Off to the West

Painting, chickens, and babies!

2010-07-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

Here's the color, folks...

Since photos don't work so well in that area of the house (less natural light), here's a link to the Behr sample swatch online

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhc/R-202181670/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

I almost went one shade lighter (it was called "Bleached Denim", and let me tell you, it looked blueish on the swatch, but battleship gray on the walls. This paint color looked more blue, and it sure is lovely on the walls. It makes the trimwork "pop", and looks wonderful with the tile flooring. NICE! :-)

We've got a mirror solution for over the sink. And *may* have a new light fixture up sometime this weekend (if El Husbando can get a mounting bracket for the antique light fixture "cover" built and installed properly...). I am probably going to get a new sink/countertop combo sometime in the next month--the local Home Depot has a sink on their clearance rack that would fit, matches perfectly, and has been sitting on the clearance rack for 3+ mos now...so hopefully it will last another couple of weeks and I can go in and get it around the end of the month. I need to find a new faucet, though, that I like and can afford...lol.

I am not sure if we'll have the valances and curtains up before the family visits this next week--I can hope so, but not 100%. We've sold a couple of our meat birds to some friends, since they were butchered, and we'll hopefully be seeing some cash flow in from those. When you think $4/lb, five birds, and the smallest was 5.5 lbs....wellllll....that can add up fast.

I still have 11 birds here for us (we lost five Friday to heat stroke/complications of the high heat and low winds). One is actually in the soup pot..as El Husbando and the children like chicken soup. It is just too hot for me to be craving soup at the moment...lol.

And, in some very interesting "news of the weird"..our broody hen that lost that clutch of eight eggs, had two of the three eggs she was sitting on, hatch this weekend. Yeppers, folks. Eggs that I didn't *think* she could have sat on for more than 5 days, hatched. Definitely full term chicks, though. So while I don't know precisely *what* happened, or *how*, I am pleased nonetheless. Two little fluffballs to add to the home flock? Nothing to be displeased at, there. Just hoping that they are pullets. :-) More layers, you know.

Other than massive quantities of housework, though, and some final painting in the family room, I am going to be doing the 'chicken with its head cut off' routine...with family possibly arriving on Monday, I want to get as much done as I can as fast as I can (and yet, here I am on the computer). El Husbando has a couple of days off and so he will be attending to the yard and such, hopefully, getting it into better shape. I will get to do some finish mowing on the front and around the trees and such out back once he is done...

But whew. Done with the meat birds for this year. Got to get the turkeys bigger, for this fall. And hopefully coddle these latest hatchlings along til we get them grown enough...

Hope you are having a great week, everyone...

Well, the mudroom is blue

2010-07-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

Actually, a very deep blue. Darker than I had originally thought I would like...but it does look good with the white trim and almond flooring (actually, kind of the colors here on Blogger, when one is typing up a post!--coincidentally, of course, lol).

I've got the new towel ring up (it will come down for painting) and I need to spackle and get more paint for the bathroom and mudroom (and hallway, maybe). But we'll see what I can get done, and when.

The kitchen ceiling light looks SO much better than it did before (both the "bare bulb" look, and the oak surround are far inferior to this...seriously). Just some cleaning, and some ORB spray paint. 20 minutes. Seriously. Makes a world of difference...And the room looks so much more "finished" (even though it is far from it) than it did before.

Now to get the lights in the hallway taped/papered off and painted, as well...and the walls. Etc, etc.

If I could "just" find a light for the mudroom and the bathroom, and a countertop/sink combo for the bath...

Ah, well, it will all come together in bits and pieces, it may just take a while. :-) I am sure you all know how that goes!

For now...

I must be high...

2010-07-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

From spray paint fumes, that is. Between using a high gloss white to spray the ceiling in the kitchen (to cover an "oops" of my darling husband's involving a pressure cooker and pinto beans), spraying around the main ceiling light fixture, finishing the spraying (outdoors) of some fixtures for the mudroom bathroom, and deciding on/spraying the color I am using on my thread rack ($1/yard sale--holds something like 63 spools of thread!), and small wall-mounted corner shelf ($1/yard sale)....well, I've been a spray painting fool today. Yesterday, I taped off and sprayed a ceiling light fixture (because removing it from the ceiling would have required my husband's assistance, and he was not home), the larger oak-finish surround for the main light in the kitchen (which since everything else is going oil-rubbed bronze, and there isn't a bit of oak in the room, it was simply a matter of time), and I got the first few coats of ORB sprayed onto the bathroom hardware (a simple matter, really).

Hopefully, today will see the kitchen light hooked up and covered for the first time in a loooong time. Its been hooked up, but working sporadically (we got a new ballast for it while running errands this morning, and El Husbando is changing it out as I type)...so it will be nice to have reliable (if not completely agreeable to my tastes) overhead lighting.

After that, I'm hoping to have the bathroom hardware put up (taking the old down, first, of course), and God willing, I will paint some of the sample colors I got today on the walls in the mudroom and the adjacent bath. Then we'll see.

OH! And I found a perfect lace panel curtain for the mudroom bath window for a $.25 at a yard sale yesterday, and boy, is it nice...Definitely better than the nasty dollar store forest green monstrosity that had been hanging there since before we moved in...not having anything else to take it's place, and knowing that this is the one bathroom that people outside *can* walk by and see into the window, well, it seemed prudent to wait til we had a better option than "naked window"....Now to get the valance up....That'll wait til after the painting is done in there, though, just in case...

Today is El Husbando's last day off for this week, so we are hoping to get some mowing done as well. We'll see what time and energy allots for. Tomorrow is the Peach Festival here in town, and we're looking forward to heading out there tomorrow morning early--to avoid crowds and heat. I got a good majority of the mowing done earlier this week (probably about 3/4s of an acre's worth), at least, the finish mowing, not the brute/crude "chop it down/back with the brush hog and the tractor"...

I figure, I can finish mow with the push mower in the very front, and the areas we really need to walk through regularly, as well as the parts he cannot mow with the tractor. The rest of it is up to him. And Mr. John Deere :-) .

But I'm getting there, folks. Hopefully I'll get two more of those small ceiling lights taped off and painted this next week (brutally hot that close to the ceiling, it seems), as well as getting the mudroom painted. Well, I can pray on that. It won't take much, given the real lack of wall space. It will just take a final decision on my part, and a trip to town, as well, to get more than the "sample" size of paint....assuming I make a decision, that is. :-)

Folks, pray I can get all of this work done quickly...we've got some family coming in on the 27th, and I'd really like to have as much of this done as is humanly possible, between now and then...well, pray I can do it and not have a breakdown in the process...lol (we just found out yesterday morning that they are coming...for sure...and when).

Til later...

Mudrooms, snakes, and a sheet cake

2010-07-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Not much in common there...lol...figured it might get your attention! :-)

To answer Therese, from the previous post, a mudroom is (typically) a space at/near the backdoor, where the family can come in, drop the nasty stuff, and go into the house clean. In a home like mine, there is a completely seperate entrance for the mudroom. Some mudrooms have the laundry facilities and a bathroom right there, so that dirty folks (muddy booted farmers, soaking wet children, etc) can come in, do their business, and head back outside, without leaving a trail of icky sticky black clay, puddles of water, or, worse yet, sometimes both. We were very blessed that this house had one--a seperate entrance near the backdoor, laundry with cabinets overhead on your left, a small closet for the hwh just past that...the bathroom is on your right, and has a shower, but no tub. There is a small, open closet with shelves, where I keep my cleaning supplies and larger items like my 22 qt electric roaster, crockpots, etc...as well as the paint and painting supplies I need for the rest of the house. There is tile on the floor, and that makes clean up much easier.

One article I read some years back, referred to a particular family's mudroom space (much nicer than mine, btw) as a "decontamination chamber". They had even made the bathroom fully tiled floor to ceiling, and put a drain in the middle of the floor, etc. Nice tile, as I recall. They wanted to be able to wash their dogs indoors, after a walk through the rain/mud outdoors...

Now...snakes...we *had* a hen that had gone broody and was sitting on eight eggs. But sometime overnight, a snake ate all of the eggs. Dang it. I was really hoping for another addition to the home flock. Try, try again. Big Momma is still broody, but in a different nest box. :-(

Sheet cake...yum. Cake. I like cake. I like cake ALOT...but in small doses. The husband called last night, and asked me to make a cake (nothing fancy) for him to bring in to work this afternoon, as the shift he is currently on, is planning to make dinner there...he decided to bring a dessert. So I pulled out my handy dandy copy of the Pioneer Woman's The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. Figured I ought to get it done this morning, while it was still cool....definitely a wise idea around here in the summertime, folks. Smells DIVINE...

Here's a link, if you would like to try it.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_chocol/

It sounds like it might be more difficult, but it really is not. Oh, and YUMMMO on the topping. Small pieces, folks! SMALL pieces (of course, I will undoubtedly eat mine while drinking a Dr Pepper, so the sugar rush should be complete!). And yes, the recipe for the topping and the cake itself calls for almost a full pound of butter. But oh my goodness gracious, this stuff is goooooood. Take it to the church social good. Bring it to a girls' night in with your friends. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream for the family. But it is definitely a keeper. I've made this one before, and it never fails to please...it is simple enough that I will likely let my 10 yr old up and coming chef make it herself next time (with adequate adult supervision, of course).

No painting going on right now--I managed to get the rest of the front yard mowed yesterday, and today I am hoping to get the weed whacker going (I cannot figure out how to get the string out so I can replace it--one of those "He had better show me how" things...).

Hope you all are having a great day!

Whew!

2010-07-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I've made a decision on the mudroom paint. It is going to be blue. Maybe. Probably. Something in the denim family. Kind of the "my husband's favorite pants, after a couple of years of wear. :-) Maybe a bit darker than that (more of the "My husband's *new* favorite pair of jeans, fresh from the retailer--but the same size/style etc as his previous and now worn out pair"). But you get the idea. It will, unfortunately, require a couple of different samples, undoubtedly, to get the right shade (given the fabric I intend to use on the windows), but we will see how many. And yes, those sample jars? DEFINITELY a good idea. Saved me a TON of trouble--as I wanted to paint the family room blue, originally...and after painting some sample colors on the walls, changed my mind! :-) It also helped confirm which shade I wanted in the master bedroom (still not painted, but it is better than nothing!)....

I have, however, gotten *most* of the family room done. It is still a work in progress--I have to move the two, very heavy on their own, bookshelves--and all of the *many* books on them. Most of those books are heavy, too. Joy. That and the stack of bags of outgrown/out of season clothing of the girls/boys/whomever, that need boxing up and put away, but the rubbermaid totes have to be purchased (will hopefully be starting on that on Friday). Basically, about 4 feet in each direction, from one corner of the family room, and about 2-2 1/2 feet on one wall, next to the fireplace. But we are getting there!

Right now, though, the focus is on mowing--again. Rain rain rain rain and what do you get? No chance to mow for about 2 weeks. And that equals a lot of trouble. Especially with nice grass in the yard (kept well fertilized by free-ranging chickens, geese, and a duck...!).

Speaking of animals, we have added to the home flock--originally, it was 6 turkey poults and 9 ducklings, but something (not sure what) was able to get into their somewhat secure nursery coop, and make off with several of them. So we are down to two poults, and five ducklings. Not too bad, but it will make for some expensive turkeys come Thanksgiving (assuming that they make it that long, of course!). And, our one hen who seems to go broody every 2-3 mos in spring/summer--is sitting again--two weeks into this round, as of tomorrow. So, by the middle of *next* week, maybe we will have some new babies. We can keep our fingers crossed. Homehatched babies just seem to do better...

After I get done with the family room, I have a lot of furniture projects to work on--a bed for the master bedroom, desk for my office space, two chairs for the master bedroom, hopefully a coffee table and a mirror(to be turned into something else--either a bulletin board or a chalkboard, not sure which!)...I'm also looking for a couple of larger pieces for the family room, but those will be long-term keeping my eyes open for the right piece kind of thing...I'm sure you know what I am talking about.... It has to be "cheap", but well made, and somewhat accessible to me with my vehicle availability and geographical ties...we'll have to see how long it takes me...

I do hope you all are having a good summer. It is too hot to say "Delightful"..land's sakes, its awful (raining so often, with heat in the 90s...no. Too hot). Our garden is limping along as best as it can. Hopefully, we will have a break from the rain so we can get out there and work some more....pray! :-)

Projects begun...

2010-06-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever started a project and gotten halfway through, looked around and thought, Oh mercy...what was I *THINKING?!*...well, I'm sure 99.9% of us have at one time or another...

My current hurdle is my mudroom. Oh, I know I said I was going to paint the family room first. But the paneling behind the washer and dryer (an icky greenish faux wood "Blecchy" award winner from the late 70s) was screaming at me and put me on my last nerve.

I prime (Zinsser works wonders to eliminate the inherent blechiness of green faux bois! ;-)). That was yesterday, involved moving the dryer and front loading washer (those suckers are heavy!)...all while actually doing laundry and keeping tabs on the gruesome twosome (now three and in.to.everything.EVERYTHING!!!). The big ones (#s1-3) are at Vacation Bible School this week, at our wonderful parish (Totus Tuus, a program run/put out by the diocese of Wichita, is a wonnnnnderrrrfullll program, and if you can get one started where you are, GO FOR IT!).

I primed for hours, and the fumes, dear ladies. I had a pounder (even with windows open and the vent fan running in the adjoining bathroom. Oh my...I cannot imagine having to prime anything else...whew...

Today, 24 hours later, I was able to get started with the next layer. OIL based paint. Now, aside from the expense (I had no idea it was easily 2xs the price of latex, did you?), I have heard that it stinks, takes forever to dry, etc, etc. Well, my experience so far says it smells FAR less than the aforementioned primer (whewww, Zinsser's needs to come out with a low-odor version!), and while it doesn't dry terribly quickly, it *is* drying.

Now, before you get all "WHY did you use oil-based!?", let me remind you that our home was owned previously by a contractor. And he used oil based on the paneling...and the cabinets....and the trimwork...throughout the entire house.

Fortunately for me, I was able to use his discount at the local SW, and got my gallon for contractor price, not for standard retail (if you know a contractor who uses SW paints, see if you can use their number when you are buying some on your own--saves $$$!). ANd after I got the paint on the paneling, I went around and did touchups throughout the rest of the house...whew.

But I've got soooo much more to do. I've been spray painting (outside, better ventilation and definitely better dry times with the sun and wind we've had), and I've got some things ready to go up on the walls in the mudroom once I get the paneling dry enough. I'm going to be starting on some of the ceiling light fixtures, etc, as time passes. Tomorrow is the older children's last day at VBS, so we will be back to "normal" life next week. Which is good, and bad. Its been nice to be out and about earlier in the day, but honestly, I *like* being home.

I'll hopefully get some "after" pics once I get the things on the wall. I didn't take any before, sorry. :-) I did think about it, but honestly, between the bad lighting, and just bad paneling, it was NOT something you wanted to see. Looks MUCH better now.

Of course, now I get to paint the regular walls in there, as well as work on the family room. I'm going to be painting the trim in the family room as well, as I go--for some odd reason, the trimwork in there is all wood stain...while it is painted glossy in every other room (wait--except for the office, but that is a room all on its own, not open to other public spaces). I haven't figured that out. As if they just decided "Okay, we'll put high gloss white here...and here...but good golly no, we'll put WOOD trim in the family room...yeah, I know you can see it from the kitchen and dining room, and it is the first room one walks into...but who cares!?"

I care. It *will* be changed. It seems (especially with the deep window wells we have) to absorb the light coming in--of which there is not much to start with, what with overhangs and porches and the like. Anything I can do to lighten that room up, the better!

Hopefully, you all are staying cool where you are--its been in the mid-90s for the past few weeks, and while some things are enjoying it (corn...flies...tomatoes) other things (me. Me. ME!) are not. :-)

An interesting weekend

2010-06-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend, the family made our first trip to Texas....Dallas/Ft Worth to be more precise.

While I think if I was going to go shopping, I'd love it...I don't think I will ever go back. There are simply WAAAYYYYY too many people...way too much congestion and traffic...and while I am sure it is a fine place, in its way, I can shop online, thank-you-very-much. We moved here to get away from such....'stuff' (traffic, large population centers, etc).

Anyway, that was my weekend. Hot, dry, and definitely something I don't care to repeat anytime soon. We did visit with some great friends, which was the only *good* part about it. But I don't think I will be encouraging any returns to Texas any time soon...

Blech!

That being said, I am trying to get caught up around the house, and online, as well, and found this http://www.c-fam.org/publications/id.1641/pub_detail.asp article and website. Very interesting, even for the non-Catholics out there. These issues should, to my mind, concern all people, Christian or not. But most especially, the Christian faithful.

Anyway, that was some of the morning's gleanings from my email inbox and other assorted online reading. I've got a ton of laundry to do, housekeeping (general) to do, and plans to make for the rest of the week. Fortunately, I have an understanding husband, and he specifically told me to *not* do anything outside today. After a very long, hot, weekend, he wants us to stay put inside today...thank goodness...

I have devised a better plan for getting my walls painted...and will be working on that late this week and early next week...one that doesn't involve me trying to paint around two mischievous three year old boys, who are entranced by any open paint can...lol...

Til Then...

Well, it didn't quite make it.

2010-06-04T09:01:00.001-07:00

Not much of my plan got accomplished yesterday. Cake and dinner, yes. Mowing, no. It turns out that the mower needs a new fuel filter very badly, and chokes up almost immediately. Joy. ANd the painting couldn't get done, because the washer and dryer were going all. day. long. And the boys were up. Ever try painting with *one* three year old? A good, sits still and doesn't do much more than drive cars/play with dolls three year old? Yeah. I don't have one of those. I've got two of the "swinging from the ceiling fans the moment mom's back is turned" types. The kind who dump the entire container of sugar (just over 4 lbs worth) onto the kitchen floor. The kind who get the raspberry jam and eat it straight from the jar. Yes. Those kind. Even better, when I am cleaning up the mess from one boy, the other one is off making yet another.

I realize that that makes it sound like my home isn't child proof. Or that no one is paying any attention to what is going on around here. Wrong on both counts. Contrary to popular belief (and my children's sworn statements), I do not, in fact, have eyes on the back of my head, super-hero level hearing, and psychic abilities. I do, in fact, have a pile of garden and animal chores, housework, and other things that do, from time to time, distract me momentarily from the children's whereabouts.

I realize that this is a problem. Short of installing a velcro wall, and making some velcro pjs for the boys, I am in what one might refer to as a "spot". I can work for about 3-4 minutes, and then I had better go make a run through the house to see where they are, what they are doing, and what they did in those few minutes. WHich leaves my project in a vulnerable state....free to be manipulated, folded, spindled, mutilated, stapled, you name it, and they can do it....by said three year old duo. Or even one of them.

Its a tiring life. But a good one. Keeps me on my toes. Keeps my blood pressure from mellowing too much. Keeps the kitchen floors clean (that's for sure). I know that there will be years down the road where I can get things done...where I can have nifty little things on lower horizontal surfaces...and I will look back and long for the days of Mr Clean Magic Erasers, when I wore an apron with pockets big enough to hold anything and everything I can pick up off of the floor, throughout the day...but right now, I think I'd just settled for a few days where I can paint and craft in peace. LOL. Once a month.

Ah well. I've got a good life.

Thanks for the birthday thoughts for my husband. He had a delightful dinner of hamburgers (his choice, btw)--homemade, of course--and a rich dark chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. He got some nice shirts he can wear for work and the entire Bourne saga on dvd. I've never seen any of them (these are the new ones with Matt Damon in them), so watching the first one last night was quite a treat...we're planning on watching the second one tonight, so it will be a fun night...assuming that we don't have something happen between now and then, of course! LOL.

I do hope that you all are planning on a nice weekend--something around the house/yard/garden, maybe visiting with some friends. We're going to be super-busy, trying to catch up in the garden and yard (new belt on tiller, new fuel filter for the mower, and we'll be all set to go). Then maybe I can get some things done in the house...hopefully, I will get "something" photo worthy accomplished!

Til then...

Big plans, folks, big plans...now, SHHHHH!

2010-06-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Don't tell the husband, but since tomorrow is his birthday...and I'm an incredibly bad gift giver...I'm working on the house instead (okay, he gets a movie (DVD), dinner of his choice, and dessert of his request--chocolate cake with chocolate frosting).

Painting, to be precise. I've got some yellow...and I'm hoping against hope to be able to get "something" done tomorrow while he is at work. There's so much furniture to be moved, it will make for an interesting day, to be sure. On top of keeping dueling three year olds out of the paint can, tray, and out from under foot.

I'd also really like to paint the paneling in the mudroom, the same color as the trim and the cabinets (a creamy white). But we'll see. There's not a lot of paneling in there, but there the washer and dryer to contend with--and you know how heavy those things can be...

But trying to do both the family room (huge), and the mudroom...AND make dinner and dessert, welllllllll....I'm pretty sure it isn't going to happen.

I can pray, right? ;-)

We're finally able to mow again. Got about half of the front western quadrant of the yard done, when the mower 'quit'. Hopefully, El Husbando will be able to get it started again this evening so #1 can finish that quadrant today. Pray hard, lol.

I've been managing to get some things done around here-nothing an outsider would notice, of course, but little things like cleaning out the bathroom cabinets, reorganizing the mudroom closet, etc, etc, etc. You know the drill. Keeping things clean is hard enough, finding time for other projects is a whole 'nother thing to add to the list! :-)

Today I spray painted two picture frames. One will be made into a tray, the other into one of those nifty French memo boards. The tray will end up in my laundry room, the memo board in my bedroom office corner, on the wall. Assuming I can ever get the paint/walls painted, lol.
On top of preventing the demise of one or more three year olds, making sure everyone ate two meals (it is still midafternoon), and that three of the five children hereabouts took a nap before their father comes home...wellll...it has been an interesting day.

Lets hope that tomorrow is totally uneventful, I can get my projects done and finished and myself cleaned up in time to be fresh and perky for the birthday 'boy'. :-) Hopefully, I will get some pictures up as soon as I can get things on the move...lol. You know how that is...

Til then, wish me luck!

So much for the day's "To Do" list!

2010-05-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well, that 30% chance of rain last night turned into about 2 inches dumped on my yard and garden. Which nixes any and all chances of getting anything done in either place today. Weeding and (more--its a nearly every day item on "The List") mowing were on the agenda...but we're restricted to the routine animal care, and indoor chores. Nothing huge, just more of the usual "homekeeping" (seriously, y'all don't want to know about the cleaning of ceiling fans, the range hood/vent, and the constant removal of one or more of the three year olds from the kitchen counters, do you?).

I do have a few decorating 'items' on the list for today, at least, preliminaries. Some I've already taken care of, others, well, they are longer term, more 'involved' projects. We'll see how they turn out and the reception that they get around here from TPTB... ;-).

Even though today is a federal holiday, El Husbando is having to work...at least he will be making holiday pay...kind of stinks, though, with him being a vet, but, we'll deal. We've missed holidays before, birthdays, Christmas, etc. Not fun, not desireable, but it is "life"....

I do hope that you all are having a great Memorial day...

More later (hopefully with some garden and house photos)

ARGH....and the garden is growing...

2010-05-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Well, sorry for the extended blogging break there. My shoulder has really been acting up...apparently, the nerves in my back/shoulder don't care for a stand alone mouse, rather than the integrated one I had with the laptop (still needs a power supply and some other minor repairs). I have had this problem before, but not in years (coincidentally, it stopped about the time I got my first laptop. Hm, wonder if there is some connection???). It kicked up as soon as I started using DH's pc (and stand alone mouse). And it gets aggravated by vibrations (ie, lawn mowing with a push mower, distance driving, etc). So I've been in pretty much a constant state of low-grade pain during the days, and higher level agony at night.

It makes sleeping difficult. Fortunately, the only thing that lets me sleep is a muscle relaxer...ugh. I hate taking pills, but my back/shoulder 'pinging' all night doesn't allow for restful sleep, not at all...

So I've been trying to limit my time online, as well as my time with the mower/doing yard work. Tonight we're going to do some work in the garden, and more tomorrow morning while it is still cool. It has been close to 90, so between heat and humidity, doing anything out of doors after about noon is downright uncomfy...

But, the heat and humidity are good for the garden, which is going great guns now. I've got one complete and total FAILURE...my two rows of heirloom Hutterite Soup beans. Not ONE bean came up. Had *no* problem with any of the other beans, so I am not sure what the problem is...if it is soil/moisture/depth of planting...regardless, we will be planting something else in those spots...Gotta have *something growing there.

The tomatoes are popping blossoms out every which way...the peppers are limping along (totally unimpressed with them this year, unfortunately), the potatoes started to have a minor problem with the beetles like they did last year, but we caught it early enough, we hope. Sprinkled them with some Viper powder (good stuff!), and that tends to put them off of the potatoes.

My lettuce and spinach (planted late) are just now really coming up, and there's not much of either of them showing their heads. Not sure why, but that's the way it is. LOADS of carrots and onions allllll over the place. Corn is doing well, too...we're planting some "Lazy Housewife" climbing beans and squash/zucchini around them this weekend. We're also planting some more cukes, pumpkins, and melons, and hilling the potatoes. God willing the timing works out...

El Husbando has to work on Monday (which, him being a vet, really stinks), but at least he gets holiday pay...gotta try and find the bright side, right?

I lucked out at some garage/yard sales, lately, and scooped up some good deals for the children and the house. Hopefully, I'll have somethings to photograph and put up here. Most of them are low-cost, but trying to keep the costs down and the projects moving along...y'all know how *that* is, I'm sure...

We're working on some raised beds for perennial herbs and asparagus, as well, but those are long running outdoor projects...lots of scavenged material going into building those, let me tell you!

The birthday party went well, and there was much rejoicing over the wonderful books and delicious cake (a lemon-raspberry concoction she requests every year). Just finished the last piece of cake yesterday, as a matter of fact.

I do hope you all are preparing for a productive, wonderfully restful weekend...

I'll be posting more as time/my shoulder permit...

Back again! And a contest!

2010-05-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

We've had a week of rain, and then, last night, we got slammed with a nasty storm. Fortunately, once again, the worst of it went around us (not by much, though, to the south it was a matter of less than 15 miles). But I am not going to complain. I did get all of the mowing that didn't get done before the week-long rain fest hit, taken care of...just in time to get rained on last night. We're suppppposed to have another week or so of good sunny hot weather, so that will dry this up pretty quickly. I hope! I need to get around the garden with the mower, as well as weed that out very well...not to mention, finish mowing the backyard. 2 acres of yard takes a looong time with a push mower, that is for sure...

This weekend, we have the last of the children's birthdays. We do the "pick your dinner, pick your dessert" for birthdays around here. We're having hotdogs, macaroni and cheese, nacho cheese doritoes, and mountain dew. With a lemonade layer cake, with raspberry jam filling, with lemon frosting. Wish me luck. LOL.

Hopefully, we will have enough dry weather today and tomorrow, that I will be able to get to the yard 'stuff', and then move on...I have so much to get done around here, it isn't funny. It's that old saying, There are three things--time, money, energy. You generally only have two. And it is never the same, lol.

Right now, I've got time and energy, but no money. In another week, I'll have money, but no time OR energy. LOL Maybe the energy, we'll see. But I can almost promise I won't have the time, what with getting caught up outside...

In better news, speech therapy seems to be working for the boys, so thank goodness, we actually are getting some words out of them. YAY! They did just turn 3. It'd be nice to get more than NO out of them every now and again...

