sure that we had everything they need , they needed for whenever they wanted to just do a pop-in visit we had .

Allison Weeks

I love your basket idea , though , to fill that up with diapers and wipes and whatever else your grandchild needs . Yeah , that was a really good tip , really good tip . Um , okay , I wanted to talk about that there because I felt like , when we get to that question and the other , we do have a lot of seasoned homemakers who listen to this show , and I just wanted to encourage them to say you know , think outside the box and think . Think about your homemaking creatively as it extends out from your home . So you don't have a whole bunch of people living under your roof right now , but you still practice homemaking in all sorts of different ways , and it extends to the next generation as you minister to your children and and whoever else God brings along . So that's really good . Thank you for sharing

Q&A: Fails, Wins, Tips & Tricks

Allison Weeks

that . Um , okay , let's do our Q and A section . Okay , I'm going to ask you some questions .

Allison Weeks

I can't wait to hear . I can't wait to hear your stories and answers . Uh , tell me about your worst homemaking fail .

Roan Johnson

Well , I wanted to say almost every birthday cake I've ever made , but that's a long story . I can't . No matter what , I try they , just we've had some , some big fails , but um , I think the really the worst one was burning a chicken . Oh no , I left it to um in a pot to boil and we went to our evening church service . So we were gone probably about two hours and we came back and , yes , the house was full of smoke , the chicken was charred , the pot was ruined and I was trying to think this was about 18 years ago , we had just moved into our new house , and I remember I was just sick .

Roan Johnson

I thought my house is ruined . It's going to smell like this . You know forever , burt chicken . Yes , and I can't even remember , surely , our smoke alarms and all were going off . I've tried to block it out of my mind because I was just thinking I almost burned our house down , almost burned down , you know , our new house . But um , that's probably the worst and I burnt stuff since then , but not , not , not that bad being gone that long , yeah , bad . I put my chicken in the crockpot now to boil it . Yes , yes .

Allison Weeks

Yes , yes , I was the third person in the last two weeks to tell me a burning on the stove story . We're almost burnt the house down kind of situation . So okay , ladies , when you put put something on the stove , don't leave the house . Set a timer on your phone . Yes , Don't leave the room for a long time . Um , cause , that's . That's a whole lot different than you know . Crockpot cooking , Absolutely Right . Okay , how about a memorable home making ?

Roan Johnson

achievement . Okay , I thought about this and yesterday it just popped in my mind . It is the up . You know the movie up , yes , the up . Costumes I made for our family one Halloween . Oh and I'm see I'm not creative but I can copy , you know anything off Pinterest . But it was , um , let's say it was five of us . So my husband he was the old man looked just like him and then I was the house . I used our Fisher price , their big loving family doll house .

Roan Johnson

Like I don't remember , I strapped it to my body somehow , and I got helium balloons , you know , from the florist . So I was the house , and then Leah , my daughter was Kevin the bird , and one of my other daughters made her a costume with all the feathers on it . Well , okay , so maybe not my only achievement , cause Olivia helped me with the bird , but Sam was Russell that was the best of all and made him the arm the little sash thing with all of the badges . Yes , I mean I printed them on the computer , but I did that , and you know , because I didn't make it . I mean I ordered the stuff , but I mean I recreated the costume , but you put it together .

Allison Weeks

Yeah .

Roan Johnson

Oh , I put it together and , yes , it was the best . We have some friends that have a party every year that everybody comes in costume and they do prizes for best group and best individual . Oh , cool , and we've won the best individual for being Russell .

Allison Weeks

So and we've done things through the year .

Roan Johnson

Another good one was my husband and I did the operation game . I was the patient and you know I had all the little things and he even made me a light up nose with a little battery in anyway , but I think that was the best .

Allison Weeks

Oh , that sounds so fun . I love group couples or group unique couples or group costume ideas . Those were the best . So fun , Maybe we can do . You have a picture of that ?

Roan Johnson

I would love to see that I'm on my blog , so I'll try to find all this stuff , yeah we'll try to dig that up .

Allison Weeks

All right , give me your favorite home making hacker tip .

Roan Johnson

Okay , I have a bunch , so I'm just going to say them fast , I'm sorry , okay . One is to strain your baking powder with a little tiny strainer before you put it in your like your muffin mix .