And, for all of you ladies who like a contest, my good friend Rebecca, over at Shoved to Them (www.shovedtothem.blogspot.com) is having a contest from now through next Wednesday (May 26th). An $80 gift card to an online retailer is nothing to sneeze at folks! Annnnnd you can get two entries if you publicly follow her, AND if you blog about the contest...nothing unusual there...

ANYWAY, folks, head on over to Shoved to Them, and give the contest a go. If you win, let me know. No, no "finders fee", just a comfortable sense of satisfaction knowing that someone went there and won that (even if it wasn't me! :-) ).

I do hope you are all doing well...I'm trying to keep up with the blogs as weather and circumstances permit, but you all know how that goes...

BBL!

I'm sorry...so sorry...

2010-05-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

For the extended hiatus from blogging...life sometimes smacks you upside the back of the head (think of SA Gibbs on NCIS)...

We've had four birthdays, a wedding anniversary, a death in the family, a washing machine failure/repair, a septic system we thought was going to need $1100 worth of repairs (only needed $50), the usual stresses and strains, putting in garden bed after garden bed (we've got about 3400+ sq ft of garden, maybe more), new chicks (more coming)....

Yeah. And on top of all of that, EL Husbando's job has reverted to its much less liked, shift hours and that has meant much familial upheaval hereabouts.

In any case, I am sorry for the long break between posts, but I hope to remedy that. :-)

At the moment, the children and I are playing a waiting game with the weather. It rained hard Sunday and Monday, and so the yard and garden are neither one good places for us right now. As I mentioned above, in my "mea culpa" above, we have put in a garden again this year. So far, we're a bit more than halfway planted...the rest is going to beans and maybe another row of potatoes...but nothing exciting.

We have tomatoes, peppers (Sweet, bell, and hot), corn, beans (two kinds thus far), pumpkins, watermelons, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, onions, carrots, potatoes...We're planning on putting in some more beans, squash and zucchini, another small row of potatoes, and some more cucumbers, pumpkins, and watermelons in succession plantings. Maybe even an annual herb bed...but we'll see...

Right now, of course, we're waiting on the ground to dry enough to walk on, much less work! We do walk around it and take peaks to see what is working and what isn't, but for now, all we can do is look.

We got 37 meat birds in mid-April, and so now they are right about a month old. Our broody hen hatched out a single baby again this time, who has already been named Pepperoni (the children call it Peeperoni, in tribute to its older sister, Peep, who is about to become a full fledged hen any time now).

We've also got some turkey poults and more ducklings on order for the middle of June...whew...

It should be an interesting summer, to say the least!

Inside the house, not much has been done, what with all of the goings-on (and nice weather) outside. However, I've hatched a couple of smaller projects which will be good for days like this one, when I need "something" to do that doesn't require me being outside. Blech.

My computer died late in March, and I've just now gotten on to El Husbando's and decided to make a blog post to fill you all in on things here...

Hopefully, I will be able to be a more regular correspondant than I have been of late....do pray we can fix the computer soon...I'd much prefer to be using an integrated mouse instead of the free standing one with this pc...makes my shoulder hurt rather badly...

Thanks for hanging in there..back soon!

Spring has sprung

2010-03-23T11:02:00.001-07:00

Wow...in spite of the rapid onset snow storm we had this weekend (which did not, fortunately, drop the anticipated and predicted 6-8 inches on us), we are definitely in the midst of spring. We've spent the last two days cleaning out a chicken coop (still not even half way done, as the bedding was very wet and difficult to move after the blowing snow/rain of two days prior), cleaning up SuperCow and Willie Boy's manure from the yard proper, and putting all of that onto the house garden, which El Husbando kindly broke for me, last Friday.

The cows are actually doing a pretty reasonable job of keeping the grass down in the yard, which is a nice bonus...of course, they also discovered my small clump of iris....and ate it down to the rhizomes in places. Iris that were quite well leafed out, too. I am....well, disappointed. God willing, they will grow out again, in their new, protected area (I had EH put out some t-posts and some heavy metal mesh fencing, to keep them from getting to the vulnerable plants).

I have discovered one very nice part of the cows being in the yard...manure collection is *much* easier. Instead of having to tramp over 8 acres of pasture, and having to work *much* harder, I get to wander about the yard in a somewhat orderly fashion, cart in tow, with my large pitchfork....I got three decent cartfulls today. Didn't do anywork on the coop--I figure I will tackle that some more tomorrow, after giving it some more time to dry out a bit....

Tonight is the night that EH starts a new work schedule. It is most unfortunate that he has to go back to shift work, but we are blessed in that he has a job, with the economy the way that it is going..

I made an experiment this morning...EH, while he enjoys the money savings of the homemade laundry soap, has not been too thrilled with the scent (citronella-ish). Alright, I thought, I will try something different...

Here is my recipe link for the laundry soap I make. I use recipe #1, and double it. I also use it for my dishwashing detergent, and it works very well..especially with white vinegar in the rinse aid cup (cheap, and it does a great job--who could ask for anything better?)...

http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

Having gotten to the bottom of the large 5 gallon bucket I use for storing the laundry soap in when doing laundry and dishes last night, I knew that this morning held a soap making chore...so I got started on it as soon as breakfast had been cleaned up from. This ended up working out very well...since I had to grate the soap, I started the inital "soap melting water" on the stove, and threw chunks of grapefruit rind into the water, to hopefully extract the scent....then I proceeded to grate the soap, and made the soap as usual. While I am not sure about the scent yet (the soap is still warm and setting up in the laundry bucket), it sure did turn it a pretty orangey-pink color! I will hope for the best. I only used one grapefruit this time, If there is a change, but not enough of one, in the scent, and EH likes it well enough, then I will make sure to use two grapefruit rinds next time.

After the laundry soap, it was time for housework, and then the yard clean up. EH made a wonderful lunch, of a wilted lettuce salad, with a dressing we made for the first time last night. It was quite delightful, and we're definitely going to add it to the family repetoire.

Here's a link for anyone wanting to try it:

http://www.bigoven.com/158575-Wilted-Spinach-Salad-with-Warm-Bacon-Dressing-recipe.html

This is a good low carb dish with a lot of flavor....definitely worth adding to your list of things to try, if you're trying to lose weight and are watching your carbs like I am....

Yes, I am back to carb watching. I have PCOS, and should be doing it all the time (basically, PCOS means I need to be eating Atkinsish for the rest of my life...in conjunction with other alterations to my life. I love my desserts, but I'd really like to be able to have a decent skirt size. So if you would please pray for me? As much as I enjoy being in better shape, I also enjoy food, and that makes any sort of dietary changes uncomfortable, at least.

I'm also revamping how much (okay, how little) exercise I was getting, so I'm going to be doing a good bit more work out of doors--which is natural enough with it being spring, and God willing, we'll be able to get the garden in soon. We've got more rain predicted for Wednesday night into Thursday, and I am praying for very minimal amounts...we've just got to dry out some more...it is hard getting the cart into the garden, for dumping the manure and bedding, as it gets stuck in the mud and muck, if there is too much of a load in the cart...and yet, it isn't worth it to just haul a little bit.

Our latest chicks will hopefully be arriving in about another 3 wks. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will be healthy and that there will be no more cold snaps. We will be keeping them under the brooder lamps anyway, for a little while, until they are big enough to handle normal temps. But the less time that that takes, the better, obviously enough.

With SuperCow and WillieBoy still doing their regular escapes into the yard, I will have plenty of opportunity for manure gathering this spring, and that will be good enough work for me, at least once a week or so. Upper and lower body. :-)

We are finally over the stomach bug we had been graced with a week and a half ago, and of course we did not go camping...or paint the family room. Or do much of anything else, except prepare for the "blizzard" that only slightly appeared in our vicinity (I think we ended up with an inch, max).

So, hopefully I will be able to get to the painting sometime this spring. EH's job schedule will be switching over to days, come the first of May, and so I will hopefully get a chance to do it then...good weather permitting, of course.

For now, though, just trying to keep my spirits up (I was shocked at how many grams of carbs there are in a single Almond Joy candy bar...sigh), and hopefully lose a little weight in the process of getting the garden up to speed...

And, to add to the project below...

2010-03-18T16:15:00.001-07:00

Gleaned from another crafty lady, here's an idea of what to do with said large frame, when I find it....

http://buzzingsofaqueenbee.blogspot.com/2010/03/using-antiquing-polish.html

Now, let's see how much gets done this spring...

LOL

I do hope you are having a beautiful day. The calendar may not read "spring" yet, but it sure does feel like it today, around here. We're supposed to have even better weather tomorrow, and then a chance of rain and some COLD weather on Saturday. Then back to warm weather on Sunday. Don't ask me, I didn't make the weather schedule (otherwise, I'd have a good three week period with no rain right now, just so some folks, ahem, could get their gardens plowed and tilled up and ready to plant).

Yes, our garden plots are still too soft to work. All of them (we checked). Our cows are still jumping the fences. El Husbando is still under the weather. The camping trip was called off due to illness, incoming bad weather (it causes El Husbando's back to flare something fierce, especially on top of driving out there). So, we're all at home. Goodness knows, I'd love a few more days of warm sunny weather, with NO rain..nary a sprinkle.

But, since that's unlikely (please pray it by passes us, please), I'm going to be working on a few small projects around here (God willing I can get to them without having to deal with spiders, mice, or small children getting into the things I've just cleaned/organized/put away...lol).

So, what are your weekend plans? Staying home? Finishing up spring break? Enjoying some family time? Gardening, traveling, or something much more exciting??

Fill me in!

I am SO going to do this when I stop feeling so bad!

2010-03-17T15:53:00.001-07:00

First, go over here:

http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2010/03/guest-tutorial-blogger-taylor-of.html

Skip the wreath thing---not "all that" into wreaths.

But CHECK OUT the tutorial! Oh. My. Goodness.

I won't be writing anything, goodness knows, that's hard enough for me to do forwards, much less backwards! lol..but the reverse image? SO FLIPPIN' EASY!!!!!

And it looks SOOO cool!

Yes. I will do this. Oh, yeah, baby..I've got a HUGE window in the dining room..faces south...lots of light (especially this time of year)....

Shh. Don't tell El Husbando I have to go thrifting for big frames with glass in them. Or about any of my other projects. His health you know (its very delicate ;-) ). He *is* still recovering from the miserable fluish "thing" going 'round.

In case you cannot tell, I feel much better this afternoon. Amazing what some fresh air, sunshine, and a couple of slices of colby-jack will do for you (lots of protein, ZERO carbs, ladies!).

Tis not anticipation...

2010-03-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

Oh, no...

I've spent the morning in bed, and only reluctantly dragged myself out of there just after noon (mostly because DH dragged me out, but hey, he got to stay in there until he came out of his own free will and volition!)

I'm feeling better...but achey and sore and not really wanting to be dealing with anyone or anything.

So that's it for today. I'm sick. Please pray I recover swiftly.

Thank so much...

I'm doomed, doomed I tell you!!!

2010-03-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

El Husbando got hit last night. Which means, in all likelihood, that I am next. My stomach is already not feeling 100%.

Is it the anticipation, or something else?

I hope it is just anticipation...reallly....

The children are doing much better. The girls have been outside in the fresh air and sunshine. The twins are still running around inside, driving me nuts.

El Husbando was home from work today, and chances are, well, I *know* he is going to be home tomorrow...

Just pray I make it.

Sit-rep...or, how things are going today...

2010-03-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

Well, contrary to my thoughts last night, El Husbando and Twin#1 did *NOT* explode simultaneously last night. No sponaneous combustion...nada.

Child #1, however, exploded just after midnight. Fortunately, only a few times, and she made it to the bathroom. She is having a slow day.

Twin #2 is sleeping again. He fell asleep on the carpet in the dining room, and I carted him off. Twin #1 is busy plaguing his sisters in their room.

I am doing laundry and cleaning and otherwise supervising the ill offspring.

Supercow, put back into the pasture this morning, is now back into the yard. It will make the manure removal easier, at least, in so far as getting it and putting it on the garden is concerned. But still. I also need to clean out the coop...still...but we're waiting on that a wee while longer.

Our mouse issue in the feed room (did I mention that I hate mice?) is settling down. The bait packs I put out must be doing their work. Well, I'm all about overkill when it comes to pestilence bearing rodents, so I put ten packs out. Hey, I saw probably 30 mice Saturday night! No, not the same one 30 times. UGH.

Before you ask, yes, the feed is kept "put up". But the little boogers don't give up trying. And, while I would prefer to use a trap and drown them (I am planning on getting one of those "catches 20mice" traps Lehman's sells, bungee cording it shut, and tossing it into the pond for a quarter hour or so...pull it out, dump out the mice, and go on about my day), I do not already have the trap, and would therefore have to wait until I did. Bait traps work better, and more surely. I will undoubtedly need to reapply the bait before too much longer, but I'm trying to take care of it now...

Let's see...what else is going on? If we still have sick children tomorrow, I am going to be cancelling our long-scheduled dinner with our priest, much as I hate to do it. I cannot risk him getting a bug from my children. Not ever, but especially not at this time of year, with Easter so close, and so much going on at the parish between now and then...

If you all could please pray for us, in general, not just about the sickness, that would be...much appreciated...

I do hope that you all are having a good start to your week...

No...not that...anything but THAT!!!!

2010-03-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

Yes.

A stomach virus.

That is one of those things that, when 'going around', makes mothers quake in their pretty slip ons (or in my case, the purposeful, dark, slip ons that aren't so much pretty as they are useful and comfortable).

Especially mothers with "more than the average" number of children...

Why?

Because one child throwing up is bad. Only, start spreading those germs around, amongst 3, 5, 7 siblings...and you end up with a pile of laundry the size of Mt St Helens, Kilimanjaro, K2, Mt Blanc, and Mt Fuji, combined. Oh, and toss in Ayre's Rock (for you Aussies).

Fortunately for us, this bug seems to be taking it slowly through the family.

It started (as these things are wont to do) at 3am. With the 7 yr old. Who, using 7 yr old "logic", decided to head to the kitchen for a dishtowel to "catch" anything, before heading to the bathroom (which was about 10 steps from her doorway...sigh). She didn't make it to the bathroom. SO I was cleaning carpet and little girl at 3 am. Then, one of the twins started up about 15 min after I had finished cleaning up #2 and gotten some laundry started, and slid back between the sheets.

I'm sure you mothers know that sound...that cough. The one that tells you "Forget sleep, Rachel--you can sleep when you're dead, cause you sure aren't going to be doing it *tonight*!".

I heard that one from two doors down and raced to the twins room to find Twin 2 in full 'stomach virus glory", as only an almost 3 yr old can do it. Oh mercy maud...Got him cleaned up, fresh bedding, pjs, blanket, etc...switched the laundry over, and got back into bed...when 20 minutes later...#2 child got to the bathroom this time--but not quite to the toilet. I'd laugh if it was funny.

But cleaning bathroom floors is not something I enjoy at 4pm. Much less at 4am. UGH.

So went my night/morning--whatever you want to call it...a blur of towels and pajamas and washcloths and laundry being switched over and spray bottles of white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and dish soap combination (kills a lot of germs, that stuff), bottles of pedialyte chilling in the fridge for children's consumption later...

Twin #2 is doing okay, as of this point. It was touch and go through most of the day, and after a nap this afternoon (long, and late) he seems to be doing better. Now, it is Twin #1s turn at bat. Child #2 (the seven year old dishtowel child) also seems to be doing a bit better--although she did take a several hour long 'nap' this afternoon. And is back to bed already. I'm praying the other two girls don't come down with it, but I won't hold my breath. They share a room. They share EVERYTHING. Germs included.

And of course, now El Husbando says he isn't feeling so hot.

At least he can change his own clothes and get himself to the bathroom. Whew.

Please. Pray that they are okay. I don't mind doing laundry. I don't mind cleaning up various bodily fluids. I'm a mom, I've already had them either spit on me, leaked on me, or landing on me in some odd fashioned--or heck, just plain old wiped on me...it's not enjoyable, but hey, it comes with the territory. I just don't want/need dehydrated children who cannot keep anything down...ER visits are not my friend (we picked up a really vile stomach bug when we went in once for a broken collarbone--but that is a story for another day). Especially not when chances are, I'd be in there with more than one fidgety child. That's a real horror show for you...

So far, we're holding our own, though, so prayers would of course be much appreciated....

Thanks in advance, btw...

In better news, I will *not* be going camping. Supercow has made it her mission in life to spend time on the "greener side of the fence", eating the yummy short tender 'candy' grass, as opposed to having to search it out in the pastures--which we need to mow, but we need a better tractor set up for that, to be honest. Between that, and the several other animals needing care/attention twice a day, well, there's just no way we're going to ask our friends to come here twice a day to take care of our critters.

This also enables me to get a few things done that I won't be getting done once El Husbando and the children are back home...as El H's job schedule has reverted to a prior, and much despised 'shift" schedule, instead of being normal hours. So he'll be working some really oddball hours, and we'll have to adjust. I have to get everything done that I can, while I can, before that starts back up...pray I can get through most of it....

That's the Sunday Night Update for our neck of the woods. I do hope that there is no stomach bug at your house, and I am hoping I can come on here tomorrow and say "I got a full night's sleep and everyone is bright eyed and bushy-tailed this morning!" (but I doubt it, lol)...

God bless!

A couple of prayers needed

2010-03-11T17:59:00.001-08:00

First off, if you could pray for a small matter for me personally. I'll leave the details vague, but if you would, it would be very much appreciated.

Secondly, for my friend Rebecca, who is going through some awful elimination diet. This is bad stuff, cause she's a foodie. Only, she doesn't *look* like a foodie. *I* look like a foodie (okay, I look more like Aunt Bea, but hey, work with me here). Rebecca looks like a svelte, athletic, mom. Hip. With six children. I know. I'm not aiming to be her (no thanks, but I've got my own "computer geek" :-), but she's a wonderful woman, and I know this is really driving her nuts (at least, Rebecca dear, it is during Lent, not during the rest of the year...). Do pray for her, that the time will pass swiftly. And that there will be some definite conclusions reached.

Okay, I said a "couple" of prayers, but really, there's a long list...

My friend S is expecting her first grandchild, and mom is being induced tomorrow morning--a prayer or two for a speedy, safe delivery would be very much appreciated by the entire family.

For my DCF friends, if you would PLEASE ask for prayers for me, from amongst the prayer warriors. I am still unable to access the site, and I'm not sure when I'll be able to get on there...thanks! :-) Miss you guys!!

For my friend Mary Ann, who has dealt, and is dealing with, so much, as she tries to find a way to "downsize" her home, and her family as they deal with the ongoing grief of great and tragic loss.

For JoAnn...who lost a wee one a little over a week and a half ago...oh so many prayers my dear friend...I wish that there was more I could do...

And for all those, whose prayer needs we do not know...

Please pray...

Thanks...

It was a dark and cool night in mid-March...

2010-03-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

And one of the last babies to be born in the old Womack Army Medical Hospital at Fort Bragg, was born...after 19 plus hours of labor...in the middle of the night...12 days "post dates"...a 7 lb, 11 oz bundle of joy, with her daddy's cheekbones and beautiful olive skin, mommy's dark brown eyes, and a future full of promise...

The nurses all looked at her, and looked at her daddy, and said, "There's no denying this one" (not like he would have anyway)...our firstborn is a 60/40 split of her daddy and her maternal grandmother...

We called her "squidlet" before she was born...afterwards? She was our "Baby Burrito" (only if you have seen an olive skinned, dark haired baby all tightly swaddled up in the receiving blankets by the maternity ward nurses, would you know what I am talking about)...

And today, she turned 10. Mercy, where has the time gone? My little bitty girl...on the verge of young womanhood. Getting taller, more self-assured by the day. She still has her daddy's cheekbones and my eyes...she tans like a dream, and is 'brown as a nut' by the end of summer...swims like a fish, reads voraciously, and is as hard a worker as you can get...

I can only pray that she continues to grow, to be the woman she promises to be, today. When she had her First Communion last year (we moved right smack when they were having them the year before), it was startling to see her all in white, with a beautiful veil on her head--I told El Husbando then, that I'm practicing for the wedding...lol. Yes, I cried. I can't help it. Baptisms, weddings, funerals, now add First Communions (and we've got another one this year! EEK). Something about a beautiful young girl, all dressed in white...sniffle.

So, firstborn, daughter-of-mine, know you are loved more than words can say. Rest in the knowledge that while we drive you hard, it is because your "engine" will handle it...and in fact, needs it. Enjoy being young...you'll miss these days when you are grown and gone...you laugh when I tell you "Hush!" when you speak of being a teenager, and grown up and gone and married...but that day will come far, far too soon for your father and I, and we love you so much.

Continue, my dear one, my sweet little "Princess Lilani", to grow up, learning best how to know, love, and serve Our Lord and Savior. Stretch your mind, and learn, while the learning is easier. Enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, the birds and the trees, while all the world is still fairly new to you...

In the meanwhile, your daddy and I will be praying for you, for your future husband (should there be one, God willing), and your children and their children...

God bless you, my precious girl-kin...

And happy birthday...

Your Mom

Oh--and did I mention...

2010-03-10T08:51:00.001-08:00

I am still without any caffeine?

I made a homemade (from scratch) chocolate fudge pie (baked, not chilled). YUM. But that is not nearly satisfying the need for something dark...cold...bubbly...

AH, I need to see a doctor...Dr Pepper that is!!!

Storms a'comin. Better go before the internet goes down...

Rain, rain, go away--come back in three weeks!

2010-03-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, we're up for some pretty strong weather. At least, that is what the weather men are saying. And it looks it right now.....

It looks as if I *will* be going camping...we'll see. I keep praying. Hard. I hate camping. No. Really. Camping ranks right up there with dental work without novocain. Abdominal surgery, without benefit of full anesthetic (I have experienced this one, and believe me, I am not exaggerating, this is a very true statement).

I HATE CAMPING.

I'd rather stay home by myself, with twin almost three years olds, and a spring cleaning/painting agenda. Going out into the woods, with none of my normal, at home conveniences, with no convenient sleeping room for the children away from the parents, with no safe area to put the twins so I can have 5 minutes to myself...for days on end.

Yeah. That's *real* fun.

NOT!!!

I HATE CAMPING. I HATE ROUGHING IT. IHATEITIHATEITIHATEIT.

Some folks take that "hate it" thing as, well, a slight exaggeration. NO. I would rather be cut up like a Christmas goose again (and feeling it on the right side of my body, thank you Mr "the epidural only took 1/2 way" anesthesiologist!), on a cold operating table, and finally when they realized I was feeling it, drugged me enough that I heard one of the twins crying and thought, oh good, one of them survived. I thought I had died, folks. Yeppers. I'd rather go through *THAT* again.

But for the love of my husband? I will do what he wants. And offer it up as a Lenten penance...maybe one or more of the Holy Souls can use it...I go in to the woods, they get out of purgatory...who knows...I hope we all come out of it a lot.

The main reason, is that El Husbando is going to be having a change in his job coming very soon. Not the good change we had hoped for, unfortunately, but one we had really really really hoped to avoid. It will limit his time with the family severely, and so....I *get* to go camping. In the woods. With ticks. And bugs. And lots of dirt. And no bathtub (for the children, there will be showers for us grown ups). It is time for him to spend with us..before the awful job starts up.

So, here is what the next week looks like around here. I have a birthday, a day in town, come home and hostess a bday party, go back to town (and back), go to Mass, have our priest over for dinner, pack and go camping.

I was really hoping for spring cleaning and painting.

So. Please pray for me. I know I am going to need it. Between being hideously busy, and being stressed about the changes in El Husbando's job, and our family life, and having to go camping--because you love someone more than your own personal comfort and convenience (okay, abdominal surgery with minimal anesthetic, isn't a convenience thing...really).

Lord, have mercy. I think I am going to be in desperate need of every drop of mercy I can get....

Oh. Joy. NOT!!!!! and the facts of life...

2010-03-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

Annabelle (aka, SuperCow) and Willie (aka, Willie-boy) are still confined to the corral. They are permitted hour long, supervised snacking at the hay bar. Then back into the slammer they go.

The rains have not yet arrived. We've been "sproinkled" as some of my children would say...not really sprinkled...but not drizzled, either.

I'm low on caffeine, and El Husbando will have the very important, and sacred, duty, to provide such brain sustenance for me asap tomorrow. Afternoon. After work.

This will make for a very long Monday. In which we have a 90% chance of rain. Thunderstorms. All day.

Did I mention that the cows must be supervised in the pasture? And then prodded back to the corral, as they are unwilling to go on their own, back "to stir"? Yes. Someone will "get" to sit outside tomorrow, likely on the tractor, watching. And waiting...

Today it was Child #1. A good thing she had a good book with her along to read, and fortunately, the cows were not too sure about this brightly jacketed, brightly hatted "person"...so they ate, with one eye towards the tractor and lean to, and the other, on the hay.

Tomorrow, it will likely be me. I don't like the rain. Especially not when it is--again--going to prevent us from getting the needed work done in the gardens. Dang it. It was overcast today, and the Low Front coming through, sent El Husbando's back into spasms of something far less than joyous anticipation. Actually, it was well near "immobile agony". Not fun. For him, or me. It is kind of difficult, to be the "well" spouse, when the other is lying there in a pain you can really only imagine, and wish you could get rid of, forever. Unfortunately, the only 'remedies' available seem to be temporary, and pharmaceutical in nature. Not our first choice, but surgery isn't an option for his problems. Too many years carrying your own weight up and down the Himalayan foothills, jumping out of airplanes, etc, will do that.

Now that I have completely and totally depressed you, let's talk about something *F*U*N*!!!

Painting!

And no, I don't mean a pretty oil still-life (something I hope to take up "one day", when finances and timing permit, lol). I mean, painting my family room. I've known what color I wanted since before Christmas. The same yellow as in my dining room..it is a variable, almost "neutral" yellow, to me, since in some light it is a pale butter, in others, almost a parchment brown...different light sources, different angles, different times of day/year..all play a part in it...

El Husbando and the older three are going camping in another week and a half or so. Nothing too rustic, but fun nonetheless. That's a great thing about homeschooling, btw, is the ability to take advantage of the "off seasons" for various venues/activities.

However, that means it will be just the twins and I...for 4+ blessedly wonderful days...the twins still take naps. And go to bed earlier than their older siblings. It makes for a greater opportunity to get work "done".

I'd like to see about hanging some "mistreatments" a la "The Nester" at "The Nesting Place" (go check her out, she's in my sidebar). I've had the fabric since we moved in (no joke--the day after we got here, the UPS driver showed up, said, "Hi! My name is ______, and I'm your UPS driver...are you Rachel _____?" And thus started a wonderful relationship). I'd ordered the material from Fabric.com, and had it delivered to our "new" address...talk about wonderful. Shoot, I didn't want to bring the furniture in til I had things painted--glad I opted for going ahead with the move-in! (It will be 2 years April 1 since we arrived here).

A good thing about the timing of El Husbando's trip with the children, is that it occurs after my weekend in a large city north of our home, with our eldest--who will turn 10 this coming week. We are planning a day out, just the two of us, to do "girl" stuff, and have some more "grown up" type conversations...some of which is going to center around biological facts she is not 100% aware of, and the ramifications there of--you all know precisely what I am talking about...with this being the first child, well, it is going to be an interesting conversation, as I've not deliberately set down to have one of these before. We've let the questions--and the answers--come as they will...age appropriate, and specific to the question being asked. However, age, and development, requires a more "pro-active" approach now, sooooo...it shall be interesting, to say the least (wish me luck, and pray pray pray!!!).

However, we'll be able to go into genuine, bonafide, CRAFT stores. Michaels. Hobby Lobby. JoAnns. Hancocks. Oh me oh my. I've restrained myself--you have *no* idea how much I love to SHOOOOPPPP!--since we moved here. I have confined my need for the occasional expenditure to reasonable levels, and tried to do it with a plan in mind, either at a yard sale or the thrift stores. I've done pretty well, in that regard, for the most part. However, this is a once in a very rare while (one child? With me? In a BIG city? With *REAL* stores? Catch me, I think I'm going to faint). She will have her bday money. I will have a bit of the Friday paycheck. I've got a few things I know I am looking for already, but we'll have to see if I can find it all, or not. Some of that good museum level putty sticky stuff, to help some platters stick onto the walls over the windows (maybe). Some upholstery tacks (maybe, again). I need some sort of curtain rods, at least in two rooms (the dining room and family rooms are very much open to one another, so I'm taking care of both rooms at once). I've seen several ideas I'd "like" to try, but given time and budgetary constraints, well, let's just hope I get it right the first time!

I will certainly try to remember to post some pictures as I go. Right now, the walls are a very "lait" color of cafe au lait. Not tan, not beige, not white...just some weird shade in between. I prefer the yellow.

That's bringing to mind a whole 'nother train of thought (can you tell I am one of those people, whom you had better hope doesn't shut up mid-conversation, because you know I'll end up down a whole different track from you? ;-) )....

Seriously--I grew up in one of those houses. You know, the sensible ones, where the walls were white, the carpets were beige, and oh my goodness, don't go in the kitchen, you might make a mess.

Now, as an adult, I've had walls that were yellow, green (two shades, striped, and with an opalescent glaze on top of the darker stripes), purple, two shades of blue...yeaaahhhh. That was *just* in the old house! In this one, I've got yellow, and red, that I've put up, a neutralish (but workable) green in the bathrooms, and tan everywhere else. I've not decided what, if anything to do about the hallways (no natural light? needing new light fixtures? Difficult to think about right now). The master is going to eventually be painted a nice dusty shade of blue (works with the material for the windows). The boys' room is going to stay tan (it works with the cowboy theme we're going to be working on in there. The girls...it may be a soft pink, it may be some more blue, or it may go green. I've got the fabric. Just don't have my mind made up yet! LOL.

All of the rooms could use new light fixtures/ceiling fans (if you live in Oklahoma, or anywhere south of the Mason Dixon, you know why these rooms *will* have a ceiling fan to replace the older nasty "antique brass" ones that are up there now--none of that HGTV frou-frou nonsense around here! If you want to strap a chandelier underneath a ceiling fan, go right to it, but there *will* be ceiling fans in as many rooms as I can get them in, in *my* house, tyvm!).

Can you tell I feel strongly about this issue? ;-)

Anyway, there's a lot of cosmetic stuff to be done, but nothing to do, but bite it off one bit at a time...tiny bites, around here. LOL. I wanted to replace the doorknobs. There were 8 exterior doors. EIGHT. The interior doors--another 9. Yes, I said NINE. N-I-N-E. I found some lovely ones, on clearance, in the finish I liked (oil rubbed bronze), at Home Depot. They had the numbers of them I needed. But when you tally up, 9 times $21...and then another 8 times $30...that's a car payment!!! ACKKKK!!!!

So yea, it will be very teeny tiny bites. Unless I can convince El Husbando that mis-matched, pretty girly glass door knobs are the way to go. Or milk glass. Or cast iron. Or all of the above depending on what we can afford. And somehow, I doubt it.

So much work to do, so little time! And money!

Anyway, ladies, what are you house plans for this spring? Enjoying what you have? Renovating? Rehabing what you've got and repurposing things? Chucking it all and moving to a shack on the beach in Tahiti (can you take me? I tan easily, and could get used to wearing a sarong style skirt, very easily, with a linen blouse!--and I like drinks with little umbrellas in them, esp if they are the size of a fishbowl...and have cute names like "Margarita" or "Jumbo Fishbowl sized Margarita". Or "Call Your Husband to Come and Get You Sized Margarita"--Note, I have never finished a jumbo sized fishbowl margarita, although I have tried. And I wasn't driving, so I didn't have to call El Husbando to come get me.

I like raspberry by the way, in case you need to stock up!

LOL

Okay, folks, I'm out of here, I think I've given you enough to read about tonight. I do hope that you all are having a beautiful start to the week...and that *your* gardens are going better than mine is, right now...

LOL

SuperCow strikes again!

2010-03-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

Seriously, folks. This is really getting old.

Yesterday evening, because he didn't want to haul hay, El Husbando decided that he'd pound in a few more stakes, and let the cows loose.

Bad bad idea. Before we went to bed, Annabelle (aka, SuperCow) had gotten out of the pasture and into the yard (remember, I just cleaned up the manure from previous adventures of SuperCow and her sidekick, Willie-Boy). So, now I have more manure to clean up in the yard. Okay, I can handle that. We've got a cart.

We got SuperCow back out of her SuperCostume, and back into the pasture. She's got a jump that an Olympic level figure skater would be proud of, btw.

So, we put them into the pasture, and El Husbando is content to leave them there while we go to town (we passed on the gun show, and went to the garage sale--lots of overpriced antiques--so we passed on buying anything there). We come home, 2 hours later. Willie (sidekick's mild-mannered every day normal persona) is still in the pasture. SuperCow, however, has donned her SuperCostume, and jumped the fence. Again. Only she also got out of the yard, and crossed the road. Sweet mercy, I'm glad it is Saturday (our neighbors with the busy home-based business aren't working on the weekends)...So we (the oldest three children and I walking, DH driving the van with the twins), carefully get her back to the pasture. She jumps the fence back in...and she reassumes her every day persona...Annabelle. The big brown eyed girl. She and Willie mosey on back over to the corral, on their own, where I locked them again. Because, as I informed El Husbando, I was *not* going to spend my day getting that cow out of the road time and again.

I will be hauling hay later.

The rains are still not here, but the sky has definitely covered over with clouds, and we're supposed to get "something" before midnight. The garden soil is still too soft to drive on, or otherwise work, so we're stuck. Again. Waiting for a long enough dry period, that we can work the soil...

Yes, we need to lighten up the clay with some sand. And a truck load really isn't that expensive. But a dump truck (which is what we need) would still get bogged down in the clay, trying to get to where the sand would be best placed. At least, best for those of us who would be hauling it cart load after cart load. LOL :-)

We're adding material as we can, to hopefully help with lightening things up, and getting better drainage as a result. But that takes time. We got here April 1, 2008. We've had two full garden seasons here, and that first year, was *just* ground breaking year. Whew. We added 5 tons of manure and bedding to the soil in what is now the house garden. And added more last year. And we're *still* working on it. Next year, we are contemplating just over-wintering the cows on the house garden so that they can fertilize it as they go, lol. Makes it a lot easier if one isn't having to haul the manure, and just having it put there in the first place!

But for now, we're still working a little bit at a time, hoping and praying we can get a few more things done every month, and trying to get a bit more experience under our belts...

SuperCow, however....she must be stopped. Now that we are sure where she is jumping, she *will* be stopped. It just takes time to get that fence taken care of...and unfortunately, we're in the midst of some serious desem and regular artisan bread making right now (up to our elbows, so to speak, lol).

I'll see if I cannot get some pictures of our brick oven set up taken when we actually do some baking in it today (last night I was a bit preoccupied with our guest arriving, etc, so no pics of the pizzas, sorry! :-( ).

Til later!

A wonderful article on the importance of modesty..

2010-03-06T06:34:00.000-08:00

An online friend (Hello, E!) brought this article to my attention today, and I thought I would share it with you all...

http://www.americaneedsfatima.org/Articles/modesty-of-dress-and-the-love-of-god-an-effective-way-to-defend-the-family.html

I do hope you will read it and that it gives you something to think about...

I have long thought that the way we dress, affects the way we think about, and carry ourselves--not just the way that others treat us...

Interesting to see my thoughts regarding the way people dress for the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, compared/contrasted with the way they will dress for dinner with a potentate...

Maybe it is a matter of great mind's thinking alike? ;-)

No, its a weekend. I do hope that you are having a good one. Our weather is going to turn nasty, the garden has *not* dried out enough to enable us to till (unfortunately!) and so we are putting off the chicken coop cleaning right now. We're going to load the family up, and go to the large garage sale/gun show in town (same venue, different areas).

Maybe I can convince El Husbando take the twins with him? Hmmmmm.....No, I doubt it...lol.

Better run--I've got to get the children set up and ready to go...diapers and wipes and cups and more cups...potty trips, appropriate footwear, and a clean-up of the house, before we leave.

I'm planning on making a post about the brick oven pizza we made here at home last night, but it will have to wait until later today, when I will have more time to dedicate to the task. Maybe while the twins are napping...

Til then dear readers, enjoy your day!

Interesting situations I find myself in...

2010-03-05T15:52:00.000-08:00

Obviously....I live on a farm. With animals. Some of them large.

A few of you have asked "Well, okay. Skirts for dealing with manure, and small critters like chickens, sure. What about the cows and pigs?"

Well, I'll tell you... (insert Monty Python soundtrack..."she's going to tell, she's going to tell, she's going to tell.." for someone who really rather detests musicals, I sure do have a lot of them in my head, don't I? ;-) )....

Cows, pigs, and other large farm animals, are a whole 'nother ball game. A cow that weighs in at 500-1000+ lbs charging at you, with hooves? NO WAY I would want to get my feet caught up in a skirt. That's D-E-A-D! Horses, same thing. Pigs, well, for as big as they can get (we butchered three of them well over 250 lbs) can be *incredibly* fast. And they are VICIOUS. Even gilts (castrated boars)--which is what we had here--will take a chomp out of just about anything and everything. God forbid you pass out, or get knocked out, in a pig pen by yourself. You may very well not come out of there alive. No joke, folks. Pigs are not cute, bumpling Porky Pig...They are large, they are fast, they have very sharp teeth, and they WILL EAT you. Imagine if "porky" grabbed a chunk of your skirt, floating in the breeze...and yanked. Not a pretty picture, is it?

Cows and horses are far more obvious concerns for many people. Being far larger, it makes sense to take those precautions with an animal as large as that. Hooves, horns, and sheer size make them dangerous, and it is important to be able to get away swiftly if need presents (of course, as often as possible, you should take precautions, but sometimes, no precaution will be enough...

There are other situations on a farm, where I would--and have!--worn a pair of pants. Such as, working on my roof, nailing down shingles after a VERY gusty windy night of storms. It was still gusting 35-40mph. This is, after all, Oklahoma. "Where the wind comes sweeping down the Plains" (a musical, btw, I have *never* seen, although I have it on DVD). Nothing like exposing one's self to the entire passage of traffic, in front of one's home. Which, considering that my neighbors run a very successful, very BUSY business out of their home? Um, yeah. Don't need my pretty white "Hanes Her Ways" showing off to the entire world. So pants it was. Not to mention, the kneeling on fiberglass shingles is FAR less than enjoyable, and I don't like fiberglass getting all over my legs. Pants, as much as I dislike them (and even more so, dislike the way I look in them), *do* provide me some coverage in that situation. Tights, or leggings, would not hold up well, and would be destroyed before I got half done.

The main thing, about wearing skirts, is, to my mind, remaining open to the possibility that, circumstances *may* in fact, dictate that at some point, I wear a pair of pants. The work I wore pants for on the roof, would have normally been work my darling El Husbando would have done...except for the fact he was leaving for work when we discovered the damage, and waiting another 8 hours to repair it, was not an option.

There are certain subjects, such as Church doctrine, that are non-negotiable. Period. Ever. Skirts/dresses are not Church dogma. Modest and feminine, yes. Certainly, a fine ideal, and a goal to shoot for. But the realization that everyone's life does not, in all situations, safely permit a skirts/dresses only, ever, stance, is important as well. Christian charity dictates that I understand that while the Church certainly is concerned with modesty and a proper understanding of the differences in the roles of the two genders, the Church is also most certainly not going to tell someone "Women must always wear skirts/dresses, else they be damned to Hell, regardless of their personal safety and well-being". It may be a matter of discipline, in some religious orders, it may be a matter of personal conviction. However, it is not a doctrine of the Church--not even a discipline, and therefore, we must, in all loving-kindness, remember that our sisters in Christ, who are on the same journey we are in this world, are not all at the same point we are. We are all going down the same road, but we have different perspectives on it, and our experiences of that journey, along it, are going to be radically different in some ways, and very similar in others.

It may be, that a given woman of your acquaintance, dresses what she considers "modest" (and many in the world would also consider it such). But you do not. Maybe her skirts are too high (or close to the knee) for your tastes. Maybe she doesn't wear skirts at all (for reasons you may know nothing about). But it remains incumbent on us, to love her just the same, to kindly, and charitably, remember her in our prayers for all the Church militant. Because God is, hopefully, working on her life, the way He has worked, is working, and will continue to work in your own. To pointedly denounce a sister in Christ, for her lack of dressing according to your standards, is not a good thing. It is, to my way of thinking, injurious. What are you showing her (and those who may be privy to your thoughts on her in particular)? Are you showing her a loving, kind, and modest spirit, understanding that her situation is not yours, that Christ may be working with her in an entirely different area than He is working with/in your own? And that perhaps, in time, with a proper attitude of loving kindness, charity, a faithful adherence to a non-judgemental attitude, and above all, JOY! she will come to see a different level of modesty and femininity for the treasures that they are (one not being exclusive to the other?).

It is difficult, because there are times I find myself very much tempted to denounce the failings of others--even if only in my heart of hearts. Like the Pharisee in the temple, who 'prayed', thanking God that "he was not like those others"...it is a wrong attitude to have, and I strive (sometimes harder than others) to root it out. Unfortunately, like all such sinful tendencies, it is extremely difficult to root out. Like Johnson grass (and if you live in the country for very long, you know very well what Johnson grass is, why you hate it, and how difficult it is to be rid of). In some cases, where tendencies are not caught early, it is more like Kudzu (growing up south of the Mason Dixon, I know all-too-well what kudzu is. And how fast it grows (up to a foot a DAY under ideal conditions!). Kudzu was once thought of as the "end all, be all" of erosion control...oh my, how we have learned *that* lesson!

A judgemental attitude on any non-dogma issue, is one that can be JUST like kudzu. We feel justified in our stance (we felt like importing an 'erosion specialist' was a great idea). After all, modesty and femininity are wonderful things, and in this world, we can use all of it we can get--the more modest, the better (Erosion control is needed, badly! We're losing acres of prime topsoil and farmland every year!)! Everyone should know how wonderful these ideals are, and everyone should, if they have any sense at all, 'see the reason' behind a call for greater modesty and femininity in modern life (If you don't use the latest and greatest erosion control 'treatment' on the market, then you're just stupid! A joke! Why do you call yourself a farmer?). And if they don't, well, they are just...wrong! They need to be told, precisely, why modesty is a virtue that they NEED--RIGHT NOW!!! And, btw, they need to accept *your* idea of what modesty and femininty means. Right now. Or they are wrong. Damned to hell, because their skirts are three inches shorter than yours. Because they wear short sleeves in the summer, instead of suffering through 110+F heat in August, wearing longsleeves and 'offering it up'....

None of my readers are like this, I am sure. But I am, unfortunately, equally sure we've all seen the type. The "I'm going to suck all of the joy out an issue, by insisting on everyone doing it my way, regardless of their current needs, their current 'location' on their journey towards (God willing) perfection in Christ, or any other particulars of their individual life (that you/we are very likely not privy to)." I've been around a few. And they *do* suck the joy right out a room...they can suck all of the joy out life itself, by making it seem like nothing more than rule upon rule upon rule...Catholic, Protestant, Jew, or Hindu, it wouldn't matter a bit. People who elevate a non-dogma issue, to dogmatic level, on their own 'say so'? Nope. Don't want to be around them. Try to run screaming in the other direction as quickly as I can, because they have a way of poisoning the happiness of all around them. A pity, because many of them are, in other respects, perfectly wonderful people.

I've been a Protestant. I've been a Catholic. I've seen that 'self-proclaimed authority on all things "X" ' type a few times in both groups. No group is immune. I've seen wonderfully happy Christians, living out their beliefs, as well...I've yet to see one group have a monotony on one extreme or the other...we're all afflicted by this same "disease"...

A return to a greater understanding of our femininty, is vitally important. And with that, a return to a more modest mindset, as to how we approach not just our external lives, but our internal, spiritual ones as well. We are NOT 'the authority'. No one died, and made us God. Or pope. Modesty cannot just be externals. Understanding that we, individually, do not have all of the answers...understanding that where we are on this journey with, and TO, Him, the Creator of all things, is where *we* are...not where everyone else is. Our journey is just that. OURS. Not my sister's, my next-door neighbor's. Not my best friend's, nor my husband's.

And that, dear readers, is that. Concentrate on your own journey. Be supportive of other's journeys. Show them LOVE. Show them CHARITY (in thought and in deed). Remember, we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves...and while love sometimes requires us to point out sin...we need to be very very careful that what we are pointing out is, in fact, SIN, and is not just an offence to our personal sense of 'whatever'.

For now, dear readers, I am off to the inaugural attempt at "indoor brick oven" pizza...but more on that, later...have a very safe and blessed weekend...

Cow flops, chicken bedding, and skirts...

2010-03-04T18:21:00.000-08:00

Now, there are those of you who find the title to be a tad, well...odd.

However, for those of you who are more inclined to the "skirts/dresses only" mindset (I have pants to wear in extreme cases. I've worn them once in two years, I believe), there is a certain sub-current of thought. That farm chores, and farm/country life, are not something that co-exists happily with a skirts only lifestyle, and that to attempt it, is, well, taking one's life into one's hands, risky, and ridiculous.

That, my dear friends, is completely, and totally, incorrect.

Today, for instance...I had some serious farm chores to do--the first real chores of the springtime...

Since we have now managed to confine Annabelle and her handsome assistant Willie, to the corral that they have yet to break free from (and won't, please God!), we had the issue of "cow flops in the yard" to take care. We have, however, a two acre 'yard'. So, cart dragging behind me, pitchfork in hand, I went over the entire yard. Throwing three cart loads of cow flops, into the cart. This is no small yard cart, btw, this sucker is HUGE. Big, big, bicycle wheels. Not, indeed, a cart for a small job...this is a 'manly' cart, as some might say...

Three times I filled it up, and three times, it got emptied onto the garden area.

What was I wearing as I patrolled my yard? A pretty A-line brown linen skirt with ruffles (made of same) on the bias. Pretty, and functional for this kind of work. As a shirt, I wore a nice, coordinating buttondown, white with brown and three shades of rosy pink, vertical stripes--3/4 sleeves of course, with a tailored look to the lines of it...

Before you go "GASP! Rachel! Linen? And a buttondown????"...let me explain something. $1.25. At thrift stores. I very very very rarely will buy a brand new, off of the retail rack, item of clothing (and it is usually underthings). One dollar, and twenty five cents, bought me that outfit. At two different thrift stores. Does it *look* like it cost me $1.25? Um, no. Linen generally does not. Being an A-line skirt, makes it far more workable for out of doors and farm chores maneuvering. And being a breathable, easy care material? Perfect for the warmer temps we have coming on, and the heat produced while one is working hard...

Now...lest you forget the rest of the title...

Chicken bedding. No, not flannel sheets with chickens on them! Silly! Chicken bedding is the straw (or really bad hay) that gets thrown into the chicken coop to absorb all of the chicken manure, etc. It keeps it from simply getting absorbed into the dirt underneath, and so we can clean out the coop at the end of the winter, throw all that delightfully fertile 'stuff' onto the garden plot, till it in, and watch the plants GROW.

We don't have a huge coop, but it was HARD work. With many months, including several very wet, and windy storms (which blows the precipitation into the coop from above, well, we've developed a very hefty, THICK layer of chicken bedding. I got about 1/5th of it out today. The oldest three children got to help haul the bedding out and spread it in the garden (where the chickens were very busily helping spread the bedding even farther afield, as they searched for bugs and grubs and worms and such...). I'd fill up a bucket a wee bit, and one of the children would haul it off, dump it, and meanwhile, I'd be filling a second bucket, and then a third.

All of this, in a pretty buttondown shirt and a nice linen skirt.

Now, did I get sweaty, in spite of temps in the lower to mid-6os, and a moderate breeze? Yes. Do I still need a shower (cause I was working until dinner time, and now I'm too stiff and sore to move myself to the bathroom)? Yes, most definitely! Is my skirt or shirt ruined, stained, or otherwise rendered "unfit for public consumption in the future after a good thorough visit with the washer and dryer"? Nope. They are both still perfectly presentable.

It is possible, indeed, to do farm chores in skirts. Goodness knows, after the chicken bedding, I bucketed up hay and hauled it off for the cows (like I said, they are in the corral), and then bucketed up manure from the pasture and hauled *it* to the garden, too.

The children, the oldest three who worked exceedingly hard today, have bathed and changed and are in their beds. I am soon to be heading there myself, after a very much needed shower.

But before that? My sweet El Husbando is going to bring me a Smirnoff. So that maybe, just maybe, when I go to get up and realize that I have sat in my recliner a touch too long, I won't feel it as much...lol. Doubtful, but one never knows!

Please, ladies. Don't let the feeling that "skirts are just for city girls with no children, who never clean, or dig in the garden, or get dirty or work hard in any way" get in your way of wearing a pretty skirt. Especially if you are smart, and go via the thrift stores, and find some in your size, suitable for you. I only get machine washable things, because of what we do around here, and the life I lead (five small children, numerous farm animals, lots of outside chores? Yep, machine washable it is!). Well, let me correct that--I do have some wool. Which *technically* can be machine washed, just not on hot, and not dryed in the dryer on a heated cycle. But it is spring, God willing I can put my woolens away for the year into my cedar chest, and not see them again til next fall!

Skirts are versatile, skirts are feminine, and skirts *can* be worn to do 'dirty' work, housekeeping, shoveling manure, or simply digging in your flower beds. Just don't use your brand new, $50 skirt to do it in! :-)

It is almost as good as my Monty Python collection...

2010-03-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

Minus the men in ladies clothing and falsetto voices, it is such a hoot to watch this...

Limp dishrag...lol...

Okay...you have to laugh at this.

http://www.businessinsider.com/watch-eu-tensions-boil-over-as-british-member-of-european-parliament-slams-eu-president-2010-3

Hooray for Archbishop Chaput!

2010-03-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

I know not all of my readers are Catholic, but this speech is one that will likely resonate with all of you...this speech was made last night, btw...

The Vocation of Christians in American Public Life

Archbishop Chaput delivered the following address, titled "The Vocation of Christians in American Public Life," on Monday, March 1, 2010 at Houston Baptist University.

One of the ironies in my talk tonight is this. I'm a Catholic bishop, speaking at a Baptist university in America's Protestant heartland. But I've been welcomed with more warmth and friendship than I might find at a number of Catholic venues. This is a fact worth discussing. I'll come back to it at the end of my comments. But I want to begin by thanking Drs. Sloan and Bonicelli and the leadership of Houston Baptist University for their extraordinary kindness in having me here tonight. I'm very grateful for their friendship.

I also want to thank my friend Dr. John Hittinger of the University of St. Thomas. Part of my pleasure in being here is to encourage his efforts with the John Paul II Forum on the Church in the Modern World. The Forum is hugely important – and not just for Catholics, but for the whole Christian community. I'm grateful to the leadership of the University of St. Thomas for supporting him.

I need to offer a few caveats before I turn to the substance of our discussion.

The first caveat is this: My thoughts tonight are purely my own. I don't speak for the Holy See, or the American Catholic bishops, or the Houston Catholic community. In the Catholic tradition, the local bishop is the chief preacher and teacher of the faith, and the shepherd of the local Church. Here in Houston you have an outstanding bishop – a man of great Christian faith and intellect – in Cardinal Daniel DiNardo. In all things Catholic tonight, I'm glad to defer to his leadership.

Here's my second caveat: I'm here as a Catholic Christian and an American citizen – in that order. Both of these identities are important. They don't need to conflict. They are not, however, the same thing. And they do not have the same weight. I love my country. I revere the genius of its founding documents and its public institutions. But no nation, not even the one I love, has a right to my allegiance, or my silence, in matters that belong to God or that undermine the dignity of the human persons He created.

My third caveat is this: Catholics and Protestants have different memories of American history. The historian Paul Johnson once wrote that America was “born Protestant.1” That's clearly true. Whatever America is today or may become tomorrow, its origin was deeply shaped by a Protestant Christian spirit, and the fruit of that spirit has been, on the balance, a great blessing for humanity. But it's also true that, while Catholics have always thrived in the United States, they lived through two centuries of discrimination, religious bigotry and occasional violence. Protestants of course will remember things quite differently. They will remember Catholic persecution of dissenters in Europe, the entanglements of the Roman Church and state power, and papal suspicion of democracy and religious liberty.

We can't erase those memories. And we cannot – nor should we try to – paper over the issues that still divide us as believers in terms of doctrine, authority and our understandings of the Church. Ecumenism based on good manners instead of truth is empty. It's also a form of lying. If we share a love of Jesus Christ and a familial bond in baptism and God’s Word, then on a fundamental level, we're brothers and sisters. Members of a family owe each other more than surface courtesies. We owe each other the kind of fraternal respect that “speak[s] the truth in love” (Eph 4:15). We also urgently owe each other solidarity and support in dealing with a culture that increasingly derides religious faith in general, and the Christian faith in particular. And that brings me to the heart of what I want to share with you.

Our theme tonight is the vocation of Christians in American public life. That’s a pretty broad canvas. Broad enough that I wrote a book about it. Tonight I want to focus in a special way on the role of Christians in our country’s civic and political life. The key to our discussion will be that word “vocation.” It comes from the Latin word vocare, which means, “to call.” Christians believe that God calls each of us individually, and all of us as a believing community, to know, love and serve him in our daily lives.

But there’s more. He also asks us to make disciples of all nations. That means we have a duty to preach Jesus Christ. We have a mandate to share his Gospel of truth, mercy, justice and love. These are mission words; action words. They’re not optional. And they have practical consequences for the way we think, speak, make choices and live our lives, not just at home but in the public square. Real Christian faith is always personal, but it’s never private. And we need to think about that simple fact in light of an anniversary.

Fifty years ago this fall, in September 1960, Sen. John F. Kennedy, the Democratic candidate for president, spoke to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. He had one purpose. He needed to convince 300 uneasy Protestant ministers, and the country at large, that a Catholic like himself could serve loyally as our nation’s chief executive. Kennedy convinced the country, if not the ministers, and went on to be elected. And his speech left a lasting mark on American politics. It was sincere, compelling, articulate – and wrong. Not wrong about the patriotism of Catholics, but wrong about American history and very wrong about the role of religious faith in our nation’s life. And he wasn’t merely “wrong.” His Houston remarks profoundly undermined the place not just of Catholics, but of all religious believers, in America’s public life and political conversation. Today, half a century later, we’re paying for the damage.

Now those are strong statements. So I’ll try to explain them by doing three things. First, I want to look at the problems in what Kennedy actually said. Second, I want to reflect on what a proper Christian approach to politics and public service might look like. And last, I want to examine where Kennedy’s speech has led us – in other words, the realities we face today, and what Christians need to do about those realities.