Roan Johnson

I got that tip from one of my daughter's mother-in-law's , but you know the baking soda clumps , yes , and if you just put it through there , yeah , I never knew that until a few years ago . We have a glass shower door and my tip is to squeegee that thing every time you shower . It helps with the buildup . And then I have a laundry tip . This is when everybody lived at home .

Roan Johnson

I had seven laundry baskets and as I had to wash clothes all day , every day , I couldn't do one a week . I mean one day a week , yeah , but as it came out of the dryer I just sorted it by everybody . You know mom , my dad , well , my husband and I shared one , but one for each kid . You know one for kitchen towels . And then later on in the day the kids could help me . Everybody could fold their own basket , or I would fold them all . Sometimes we turn on the TV and have a closed folding party , but that just really helped sorting them when they came out . And then I would put them in their little laundry buckets when they were were done , which during the five o'clock tidy , everybody would take up . I even use those buckets now , but if I get mail for my kids or they leave something here , all of my children still have their laundry buckets here and they know whenever they come to go check it and you know , see what's in there .

Allison Weeks

That's a good tip . I like that .

Roan Johnson

So , and I did have a few more , but I don't know . I think I may include them with the word , with the advice for younger homemakers .

Allison Weeks

Okay , so that was those are great Good tips . Okay , what is a homemaking tool or product that you cannot live without ?

Roan Johnson

Coffee pot . Okay , yeah , have to have coffee , and if our coffee pot has broken , I just go to that day and buy one . I do have a backup . I have a backup .

Allison Weeks

Are you a drip coffee person or a Keurig , or what do you ?

Roan Johnson

I like just a regular . I guess it's drip . We have a Keurig , but I prefer just to make a pot . Just make a pot a coffee . But when a bunch of people are here after we've gone through the second pot , I'll just say y'all do Keurig . I'm not making another pot today , so we do both .

Allison Weeks

Okay , all right . How about your signature dish ?

Roan Johnson

Okay , not fancy , but it's fruit salad and pasta salad . Any potluck or tailgating , or if I'm bringing something to a friend's house , they always know I'm going to bring , without fail , the fruit salad which is just cut up a bunch of fruit . But it seems like none of my friends want to cut up fruit . They say you bring the fruit salad ? I say sure , it's grapes , strawberries , kiwi , apples and oranges , and I even cut up the grapes because so used to feed and toddlers that don't need a whole grape . So , but that's , and I make that for our own family . I probably do it twice a week . And then pasta salad easy , it's just pasta , some Italian dressing , broccoli and carrots , and again , that's kind of the thing that I'm expected to bring ?

Allison Weeks

Yeah , Do you park ? Is your ? Are your broccoli and carrots raw in the salad or do you like cook ? They are raw , they are raw .

Roan Johnson

I like to grade like put the carrots in the food processor instead of having just chunks of carrots , but I just chop the broccoli up small .

Allison Weeks

Yeah , I like that idea of doing that with the carrots because that would work better with the pasta . And what kind of pasta are you using ? It does it's easier ?

Roan Johnson

to eat . I just I use the , is it ?

Allison Weeks

the rotini , the little corkscrew . Yeah corkscrew one Okay .

Roan Johnson

Sounds good .

Allison Weeks

I do . What's your favorite Italian dressing to use for that recipe ?

Roan Johnson

My favorite to use is the good seasoning , good seasons , the package , oh , the package , you know what I'm talking about and you add oil , vinegar , water .

Allison Weeks

You just follow the recipe on the package .

Roan Johnson

I follow the recipe and I put , that whole thing does one box of pasta and I don't measure the carrots and broccoli , Just I just put some in there Okay . Very easy , but expected .

Allison Weeks

Okay , well , that's . I mean , that's your signature dish , that's what you're going to bring , all right ? Well , let's talk

The Art of Home & Titus 2 Advice

Allison Weeks

about the art of home . So how do you see homemaking as an art , and where do you find beauty in homemaking ?

Roan Johnson

I looked up the definition of art and I found several . This is the one I liked . Art is something that is created with imagination and skill , and it is beautiful or and or expresses important ideas or feelings , and I I thought that really sounded like the art of homemaking , because as homemakers , we we create the atmosphere and we maintain the atmosphere , but we also create and maintain the physical space of our homes , and that takes our imagination and that takes our skill . It also takes love and prayer and intention , and I think homemaking is beautiful and we , as homemakers , we are able to express what are important ideas and our feelings about things . We are able to express those to the people in our home , and so for me , that that would be my face and you know my love for God and my love for my family and just my love for people .