John Kennedy was a great speaker. Ted Sorensen, who helped craft the Houston speech, was a gifted writer. As a result, it’s easy to speed-read Kennedy’s Houston remarks as a passionate appeal for tolerance. But the text has at least two big flaws.2 The first is political and historical. The second is religious.

Early in his remarks, Kennedy said: “I believe in an America where the separation of Church and state is absolute.” Given the distrust historically shown to Catholics in this country, his words were shrewdly chosen. The trouble is, the Constitution doesn’t say that. The Founders and Framers didn’t believe that. And the history of the United States contradicts that. Unlike revolutionary leaders in Europe, the American Founders looked quite favorably on religion. Many were believers themselves. In fact, one of the main reasons for writing the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause – the clause that bars any federally-endorsed Church – was that several of the Constitution’s Framers wanted to protect the publicly funded Protestant Churches they already had in their own states. John Adams actually preferred a “mild and equitable establishment of religion” and helped draft that into the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution.3

America’s Founders encouraged mutual support between religion and government. Their reasons were practical. In their view, a republic like the United States needs a virtuous people to survive. Religious faith, rightly lived, forms virtuous people. Thus, the modern, drastic sense of the “separation of Church and state” had little force in American consciousness until Justice Hugo Black excavated it from a private letter President Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptist Association.4 Justice Black then used Jefferson’s phrase in the Supreme Court’s Everson v. Board of Education decision in 1947.

The date of that Court decision is important, because America’s Catholic bishops wrote a wonderful pastoral letter one year later – in 1948 – called “The Christian in Action.” It’s worth reading. In that letter, the bishops did two things. They strongly endorsed American democracy and religious freedom. They also strongly challenged Justice Black’s logic in Everson.

The bishops wrote that “It would be an utter distortion of American history and law” to force the nation’s public institutions into an “indifference to religion and the exclusion of cooperation between religion and government . . .” They rejected Justice Black’s harsh new sense of the separation of Church and state as a “shibboleth of doctrinaire secularism.”5 And the bishops argued their case from the facts of American history.

The value of remembering that pastoral statement tonight is this: Kennedy referenced the 1948 bishops’ letter in his Houston comments. He wanted to prove the deep Catholic support for American democracy. And rightly so. But he neglected to mention that the same bishops, in the same letter, repudiated the new and radical kind of separation doctrine he was preaching.
The Houston remarks also created a religious problem. To his credit, Kennedy said that if his duties as President should “ever require me to violate my conscience or violate the national interest, I would resign the office.” He also warned that he would not “disavow my views or my church in order to win this election.” But in its effect, the Houston speech did exactly that. It began the project of walling religion away from the process of governance in a new and aggressive way. It also divided a person’s private beliefs from his or her public duties. And it set “the national interest” over and against “outside religious pressures or dictates.”

For his audience of Protestant ministers, Kennedy’s stress on personal conscience may have sounded familiar and reassuring. But what Kennedy actually did, according to Jesuit scholar Mark Massa, was something quite alien and new. He “‘secularize[d]’ the American presidency in order to win it.” In other words, “[P]recisely because Kennedy was not an adherent of that mainstream Protestant religiosity that had created and buttressed the ‘plausibility structures’ of [American] political culture at least since Lincoln, he had to ‘privatize’ presidential religious belief – including and especially his own – in order to win that office.”6

In Massa’s view, the kind of secularity pushed by the Houston speech “represented a near total privatization of religious belief – so much a privatization that religious observers from both sides of the Catholic/Protestant fence commented on its remarkable atheistic implications for public life and discourse.” And the irony -- again as told by Massa -- is that some of the same people who worried publicly about Kennedy’s Catholic faith got a result very different from the one they expected. In effect, “the raising of the [Catholic] issue itself went a considerable way toward ‘secularizing’ the American public square by privatizing personal belief. The very effort to ‘safeguard’ the [essentially Protestant] religious aura of the presidency . . . contributed in significant ways to its secularization.”

Fifty years after Kennedy’s Houston speech, we have more Catholics in national public office than ever before. But I wonder if we’ve ever had fewer of them who can coherently explain how their faith informs their work, or who even feel obligated to try. The life of our country is no more “Catholic” or “Christian” than it was 100 years ago. In fact it's arguably less so. And at least one of the reasons for it is this: Too many Catholics confuse their personal opinions with a real Christian conscience. Too many live their faith as if it were a private idiosyncrasy – the kind that they’ll never allow to become a public nuisance. And too many just don't really believe. Maybe it’s different in Protestant circles. But I hope you’ll forgive me if I say, “I doubt it.”
John Kennedy didn’t create the trends in American life that I’ve described. But at least for Catholics, his Houston speech clearly fed them. Which brings me to the second point of my talk: What would a proper Christian approach to politics look like? John Courtney Murray, the Jesuit scholar who spoke so forcefully about the dignity of American democracy and religious freedom, once wrote: “The Holy Spirit does not descend into the City of Man in the form of a dove. He comes only in the endlessly energetic spirit of justice and love that dwells in the man of the City, the layman.”7

Here's what that means. Christianity is not mainly – or even significantly -- about politics. It's about living and sharing the love of God. And Christian political engagement, when it happens, is never mainly the task of the clergy. That work belongs to lay believers who live most intensely in the world. Christian faith is not a set of ethics or doctrines. It's not a group of theories about social and economic justice. All these things have their place. All of them can be important. But a Christian life begins in a relationship with Jesus Christ; and it bears fruit in the justice, mercy and love we show to others because of that relationship.

Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets” (Mt 22:37-40). That's the test of our faith, and without a passion for Jesus Christ in our hearts that reshapes our lives, Christianity is just a word game and a legend. Relationships have consequences. A married man will commit himself to certain actions and behaviors, no matter what the cost, out of the love he bears for his wife. Our relationship with God is the same. We need to live and prove our love by our actions, not just in our personal and family lives, but also in the public square. Therefore Christians individually and the Church as a believing community engage the political order as an obligation of the Word of God. Human law teaches and forms as well as regulates; and human politics is the exercise of power – which means both have moral implications that the Christian cannot ignore and still remain faithful to his vocation as a light to the world (Mt 5:14-16).

Robert Dodaro, the Augustinian priest and scholar, wrote a wonderful book a few years ago called Christ and the Just Society in the Thought of Augustine. In his book and elsewhere, Dodaro makes four key points about Augustine's view of Christianity and politics.8
First, Augustine never really offers a political theory, and there's a reason. He doesn't believe human beings can know or create perfect justice in this world. Our judgment is always flawed by our sinfulness. Therefore, the right starting point for any Christian politics is humility, modesty and a very sober realism. Second, no political order, no matter how seemingly good, can ever constitute a just society. Errors in moral judgment can't be avoided. These errors also grow exponentially in their complexity as they move from lower to higher levels of society and governance. Therefore the Christian needs to be loyal to her nation and obedient to its legitimate rulers. But she also needs to cultivate a critical vigilance about both. Third, despite these concerns, Christians still have a duty to take part in public life according to their God-given abilities, even when their faith brings them into conflict with public authority. We can’t simply ignore or withdraw from civic affairs. The reason is simple. The classic civic virtues named by Cicero – prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance – can be renewed and elevated, to the benefit of all citizens, by the Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity. Therefore, political engagement is a worthy Christian task, and public office is an honorable Christian vocation.
Fourth, in governing as best they can, while conforming their lives and their judgment to the content of the Gospel, Christian leaders in public life can accomplish real good, and they can make a difference. Their success will always be limited and mixed. It will never be ideal. But with the help of God they can improve the moral quality of society, which makes the effort invaluable.

What Augustine believes about Christian leaders, we can reasonably extend to the vocation of all Christian citizens. The skills of the Christian citizen are finally very simple: a zeal for Jesus Christ and his Church; a conscience formed in humility and rooted in Scripture and the believing community; the prudence to see which issues in public life are vital and foundational to human dignity, and which ones are not; and the courage to work for what's right. We don't cultivate these skills alone. We develop them together as Christians, in prayer, on our knees, in the presence of Jesus Christ – and also in discussions like tonight.

Now before ending, I want to turn briefly to the third point I mentioned earlier in my talk: the realities we face today, and what Christians need to do about them. As I was preparing these comments for tonight, I listed all the urgent issues that demand our attention as believers: abortion; immigration; our obligations to the poor, the elderly and the disabled; questions of war and peace; our national confusion about sexual identity and human nature, and the attacks on marriage and family life that flow from this confusion; the growing disconnection of our science and technology from real moral reflection; the erosion of freedom of conscience in our national health-care debates; the content and quality of the schools that form our children.

The list is long. I believe abortion is the foundational human rights issue of our lifetime. We need to do everything we can to support women in their pregnancies and to end the legal killing of unborn children. We may want to remember that the Romans had a visceral hatred for Carthage not because Carthage was a commercial rival, or because its people had a different language and customs. The Romans hated Carthage above all because its people sacrificed their infants to Ba’al. For the Romans, who themselves were a hard people, that was a unique kind of wickedness and barbarism. As a nation, we might profitably ask ourselves whom and what we’ve really been worshipping in our 40 million “legal” abortions since 1973.

All of these issues that I’ve listed above divide our country and our Churches in a way Augustine would have found quite understandable. The City of God and the City of Man overlap in this world. Only God knows who finally belongs to which. But in the meantime, in seeking to live the Gospel we claim to believe, we find friends and brothers in unforeseen places, unlikely places; and when that happens, even a foreign place can seem like one’s home.

The vocation of Christians in American public life does not have a Baptist or Catholic or Greek Orthodox or any other brand-specific label. John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me” – which is so key to the identity of Houston Baptist University, burns just as hot in this heart, and the heart of every Catholic who truly understands his faith. Our job is to love God, preach Jesus Christ, serve and defend God’s people, and sanctify the world as his agents. To do that work, we need to be one. Not “one” in pious words or good intentions, but really one, perfectly one, in mind and heart and action, as Christ intended. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “I do not pray for these only, but also those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (Jn17:20-21).

We live in a country that was once – despite its sins and flaws -- deeply shaped by Christian faith. It can be so again. But we will do that together, or we won’t do it at all. We need to remember the words of St. Hilary from so long ago: Unum sunt, qui invicem sunt. “They are one, who are wholly for each other.”9 May God grant us the grace to love each other, support each other and live wholly for each other in Jesus Christ – so that we might work together in renewing the nation that has served human freedom so well.

Here's a link to the speech, posted on the Archdiocese of Denver's website (which includes the footnotes):

http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/3489

Groundhog Day...

2010-03-02T07:22:00.001-08:00

I know. It was a month plus ago now. But I'm talking about the movie. Bill Murray? Andie MacDowell? Yeah. That one.

I've been living it, these last two weeks. When I wake up in the morning...there is a cow in my front yard. Enjoying the rising sun. Its warmer you know, in the east, first thing in the morning.

I have hoofmarks in my yard. Big deep ones, thanks to the rain we've had and the nice thick clay soil we have here. I have hoofmarks on my front porch. On top of my lawnmower. All over every pathway. In the chicken coop, of all places. Because chicken feed is apparently very tasty to cows, dontcha know?

I have *lots* of hoofmarks.

Now, I am sure you are thinking, "Rachel, silly girl, get yourself outside, put the cow back into the pasture, and have it done and over with!".

I have done that. Every. stinking. morning. And sometimes, in the afternoons, too, when I go to get the twins up from their naps, and she is sneaking peeks in their bedroom window.

Admittedly, Annabelle is a good girl, other than her Houdini tendencies, her inability to get pregnant (okay, so we've only tried once so far), and her general dislike of doing anything other than what she wants to do. Really. She's quite pretty. Black brown, with a nice red highlight down the middle of her back.

But the E&E she's been doing lately (that's "Evasion and Escape" in military-ese)...well, its at best a bother, at worst, a health hazard (for her, and the general public). Yesterday, Miss Annabelle not only got back out of the pasture--again--but decided to go force her way through a spot *I* would be hard pressed to get through...and go onto the road.

Now, fortunately, our road is not a busy one, and a kindly passerby stopped to help me get her headed back into the property, and up the driveway...but....

And I've had to put Annabelle onto strict confinement in the corral, something I really do not like to do. El Husbando spent the greater part of Saturday trying to firm up fences...only to have her jump, push through, and otherwise make it known she was laughing at the paltry human attempts to cage "HER"...she who is (in her own mind, at least) SUPERCOW.

Annabelle is just her mild-mannered everyday persona, in case you had not already guessed. I'm sure that somewhere in the pasture is a cape, tights, and some sort of a body suit. Maybe some special bracelets like Wonder Woman has...

Regardless of costume, however, we have really only got two choices as far as Miss Annabelle is concerned. Even further, more tiresome work on the fences (which will need to be done regardless, but this makes it an immediate necessity), or...Miss Annabelle joins Master Willie as 'freezer bait'.

Lest you think I am coldhearted, bear in mind, we've had her for almost a year now (11 mos). She's lived a very nice life out here. Lots of clean water, fresh air, and good native grass pasture. She even was granted a 24 hr stay with the neighboring stud bull...only nothing has happened as result, it appears (if it has, she's acting convincingly *not* pregnant).

Personally, I'd be more than happy to trade her off as a beef cow (she is probably 1/2 Angus) for a good Jersey, Brown Swiss, or Dexter cow. We've got Willie (Annabelle's pasture mate, confidant, and steer extraordinaire) for the freezer. She'd be ready to butcher now, and some farmer wanting to rid himself of a dairy cow, could have a freezer full of grass fed, as organic as we could get her, beef. That being said, however, we bought her to breed her and make a milker out of her (being 1/2 Angus and 1/2 Jersey, well, we had our hopes). That, however, may not be, and if we cannot find some sort of accomodation that we are all happy with, well, it will be a very very very long spring/summer.

If you know anyone in southern Oklahoma or north Texas, looking to find some grass fed beef still on the hoof, and is willing to trade off a good solid, youngish dairy cow for it, well, email me. I think that we can come to some sort of arrangement.

Cause right now? I'd much rather have fresh from the cow milk, than more hoofprints in my yard.

The Next Generation....

2010-02-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

Now, as you can imagine, a farm is a nice little microcosm of the world at large. Genetic diversity is important, for the long-term health and well-being of all of the creatures living there...And so, in view of that fact, we've just put in an order for "Chickens: The Next Generation" ...With only 4 hens of brooding age, and only one inclined at all in the past to do so, well, I'm pretty sure we won't be hatching out many babies this year on our own.

And, to make it easier to mark which hens were born in which years, we got something completely different from our previous year's Buff Orpingtons, Black Australorps/Stars, and one Silver Laced Wyandotte...Here is what the hens will look like, full grown...

These are Barred Rocks. Beautiful hens, gentle, they lay very nice brown eggs. They are a good mixed-purpose breed, which means that they are good for meat as well as for eggs, although for our family, we will be strictly using them for eggs (as we ordered females only...).

Since I know that the "AWWWWW!!!!" factor is high with little chicks...here's a picture of the wee ones--this is about the way our new babies will look like when they get here...

Cute, aren't they? We will likely be buying some more from a local supplier, once the temps warm up a bit...but the less time I have to have a brooding lamp on, the better! Our chicks won't be delivered until mid April, so we'll be having a bit of a wait until then...but now you know...We're getting a dozen of these, and 25 of the large, hulking Jumbo Cornish cross chickens (cockerels) to raise for the freezer/canning. Those crosses eat a TON, and so they will be, once past the age of brooding lamp, sheltered in their own, segregated chicken tractors. The pullets/hens will be able to roam with the rest of the avian population.

I'd post a picture of the crosses, but while they are cute chicks, they quickly morph into lumbering dinosaurs..huge..ungainly..they gain a ton of weight very quickly. This is what makes them so great for the freezer/etc....short turn around time. Pump a lot of food into them in a short period of time (8-9 wks, generally), and then, they are freezer bait. Or, more likely, "canner bait". :-) I wonder how many whole birds I can cook down in my large stock pots? Hmmmm...remind me to update you about that, come mid-late June! ;-)

I almost ordered some ducklings as well, but I think I will wait until we've gotten these chicks out of the brooder, and into the GenPop, before adding any more feathered friends...

The rainy weather here is seriously, seriously, annoying. We were supposed to get snow. 1-4 inches. Nope. Trace, and lots of rain. Rain, I might add, that we really did not need right now. And more is predicted for Sunday/Monday. ARRRGHHHHH!!! I want to let things dry out, Lord! PLEASE?! The potatoes and onions need to be going into the ground SOON. Very soon. I need to get these things into the ground, I need to get them growing. I want to see those potatoes coming up before the beetles get going fullforce, and that means that it needs to be gotten started as soon as possible.

I don't imagine that the good Lord is listening to me on this. Maybe, however, if enough of us said a "2 wk moratorium on rain in Rachel's area, Lord...please?" He'd listen? I don't know, but it is worth a try, right? Please? :-)

Now, if any of you are having beautiful, wonderful 'getting the ground ready to garden' weather--STOP. Do not tell me how blue the skies are...how nice and tillable your ground is...how your sweaters are being packed up even as you type, and how much you are looking forward to eating some fresh garden lettuce.

Just pray for me. I'm trying to give up 'garden envy' for Lent... ;-) (JoAnn, if you are reading this, you know *you* are the one I am talking about! ;-) ).

Whew...

2010-02-24T16:21:00.000-08:00

Well, after we got our schoolwork done today, and made it through the not one, but TWO visits from El Husbando during the day, we were able to get down to some serious yard work....that has been put off for nearly a month...

We had an ice storm the end of January, and while we personally were not out of power long, there were those out of power for a week or more, and in some areas of the state, they may have only very recently gotten it back (almost a month later). Limbs and trees were down everywhere.

We were fortunate enough to only lose some branches, but they were quite numerous, and some were thick enough to require the use of a chainsaw (we were also blessed that we have *no* trees near enough to the house to do damage, unless winds drive them through a window--not from falling). So today the oldest three and I got out there and did a bit of cleanup. We've had so much rain, that it has been hard to get out there and do it, with the grounds as soft as they are...but some went into the "season for next year's firewood" and the rest is being put onto our largeish branch pile in the pasture. If nothing else, it gives the rabbits a place to shelter!

So a small pile of smallish bits of firewood is already accumulating (thank you, Lord!), and hopefully it will make for good "starter" kindling.

After we got that done, and the mail came, I was able to get a decent dinner on the table (Garlic-Lime Chicken, rice, and corn, with homemade, not-from-a-mix brownies for dessert after the twins go to bed...). It appears to have been a successful dinner. Thank you "Mom", for the recipe! :-) Nothing like calling a friend while you are doing yard work, and saying "I need a good chicken recipe! Fast!" and have her whip out a good one in between screaming fits from a wee one, interruptions from the not-so-wee, and filling each other in about the other, more interesting details of life...

Hopefully, I will be able to get some pictures of Peep tomorrow. Sorry--got caught up doing the limb removal from the yard, and didn't get to it!

Spring time...come on, spring time....

2010-02-22T19:19:00.000-08:00

Seriously. We've had so much rain in the last year, well, it boggles the mind...the creek that I didn't even know existed on my back neighbor's property (its a gazillion acres, so sue me), was overflowing and then some yesterday. It has calmed down today, but mercy Maud...I looked at the ten day forecast for my zip code...Rain every third/fourth day for the next week and a half. Now, that may not be bad, if I didn't desperately need to get to tilling/plowing out there in the garden patches. But nooOOOOooooOOOOO.

I think rain catchment systems are in order. Which will require gutters. Drat. Need to get on that, too, doggone it. Anyone know anyone in my area with leftover guttering they want to get rid of? And some 55 gallon drums to put underneath? Please?

Okay, okay. Probably not. Figured it was a long-shot (I'll check Home Depot and see how much $$ we're looking at here). But you never know! Besides, that water could come in very very handy in August....not to mention July and September!

We've already plotted out what is going to be planted where...and started putting in our orders for this, that, and the other. Last year's planting of 72 Roma Tomato plants was a success *and* a failure. Success in that they grew, blossomed, and fruited very well. Fruits per plant were a nice, respectable number. But the fruits themselves were so small (length of my thumb) that I didn't get nearly the amount of finished "product" (ketchup, spaghetti sauce, salsa, tomato vegetable soup) put up as I would have liked. This year, I am considering going with heirloom Oxheart types. Bigger, meatier, and good for canning/processing, sauces, and salsas. As well as good for the occasional slicing. More jalapeno plants this year, as well as some sweet bells, bananas, etc. Got to have a little variety. We're planning on doing a much smaller potato patch this year, mixing the potatoes in with peanuts, doing a sweet/dent (field) corn patch as well, and breaking new ground that we will (please God!) get some pigs on...they will till it up, eat the weeds, and fertilize it all at the same time...Now...to get the fencing (at least $300)...etc...ugh.

I really need to get some serious feed bins. We're talking about tonnage here, not just the occasional bag of stuff. Of course, for prudent preparations, I also need to stock up on dog food, as well, and chicken feed, but hey, one thing at a time! LOL.

We're going to be buying some more chicks for raising as laying hens. El Husbando wants (and I agree) that we need to make sure we have some genetic diversity, and by getting a few more "girls" now, from another source, we'll be introducing some good, new genetics. Hopefully, we can get a few more chicks hatched out from under "Big Momma", once things warm up a bit...

Speaking of chicks...I will have to update all of you about Peep, and the adventures thereof. There's been an all-nighter, a total disregard for curfew, etc. But that will wait til tomorrow. :-) Got to have sunlight for good pictures. JoAnn, if you are reading this, tell your boys that Peep was an excellent name, because this doggone chick was SO LOUD, until just recently...it was really ridiculous. Fortunately, the very loud peeping has finally ceased...thank goodness. Considering that Peep is now...let's see...almost 4 mos old, well, it is high time things got quieted down a bit...

For now, folks, what is going on in your neck of the woods? Are you eagerly anticipating spring? Enjoying the wet grayness of late winter? Hoping, like I am, that the rains lay off for a little while...give me a 2 week window, Lord, just so I can get things dried out, El Husbando onto the tractor and behind the tiller, and the work DONE. PLEASE?!?!?

Regardless of where you are, and what you're doing, have a safe night. Sit someplace warm, sip something comforting (be it hot tea with honey, a glass of iced tea, some nice Maker's Mark Kentucky Bourbon, or a couple of fingers of homemade brandy)...and enjoy these 'do little' days of February...

I figured it out...

2010-02-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

After all my searching, I remembered that the recipe wasn't a recipe. It was a suggestion for how to revamp the recipe on the back of the syrup bottle. LOL.

So, grabbing my Karo syrup bottle (I know, I know--HFCS...), I made two lovely pecan pies...with dark Karo syrup, brown sugar instead of white, and maple flavoring instead of the vanilla called for. Definitely a great tasting pie. I'd post a picture except for the fact that they are both GONE. ALL gone.

We had company this weekend--friends from west of OKC, and from OKC itself. We were due to have some friends in from TX, but a health related issue kept them home (please, if you would, pray for a speedy recovery for G, and patience for M as he heals, lol). Hopefully, though, they will be able to come up soon. Some friends brought smoked pork butts, and we had garlic parsley potatoes, and broiled green beans with brown butter sauce...another meal was homemade potato soup..nummmmmmmm. We had more pork today (home raised and butchered pork loin, our last from the pigs we raised/butchered last fall), with mashed potatoes, and onion gravy, and homemade bread...oh me oh my....

And this next week, we are going to be starting to work on baking some really serious bread. El Husbando, who probably should have been either an old-school miller, or baker, has been growing some serious home sourdough starter...not just any sourdough starter though. A real old-school Desem starter, with fresh ground whole wheat flour. Yes, I finallllllly pulled out the $200+ Nutrimill grinder I bought probably 5 years ago, and used it. By the way, wheat, whole wheat, *will* keep for a very long time. At the same time as purchasing the mill, I also bought myself some wheat. Hard red, soft white, and also got a bucket of oats. Used some of the red, but not much, and so we've carted it from GA (where I bought it), to NC, and now, to OK...where I am finally getting around to using it. Hopefully, we will have a good supply of wheat, soon, as T & S will be bringing some of their home-grown wheat to share with us. We sent them home with some starter and fresh ground wheat flour to feed it with, until she is ready to make bread. A good trade off, I think.

We are hoping to build ourselves a wood-fired brick oven at some point in the next year, year and a half. It is not a terribly cheap endeavor, so we will be purchasing the supplies as finances allow...But once it is done, it will be the focal point of an outdoor kitchen...which will be wonderful for summertime canning (no heating up the house!), pizza parties, and BBQs. Eventually we want to put in a churrasco style spit/bbq, so that will be niiiiiiccccceeeee....a nice, shaded by a pergola patio of concrete with salvaged brick scattered around and set into it...some crape myrtles (I love crape myrtles, and they should grow well here)...yep. I'd be one happpppy momma/wifely-type. :-)

We were blessed to receive probably another 3-4 inches of rain overnight. This is a wonderful thing, in part. However, we really do need to be able to get into the garden patches and get those tilled up...which means the ground has to be dry. It was just beginning to dry out after the ice and snows we have been having since late December...and thunderclouds rolled in...lol. We ended last year at least a foot over the average. And so this year is following right along with the program...I only hope the rains spread out just a bit more than they did last year--as it made cultivating and weeding, harvesting, and doing "pest patrols" a bit more than impossible...

Of course, now it makes getting any of our preliminary work done in the garden areas, and makes doing any basic yardwork a challenge. We still have branches and limbs and such from the ice and snow storms last month to clean up. El Husbando thankfully was able to get out there and move things and cut them into chunks, but the children and I have had a harder time getting out there and removing the debris, and stacking the larger bits for seasoning this year...

Hopefully, you are having a blessed start to the Lenten season...

I will post more this week, hopefully, as we 'recover' from having company in, and get back into the swing of things around here...

I'm sorry, sooo sorry...

2010-02-18T17:12:00.000-08:00

It has been a long break. I'm sorry about that.

Unfortunately, some "irl" friends--well, now former friends--that we were involved with, in a larger organization, decided that, well, they didn't want to be friends anymore. But it just took several weeks for things to come to a head. And it exploded, this last weekend, and now there is no going back...for better, or for worse.

But El Husbando and I spent the last several weeks dealing with those sorts of inter-personal issues, and now that they are at least somewhat settled, well, life will hopefully get back onto an even keel. If you would, however, pray for El Husbando, myself, and our family...as well as some of other friends...they are kind of "in the middle" of it all, which is most unfortunate...

In better news...speech therapy is working out pretty well for the boys. As well as the girls, but the boys seem to have really taken to their therapist (thank you Lord! Talk about answered prayers!). They are vocalizing a bit more, and while they are nowhere near where they should be, still, they are well on their way, thanks be to God..

The older children are still doing their thing. We're gearing up for gardening, for spring animals being brought onto the place, and generally, just trying to make it through the last of this nasty winter weather, and into the vibrant blue and green-ness of spring...

Of course, we need to do a preliminary tilling of the garden plots, but the ground is just now really drying out for the first time since Christmas. And we're supposed to get rain (well, according to the forecast I looked at a few days back, lol) again this weekend. No time for El Husbando to get out there and do it before the rains come in again, unfortunately.

Also, in better news, some of our friends who have not fled our presence screaming of our vileness, have decided to come in an visit this weekend. It will be a good balm for our souls, to be sure. Some of them have been as affected in all of this as we were, so it will be good for us to kind of "huddle together", lick our proverbial wounds, and move on together. Besides, any excuse for a good party-like get-together, right? :-)

Anyway, I came online to search for the pecan pie recipe I used at Thanksgiving, as it was quite obviously the best pecan pie El Husbando had ever had. LOL. And I would really like to replicate it, if I could. In duplicate. Nummy pie.

Please, if you would, pray for us. And I'll be checking in more frequently now that things have calmed down a bit around here...

Fuel, light, and heat

2010-01-28T06:44:00.001-08:00

With another winter storm looming, this blog post is coming late.

Unfortunately, things being what they are, it just wasn't going to be ready until now.

Now, folks, let me tell you. I love winter. I like it cooler, shoot, I like it cold. I love a good roaring fire. I love snowfall, and the quiet hush that accompanies it.

But I like it on one side of the glass, with me on the other.

When the power goes out, however, "the two become one", rather quickly, in some places. So it becomes vital, to have an alternate source of heat, because when the ice takes down those power lines? You're going to be sitting in the dark. For who knows how long. You cannot wait until the power goes out, to figure something out. Far better to plan a bit ahead, and get some kerosene, some oil, and put it in the garage, storage room, or even a 'removed from the main areas of the house' pantry.

If you have a fireplace, a woodburner, you need to make sure it is kept clean. It isn't difficult to do yourself, but most folks will opt for a professional job. I definitely recommend that being done in the "off season", when chimney sweeps are not as in demand as they will be come fall/winter. Lay in some good firewood--not softwoods. Do a bit of research, and you'll find out which of the best woods for burning, are common to your area. Oak, hickory, those are some of the good woods for burning, that we have here. You probably have them where you are. Don't use softwoods like pine or other evergreens, unless you have NO choice, because they will tend to build up the creosote inside your chimney. And whatever you burn, needs to be as dry as possible. The best thing to do, really, is to get your firewood in spring. Let it season for all year long, in a covered, weather-protected area. Then it will be ready to burn come fall/winter.
If you have a fireplace, and it isn't terribly efficient, you may want to look at spending the money to install a woodstove in there, in it's place. You can use the chimney to run the smoke out, but the woodstove will keep the heat inside, rather than sending it up the flue, quite as quickly. Some of my favorite brands for woodstoves (not cookstoves, but just heat), are the Vermont Castings and the Hearthstone, both of which have been around for a very long time, and have a good reputation as well as a nice look to them.

Here are some links for both of them:

Vermont Castings:
http://www.vermontcastings.com/

Hearthstone:
http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/

Now, they are not dirt cheap. But they are worth the purchase price, especially when the power goes out and it's "huddle together under blankets dressed in our heaviest clothes" or freeze to death.

For those who have no way of purchasing or installing one of the woodstoves, there are kerosene space heaters. Yes. You will need to make sure you have some sort of ventilation, even just a little bit can make a BIG difference. But unless you are in a newer house, or one retrofitted really really well, so that it is nearly air tight, you probably have a good amount of draft already (those of you in older homes know what I mean!). Just a cracked window in another room (one adjacent to, or open the doors between) will make all the difference in the world...you will need the heater, wicks, and kerosene. None of those things are, for the moment, all that difficult to find/purchase. The 7Ps apply here, as well, since the "PRIOR" part is so important. Get the heater at the end of winter. Actually use it once, or twice, to familiarize yourself with it. Buy some cans of Kerosene (you can get some at Home Depot for about $40, about 5 gallons, I believe). Or, if you have a local place that pumps it, you can get a special 'gas' can type of container, and do it yourself, and it will be MUCH cheaper. Just don't use the typical red gas can, because unless you label it in BIG BOLD BLACK, someone might be tempted to put it into a lawn mower come mid-August. NOT a good idea! LOL :-) Personally? We have the fireplace with the insert (it also has blowers, which will heat most of the house if it is roaring), kerosene heaters, and my personal favorites, Aladdin lamps.

No. Not the "genie in a bottle" Aladdin lamps, silly! The same company that makes the Aladdin thermoses, also makes oil burning lamps, and has for going on 100 yrs. Let me tell you about these things. They are, well, not just pretty (especially if you have a more 'old fashioned", or country, decorating style), but they can put out as much light as 5-10 of your standard dollar store oil lamps, *and* they will heat a good sized room. Light AND heat? Yeah, and they don't use a HUGE amount of oil (you can use kerosene, or regular oil lamp in them, btw), either. Seriously, folks, these things, well, they ROCK...

Here's a link to the company website:

http://www.aladdinlamps.com/

Here's another link to an authorized retailer, with a sale going on til just after Valentine's day, with some of these on sale rather markedly! Definitely something to check out, if you've got a wee bit of money right now, and want to do something sensible, and yet have something to show for it afterwards...and not just another doo-dad or electronic gizmo....

http://www.aladdin-us.com/

Now, for those of you with small children, you may look at the glass, and think "UGH! Breakable!" They have metal ones. All metal, except for the chimney. You do not have to have one of the big shades, those are just for "pretty" :-), but the metal lamps can be very contemporary, too. So if you aim for the more modern, maybe consider one of those (they also have the advantage of being not as expensive as some of the large glass ones, too).

I was fortunate, and lucked into an estate sale nearby this fall. I got two Aladdin lamps, for under $45. Yeppers. One is no longer in production, the other was a simple metal one. I already have one lamp, with the nice big shade, it is a standing glass one. I got the two 'sale' lamps refurbished by a friend (thank you, T!), and so now they are "set to go" aside from needing chimneys (got to remember to pull some of those out of the shop storage, and buy some more to replace them there). Sometimes, you can find some great deals on them, but I'm not willing to count on it, either. Staying warm is far more important.

It is important to remember, that being warm, especially at this time of year, is *not* a luxury. It can--and is--a case of life or death, for a great many people. After the Christmas Eve blizzard we had out this way, there were several people who froze to death...in homes, in their cars, or who got out of their cars and walked for help. We forget about prepping our cars, many many times. After all, we're just "driving around town". But when that is 20-30 miles...are you going to be able to walk 20-30 miles? In driving snow? Blistering heat? What about if you have children? Are you prepared for them, too? Folks, it doesn't take much to pay attention to the weather. If you are even going for a "short drive", go prepared. Wear a REAL coat (at least take the thing with you!). Take, or wear, GOOD shoes. Not flip flops. If you are going to the pool across town, carry the flip flops, and wear your decent tennis shoes. I actually carry a pair of good walking shoes and socks in the car at all times, since I don't generally wear them around the house. We keep 2Ls of water in the car, too, as well as some surplus Army blankets, extra diapers/wipes, etc. We need to replace the food and toilet paper we had in there. Some of those 'aluminum foil' space blankets, and some sort of orange hunter type gear, also good, as for catching the eye of potential rescuers. Matches, or a good decent lighter. Shoot, you can use your car to survive, if you just know how. If you survive and the car doesn't, well, you can replace the car, you *cannot* replace YOU. You may have to take a loss on the car, but I'd rather rip up my seats for using the seating material as insulation/fire starter, burn the tires, etc, than to freeze to death in an immaculate car.

Do any of you parents remember that couple who got stuck on the mountains back before Christmas? Totally unprepared, they spent three days (I believe up there). It was not the first time they'd gotten stuck, either. And they were *still* unprepared. I am sorry, but that is just plain STUPID. There are times, I think Darwin actually had a point. Really. You prepare your car, you prepare your home, you prepare your family. Make sure you have the things in your car you need, if you get stranded. Yes. It will require some planning on your part. Consider just putting a rubbermaid tote in the trunk/back end of the car, and keep it there. Rotate it seasonally. Clean it out, and make sure that you have the things that you need in it. I don't want to find out that one of you didn't prepare, and ended up getting caught in a snowbank, and froze to death in your car because you weren't prepared. No one "PLANS" to get stuck in a snowbank. No one *plans* to end up stranded on a back country road during the dead winter, where there is no cell service (and yes, there *are* places like that). But it *can* happen. It can happen to you. To your mother. To your husband. To your teenaged son or daughter. People kind of make fun of the Boy Scouts, with their "Be Prepared" motto, but it is TRUE. Be prepared. *THINK*--if I got stranded, what would I *have* to have? Food, water, shelter, warmth (at this time of year). Make sure you have that. Or can get to it (and going out in a light jacket or just a sweater, clogs with no socks or light cotton ones, etc, is *not* going to make for a good hike to find help, if you need to walk a ways...)...

Take care, and be prepared....

Well pumps, water from the sky, and water in the ground..

2010-01-27T10:14:00.001-08:00

Folks, if I hadn't already said it enough--You have to have water.

Are you on city water? Do you have a well pump? If the former, please please consider getting some storage water (no, not those milk-jug water bottles). Seriously. We used 4 gallons a day just for dish washing. And that was being mighty chintzy with it, and using the same 4 gallons all day. No draining it and refilling it. We had to use a minimum of 2 gallons each time we flushed the one super-low-flush toilet we have (the others took 3-4 and 4-5 gallons per flush). And lest this be tmi, we didn't flush the toilet every time, because it takes too much water to do that, when you don't know when/if you are going to be able to get water flowing soon. We would use a gallon or so a day, just for KoolAid. Dehydration can be a serious concern, even in winter.

If you have a well pump, when was the last time you had it checked, serviced, etc? When was it installed? Do you know how to repair the more basic elements of it? Is it submersible, or above ground? Are mice getting to the wires, and eating the insulation (this can cause a serious short--and a fire, if it is bad enough)? Is the insulation in your covering for the pump, holding up well under the elements? These are all things that need to be checked regularly, for optimal pump function...Do you have a light bulb 'heater' in there, to keep what elements are above ground from freezing in winter weather? Is the bulb working?

Another thing to consider, regardless of what method you have to get water into the house...what sort of backup do you have, if the power goes out? A generator is great...as long as the fuel lasts. Is your well in a place where you can USE a generator? Ours is not. Some folks have cisterns, and shallow pitcher pumps...that will work for a while. But what if the outage is a long-lasting one? What if we are hit with some really serious disaster? Do you have a means to get clean, SAFE water for you, your family, and your animals (if you have any)?

Personally, I'd love to have a solar or wind array set up for my well pump and a few other essential household systems. But that is kind of out of budget, unless/until the debts are all paid off. In the meanwhile, however, we are going to opt for a simple "deep well" hand pump. And hopefully, at some point in the not-too-distant future, we'll have another well dug and a hand pump installed, closer to the house (cause our current well is way out in the pasture--not the best place for ease of use). That will have to do for the time being...

Of course, we had to replace our entire pump/pressure tank system. The pressure tank for the old pump was underground. Speculation is (since we weren't about the spend the money to dig it up to make 100% sure) that it developed a hole, rather from rust or some other reason, and that caused the submersible pump to work overtime, every time a tap was opened, etc. It wore the pump out in more than double the time it should have (the pump was 7 yrs old, it should have lasted closer to 20). We have installed the new air pressure tank above ground, so we can be more sure it isn't rusting through. We now know when everything was put in, and so we have an easier means of determining when to do maintenance/replacements.

I have to say, though, that if the pump was going to go out, last weekend was the time. We have our tax refund coming in this week. We had decent enough weather to have the well man come in, with all of his heavy equipment, to replace the pump/tank. Another weekend, and while the money would have been there, the weather is supposed to be awful. Ice and snow. NOT the time to be losing your well--especially not with animals to care for, and other reliant systems...

There are many options for ensuring clean water once you have the water to start with. But the difficult part, in any emergency, is getting the water in the first place. Storing some water in advance is a far better idea, and less immediate expense, than the other options, of going out and buying as much as you can--*if* you can, when the whole world is doing the same thing...We use cleaned 2L soda bottles, with a teeeeeny bit of bleach added in (we're talking, no more than 1/4 tsp per 2L). Enough to sanitize it...and then we use KoolAid to cover any residual chlorine taste (opening the bottle up and letting it air out overnight will also help with that). We use untreated water for things like toilet flushing. I make sure to clearly mark the bottles we treat, so that we know which ones are suitable for consumption by people, and which ones are not (I put a big B on the top of the lid of the treated)...Seriously. It is that easy. Just rinse it out. Clean them out. Then you need to just fill it up from the tap, put in that teeny tiny amount of bleach into the jug, and put it away, wherever you store your emergency supplies. You need a minimum of 3 gallons, per person, per day. MINIMUM. More in summertime. And that minimum is only if you aren't doing anything. Laboring, in the summer time, will require/demand more water than sitting around in mid spring or fall, if you understand what I mean.

Things don't have to be all doom and gloom, folks, but being prepared is simply prudent. And especially if one has a family to care for? All the more important. If I'm single, and alone, and it is only myself that I am accountable for? Then if I don't prepare, well, I'm the one who suffers. But if I have a family dependent upon me? I'd better make sure that at the very least, we are prepared for THEM. It is no one else's job to take care of them. Remember that folks. The government may not be ABLE to help you. Your neighbors, may be in as bad, if not worse, shape than you are. There may very well not be any help in a week's time.

Do you want to count on someone else's timely actions to "save" you and yours? Or would you rather take the bull by the horns, and do it yourself? A can or two, every shopping trip. It isn't much, but it is a start.

Don't wait for someone to do the work for you. Do it yourself, start today, and keep on it! If nothing ever happens, then you've still go the food. But if something *does* happen, you'll be ready...

Ever want to run screaming, into the streets?

2010-01-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

Yep, well, the weekend has not gotten any better than the rest of the week...

Okay, so yesterday I *did* get to spend three hours doing nothing but being with God. And that was, I will admit, a wonderful wonderful thing.

It is as if He knew, I was going to need it, because this morning, we awoke to find nothing but a trickle of water coming from the taps. And now, that trickle is nothing.

We have a very nice well, with a newish pump (it is probably about 5 yrs old right now, and they generally last for 20yrs, give or take). The well is deep, and even if we were in drought conditions, would take some serious issues to go dry. So that is not it. El Husbando, being the wondermous man that he is, has determined that the pump does have voltage, and is trying to work. God willing, it is something easy to fix, like the capacitors. He is going to go back out and check them shortly (prayers would most assuredly be appreciated!).

Otherwise, we have no clue what the problem might be. And given the economy, we really cannot afford to be spending what teeny bit of money we have, on well pump repairs...although we will have no choice, if El Husbando cannot do it himself.

And did I mention I took a header just now, when getting eggs, and have slashed up my leg? Yeah. Just lovely. Into the mud, no less. Sunday is appearing to be one of those days you would just be better off sleeping through...

Hope yours is going better than mine!

A long, long, long week...with more to come...

2010-01-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

I know I promised a blog post on heat and lighting preparedness...and I will do it...just not tonight, I'm afraid.

It has been a terribly long and trying week. Monday was "off" since El Husbando was home, and we *never* get anything done substantially around here, when he's on a holiday. Tuesday, he spent half the morning home, because he'd moved some lumber Monday afternoon, in his shop...and torqued his back. Wednesday, he spent the whole day at home (back again). Thursday and Friday, fortunately, he was at work. So...the first half of the week, was spent dealing with El Husbando and his back issues. Thursday was a frantic "make up" day of all sorts of household and schooling tasks, and today, we were gone from 8am til 4pm. He was at work, and we were up north of here, doing some speech therapy, a trip to Super Target, and a trip to a Salvation Army in that same town. Let me tell ya, I am wiped. out. Two plus hours of driving, two hours sitting there trying to keep a lid on two 2 1/2 yr olds, two other children at all times, trying to get schoolwork done and the toys not strewn about too much. Then the shopping. Came home, and El Husbando very sweetly made dinner and now it is being cleaned up. But mercy, I am tired. I want to go to bed, but I know I'll lay down and toss and turn.

After dinner, I got a phone call from my mother, informing me that my father has been involved in an accident at work. He's a mechanic. The rains they had down there leaked in through the roof, and got all over the shop floor, mixing with the oils and such on the floor. Then he slipped on it, and twisted trying to avoid hitting himself on some equipment, hoping to catch himself. It didn't work, and he hit the concrete, all twisted up. An ambulance had to be called to transport him to the hospital. That was around 2 this afternoon, ET, and when they called us, around 9pm their time, they were just then leaving the hospital. He had messed up his hip/leg/back. It is a muscle/nerve issue, and something that will take time to heal. There is nothing I can do from here, other than pray, which is difficult to deal with. I would much prefer to be fluffing pillows, making tea, and bringing him his pain meds (I suspect my mother will make sure he takes his pain meds regularly, if only to temper the irritable patient that resides within him, lol).

One of the worst parts about it, is that this is a car dealership, of the Government Motors variety. The service managers have been trying to get people to quit for some time, because if you quit, you cannot draw unemployment. And they do NOT want to pay unemployment. Of course, my father had planned on staying until he got to the point he literally could not take it anymore, and then work it so that they ended up firing him instead of him quitting. I do not know how this injury (even though it should most definitely be covered under workman's comp) will affect that, however. I am grateful that my mother's job provides medical benefits. Not great, but something. However, the fact of the matter is, that my parents need my father's income to help meet the regular monthly expenses. This is not a good time to be getting injured, especially as work has been slow for his shop for a very long time now.

Please, if you would, pray for my father ("D") to heal quickly and well, and for my mother ("S") to bear up well under whatever he slings her way (because he is just like my grandmother, and she does not handle infirmity well at all). Pray for a quick resolution to all of the issues that they will be facing.

And please pray I get some rest this weekend...hopefully, I will be posting the much anticipated "light and heating preparedness" blog post sometime this weekend, if all goes according to plan. But you know what they say about planning? "I told God my plans, and He laughed". :-)

Rachel

Can you help, ladies?

2010-01-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

A fellow blogger, Gina, the blogger and shopkeeper from "Feather Your Nest" has had a terrible loss this week, that of her 39yr old husband (and the father of their children), Michael. Michael worked so that Gina could run her online boutique, and be with the children, and now she is going to have to find a fulltime job....so the boutique is closing. She is having a 25% off sale to clearance everything out asap.

If you can, would you go over and look? See if there is anything you like? Pass the word along? It is the blogging world's way of helping...

Here's the link:

http://www.shopfeatheryournest.com/

Stuff is selling out, so please, go take a look. Remember, it is 25% off, and goes to help a newly widowed woman..

Thanks...

Expanding on what I have said before...

2010-01-12T18:12:00.000-08:00

I'm sure all of you Americans are aware of the effects this brutally cold weather has been having on the annual citrus crop down in "sunny" Florida...the growers are literally having to turn their fruit into juice *now* because that is all it is good for, once the fruit has been frozen...Despite their best efforts, large portions of this year's citrus crop are going to be ruined for general consumption. I will be stocking up on Friday. We don't drink juice or use lemon juice very often (yes, I use the bottled--I simply cannot be running to the store every time I need a couple teaspoons of lemon juice!), but when I need it, I need it. And at this point, it shouldn't cost much to put a couple of good sized bottles onto the pantry shelf, and a couple dozen cans of frozen concentrate into the freezer...

But having started there, what about those things that we take for granted, in our stores...avocados, tomatoes off season, lettuce and other greens...or even in season, there are many many produce items that can be grown nearly anywhere, and yet, we buy them at the store...?

Now is the time of year, to be getting your garden together. It's actually beginning to get late, to get some seeds, or order some plants, especially if you want to get some open-pollinated, heirloom varieties, because people are seeing them for the natural gift that they are...non-hybridized, no GMO tinkering...not to mention, the ability to keep the seed, and grow the same exact plants next year. Seriously. You cannot do that with hybrids or GMO seed. Simply won't happen.

There are many people who believe that because they are in an apartment, there is nothing that can be done, and they will just have to settle for buying their produce in the markets. But that is not necessarily the case. A sunny balcony or window-ledge, will provide some space for containers you can use to grow vegetables in. Admittedly, not root crops, likely, because the depth will be lacking. But you can grow some nice container tomatoes, even run some beans up a trellis. Garlic and onions, while root veggies, don't require the amount of depth that carrots and potatoes do, and add immeasurably to the taste of your food (especially if you are eating from the pantry). Small pepper plants (both spicy and bells), and of course, greens of all types, are also a good bet for your average container gardener...

But why? Why grow your own? I mean, can't you just run to the store?

Well, there are several reasons why we personally try to grow as much of our own food as possible...
One, it is cheaper, in many respects, than hopping into the car and running to the store when I need a head of lettuce, cukes, and tomatoes, for a salad of an evening. Have you looked at the prices on the vegetables these days? Let me assure you, things are not going to get cheaper, or of better quality, in the coming months...not with the price of gas soaring again..remember, those costs *will* get handed on to you, the consumer...besides--what if they don't have any at the store? With the problems in large agricultural areas of California, crop failures across not just the US, but all over the world, a steady supply of "any" agricultural commodity is not a 'given', not anymore...

Secondly, we know what goes onto, into, and around our food. We can amend the soil with compost, we can apply the right amounts of mulch at just the right times, and keep an eye out for pests, rather than spraying indiscriminately, whether the plants need it or not, just because "this is when we always spray the back 40". I know the conditions that the produce was harvested in, and so I *know* that no migrant worker, carrying goodness knows what diseases, took a call of nature just up the field from my future head of lettuce...you can wash it all you want, but the knowledge that someone very likely voided near your food? And didn't wash their hands before going back to work...yeahhhh...Makes *me* want to go to the store and pick the veggies off the produce displays...yepppers...

Thirdly, this is a way to involve our children intimately in the growing and production of their food. My children will know what a tomato plant looks like. They have their own little patches of earth, where they can grow what they want. Or at least *try* :-) . My oldest three have already been around at butchering time, and quite enjoyed 'dissecting' (very carefully, and under strict adult supervision) the still warm heart of one of our pigs. They also know that our animals and are our 'charges'...that we are, as human beings, the stewards of the blessings God has given us, and that we ought to treat those gifts with respect, and thank God for the opportunity to live on them, grow our food, and raise our animals ourselves. We take our job as "stewards" very seriously, and try to take the best care of our animals and land, we can...We thank Him, as well, that our animals have lived good lives, in fresh air, sunshine, and being the most of whatever animal they are, under His watchful eye, and our loving care. And while my children are somewhat saddened, when the animals meet their Creator, they are also always thrilled, when we eat something we have grown, or raised, ourselves. "Is this *our* pork? Is this *OUR* chicken?"...not to mention, the discussions we have had, the first time we had a meal with potatoes, onions, carrots, and pork all grown and raised here on our land. Thanks be to God we have been able to do so while our children are still young and small. There is no doubt that my children will grow up knowing that ground beef comes from those cows in the pasture, when their day comes to be butchered.

There are many reasons *for* growing our own food. No one is saying, "go out and buy 15 acres and immediately plant it to food...and expect to live off of it right off the bat". Nope, that's not going to work out very well for you. Start out, with some small space. Especially if one is in a subdivision, where there is a HOA, you may be restricted on what you can and cannot do (personally, I find HOA rather silly and power-hungry, but hey, I moved to the country to get away from that mindset)...

One thing that several of my friends have done, is to incorporate their food plants in with their bedding plants. By planting, say, a tomato, surrounded with a beautiful basil, and perhaps some carrots, you not only get some lovely plants to 'fill in', but they are useful, and those three are great "companion plants" for one another. Especially if you get determinate, bush varities, you won't have to worry about trellising and twine and all that stuff. It might be sneaky, but it gets the job done, right? Put herbs into your window boxes, your porch planters, and watch them grow (whatever you do, do *not* put mint in the ground. Any of the mints will spread by rootlet and take over...ask me how I know!). You can use some herbs as ground covers, in lightly trafficked areas, or as border plants in a flower bed. Be sneaky and be creative...I'm sure you all know what I mean...

There are many wonderful seed catalogs out there. Some of my favorites are the Seed Saver's catalog, Jungs, Burpees, and Johnny's. But make sure to read carefully about what seeds or plants you are getting. It can be very easy to over-guesstimate how many seeds you will need, and then you end up feeling like you need to plant all those seeds...and in two months time, your planted area is completely overwhelmed...buying ready-to-go plants is also a good idea especially for things like herbs, and small container plants like cherry tomatoes and peppers. Make sure to check the way that the plant grows. Does it need trellising support, or does it need to ramble? Is it a bush variety, or is it one of those that needs to spread out and leaf out allll over the place? Keep your space allowance in mind, and really think.

Seed catalogs are terribly seductive. Oh my, yes. I can easily spend an entire day just browsing through my stack of seed catalogs, drooling over things I have no hope of growing here. Between the soil/light requirements, zones of growth, and amount of work required for many of them, I'm just out of luck. Not to mention the flower portions which don't really add anything to the diet but do make one's spirits bloom a bit. Try and make sure that any seeds you do buy, especially the herbals, have a pretty look to them and aren't supposed to be too leggy. In hard times, sometimes, a pretty plant is all we need to perk our spirits up a bit...I would recommend some sunflowers, of varying heights and colors, if one wants to plant something edible and pretty at the same time.

Once you have your garden going, there are many methods of preserving the harvest, from freezing (very easy, but if you don't have a spare chest or upright freezer at hand, well, you may not want to do that-and if the power goes out? Well, you'd better like vegetable soup!) to canning (somewhat space and labor intensive, but there's no worries about food deterioration/loss if the power goes out, *and* you can reuse the jars and rings year after year) to dehydrating (a good way to go as far as storage goes, since things tend to dry smaller and lighter, but they may not look as appetizing as your other options, and if you want it done quickly, the dehydrators can be expensive to build or buy)...Herbs are easiest dried, of course, if you aren't going to use them fresh. Some veggies store better fresh, some don't do well frozen--it is really a matter of learning what you eat, and what is the best method for preserving that particular fruit or veggie. There are many good books on the market about this, but after the Ball Blue Book (canning), I really like "Preserving the Harvest" and "Stocking Up". Those are mainstays on the library shelves and you *should* be able to check them out right now, and think about what you will want to eat, what you would like to plant, and then do a bit of research as far as the best means for preservation.

Personally, I opt for canning 99.9% of my produce. And even some meats. It is all in the method used, and the recipes, as well. I make our jams (blackberry, strawberry, and peach strawberry/strawberry peach), and peach butter. This year I also made salsa, vegetable soup, more salsa, ketchup, more salsa, tons of pickle relish (I think it was 26 quarts?--and that is in addition to all of the pickles--dills, mostly--I had left from last year's harvest), more salsa (say, are you seeing a pattern here? ;-) ), pickled banana peppers, pickled jalapeno peppers...And it really didn't take that much time, it was just being busy the days that I *did* can. I also put a great many blackberries and jalapenos into the freezer, for later use, since I don't need that many pints of pickled jalapenos, and I would like to try my hand at blackberry brandy. I did make some homemade cherry brandy this fall, but as I've yet to taste it, well, we'll see which of our friends are going to be our handy-dandy guinea pigs.

Many things that we believe are far too difficult to preserve, or to make ourselves, are, in actuality, quite simple and easy. Take the cherry brandy. Cleaned fruit. Sugar. Yep. That's pretty much *it*, folks. A dark, coolish place, where it isn't going to be shaken, stirred, poked, and whatnot...a decent covering, and there you go. Cherry brandy. Yum. I'll have to try it over pound cake one of these days...

I believe that in large part, the main reason behind the majority's unwillingness to consider growing their own food, or even a part of it, is simply the thought that they have better things to do. Now, I'm all for relaxation. I certainly enjoy a good book in front of the fire on a cold evening...a nice leisurely evening with friends on the front porch, after a wonderful bbq dinner from the grill...but those things do not, should not, preclude the labors of our hands and bodies.