Allison Weeks

So yeah , good answer . I like that definition a lot . I might have to get that , get copy that from you and put that somewhere . That's a really good definition If you think about it in the context of homemaking especially . So what's something about homemaking that you're thankful for ?

Roan Johnson

I am thankful that I get to do it . I really am . I'll tell my husband that a lot . I just say thank you for letting me , for providing me with a life that I love . I mean that I I'm just so thankful I get to do it . I realize that not everybody can be a full-time homemaker and I'm so grateful that I can and I , I have encouraged my girls , you know , to do the same , to make it work . However you can , and they're doing that , and I just , I , just I just think it's important work . It's messy , it's hard , it can be heartbreaking , it can be lonely , but there is there's no , no other career that I would want to do . There's nothing else that I would want to be doing than what I'm so thankful that I get to do .

Allison Weeks

Yeah , I want to talk to the other women before we close and I'd love for you to give a word of advice or encouragement to the younger homemakers who are coming behind you .

Roan Johnson

Well , I think the first thing I'd like to say is to acknowledge that homemaking is hard . It is hard work , it is a good work , but it is hard . But just because it's hard , it doesn't mean that you're not doing it right or that it can't be done . It's just . You know , it can just be hard , it can be tiring , but we don't need to tire of doing it . You know we need to keep on keeping on . You know we don't , we don't need to grow weary and doing good . I think . I think gratitude has a lot to do with helping us through the hard work of homemaking , because it is . It's a . Most of what you do is unseen , unnoticed , not really not appreciated , because people don't appreciate you , but they don't think it's just , it's just the normal , you know , for the things to be provided for them in your home . So you may feel unappreciated , but it's not because they don't appreciate it . I just think you're doing a good job . You know behind the scenes , exactly .

Roan Johnson

And so I just want to encourage them that you know . I think that some people think , well , why is this so hard ? I can't do this , but you can , and it being hard doesn't mean that it you know that you're not doing it right . And I I don't remember exactly where I got this tip from , but when my daughter was one , I read , or I would have either had to read it or sing it on TV because she was one . That's all we had , but was to to make a list every day of five things you're thankful for , and I love ideas like that .

Roan Johnson

So I started , and I have done that now for 27 years , and I have gaps , and when I was pregnant I didn't , I had , you can see in my journals there's , there's gaps of like three months , you know , for each pregnancy , but it's nothing fancy . Sometimes it's just been loose leaf paper and a binder , sometimes spiral notebooks sometimes are pretty journal , but I have , I've kept them and I love to go back and look at them because it's like a journal . But I think if you're , you know you're counting your blessings , then you don't have headspace to think of the negative thoughts , because you can't think of both things at the same time and so Grumble and thanks , give thanksgiving at the same time .

Roan Johnson

Right , and the more you find things to be thankful for . You know , just , they just changes your , your attitude . So those are , that's that kind of advice . I did have some some practical advice , if I could share that . Yeah , the first one is breaking down big tasks into small things , and I do that for everything . I set a timer . I love a 10 minute timer . So even if it's , you know , cleaning a bathroom or some meal prep or whatever it is , you know if you can just say , okay , I can do this for 10 minutes , that kind of you know , just work on things a little bit .

Roan Johnson

At a time when I had children that I was feeding in the middle of the night , that was my prayer time . You know , if you think , well , I don't really have time to sit down . But of course , again , when my children were little , we didn't have smartphones , I didn't have a Kindle , so it was just me and the Lord and I spent a lot of , a lot of time praying . We use paper well , we don't now , but when all my children were home , we use paper plates for one meal a day , because my policy was I'm running the dishwasher once a day and so in order to do that we have to have paper plates for lunch or breakfast . So no shame in paper plates . I like to prepare all of my kids sippy cups at night and put them in the refrigerator . Or , if you have bottles , you know anything you can do like that once a day , you know , get it taken care of , popsicle stick chores , or something we did for a long time . I wrote down every single thing that needed to be done on popsicle sticks and put them in a cup and the kid would pick one out and do what the task that was on the stick . And so when the cup was empty , then we were through cleaning or whatever . That kind of made it fun and that way you know you weren't doing the same thing . I told him you can't , you can't put the stick back , you can trade , but I said you can't keep picking until you get one that says , you know , empty the bathroom trash or something easy . Okay , I guess .