Too many of us (self included) would much rather have a life of ease, and relative leisure. The thought of getting out and shoveling tons of used stable bedding onto a garden plot, leaves much to be desired. It is certainly not high on most people's "Things I Want to Do Before I Die" bucket lists. However, it is good exercise. It is honest work. And once a rhythm gets going, it becomes a sort of prayer to the good Lord, who created us all, and told us that we would be forced to work, and to grow our food by the sweat of our brow...the relative silence, of the thud of the shovel into a pile of composted manure, straw, and "such", provides time for meditating on the mysteries of life. Christ was raised by his foster father, a carpenter...did He, Our Lord, ever shovel a garden for His mother? How can I, even as I am shoveling some really nasty stuff, direct my thoughts to God, and His will? Perhaps by concentrating on the fact that the very nastiness that I am shoveling out there, is the very thing that will make my flowers grow bigger and bloom brighter, my tomatoes reach for the sky and put out a gazillion blossoms and fruit...realizing that it is sometimes the ugliness coming before, that causes the beauty of the end result, to shine so brightly in our mind...how many of us, have seen what seemed to be a horrible situation, turn around and become an example of how great God is, and how He can work in our lives?

Admittedly, it is easy to see the drudgery, and not see the potential goodness that comes from such labor. We have been conditioned, as a culture, as a people, to refrain from such things at nearly whatever cost we can manage, and only to resort to manual labor if we cannot possibly pay someone else. There are hold outs, of course. Many of us, cannot afford to pay someone to come and do all of our gardening, our painting, our cleaning for us, and so we do it ourselves, neglecting a very great opportunity to submerge ourselves in the "mindlessly mundane" work...

Yesterday, after I finally took down the Christmas tree, and the Christmas decorations, I rearranged a bit more of the spaces in the family room. Not needing that space for the tree anymore, I moved a rocking chair (a very nice, heavy, substantial oak one) to where the tree had been, and over it, I hung a picture. A rather large piece, with a quote from 1 Corinthians underneath the print of a woman, working at picking fruit from a tree...

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. ", 1 Corinthians 15:58

What a better thing to meditate on, when one is performing such drudgery, knowing that our work...even the mundane, daily tasks, is not in vain (I realize that St Paul was in fact writing to the Corinthians, to scold them, to chastise them, to exhort them to remain true to the Gospel of Our Lord...but for the purposes of this blog post, I'll admit to cherry picking scripture! And even better, this one is hanging in my family room... :-) ).

We are, for the most part, Christians, reading this blog...some Catholic, some protestant. What better work is there, than seeing to the well-being of your family? And if you are single, or have no family to provide the bounty of your garden with, well then, surely, there is someone else, who can benefit. Those disabled, on limited incomes, and the elderly, who cannot garden on their own, and yet, cannot afford to buy themselves such things, either--would they not benefit greatly from your efforts? Not just in a financial sense...but in the intangible--better nutrition, of course, also in the building of ties within the community. Someone thinking of them, gathering some freshly grown, warm from the sun, vegetables and fruits for them? I wonder how often that happens? We talk the talk, but do we walk the walk?

The sharing of our bounty, whether it is fresh, or preserved, is an important part of our Christian faith. And even the sharing of our poverty (the widow's mite) is of great value...(see the stories of Stone Soup, for an idea of what I mean here).

I realize that I have wandered a bit, from my intended discussion on food growing and preservation. I apologize for that...Please, do check out the books and such that I have mentioned. Other good general gardening books, for those inclined, are "Lasagna Gardening" "Square Foot Gardening", "Carrots love Tomatoes" and "Roses love Garlic"...there is much that can be done, even on a standard suburban plot, not burdened by HOA rules, to make you a bit more self-sufficient...

I do hope that you got "something" from this post. I'm sorry if I rambled too far off course for some of you. Remember, I'm a beginning blogger, and I still like to talk about myself--hey, it's not like I'm looking to make a living off of it!

Hopefully, I will be able to get another post up tomorrow, about another preparedness issue--fuel, light, and heat...if not, I am now apologizing in advance! It has been a couple of very busy days around here (like I said, yesterday was dismantling the Christmas decorations, and El Husbando was home with a torqued-up back. Massively ugly pain. :-( ). Today, I finally got my table linens pulled out, the drawers cleaned out and reorganized, and I even got the end table table-cloth changed, and the cabinet by the back door cleaned out a bit more...Yay for the home team!! Considering that was on top of schoolwork, regular housechores, and everything else that goes on around here, I don't feel too bad!

I do hope that you have had a productive day. And if not productive, well...I hope it wasn't BAD. And if it was bad, well, it wasn't too horrible--you are still alive to read this, right? God has granted you another day (sometimes, we may wonder WHY, but hey, who am I to question HIM? LOL)!
For now, my friends, think about your yards, your balconies, what can *you* do, to make yourself even a smidgen better prepared? Do you have a wonderfully sunny backyard, and have been trying to decide what to do with it, besides grass? Consider a non-traditional vegetable garden, design it like a flower bed, and instead of delphiniums, foxgloves, pinks, roses, and daylilies, try green beans, tomatoes, carrots, lettuces/greens, onions, and herbs. Think outside the box.

Skip day...

2010-01-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

Sorry folks-I forgot that this afternoon/evening is our pastor's appreciation dinner, and I'm slated to bring a casserole. I am going to have to pass on working on my next installment, and getting it up online today, and make a vegetable medley casserole, instead.

Pray for me. We have to be there by 530, its a 20 min drive, and it is nowww....230. I've got time, but doggone it, I'm bushed. I had a three hour "break" in my sleep last night, I've got folks needing some serious apologetics work, a blog post to write, a casserole to make, five children to get dressed for going out, into the car, and back to town, and the animals to take care of--plus the usual indoor house things.

I got to get all wrapped up and go break ice on the pond with a sledgehammer for our cows...after Mass, of course...even got to scoop out the thickest, biggest chunks, with a shovel...yep. Dh's back is messed up again. Prayers would be definitely appreciated. Thankfully, things should be warming up over the next couple of days....

Hopefully, you are all having a great day today, and a blessed, warm(er) weekend...

Rachel

Whatcha got to eat? Or, how to keep the hungries at bay...

2010-01-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

Since this looks to be another long post, I think I’ll be splitting into two parts. Part 1, today, is just on basic purchasing and storage. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss growing your own, gardening, and a few other things as I come up with them…

There are three things you absolutely cannot live without…air, water, and food. You can make it for up to three minutes without air, up to three days without water, and up to three weeks without food. But do any of you really think you want to only breathe every 2 ½ minutes? Drink a gallon of water every third day? Eat every second week, and go without, in between? Or, more importantly, do you want your children to have to do so? This is the thing that drives many folks to prepare—the concern for loved ones. Especially, those folks who have actually seen hardship and privation first hand…

When my father was growing up, his family was poor. And I don’t mean, they didn’t have a tv, or a new car every 5 years. I mean, my dad’s family was a family of migrant farmers. Today, migrant farmers are typically immigrants, of dubious legal status. But back up until the 60s, the vast majority of them in the deep South of the United States, were poor whites. Occasionally, my step-grandfather and grandmother would do a stint as a tenant farmer, but that is as bad in some situations as being a migrant. There were many times, when they were so impoverished, that lard on biscuits was high eating. And this was in the 50s and 60s. Not that long ago.

Memories of those times, drove my father to make sure that his family—both we children and our mother, as well as my aunt and grandmother—were cared for. That we had food to eat, and food put back, just in case. My dad would work two and three jobs, when I was young, to make sure of that. It didn’t matter how tired he got, he insisted on two things. One, that my mother be at home with us children—no one else is going to be responsible to the Almighty, for the upbringing of the children, but the parents. And two, that we eat. It did not matter what he had to do, he would do it. He would not go back to living the life he had been raised in, a promise he made with his sister, and that they have kept to this day.

That mindset, of the “Do whatever you have to do, go without yourself, work three jobs, it doesn’t matter, but make darned sure your children are well taken care of, and provided for” school, has been driven into my own psyche. I do not believe that it is anyone else’s responsibility to take care of my family, but El Husbando, and I. Proverbs 22:3, talks about a wise man seeing trouble coming, and preparing for it. While I hesitate to use the term “wise” in connection with myself, I do think that being prepared for events beyond our control is a wise idea. Yesterday, I spoke of how the extreme weather is resulting in folks not being able to get to the stores, and food not being able to get to the stores in the first place, to be restocked. Eventually, those folks who bought a dozen eggs, a couple loaves of bread, and an extra gallon of milk, are going to run out. Now, if they cannot get to the store to resupply, what are they going to do? Are they going to moan and cry and fuss because some government official didn’t get the roads cleared for them to make it to the store? Or are those folks going to be able to go to their pantry, open the cabinet door, and say, “Well, dear, we have powdered milk, plenty of canned veggies, pasta and sauces, enough meat in the freezer to last us a while. What would you like for dinner?” Which one of those pictures would *you* rather be a part of, if times got hard—either for a shorter term natural weather event, or a longer term economic one?

Some folks seem to think that having a good pantry built up is an immediate, expensive process, too complicated to bother with, for the average person. The mindset of “well, that’s okay for the Mormons” or “Those crazy nutjobs next door got another pallet in today”. But the reality of building up a pantry, is that it is *not* difficult, nor terribly expensive, if one goes about it the right way, with a plan in mind before you start out, and a clearly defined set of goals set out in advance.
There are many websites out there, that will sell you a pallet of dehydrated food in #10 cans. Vacuum packed, with oxygen absorbers, and everything. But for most of us, “dinner in a can” is not really what we are looking for, when we think of building a pantry. The best way, I have found, to actually build up a pantry you know you will eat and use, is to simply buy more of what you normally eat, usually when it goes on sale. And, if what you normally eat is processed, start trying to make it from scratch. Yes, scratch. Homemade food. I know, it takes more time. Most folks reading this blog are stay at home moms, and some of you are homeschooling. It is not easy, as I well know, to cook from scratch when you’ve got one or more little people directly underfoot, two or three more at the kitchen table dawdling over schoolwork, and a house that desperately needs cleaning. But it is far better for you, and actually a good way to cover those valuable “home management skills” many of us were missing when we left home/married/had children ourselves (notice I am including myself here). I know, as much as you hate to hear it—involve the children. The mess. I know. The loud, loud talking (I know, I know..it gets on my nerves too). Believe me, this is important…

My nine year old can make bread. Seriously. GOOD bread. Admittedly, it is the 5 minute artisan bread that does not require kneading. But she can make it by herself, with little to no help from me. I generally do the shaping, or direct her to make it into rolls in the muffin pans, but she can do it all by herself. So bread baking is not this mysterious art only reserved for the properly trained. You too, can do it. With four ingredients. No joke—flour, water, yeast, salt. That’s it. We have used it for pizza dough, rolls, artisan bread, grilled it in our fireplace, made cinnamon rolls with it, cloverleaf rolls, etc. It is YUMMY. And easy easy easy. Now, if my 9 year old daughter can make bread—so can anyone of you reading this. Probably, any of your children can, too, if they are 8 or older and able to follow simple directions. If something this basic to life (bread), is so easy to make, then maybe this whole cooking from scratch thing, isn’t so exotic, difficult, and time consuming as food manufacturers and processors would have us believe.

But wait, you say. If I’m cooking from scratch, what about ingredients…??? And recipes?? A great cookbook, is the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Another good one, is that favorite, “The Joy of Cooking”. Two large, very broadly based cookbooks, with lots of good ideas, recipes, techniques, etc. Get a good, solid hardcove version—a spiral bound, flat-laying version with the metal spiral, not the plastic, is a good idea, too. I hesitate to say, have each of them removed from their original spine, and have them then spiral bound at your local office supply store, but it can be done, and is a good idea, especially for a book you would use frequently.

Now, ingredients. Those tricky little things that trip us up when we don’t plan our menus around our pantries, and instead plan whatever we’re going to eat “on the fly”. Stocking up a pantry has to involve ingredients, as I’m sure you’ve guessed by now…I think you will find that if you plan ahead…and make more foods from scratch, you will find an increasing amount of money savings, not to mention better health, and a certainty that if the Hamburger Helper stash in the cabinet runs out, you *will* be able to cook something for dinner…What do you eat? Sit down, every evening after the children are in bed, or throughout the day. And write down what your household has eaten. Snacks, meals, etc. Don’t forget any lunches out, or the lunches your DH eats while he is away at work. At the end of the week, sit down and look at it. How many frozen bags of veggies, or cans, did you eat per day/per week. What about meat? What kinds, how much did you go through, etc. Once you’ve done this for a couple of weeks, up to a month, you’ll have a good idea of what you are looking at, as far as regular food consumption. This will also tell you what foods you like, are used to eating, etc, not to mention, give you a leg up on finding a homemade version of whatever it is that tickles your family’s tastebuds. There are websites, and programs you can buy, that will tell you how much food you “should” need per person, in a given month/year. That’s all well and good, unless you have growing children, in which case, the numbers need some skewing. You really need to look at your family, because your family is different from every other family out there… One good, overall, program I would recommend is Revelar’s Food Storage Planner. Here is a link to a supposedly free downloadable program…

http://ptf.com/download/food_storage_planner/601062/

It is definitely a worthwhile thing to have. And it has a number of additional features that worth investigating, when you have the time and inclination. I can highly recommend it, as we purchased it years and years ago and have updated and used it off and on ever since. This will make the next step of your food preparedness easier to handle…

So, you’ve found out what you eat. And now is when to start comparing the prices of the stores around you. What is a good price, per can, per oz, per lb? I know, for instance, that if I pay more than $.40/lb for sugar, I’m paying too much. You *can* find it for that price, you just have to look. And keep track. This is where what some folks call a price notebook comes in handy. A little spiral bound notebook, easy to stick into a purse or a pocket, a diaper bag, whatever, when you go to the store. Keep tabs on what the running price is (and keep an eye on those prices, cause they are going up). Find the best prices for the things you have to buy regularly. This doesn’t require extra trips on your part, just when you go to a given store, check and see. This is assuming of course that you don’t only go to one store, because it is ‘better’ than the others, or more conveniently located. If you do this, you may be missing some really good deals, and really good sales. Think outside of your comfort zone a bit here, and explore some newer/out of the way places, if you can.

Giving yourself some time to get a price book going is a good idea. Chances are, if you are like me, you have a stash of grocery store receipts in your purse right now…(yes, right there next to the checkbook, that ink pen that has no ink left, the wadded up tissue, the copy of your church bulletin from last month, and a business card from someone you know you should remember, but don’t). Check them out, and see what the prices were that day, at your store. That’ll give you a little bit of a start. Check those prices out, in comparison, when you go out. Where is the better deal? Simply knowing where—and what—the best prices are, enables you to wisely take advantage of good sales, and stock up. You may be able to fill a niche, just because you chanced across a sale price that was light-years better than the ones you usually see and pay.

But talking about price books, and how to go about getting the food, really glosses over, the main idea. Yes, you need to buy and stock up on what you will eat. But what you really ought to be doing, is making sure that you are not relying on store bought, processed foods, but instead are learning to make your own. Buy the basics—especially those basics that there is NO way you can grow or produce yourself. Baking soda, baking powder, sugars, salt, honey, rice, beans, oatmeal, vinegars, oils-- these are things that by and large, we cannot grow or raise on a small scale property. Herbs and spices—many of them simply do not grow in the climate zones of the US, or maybe don’t grow where you are. How many of those do we use and not think about, every single day? There are many things that as times have changed, and transportation has become faster/easier/cheaper, have come to be “standards” in our day to day lives, that have not always been available to most of the world, most of the time, if at all.

There are those who will say “But, I don't have room" line. PISH POSH! There is so much more space in the average American home than we use, that it is nearly shameful. Clean out a closet, and use it for an additional pantry. Put an extra shelf in the top of *all* your closets (you and I both know that there is a TON of space up there, that goes unused), and store things up there. Under beds, couches (especially if they have skirts). Double and triple stack things in your cabinets. Shoot, before we had children, and had to do away with such niceties as tableclothed end tables, DH and I used brand new, smallish sized plastic trash cans, with a big round wooden lid on it (covered with a nice tablecloth that matched our curtains) as end tables in our family room (not here—this was eons ago, lol). Talk about a ton of storage! Space that would have gone completely to waste, was not only put to good use, but discreet storage, as well. Rubbermaid totes store things like grains pretty well, if you make sure to freeze the grains thoroughly for an extended period, to eliminate bug eggs, etc (yes, there are bug eggs in the food. Shoot, used to be, folks had to sift the bugs out of their flours and such, which is one reason sifters came into being). No sense storing food if you are going to let pests get to it. Those lovely 5 gallon buckets that the frostings come in at bakeries nationwide, are another good resource for finding food-grade storage on the cheap. You can also find them at HomeDepot (although I am not sure about them being food grade, and would hesitate to store anything not in its original packaging in them). A set of shelves, can make for a lot of space, especially if you have a basement. Go up, not out. Keep your shelving neat, and clean. Store like with like, keep those nifty cardboard “case” boxes, that canned goods come in—they help to keep things in neat rows, and make it easier to move, and organize…

So, what did we discuss today? Well, let’s recap:

First of all, preparedness isn’t for the abnormal, paranoid folks. It’s for everyone. Because you never know what tomorrow will bring, it is best to be prepared, and able to take care of yourself (it is NO ONE else’s job to take care of you, prepare for you, provide for you and your family. NO ONEs. Got that? Okay, good). Now, buying extra amounts of food to put back for your family’s use, is not abnormal, except to someone immersed in the current “it will always be available” mindset. This is wrong, and historically proven false. *WE* are abnormal, these days, for not putting food up, for not looking down the road, and relying on a rather extremely fragile train of transportation and resupply, to take care of our food needs. How to best start building up a pantry? Start with buying more of what you already do, and put it back. Even a can or two at a time, can make all the difference in the world, if the power goes out and there’s no way to get anything more to eat. Just put it on the shelf. Pantry-building is not a one time, expensive, deal. It is an on-going process that changes and develops as your family’s needs change. Keep that in mind as you go. Also, bone up on your ‘cooking from scratch’ skills. Not just dumping food from one can into a big pot (although that does have its merits from time to time), but instead, really learning what food IS, and what it does…and how best to prepare it. Start small, but be consistent. Grab an extra sack of sugar, flour, beans, and rice, when you go to the store the next time. Go ahead and get that extra canister of salt, and put it back. Grab two jugs of vegetable or olive oil, and put them into the back of the pantry. Start *somewhere*, but start *TODAY*. It doesn’t have to be much, but doing something, is better than sitting back in confusion, doing nothing, until it is too late.

Remember the 7Ps—Proper Prior Preparation Prevents Pi$$ Poor Performance. Memorize it. Are you prepared? How would you fare if there was a massive storm to hit suddenly, and keep you in your house for a week or two or three? Go look in your kitchen cabinets. What do you see? How much of it? How many times a week, a month, do you go to the store? Do you plan your menus out, weekly, daily…at all? Spend some time really thinking about what you are prepared for…and if you come to the conclusion you are *not* in fact, prepared for anything at all, much less something extended and drastic, start to think about ways to *get* to a better preparedness level…

Now that I’ve given you something to think about the rest of today, I’ll leave you to your thoughts—share them if you want—I’d love to hear from you. Are you preparing? Do you know people who do, and do you think that they are weird? Are you some Idahoan preparedness demi-god, who can teach us all a thing or four? Please, go ahead! Visitor participation is not only welcomed, it is encouraged!

Til tomorrow folks,

Contingency plans, the 7 Ps, and what that means to you and I, Part 1

2010-01-07T19:01:00.001-08:00

The recent weather extremes here (as well as across the country) have really caused me to sit and think about "what ifs"....not to say I've never sat and given them any thought before, because I have. But sometimes, circumstances will occur that make you sit back and re-evaluate your previous "percolations" on a subject, and honestly, this time of year, combined with spending the last two weeks primarily in my house (leaving only for one trip to Mass, and one trip to the grocery store, since two days before Christmas), aside from the daily trips to the chicken coop and mailbox, has caused me to reconsider my plans and priorities, as well as giving more serious and sustained thoughts to the "whys, wherefores, and how-tos" of contingency planning...

When my beloved El Husbando was in the Army, one of the things he would say every so often, was something about 7Ps. I never paid that much attention to it, until one day I finally asked him what he meant by that...surprised that I didn't know, and hadn't asked him before, he explained, that the 7Ps stood for Proper Prior Planning Prevents Pi$$ Poor Performance (pardon the language, this was the Army non-com talking. Ahem). It meant that they planned, planned, planned, and planned for any and every possible contingency that could, would, and likely, HAD come up in a given situation. They made sure that they had ever bit of redundancy, every bit of double and triple checking. They tried to avoid catastrophe, by simply sitting down, and thinking, before they went off "half cocked" and really dropped the ball on a given mission.

Now, obviously, when one is talking about military units, the 7Ps are really life and death, particularly in combat operations. But even training can be deadly if the 7Ps are not followed...

But what about civilian life...is there a place in civilian life for the 7Ps? Well, yes. Most definitely.

Think about the massively awful winter weather the Northern Hemisphere has been having (oh yeah, btw, Al Gore called and said they'd called off the Global Warming for this month) . People dying from a lack of heat, grocery stores running out of food (because roads are closed in every direction, and truck shipments cannot be brought in to resupply), houses burning down because people have not considered what they need to do when the power is out, and its 20 below 0 outside, before the windchill...Folks being trapped in their cars, with no supplies, no way of getting out, and freezing to death because they were ill-prepared for what they encountered...

While it seems like such extreme happenings "can't happen to you"--they *can* happen to you. I can guarantee you, none of the dead had thought that they would die because of their action/inaction/poor preparedness level...

Yes folks...I said it. Preparedness. Now, before you go running screaming for the hills, let me elaborate...

Preparedness is *not* just for Luddite, 2d Amendment quoting, y2k leftover paranoid nutjobs whose dream is to move to Idaho and to never again see another person who looks different from them...to use no electricity and drink water from the stream out back...

No. Preparedness is, in fact, for everyone. Little do you know, who around you, might be a "prepper". 99.9% of them, will never come out and say it. You may never know. They look like you. Like your neighbors. Like the cashier at the hardware store. The little old lady at church, who has lived in your town her whole life, never married, and is the one who brings that phenomenal coconut cake that no matter how hard they try, no one has been able to wheedle the recipe out of her (sounds like I know someone like that, doesn't it? ;-) ). Yes. People who are prepared are, well, dare I say it?

Normal.

Yes. Believe it or not, being UNprepared, is abnormal, as history goes. Think on it. For thousands upon thousands of years...there were no grocery stores. There were no electrical power plants. There was no shipping of perishable fruits FRESH across large expanses of territory, expecting them to still be fresh when they got to their destination...meats were salted, brined, pickled, smoked, you name it, it was either eaten immediately after butchering, or it HAD to be preserved in some way, cause freezing was not a reliable option...

Instead, people planned ahead. They stored (like squirrels...ants...honeybees...)food for the winter. Anything and everything that they could "put up", they did. I'm sure some of you, had grandparents and older relatives who would can every summer. If it wasn't nailed down, it went into a mason jar, and got pressure canned, hot water bathed, or got dehydrated, frozen, or otherwise 'stored' in some way. They remembered the Depression. They remembered having nothing but lard and biscuits to eat--and being grateful for it!

They had plans for how to heat their homes, that didn't necessarily rely on the power company. The men and boys would spend their 'down' time, cutting, hauling, and splitting wood for fireplaces, wood stoves, and the like. They'd stack up cord after cord after cord, and then some...More modern efforts, not reliant on a steady wood supply, would be kerosene heaters. Less work, more expense.

As times changed, and motor vehicles were entering the scene, those inclined to be prepared (following the Boy Scout motto), would make sure that they had water, any medicines that they HAD to have, warm clothing, shovels, kitty litter, spare tires/jacks, jumper cables, warm clothes, blankets, good walking footgear, food, etc, for themselves and their passengers, were they to get stuck somewhere in a wintry climate, or water, and the appropriate clothing and gear for a summertime breakdown/disaster while on the road.

Today, however, we have people going on journeys into snow country, in winter, with a light coat, if that...no water, no food, no way to signal help (cell phones may not work), no extra clothing or good walking footgear. They don't know how to use their car to keep themselves alive until help comes (the car won't make it, but you will!). And days, weeks, months later, they are found, frozen to death, near death, frostbitten, or just plain old COLD and HUNGRY, because they weren't prepared for the situation they found themselves in...

We have people who literally have no more than a day or two's worth of food in their homes, for themselves and their children...they panic at the mention of "snow" and run to the store and grab bread, eggs, milk, and toilet paper. A few might sensibly grab some vienna sausages, some canned soup, or some Chef Boyardee. But by and large, you can tell when snow is predicted, by the store shelves in your local stores...

We have a generation of people (actually, more than that) who have no idea where meats come from...I saw an opinion piece some time ago...a woman wrote in, telling people to "buy their meat at the grocery store, where no animals were harmed"...ummm, lady, you DO know where that steak came from, right???? Children who think milk comes from the store...that meat is just "popped into existence" in styrofoam platters at the local grocery store, and wrapped in shrink wrap...

Yes folks, we are raising a whole lot of people, who have absolutely no clue what manure is (and if they do know, they likely use another, four letter term for it, and rarely if ever use it in its proper context)....no idea about how to grow food, what various garden crops look like at various stages of growth...how to cook food from scratch...what "from scratch" means, even...

Now, given that you are reading this blog, I doubt you are one of these people. I like to think that the (admittedly, few) folks who read my blog, actually are pretty smart. At the very least, you're not likely to think "Hmm, Rachel's gone off the deep end, what does she mean, meat doesn't come from the store! Hey, wait! I think I wrote that letter to the editor!" :-D

But the point remains...we have devalued the "currency" of being prepared. We, as a people, as a culture, have come to expect "services" to be available...what IF the ice storm of the century hits, overnight one night, when only a light storm was predicted...power's out all over, there's no heat, no electricity. Do you have the food you need? What do you do with your perishables in the fridge and freezer? How do you stay warm? What if something happens, a medical situation--not a life or death, but a situation not normally handled at home...do you know what to do? If the ambulance, fire department, and police cannot get to you, they will be of no help--if the phone lines aren't down. You *will* be on your own....even if you don't do some things in every day life, it would be valuable to have resources at hand, to take care of such situations...books, manuals, etc...experience, even once or twice, would be better than nothing...

It seems as if, in our pursuit of the "now", we've forgotten that tomorrow does come, and it may not be as rosy a picture as today...

As I am sure you have guessed, if you've been reading this blog for long at all, I believe that our country is very very close to an economic collapse. Maybe not tomorrow. Or next week. But the state of our economy is fragile right now...despite what certain persons in power would have you believe, an economic recovery is not coming right away...our bond market is tanking. The dollar is being devalued against foreign currencies...other countries are refusing our goods...the agricultural sector of our economy is in extremely poor shape, and only likely to get worse this next year. We have little to no reserves (there used to be food reserves, did you know that? There aren't any more--we sold some and used the rest), on a national level. Enviromental and agricultural-fiscal policies have resulted in an absolute horror of a situation. The main agricultural region of California, has been denied the water it needs to grow the foods that are the mainstay of the Central Valley's economy--foods that we consumers in other parts of the country, have come to count on. The citrus crops in FL and other tropical coastal regions, are being affected by this incredible Arctic front that is hitting the entire United States in one form or another. The droughts in late 2008, early 2009, freezes early in 2009, massive rainfalls in the central part of the country all summer long, ruined crops all over the US. Crops failed abroad as well--rice, sugar, fruits...folks, it is a very very ugly picture. Combine that, with the demand for biodiesel corn, subsidies for NOT growing crops, the collapsing small farms, and we have a situation that could very easily topple over into something particularly ugly as 2010 progresses. Energy prices are on the rise (I'm sure you've noticed the price of gasoline rising? Well, the price per barrel of crude oil yesterday, was over $82...a week, week and a half ago, it was still under $80. We're going to see $3/gal gas again, soon, if you aren't already.

So what, you think...the problem is, is that that cost is applied to food...to plastics...to ANYTHING hauled by truck..the food cost is not only rising due to scarcity, but also because with the price of petroleum, goes fuel, fertilizers, herbi/pesticides...not to mention the sheer cost of manufacturing whatever food is getting processed..hauled to the processor, hauled to the packaging, hauled to market warehouses, hauled to stores...packaging costs money...you see? There is so much of a petroleum base in our Western economy, the rising price of crude oil is going to cause a cascade of inflationary prices...

The big question is, can we (you?) afford it? Are you prepared, to be able to shell out that much money? Do you have the discretionary income, to 'cushion' the blow that such a spike in prices--of *everything*--is going to require?

How does one prepare for such events? A second Great Depression, I mean, really, how *does* one prepare for that?

First thing on *my* list? Get out of debt. As much as you can, as fast as you can. THROW money onto the debt. Make the sacrifices NOW, while the dollar is actually worth something (frankly, the way things are going, the old images of the Weimar Republic in Germany keep coming to mind). Skip eating out...throw the $20 onto another bill. Instead of buying presents for Valentine's Day, do that whole "coupon book" idea--actions, not gifts..make a niiiiiice dinner at home. Get the itch to redecorate? Either do without, shop the thrift and consignment stores, or, even better, "shop the house". Seriously. Think outside the box, and look around your home, and "repurpose" things. Move them around, and see if that doesn't work better for you. Save your money. Use any windfall money, to pay down debt. This is our personal plan, with our tax refund (and God willing, the sale of our old home this spring). Any and every bit of "extra" is going to the debt paydown plan. It *must* be done. *MUST*. And not just because I am tired of writing the checks. But because it does, in fact, make me a slave to those companies. We are working and slaving, merely to give them their pound of flesh each month. Repellent as it is, there you have it...

If you aren't in debt, don't go there. Stay put. DO NOT DO IT. I don't care what the motivation is "It's such a good deal!", "We'll never find something like this again!"--you know what, if you *know* a big purchase is going to be coming up, start saving. I know, I know, saving is a dirty word. Seriously. Pay cash. DO NOT get into debt. It is a very very bad idea at any time, and especially right now.

I can say that, because I have been--and am--on the debtor side of the page. When El Husbando was still in the Army, he was sent to Iraq. He was supposed to be gone for 18mos. Now, soldiers get a LOT more money when they are in combat zones, than they do when they are home. We planned to save up our money, pay down debts, and get out about 6 mos after he returned home. We figured we had a good 2 years before we had to worry about retirement and a lower income.

But we were wrong. Very...

Four months into his 18mos tour...a month after I'd had some expensive foundation repair done to our old (then, current) home...he was sent back early. Less than 5 mos after that, he was medically retired. Our income was more than halved. This is ugly at any time, especially with (relatively) so little warning. But with five children, a move, and two houses, this is particularly bad. The Veteran's Administration's process for determining disability (which El Husbando most certainly is) can take more than a year. We ended up maxing out the credit cards within 7 months. All of them. And then, just in the nick of time, the VA letter arrived. Thanks be to God, it came. And with it, money. We paid off some of the debts, but nowhere near enough, and unfortunately, we made some more poor choices, and ended up further in the hole shortly there after.

So, now, we are using any and every penny to dig ourselves out of the hole of our own making. We have the heat as low as we can stand it, lights go off and stay off, Christmas was fairly small. We aren't buying much of anything but bare necessities and pantry stock ups (because with five children, you can imagine what the cost of food rising is doing to the budget--stock up while you can, folks!). We aren't going places, having date nights, or even hitting the thrift stores lately (the children got clothes for Christmas, thanks be to God).

But we have got to get out of it. With what we believe to be hyperinflation looming only around the corner, the cost of everything on the rise, the sensible thing to do, is to be paying down, paying off, debts. Not getting into any new ones (paid off cards get cut up, except for one frozen into a block of ice in the freezer). Is it fun? No, not really. Do I miss certain things? Yes. Would I change the past if I could? MOST DEFINITELY--which is why I am warning YOU.

You may be tempted...lured in..convinced that the economy is going to turn around. That the money train we've had for decades, isn't coming to a screeching halt on the side of a mountain with a tunnel painted on it. That "we can afford to do/buy X on the card--we'll pay it off over the year"...don't count on it. Pay cash, or don't get it. Save up. If it is really a need, you can make yourself save up...Such "economy" will cause you to really think about what needs versus wants.

If you are already out of debt, good on you. I mean that. But then the question becomes...are you prepared in other ways?

I think what I am going to do, is going to make this a multiple part "series"...rather than trying to cover so much material, in one day's posting...so tune in tomorrow for more...

Ack! Has it been a week almost????

2010-01-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe it. But honestly, I've been so busy the last few days (since Sunday morning), that I've scarcely even checked here (I figured, I have comment notification, if anyone says anything, well, I can check in..it is not as if I have a high traffic volume, or anything, lol ;-) ).

What have I been doing? Catholic apologetics. For those who don't know, apologetics is *not* apologizing for what we believe, lol. Basically, it is explaining the Faith, what the Church teaches, and why, and where we get the scriptural basis for what we teach and believe. There are MASSIVE numbers of people who simply have no clue that what they *know* about the Church...that what they've been told about the Church by people that they respect, is absolutely wrong, and has been set up by people who either simply don't know any better themselves, or are deliberately mis-representing the Church and Her teachings.

I will admit, I am not the strongest apologist out there. But, having been raised a Sola Scripturist, I can definitely discuss scripture (anyone else out there participate in Bible Bowl? Yeah, raise your hand...yep...I did, too!). Some Catholics have a problem with *just* using Sacred Scripture to back up Catholic belief, because the Church teaches from Tradition, as well as Scripture...but the problem with that tack, is that Sola Scripturists, by the very meaning of the term, do not recognize Tradition as a reliable source. So, being at least a bit versed in Scripture, I discuss the Church from that perspective, as much as possible.

As I've pointed out to some folks before, "If I were going to France (or, discussing the Faith with Sola Scripturists), I wouldn't take lessons in Swahili (or, defend the Church from Tradition), and expect everyone to understand me...no, I'd speak FRENCH". I discuss the points from what we hold in common, so that there is a agreed upon, shared basis for understanding.

Now, keep in mind, I am not dismissing the faith that those who are not Catholic, hold, for Our Lord and Savior. Their faith is very real--after all, I did, for more than half my life, count myself among them. However, having taken the time to truly investigate what the Catholic Church teaches, why, and where She has the scriptural, and historical, evidence for doing so, well, I feel compelled to explain to them that they are missing a good bit of the story. Not to mention that, as a Catholic, I am bound by that very Faith, to "instruct the ignorant" (in this case, those who are ignorant of what the Church teaches and why).

There are so many people, who hate the Catholic Church, not for what She truly teaches and believes, but for what they *think* She teaches and believes. Common misperceptions range from the understandably misconstrued, to the ludicrous and incredulous...unfortunately, 'urban legend', wikipedia, and the History Channel, all seem to hold the same level of proof, as centuries of extent historical record--not to mention scripture--to the contrary.

I have had people tell me Catholics worship idols (no, we don't. The Church specifically forbids it, as does Sacred Scripture)....that Catholicism is pagan in origin (related to Mithras, Ba'al, and the Sol Invictus cult of ancient Rome--also completely false)...that the early Church did not have the Traditions that we have (ditto)...honestly, I have had people quote me, near verbatim, a greatly discredited (by scholars on both Protestant and Catholic sides of the issue) illustrator who has spread his lies for decades via cartoons (if you have seen them, you know very well who I mean. If not, I am not going to put his name out there for further publicity). Unfortunately, many people read his lies, do not bother to verify on their own, and swallow it hook, line, and sinker. And by that, I mean, actually checking to see what the Church teaches from a Catholic source---not a former Catholic, not a protestant, not an atheist--no, they should go to the source, not get it filtered through the lens of someone else's experience/bias...

The problem is, is that even appealing to Scripture, does not, in fact, seem to matter. Even when you expose big gapping holes in their premise, when you ask repeatedly for them to explain why, and how, they are not obeying, observing, John, chapter 6...when you ask them for actual, historical PROOF of their claims (and they cannot make them), when you point out that the earliest records, of the early Church, written by the spiritual sons, and grandsons of the eleven remaining disciples, all support the Catholic stance, from the earliest days of the Church...they do not want to listen. When you ask where the historical proof is for what *they* believe, from between the years of 33AD, and oh, let's say, 1500AD...and there is none...and then you have to ask them, why Our Lord would say that the gates of Hell would not prevail against His Bride, the Church...and yet apparently the moment He ascended into Heaven, the Church immediately fell into error, became pagan, and it wasn't until around 1450ish years later, that He decided He ought to come to the rescue, since the gates of Hell had prevailed for 1450 +/- years...

It can be very frustrating. It can be heartbreaking, to have some one tell you you worship some pagan deity that bears no resemblance to anything whatsoever in the Catholic Church, and they will not listen to any evidence to the contrary. But as Catholics, we are bound, by the very Faith we claim, to counter these fallacies when and where we find them being spoken of, when we find the Church being slammed as pagan, and false, and an arm of Satan (oh, yes, I've heard it all)...we are to refute them.

I don't ask for much. Common courtesy is all, really. I simply would like a moment of intellectual honesty, and for the folks espousing these falsehoods, to simply listen. To actually spend a few minutes, listening. And maybe, just maybe, investigating, on their own, what it is that they believe to be true about the Church. Instead of believing a man who is a known spreader of lies and falsehood...lies that anyone with an ounce of logical reasoning ability, would discount if they gave it a moment's thought. It is quite simple to sit and listen. If there is a rebuttal, or more questions, wait, and ask them when I am done. Don't shout over me, don't try and tell me I don't know what I'm talking about...if I did the same thing, I'd be considered a rude boor, and that "Catholics don't have any manners and don't want to hear the 'truth'." But what they don't realize is that their shouting and yelling and unwillingness to listen to the other side, does nothing for them and what they are saying (even if it was true)...I am not asking them to immediately believe what I say, and convert and apologize, etc. That's unrealistic. But I am asking for simple, common, courtesy. Good conversations involve give and take. Not pointing fingers, shouting, extreme accusations, and a complete and total lack of listening skills....

So folks, that is what I have spent my time doing, since Sunday morning. I have answered, refuted, and disproven their claims. I have repeatedly asked them, to PROVE what they say is true. I have repeatedly asked for their explanation of their disobedience of John, Chapter 6 (among others). And yet...no answer.

I realize, that not all of you reading this are Catholic. I understand that, I respect your right to hold your beliefs, and even though I disagree with you, I am not writing this to make you feel as if I hate you, etc. Or that I lump "every" person who isn't Catholic into a big ball of "irrational screaming protestant". That'd be nonsense (considering I'm the only Catholic in my family of origin, it'd be kind of hard for me to hate everyone in my own family, lol). Some people out there hold the view that if you don't agree with them, you are mean, and hateful, and are 'unChristian'...I know, I know...but you and I both know folks like that.

It has been a long, and tiring few days. I missed "De-lurker Day" yesterday. Don't think I have any lurkers here (do I? Hmmmmmm....lol--if I do, would you please say hi? No further comment necessary, but it'd be a nice boost to know that more than the 9 people in my followers list actually read this, lol)...we started back to school, too, and I'm trying to gear up to take down the Christmas decorations, haul the children an hour away so that we can do our speech therapy (#2 and 3 are already doing therapy, #4 &5 are being evaluated this week)...etc, etc. And we had company Monday evening. We're expecting to get slammed with some Arctic winds later today, and that will last for a few days (for those in the Great White North, bear with me. Highs of 15, with windchills under 0, is cold). The well pump is wanting to freeze up, I'm hauling 5 gallon buckets of warmed water for the animals, on top of the usual day-to-day "keeping chaos at bay, one moment at a time" type stuff..

I do hope you are all doing well. If you blog, and I have you on my blog roll, I'll be over there shortly to read what you've written in the past few days (you *have* written in the past few days, haven't you? ;-) ). If you don't blog, wrap up. Stay warm (unless you are Therese, in which case, prop your feet up, get a big glass of iced RRL tea, and sit back under a ceiling fan!).

A look at the year ahead...

2009-12-31T13:55:00.000-08:00

I am not one to make resolutions for the New Year. So much of the time, when I have done such things, well, what is that saying? "I told God my plans, and He laughed"? Yes, that would be my motto...

Here we are, at the start of a new year, and since I am not going to make resolutions...I will instead, make a list of "general suggestions" for myself, and the things I hope to accomplish (it has such a nice ring to it--"general suggestions"...kind of like the way some folks look at the Ten Commandments, but hey, let's stay on topic, shall we? ;-) ).

Suggestion #1-finish decorating the main rooms of the house. Now, this is a seriously complicated, multiple part suggestion...dare I list what it entails? Okay--just so you know what I'm facing here...
Part one, I have to paint. I have finally chosen a paint color. Ironically, it is the exact same color I used in the adjoining dining room! I had actually gotten samples, of a couple of shades of blue. But there is no way that they will work on such a large scale, on my wall. The color I will be using is a sunny shade of yellow. Not too bright, not too brown, it really is a good, almost "neutral" yellow. It goes very well with the red furniture I already have in the house, and the fabric I have long had for the valances over the windows in those rooms...
Part two, valances. I will be mistreating my windows, a la The Nester. I could sew them. That'd be nice. But you know what? I've got five children, two hands, and a sewing machine at one end of the house, while all of the children are at the opposite end. Not a good combination. So, the less time I spend fiddling with fabric, needles, and thread, the better. Now, since I have the fabric, I need to actually *do* something with it. And, get some curtain rods. I keep hoping to find some in the thrift stores, but so far, no luck. I am almost to the point of purchasing thick dowel rods, and some sort of finial to screw into the end. I cannot find anything I like well enough, in my price range. So I am beginning to think that there is no way around making my own.
Part three, new futon covers. Gotta have those. The one we have, is as old as the futon (which is older than #3, who turns 6 this coming spring. While the cover has borne up well, under the wear and tear of our family, it has been finally relegated to the "only in cases of throw up and imminent arrival of relatives" duty. It has only one way it can be put on and used, thanks to the artistic endeavors of #3, and a sharpie. Sharpie doesn't come out very well, did you know that? Yeah. I tried. No luck. Since I want to be able to change the cover out, for the change of seasons, I'm going to end up needing two--not right away, but two of them will not be cheap. Regardless of color/style. I'm going to opt for a solid, since my valance material is very...patterned. I'll add other patterns and prints in the pillows.
Part four, which really ought to be part 3B, is new pillow covers for the bolsters. I'm obnoxious, though, and I like numbers and lists. :-) Especially since a futon cover will cost me at least $100, and the bolster pillows, close to as much for the pair. It will be a multi-event operation. The bolsters, however, will at least need to 'go' with both covers reasonably well. I may end up buying two sets, one for each futon cover, but not right off. Of course, one of my children, which one, I don't know, decided that those scissors that Mommy (that'd be me) keeps up high and away from small fingers, would be a great thing to use, to slice through one of the bolster covers we have. The slice is not, however, on the cover that has the smear of mommy's lip gloss, that someone was trying to hide...and failed. Lip gloss doesn't come out well, either, by the way...just in case you didn't already figure that out.
Part six--figure out what to hang on the doggone walls. I have one large, solid wall in this family room. You can see it below, in the pictures of my Christmas tree. Once the tree goes to its storage for the next year, the rocking chair will be moved into that location. I would like to put some thing on the wall, under the tray I have already hanging there. And I want to hang something on the other side of the red dresser, to fill in that blank wall space. I've got a few ideas, that I will hopefully share as I work on the room. Bear with me if it takes a while to get there.

You'd think that that'd be enough. But we all know that I can write out something and it looks like it will take three months to do it...but we all know better than that. I mean, painting will take a couple of days, probably. Gotta move heavy bookshelves. UGH. Hanging a couple of things on the wall? Not very long. Mistreatments, ditto, probably a single afternoon, maybe two. Futon and pillow covers are more a matter of money, and shipping time, than anything else. Not much work on my part, in that regard...

The next big room? My bedroom. I soooo want to get that painted, and my desk and sewing areas arranged in there. We'll need a bigger mattress (OH YAY!!!!), and I have a good deal of hands on projects to do--painting the walls, painting and 'antiquing the dresser and bed, getting the mattress, making valances for the windows and the bathroom getting dolled up to match...I am sooo looking forward to it! I need to get some storage set up in my crafting closets (there are two, believe it or not!), which already have things in them, but they need organization and I need shelves for that...lots of things to hang on the walls, of course.

I'm trying to not make this house some cottage fantasy on feminine overdrive. The bedroom will be in "bold" pastels, if that makes any sense at all. I'll make sure to get some pictures up of the fabric, and paint colors, as I go along. If I remember. LOL. You don't want to see my room now. It is far from the restful, peaceful, oasis it *ought* to be. It is more the "please put that on my sewing table/nightstand/in the closet" catchall, that I go in once, or twice, a day. Maybe. LOL. But I still want it to be nice. It is a large room, between the bedroom, and the master bathroom, the master "suite" runs the entire width of the house. NICE. Much bigger than our old bedroom, in our NC house. I also need to get El Husbando a new nightstand, as well as chair for him to sit in, to put his shoes on. Something upholstered, and nice, but not too expensive. I may end up taking that upholstery class through the local "continuing ed" program. Expensive, but probably cheaper for me to learn how to do it myself, and reuse the skills over and over again, than to buy material and have someone else do the work.

So I have a list of decor projects. Not including the standard "keep the house clean, organize things better, finish the wool shawl I started working on last year, try to lose weight" type of decor projects. Yes, the shawl and weight loss are decor projects, when you are at home 99% of the time, you want something NICE to look at, when you pass one of the mirrors...or when you finish scrubbing the toilets and are able to stand upright once more...lol.

I'd like to get to work on putting out some flower beds out front of the house, but because of the geese, that will have to wait until we can fence in an area. And fencing isn't cheap, especially the pretty, durable kind. It has *got* to be durable, thanks to the "winds that come sweeping down the plains" We had 40-60 mph winds just this last week, in the Christmas Eve snowstorm. Those are rareish, at least in this part of the state, but they are something that happens every now and again, especially in spring and summer. So, that being the way things are, its best to be prepared.

I left my English cottage garden back in North Carolina, where we had really lovely soil. Deep, rich, and perfect. Shade, some sun, but lovely all around.

Here we have clay and unremitting sunshine. There are very few places where shade is enough to keep those shade loving perennials alive during the hottest months of the year, when the sun bakes man, beast, flora, and fauna without regard to financial status, rarity, or expense. Not to mention, trying to lighten the soil, so we actually can grow something in this clay. Since most of the by-products of the chicken coop end up in the garden, I'm not sure what I want to do about the flower beds. I think I will start off working up near the mailbox, with some daylilies and iris, daffodils and such. Something that will naturalize, spread, and not require a whole lot of maintenance or effort on my part. I want it to look nice, but if I don't want to spend a lot of time/money I don't have--and I know you all understand *that*!

Anyway, folks, what are your "general suggestions" for yourselves, this year? Do you have house plans? Lifestyle changes? Or are you pretty happy with where you are, and are just looking to expand on that?

Regardless of your plans for the evening, or the upcoming year, I pray you will have a safe, and happy, New Year's Eve, and new year...

Not to party..and an economic ramble...

2009-12-30T10:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I was able to get in touch with everyone or their answering machine. We canceled. Not enough people are going to be able to come, soooooo....no sense going through it all. I will, however, be trying again in the next month or so, because I may as well try, try again! :-)

Now, leaving that topic behind, we did in fact get more snow. Not much, however. It melted overnight, which is fine. It is nice to have it slooowllly soak into the ground. Some still ends up in the ponds, of course, but even though we had a wet spring/summer/fall, late fall into early winter has been very dry--not good for the wheat farmers. Not good at all, especially given the poor crop that they had this last year, when they had drought, and then late freezes. Killed crops all over. And not just wheat--peaches, nuts, you name it. They were all affected.

So this year, we are praying for bountiful crops. And not just the farmers. All the us need to be praying too. There were crop failures across the board, from wheat, to corn, to soybeans. The fruit and nut crops in California are toast, thanks to the enviromental folks' insistence on cutting off the water to the central valley. Not to mention many many other crops reliant on that water...so if things are expensive where you are now, stock up as you can--they aren't going to be getting cheaper. And if you have the means and wherewithal, plan a garden. Container garden, even if you cannot do anything else. Every little bit helps. And it is far better for you.

I know that many of us know that the economy stinks. So many folks out of work, some who have not been able to find anything in so long, that the unemployment benefits have run out. Unfortunately, I don't see that getting any better, any time soon. Not that I am some great economist, but honestly, look at the policies being put into place, legislation, court cases where the judiciary is legislating, the international economic outlook is bad, just based on markets..but taking a look at the food situation--so many crop failures, not just here in the US, but overseas as well? Folks, things are going to get ugly. Please, buy some extra food, put up some stuff while it is available at a reasonable price...cause I don't doubt that soon, it will be completely UNreasonable. Or not to be had for any price...

I'm not sure if any of the rest of you have noticed, but there is inflation going on right now. We're already seeing it, in sneaky ways. Where manufacturers charge a dollar more, and reduce the size of the packaging--sometimes, so subtly, that you don't notice it until you really LOOK. A friend of mine, a year ago, purchased some biscotti from Sam's Club. Got the same package this year. But the biscotti inside the package, are 2/3ds the size that they were last year. And she paid more (she keeps receipts, given her line of work). I've seen it--in the diapers I buy for #4 & 5. (I'd go to cloth, but oh, no. These two are regular little firemen, iykwim!). The Walmart brand has been my 'go to' purchase for them. They were reasonably priced $13.98/box of 82. A few months back, they changed the packaging, just a bit. I didn't notice it, until I got home, and sat the new package down on one I had bought previously. It was smaller! And then I looked at the amount of diapers in it...they had dropped the number of diapers, to 70. And I knew, when I had picked them up, that they had bumped the price up a dollar, to $14.98. So now, I am paying $15...for fewer diapers. Given that 12 diapers is a day's worth for us around here, and I know that that would be a good two days' worth, for someone with only one baby, this is significant, especially if you are on a tight budget and can only buy what you *need*, and only enough to get you from one paycheck to the next. Used to, one of those boxes would last me close to two weeks. Now? I'm lucky if I can stretch it to a week and a half. It does add up...

In another example--the size of cans of tuna. A while back, not that long ago, really--tuna was in 6 oz cans. Now it is 5. And some folks have reported seeing even smaller cans--for the same price as the old 6 oz cans! Sugar, used to be in 5 pound sacks. Now, it is 4 pounds--and you are still paying an arm and a leg. I counted myself blessed to luck into a sale locally, for 4lb sacks of sugar for $1.50-1.59 each. Between $.375 and $.40 a pound. Walmart, has their "Great Value" brand, for $2.98 for 5 pounds. $.60 a pound!

The sugar crop was one of those that took a pounding this year, btw, folks, so be forewarned, prices aren't likely to go down anytime soon. If you are like me, and bake, or can, and know you will need sugar this summer--buy it now. Put it in a rubbermaid tote in the bottom of a closet. Seriously. You'll thank yourself later, when you have to take two and three looks at the price on the shelf, and sugar is through the roof.

Our farmers, all over the US, took a real beating this last year. The mono-culture method of farming, prevalent since WWII, has become a real liability now. These farmers, deeply in debt for seed, equipment, herbicides/pesiticides, fuel, and the like, are now in real trouble. They didn't have a crop this year, in many places, and in some, barely anything of salable quality. Now they are in hock, and their farms are being sold at auction, just so that they can pay their debts. If they will be able to do that. Family farms are being abandoned, simply because of a single year's crop loss...

Now think on it...permit me to indulge myself in a bit of a rabbit trail, here..

If there weren't enough successful crops this year, to feed a good many people...if the farmers who attempted to grow these crops, are not farming anymore, thanks to their overwhelming debt loads, and the ground is lying fallow...and so no new crops are being planted for *this* year...are we not in WORSE shape, than we were previously? Fewer growers, fewer things actually being grown, equals fewer things being harvested. Fewer things being harvested, leads to less food making it to the markets--whether as fresh, frozen, canned, or processed. If it isn't there, it isn't there. Now, supply/demand says that we'll see the demand increase...even as the supply dwindles. And the prices will reflect that--the companies will charge what they CAN for the food, because they know that people cannot live without it. People *do* have to eat. Period. We can do without cable, we can do without cell phones, or land lines. We can do without eating out, or going on vacation. But we cannot live without food.

This is just food. Prices per barrel for oil have gone up, to almost $80/barrel as of my last check. So petroleum products go through the roof, too, thanks to the passed on costs of manufacture--this will cross all over the market, since we need fuel to get the non-petroleum based products to market, too. Any and all products created at any point with any form of petroleum (everything from plastics, to inks, to cosmetics, to clothes) are going to see a big rise, as well...since we not only have the transportation costs, but the costs of the petroleum going into them as an ingredient.

And so the prices are GOING to rise. There's just no way around it. And yet...yet...the government insists that prices haven't risen. That there is no inflation. That there won't be any inflation...

Hm. Is the Emperor naked? Who is the man behind the curtain, and why does he want us to not see reality? How much worse is it, than I have seen, and talked about here?

I hate the feeling that I am being manipulated. I hate knowing that the powers that be, out there, are pulling strings, trying to get me to watch the right hand when the left hand is off doing something nefarious, freedom-infringing, and certainly far more important...the big question to me, is, if they want me to look here...if they are continuously trying to draw my/our attention to this 'big event' or that, where else do I look. I almost feel like I've been out wandering in the woods at night...and come across someone doing something illicit. They don't shoot me...no...they put their flashlight beam right into my eyes, while their "associates" clear out with whatever it was they were doing/getting into--causing me to be temporarily blinded to their activities. And by the time my vision is clear, the signs of activity are gone, and all that remains is the aftereffects. I cannot "prove" illicit activity, but I can darn well deduce from what is left, that something hinky was going on.

So yes. I am angry. I don't know what to do next, but I do know, "do *not* look into the light. Look away. Check around the area--see what is going on "behind the scenes". Don't read the front page, read pages 15-20, of your newspaper. Follow their trails. Overlay the information, like it seems our government security forces cannot do. See what really is going on, and see what they do not want you to see...and then talk about it.

Because I am sick and tired of being treated like a child who is incapable of understanding. I am sick and tired of my government, and its lackey's, telling me I have nothing to worry about...that Uncle Sam will take care of me.

Because I know that the way he wants to take care of me, involves the invisible, yet substantial, chains of slavery...of subjugation...of servitude. And I want nothing of it. Get your greedy mitts off of me and mine, "Uncle"--believe me--I am teaching my children about you. And the tricks you pull. And your vile scheme to overtake our liberties, to have us hand them over on a silver platter, and with nary a thank you, take those precious, God-granted freedoms, and throw us all into some socialistic nightmare of a future.