Roan Johnson

The last one I want to share is this is just for mothers , children is . We did a lot of practicing and I've told my daughters this too . If we were whatever I needed them to do out in public , we would practice at home . We would practice walking in line , like from walking from the car to the store . We would practice in our house . We would practice this is what we're going to do when we're standing in line at the post office , and we would practice this is how we're going to sit quietly , you know , during a worship service or at a doctor's office . You know clinic , but I did , I did a lot of practicing . So , anyway , those are just some of my tips for younger homemakers and mothers .

Allison Weeks

Yes , those are fantastic , fantastic tips . I love the practicing one , because how are they going to know how you expect them to behave unless you let them ride ? That's really great . I love that . Well , I have one final question . It's not on the thing , oh okay , I know Surprise , so you can take a minute to think about it if you want . But how would you most like people to remember your homemaking ? Like if people are going to characterize your homemaking after you're gone , how do you want people to remember your home and your homemaking ?

Roan Johnson

I think I would want them to feel unconditionally loved and heard , and I think that , yes , I think that I want them to feel , to feel like I hear them and I and I love them unconditionally .

Allison Weeks

That's good . Well , Ron , thank you for being here . It's been a real joy to get to hear all your wonderful ideas and stories and your testimony Really good . Thank you so much .

Roan Johnson

Well , thank you , and I love your podcast and thank you very much for the work you're doing .

Allison Weeks

You're welcome . It is my pleasure . Thank you so much for listening to this homemaker portrait of Ron Johnson . I hope that you have found one or two things that you can take away from this conversation today that will inspire and encourage you as you practice the good work of homemaking in your home . I love her heart for the younger women and how she was so compelled to just remind you all that just because it's hard doesn't mean that it's not worth doing , doesn't mean that you're doing it wrong or that it can't be done . It's tiring work but we don't need to get tired of doing it .

Allison Weeks

I love that quote from her and then her talking about gratitude I think was such a good reminder that gratitude has a lot to do . This is what she said . Gratitude has a lot to do with helping us through the hard work of homemaking , and her practice of making a gratitude list every day of five things that she's thankful for is a practice that she's done for 27 years . Can you imagine what a blessing that would be to go back ? And she said it is a blessing that she gets to go back and look over those lists and just when you're feeling especially when you're feeling down or a little depressed or finding it difficult to find things to praise God and be thankful for . You could just pick up those lists and just go back through and see a record of God's faithfulness to you . What a gift . I think I'm going to have to take up that challenge and start doing that .

Allison Weeks

It doesn't have to be fancy , like she said . Literally , it can just be a spiral notebook from the drugstore . It does not have to be beautiful , just write it down . If you're counting your blessings , you don't have headspace for negative thoughts . What a good reminder . And don't forget to thank your husband . I love that . She said that . She said I'm thankful about homemaking . I'm thankful that I get to do it , and I tell my husband all the time thank you for providing me with a life that I love . So don't forget to thank your husband for his role in allowing you to stay home and take on this work that God has called you to do in the home .

Allison Weeks

Well , that's it for today's episode . I'm going to be back next week with a brand new homemaker portrait of another listener . Just like you , don't forget to sign up for the newsletter , because it's going to go out in just a couple of days , and you're going to want to have a copy of this newsletter because Ron's going to be sharing with us some recipes . I'm going to record all of the top tips and takeaways that we discussed here today from Rowan , and there's a lot of them . I also also have some photographs of those fantastic costumes that she came up with and you don't want to miss seeing those because they are darling and she really did a fantastic job . So Halloween's right around the corner and if you're scrambling for ideas about maybe some costumes to put together for you and your family , you'll get some inspiration in this week's newsletter .

Allison Weeks

I promise you Say thanks for this content . Like we talked about at the beginning , there's actually a support button down in the description box of this episode . You can also go to theartofhomepodcastcom slash support for all the different ways that you can support the show . All right , that's it . Until next time , keep practicing your art of making a home .