No thanks. Keep your chains. Keep your servitude. Keep your mindless obedience. For all that I have undying faith in my Creator, you, most certainly, are not He. And I will not surrender to you. I will not let you take me and mine. I will fight you to my last breath...I will not let you take this blessed freedom, this sweet liberty, no matter the cost.

For those who propose such things as good and beneficial for all--I will pray for His mercy on you. May a spiritual 2 x 4 whomp you upside the head before it is too late. And to paraphrase a friend of mine's blog title/header--may you willingly fall to your knees before the Lord, lest you be shoved to them.

And may His mercy, and goodness, fall on us all. For I fear we will need it sorely in the new year to come...

To party..or not...

2009-12-28T12:37:00.001-08:00

Now, you all know I have posted before, about the need for building greater community networks. To build a 'net', in your local area...that I have posted about hospitality, and how cocooning ourselves away in our own homes, not reaching out, but spending our time before the tube, or the computer, doesn't do anything to build up those ties that bind...

Trying to take my own advice, El Husbando and I decided to have a party on New Year's Eve, nothing late, mind, just a quiet evening get together, with plenty of food, and just take the opportunity to get to know the neighbors better. I hand delivered the invitations to everyone...a total of six couples. It pains me to admit, that of the six couples, one told me right out that they could not come. I appreciate that very much. Because not ONE of the other five couples, has let me know whether they are/are not coming. Not one word. Not a phone call (and yes, the information was on the invitation, right beside the typed RSVP).

I understand, that the holiday season is a busy one. I really do. I know how terribly crazy my life was last week. However, it takes what, two minutes? to make a phone call...two-three minutes to say "we cannnot come, so sorry", or "We'd love to come, can we bring anything? We're so looking forward to it". The lack of consideration is mind-boggling. Not only that, it is potentially very painful, both personally, and financially...

We're not financially over-endowed. We have five small children, and we're on a limited budget. Times are tight all over. I cannot afford to spend money on food that will not be eaten. Especially, food for a party that will need to be eaten very shortly. Even if it isn't expensive on a per-ingredient level, it does add up.

And that's not taking into account, that it is kind of insulting. I wonder, are they coming? Do they not want to get to know us better? I specifically put on the invitation, that we really wanted to get to know our neighbors better. To have an invitation--a hand-delivered one, no less, ignored, basically...well, I just don't know what to think. Have we somehow insulted people? Is this just the way people are, now, so inconsiderate that to say "yay or nay" is beyond their capability?

I always try to let people know whether we can come or not. And if we have to cancel, I make it a point to do it asap, so that they are not purchasing food for us that we won't be there to eat. It is just good manners, and consideration for others. And it hurts that apparently, I'm the only one who thinks so, around here.

The worst part is, I don't even have a phone number for many of them. Lots of people out here are not listed, so getting phone numbers is a sketchy thing. You have to KNOW someone before you get their phone number, apparently. And so, I cannot get them on the phone to ask, "Are you coming?"...I'll have to make another trip to see for sure.

And while I am very interested in getting to know my neighbors, and eager to better our acquaintance, I have no desire to appear, desperate..if that makes any sense.

Have any of you been in this situation? I mean, really, not ONE person has called to say yes or no? I don't know whether I ought to buy 'party food', or not! I've got some already, but there are other things I was waiting on, since I didn't know how many folks would be coming for sure. Now, I'm what, three days out, and I *still* have no idea...

It is very frustrating, and disappointing.

But despite this, I am not going to let it stop me from trying to be hospitable. I am thinking we will try once a quarter, to get people together. Once a month would be good, but I cannot bear the burden that often...even simple dinners get expensive when there are more people to feed. And besides, people *do* have other things to do than come to my house, lol. I'll just keep trying, and maybe I'll have better luck next time. A couple of months to 'lick my wounds' will be enough time, I think. People will be more inclined to look for something 'different' to do of an evening, come mid-February, long after the winter holidays, and before spring lightens things up with warmth and flowers...

Wish me luck!

Ugggggghhhhhh I can't believe I ate the whole thing!

2009-12-27T16:41:00.001-08:00

The whole pan of green bean casserole, that is. Over a period of 2 1/2 ish days. I love green bean casserole, but only get permission to make it on holidays (not that El Husbando gives me a strict menu. But he doesn't care for it, and I rarely make more than two sides per meal. And so, if I am making green beans most of the time, they had better be with onions and bacon. Not with soup and french fried onions on top! ).

Now, before you think "glutton"!...well, maybe a bit. But I had some for lunch and dinner on Friday, lunch and dinner on Saturday, and lunch and dinner today (I said I like the stuff, didn't I?). And now I have one fewer pan to shoe-horn into my refrigerators. I am going to be breaking down the sweet potato casserole into a smaller package, since there is only a little of it left. Woohoo! One down, one to go!

But of course, there is still the enormous turkey sitting on a platter in my fridge. Yeah. That is getting sliced and diced tomorrow. Some of it will be bagged and frozen, some will be cooked into broth and canned up for soup use later on. Some will be sliced and used for sandwiches for El Husbando to take to work later this week. It will all get taken care of..whew. Thank goodness.

Of course, I've got a ton of things to do this week--we're hoping to have a party on New Years Eve--we're still not sure if anyone will come, and if so, who. But, we'll be sitting around with our bells on, and food laid out for eating. Whether anyone shows up, oh well! :-) Of course, I'm not sure how much food to make. We didn't invite a huge horde of people--6 couples, and one of whom told me right out that they wouldn't be here, as they will be out of state visiting family. So, I know of a couple of people who won't be here. Nothing from anyone else. Wish they'd use the RSVP number I put on the bottom.

It seems that no one uses them, or responds to them anymore. I like having people over. If I am not going to have anyone show up, I'd like to know now, though, before I go to the trouble of really thorougly cleaning the house again, setting up a buffet table, etc. Not to mention the food to purchase and make into something.

When you have parties, do you put an RSVP on there? Do people use them? Do they let you know? If you're invited, do you let them know asap, or do you wait til a few days before said party? Am I old-fashioned, for expecting folks invited, to let me know? Especially since I said things like "we'd like to get to know our neighbors better" on the invitations? It is kind of hard to not take a complete and total lack of response personally.

Of course, I realize that this is the holiday season, and many people are very busy. But a two or three minute phone call isn't that difficult to make, even for me, and I've got a very busy household, Christmas time or not. I just wonder...am I completely out of line expecting folks to call/stop by, whatever, to let me know that they won't be coming? Or is this just the way people are? Even people you would expect to have better manners than that?

Anyway, I do hope that your plans for New Years Eve--whatever they may be--are settled, and will be fun. I pray for a blessed, healthy, and financially stable new year for us all...and I do hope that you will return the favor, as we've got a lot of stuff on the table financially in the first three months of the year--a potentially substantial pay raise/promotion for El Husbando, our tax returns, and the sale of our home in North Carolina. All of which are very vital for the ongoing financial stability of our family--it will be a great blessing to be out from under a good deal of debt (our plans include paying off the majority of our non-mortgage debt with the proceeds from the taxes and sale of our home). So obviously, your prayers are very much needed, and very much appreciated....so I'll say thank you in advance, and ask that you continue to pray as you think of us, through the first quarter of the year.

I'll be posting more tomorrow. I've got quite a bit spinning about in my head these last few days. Not much silence and quiet to pursue those lines of thought, however, and I hope that with El Husbando heading back to work tomorrow, things will 'normalize' a bit, although we'll be starting to write our thank you notes...which should be interesting...wish me luck..

How to cook a turkey so good your husband wants one once a month...

2009-12-25T18:59:00.000-08:00

Seriously, folks.

Brine that turkey. It is, quite frankly, the simplest, easiest, most time/cost effective way of making a moist...tender...flavorful bird, that you can imagine. Keep in mind, I am not a baster, a clock watcher (well, I am if I have other casseroles and such to go into the oven, but still), or any of that nonsense.

1/2 c brown sugar
1 c kosher salt (the recipe originally called for 1 1/2 c, but when I tried that at Thanksgiving, we found it to be too salty)

Dissolve the brown sugar and salt in a quart of hot water (I put the water onto the stovetop in a sauce pan, add the sugar and salt, and stir with a fork til I cannot feel anything gritty). Once that point is reached, I added rubbed sage, whole black peppercorns, whole bay leaves, and garlic paste. And boiled it for a minute or two, then turned it off.

In the meanwhile, I had finally maneuvered that behemoth of a bird into a VERY large (to my mind) stock pot--the sort you use for frying turkeys, or cooking up a REALLY big batch of chili when your entire family is visiting...including cousins...

Pour the brining solution over the turkey. Now, pour cold water into the container with the bird....until the bird is submerged. I goofed, and Mr Tom was only "mostly" submerged. A portion of his flesh right around his neck region remained above water, but it was the best I could do, short of enlisting the help of El Husbando and his bad back, and the mandatory presence of a 22 qt pressure canner pot. No thanks. One huge pot to clean was enough, thank you....

I put a lid on the pot, and left it on the counter (no way I could have moved it). He stayed cool enough all night there, but if it had been any warmer, I'd have moved him to the sun room (totally poor name--it is on the north side of the house, we don't heat it, and it stays COLD...but I digress). Anyway, keep that sucker COLD as you can, overnight. Let the sugar and salt do their work, the spices and herbs work their way into the very cell structure of this formerly feathered denizen of the poultry yard...and wait...

I pulled him out (no rinsing, ladies!), put him into the pan (he BROKE my roasting rack! I get to go buy a sturdier one after the first of the year), and slathered him up with butter. You should have heard me...it was awful....rubbing the softened butter in, asking him how his "holiday season" had been--as if it were a client and I a masseuse....I even did voices..."So, how are your holidays going, sir?"..."Wellll, not too bad so far..."...."OH, don't worry, because now you will end up on my table, BWAHAHAHAHAHAAA!".

Yes. I am strange, I admit it. I even "replayed" it for El Husbando, who came to see why his wife was laughing like the mad scientist in a grade B 60's sci-fi movie. He got a good chuckle out of it, as I progressed to sprinkling our now silent "friend" with a wee bit more kosher salt, and some ground black pepper, on top of the now buttery skin. Tent over it with aluminum foil, and pop it into the oven. I usually pull the foil off about 30 min prior to our believed "oven ejection time", as to get a good crispy skin layer, as well as a good brownish color.

This turkey...my worrrrrddddd....it was delightful. The white meat was tender...MOIST....flavorful. If I had needed more convincing, after our experience at Thanksgiving (I didn't), I wouldn't need it now! We are planning to always brine our turkeys from now on, and maybe our roasting chickens, too.

I can, as you can tell, *highly* recommend brining your turkey. Just make sure it is thawed first. And remove the gibblets and neck, unless you WANT them brined...check inside that cavity (something I have forgotten to do from time to time...sigh).

It was a wonderful day, a wonderful meal, and I hope you will give brining a chance. I seriously had next to nothing to do to that bird, and it was done....

Let me know--have you ever brined a bird? What do you put into the brine, as far as herbs, spices, fruit juices....??? Inquiring minds want to know...

Whew....

2009-12-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

Well, the presents are opened (I think it took a whopping 15 minutes from start to finish!). The trash is mostly picked up. The turkey is in the oven (since it will take about 5 hours, and we want to be eating around 2, welllllll...it *is* a 20+lb bird). The casseroles were made yesterday, the dough for the crescent rolls is rising in front of the fireplace, the cake is frosted and on the stand, I've got the pie dough just about ready to go into the pan. Let's see...I turned the crock pot back on for the green beans for El Husbando. I need to devil the eggs, set up the veggie tray, and get the casseroles coming to room temp. Oh. And the rolls need rolling and shaping up.

I've gotten a second load of dishes done this morning, already, and I'm on load two through the washer, too (the children were given a ton of clothing, and it all had to be sorted and washed asap, before it ended up sneaking in with a load and staining everything). El Husbando had a rough night (thanks to the weather affected back pain), and so he is laying down for a nap. I'm mostly keeping an eye on the twins and the bread dough, and trying to keep the fire going just right.

Hopefully, the weather that slammed us yesterday hasn't caught too many of you in its grip. We're still locked up tight here, although #1 went out and pranced about, wearing a dress, tights, pants over the tights and under the dress, some of her daddy's heavy military socks over the tights, rain boots, a coat, gloves....she wanted to go out, so she got to also bring in a bunch of firewood (wetish, but it is drying off in front of the fire (plus there's plenty of heat in there, and it still burns pretty well).

For all that the sun is out and shining, we'll be lucky to see 26 degrees today, so we'll likely be keeping close to home for a while yet. No chance of my going anywhere today or tomorrow. And possibly Sunday, but we'll see. We were supposed to have some friends come over to visit tomorrow, for desserts and coffee. I'll have to call them this afternoon and see if they are going to risk it, or not (they only live two miles away, but it is over some rough roads in good weather/conditions).

I'm tired already, but we'll have to see if I can get a nap later today. Unless El Husbando's back clears up, I'll be pulling another "all-dayer" :-) Maybe I can manage to go to bed earlier tonight.
Our company from up north won't be coming--they got hit with the weather, and would be driving straight through the worst of it, to come down here. No thanks. No sense risking it, as much as we'd have loved to have seen them. So it will be a nice, relatively quiet (well, five children and quiet...lol) weekend...

God bless, and I pray your Christmas was a beautiful one. Gifts may be few, but the best gift of all, came wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

2009-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

To God be the glory for the greatest gift the world has ever known...a gift reviled, abused, broken, and finally, crucified, for the sins of the world...

May God forgive us all, for helping pound the nails. May He forgive us our sins, and help us to go and sin no more.

And may we all strive, to be a shining example of the love of Christ, His mercy, in this world (I'll leave the justice to Him).

May all of you have a blessed and spiritually fruitful Christmas.

From the Off to the West family...to yours....

Let it snow!!!

2009-12-24T20:46:00.000-08:00

We are in the part of Oklahoma (okay, most of it was, lol), that was slammed by that lovely storm that moved through the center-north of the country. We have drifts in our yard. We had 40mph gusts (and up) throughout the day.

My children are thrilled. I will admit, they weren't permitted outside today--too much ice and wind. I went out, to feed the birds, and get their waterer filled, and to run to the mailbox (1/10th of a mile each way, and it felt like an eternity). The lock on the gate was frozen over. Definitely not something I wanted to tackle, so I ended up going through the pipe fence, rather than climbing the gate or forgoing getting the mail into the box. I am sure my mail lady appreciated it ;-) Poor T. Out driving these back country roads, in this weather? Ugh.

More than 1/3d of our driveway was iced over completely (as in, even the gravel was submerged) at 1pm, and that was before the really bad weather hit. So you can imagine how bad it is now. Christmas Eve Vigil Mass, as well as the Christmas Day masses have been canceled, for safety reasons. Unfortunate, but we had already decided that there was no way we could make it, even if it had gone on as scheduled. There are parts around here, supposed to get up to 11inches.

We can use the moisture, but still...whew.

Regardless, we will have a white Christmas. And that is enough of a rarity, anywhere, to make me smile at the thought.

Now, I must get back to my regularly scheduled "frantic Christmas Eve" activities (still have the yeast rolls to set up, as well as breakfast, finish the wrapping, and get myself to bed...and it's 1030 already...ugh!).

Hopefully, you have been able to breathe a bit...enjoy yourselves, if you can!

God bless....

Windows...I have clean windows...

2009-12-23T17:56:00.000-08:00

Okay. So the northeast US got slammed with a blizzard. There is something similar coming this way, in the next day and a half. And this morning, I was on a stepladder outside, cleaning my windows. With a squeegee. And a spray bottle. And a few other implements.

I took the screens down. And scrubbed the storm windows, the inside windows, and had my oldest vacuum the screens out, as well as the window wells.

And so now I have clean windows. REALLY clean windows. SPARKLY windows. All the better to watch the snow fall/fly Christmas Eve and into Christmas morning.

I live in Oklahoma. And the winds are strong, and frequent. The dust on the gravel roads, as well as the dust coming up from the fields, sticks to everything. And there are a large number of flies (especially given the fact that we don't have a lot of cattle, the chickens are a goodly distance away from the house, and we keep the carport and areas around the house, pretty well scraped up), all summer long. So by the end of fall, and all the harvesting, the windows look a fright. Its like looking through a peephole into a sandstorm--only there's not sand blowing.

So, in a fit of housewifely energy, I decided today was the day. I mixed up my special window cleaning blend (I used an old gallon vinegar jug, specially labeled now with "WINDOW CLEANER" on it in big black bold permanent marker letters, to hold the solution, btw).

2 c rubbing alcohol
1/2 c ammonia
1 tsp liquid dish detergent (NOTHING WITH BLEACH!--bleach and ammonia make a toxic gas, it WILL kill you)--I used my GreenWorks detergent, btw

Pour all of those into your gallon jug, and add enough warmish water to fill it up. There ya go. Use a funnel to pour some of it into your spray bottle (label it, please!), and away you go!

I bought, several years ago, back long before we moved here, a squeegee, a lambswooly cover for scrubbing, and the extender handle for them both. I had some serious windows in my old home. Here, we have some good sized windows, as well, but I had yet to clean any of them since the children tried to "help" by cleaning the dining room windows with a muddy broom last fall--"But it LOOKED clean, mom!" was what they said, when I asked about the use of the muddy broom...sigh.

So my windows, between the muddy broom, time, and standard Oklahoma window wear and tear, needed a serious cleaning. So, I grabbed my spray bottle, the squeegee, the wooly scrubber, a yellow nylon scrubber (the kind you use on teflon/no stick cookwear?), and a lint-free cloth. And I went to work. It didn't take really long to clean them (far longer to get the screens out, actually. Dang things were TIGHT!). Spray on, use the wooly. Spray again, use the scrubber, and then, the squeegee. And then the towel. Just to make sure I got it all up, so there were as few streaks as possible.

And let me tell you, these windows, are C-L-E-A-N! I still need to finish the inside of the two other bathroom windows, and the bedrooms, but the big windows are all pretty much done. Whew. And since they are the ones in the main rooms of the house, well, I'm not too upset that my knee gave out (something about kneeling ON the sink edge, to clean the inside of the kitchen window, will do that for you) before I finished.

In more, and slightly less interesting news, I did finally get my Advent-themed Christmas cards out--two days before Christmas. LOL. Sans a picture of the children, since the only one I was able to get, involved #4 screaming inconsolably--he looks like he is smiling, but it is just cause he is inhaling while he screams. He's talented that way!

Somehow, I have to get some pictures taken that actually look GOOD. I promised my grandmother a picture of the children, a BIG picture (she is losing her vision to glaucoma pretty rapidly, on top of already being mostly deaf), and so it had better be GOOD, because *everyone* who walks into that house will be expected to see and admire it. And it isn't even my grandmother's house, it is my aunt's. My grandmother takes over her immediate surroundings, and I'd really rather not make my poor aunt hang a picture of a screaming child on her wall, if only out of love for her. :-)

I know I got a lot done today, but with my knee not liking me much, and the storms coming in tomorrow, early on...well, I've got a long list of things to do. I have to make sure to get the chickens' feeder refilled first thing, and their waterer into the coop, so they won't have to wander around in the inclement weather any more than is absolutely necessary. Peep is still too young to be getting chilled that much. And since he/she is still with us, I'd like to keep 'em healthy. :-)
I have presents to wrap, homemade crescent rolls to start, fudge to make, a burnt sugar cake to make, a stocking to finish making, Mass to attend (assuming the weather isn't too bad--we've got a 20+ minute drive each way, and on slick country roads, I'm none too keen on driving it if I don't ABSOLUTELY have to...We'll have to see what weather conditions are like tomorrow late afternoon/evening...oh. I have a turkey to brine. A fire to keep going all day, a few more Christmas cards to get in the mail (the printer stopped wanting to print today--it was being cantakerous on me, as it does off and on) once I get the letters to print, a letter to an old friend who is still following the traveling gypsy known as a "husband in the Army", stockings to fill, etc, etc.

I don't suppose any of you want to come and help, do you? Please? Pretty please?

And I *may* be having company show up mid-Christmas Day (a BIL and his girlfriend), for the weekend. So I need to be able to have my lunch/dinner time flex a bit...so I'll likely make as much of the food in advance as I can, and reheat whenever it looks like it is getting close (except for the turkey. That'll have to be ready when it is ready, iykwim).

Wish me luck, folks. I'm figuring I'll be on here tomorrow, if for no other reason than to schedule a nice Christmas day message, and change over the playlist. :-)

God bless, and I hope you are better prepared than I am!

Slavery, subjugation...and how to resist it

2009-12-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

Soon enough, ladies and gentlemen, we will be under a form of slavery. Soon enough, all across this land, every single person in this country (okay--all except for those working for the federal government), will be under the slavemaster's whip.

The health care legislation currently moving through the US Senate, is well on its way to making us all slaves under Massa Sam (he used to be Uncle Sam, but if he's wielding a whip, I doubt any one of us would grant him that benevolent name)...We will be working, and paying...MANDATED by law, to pay, for "insurance" we won't have. We will not have the right to opt out. We won't have the right to say "no thanks, I'd rather pass". We will be required to purchase insurance. Under penalty of law. A law which, by the way, will end up in all of us being under a single-payer system, run by our massa.

Do any of you not know this? That the payments start *immediately*, yes, IMMEDIATELY!--and yet no one will receive "benefits" for more than four YEARS? Oh yes, boys and girls. You will be shelling out, and shelling out, and shelling out...for NOTHING. And we will not just be paying for you, and I...but we will be paying for every single one of the illegal aliens who have flooded our country. And their families that are in the process of being brought over by "chain migration".

Slavery folks. We'll be "workin' for the man", alright. We'll be slavin' away, paying for the medical care of someone we've never met! Robbing our children and grandchildren, of not only their right to make a living, but also of their right to self-determination. If you don't want insurance, don't buy it. But after this vote...after it is signed into law...we won't have a CHOICE, folks. Our children will be FORCED to buy something. FORCED. To BUY something. Do you get that? We are being forced to purchase something...by law. FORCED. Now...where, in the constitution and the Bill of Rights, does it give the government the RIGHT to require you to PURCHASE something? Last time I checked, it wasn't in there. Last time I checked, that would not be listed among the bill of rights, or any of the amendments thereof. We are a people that, once upon a time, went to war because we didn't want to pay taxes on paper (among other things). Taxes, I might add, that proportionately, are FAR lower than what we pay today? People DIED because they didn't want to pay taxes to a government, and wanted representation to go along with their money.

Given the current activities in Washington, as compared to the feelings running across the country, it appears as if once again, we have a government taxing its people, while not representing them. And before you say "well, they were elected". They may have been elected, but these 'elected officials' in DC are only there for themselves, by and large. In days of old, if they had done something like this, of this magnitude, they would be AFRAID to go home. They'd have been tarred, feathered, and very likely, find themselves running to escape the gallows or lynch mobs, complete with torches. They would not have DARED to do such things.

And yet now..now we have, for the most part, a group of individuals in our Congress who are such panty-waists, that they cannot FIGHT. Very few of the minority party have stood up and said NO NO NO. Very few of them have come out and said, "BRIBING senators to cast their votes for/against certain legislation is WRONG" (if not illegal). Where is the outcry? Where are the folks from Nebraska, and Connecticut, who are starting a recall effort?

Thanks be to God, we have some great senators, from the state of Oklahoma. Senator James Inhofe, and Senator Tom Coburn....both good men who have been splitting the fights (Inhofe has been tackling the horrid Copenhagen/global warming/cap and tax insanity, Coburn, as a doctor himself, has been dealing with the health care debacle)--but they are united in voting against this absolute monstrosity of a piece of legislation...

Now, given that acts of violence are frowned upon both in law and Christian morality, and since my senators are not so much to blame for this nonsense (although if I was Sen Nelson, Sen Dodd, any of the others voting on this mess, I'd be seriously consider a prompt retirement far far away from my "home district", out of fears of violence from outraged, 'finally had enough' constituents--NOTE: I do not advocate violence against our elected officials....I strongly encourage anyone feeling pushed into a corner, who feels that violence is the only way, to seek help, and do not act on your feelings. Please!)...knowing that...what should we, as morally conscientious, yet outraged citizens, do, to protect ourselves?

We should start pressuring our local (state level) legislators to pass legislation that effectively makes this legislation coming from DC, null and void. Can they do that?!?!? Well, YES, they--actually, we, through our leglislators---can do just that. It has been done time and again in the past. A recent example would be the nullification in 30 states of the "Real ID" program. Oklahoma, praise God, was one of those states. The fact that those 30 states have officially passed 'Null and void" legislation, has pretty much made the national level legislation, completely null and void. If no one participates, then there is no way to "enforce" it nationally.

So. Can we do that with this "Obamacare" travesty? YES WE CAN! And we SHOULD. We should stand up, as one people, as one voice, and tell those...persons...passing this...trash...in DC, that we do not want it, we will not have it, and we will NOT PAY FOR IT!

Now, for those who think that it is just fine and dandy that everyone will have medical care....no, folks. NO. Do you understand what is at stake here? We know that insurance companies--private companies--set the rules for those they decide to cover. Now...do we *really* want the government--which has shown that it is led by leftist militants, by communists, by socialists---telling us, how we should live? WHERE we should live? What kind of work we can do? What we can eat, and how much? How much we can weigh? How many children we can have?

For folks who are all about "choice"...let me tell you. You won't have any under this regime. Our rights, such as they are, even now, are better than the hellishness we will be subjected to under this bill, and the others like it, coming down the pike.

DC isn't listening. MAKE THEM LISTEN! Start calling, start writing, your state level government. Start writing letters to the editor, to educate those who may not be aware, that we can, in fact, declare this leglislation null and void...Tell everyone you can, that they do *not* have to be forced to take this nonsense. That we can all stand up...and with one voice, say "NO MORE!". Most of those in DC, are concerned with their re-election. And well they should be. They should be VERY concerned. But unfortunately, we all know that once this garbage is passed into law, we will be highly unlikely to ever get it off of the books. So our best chance, is to make it null. Waiting for the elections, and voting these...people...out of office, isn't going to help much--dollar short, day late kind of thing. Not for this legislation. I still think we ought to remove them from office, as quickly, and as overwhelmingly as possible. However, we have GOT to start moving and getting our state level legislators aware of our desires, as far as nullifying this once it is passed.

Yes, this time of year is completely overwhelmed, with the holidays, traveling, guests, etc. For those of us who are not traveling, nor having relatives coming in, now is a FINE time to sit down, and write an email, AND a letter (hand write it--it gets there attention)--and then call after the New Year. Seriously. Do not let them sit there and do nothing. We don't elect any of our legislators so that they can sit there picking their teeth, and congratulating themselves on getting elected. No, we elect them to legislate. We elect them to protect our interests. As soon as this nonsense is signed into law, which will likely be by mid-January, we need to have already been "on the ground, running" for a couple of weeks. This...baloney...still has to go back through the House and Senate, after the powers that be, hammer out their final agenda--I mean, their final solution...wait, sorry. Final BILL. Yes. That's it.

Folks, type up an email and send it off to your local legislator asap. Fire it off today. Follow it up with a call after New Years. And then, write one up, by hand, and let them know, in polite, yet firm terms, that you do not want this garbage forced down your throat. That you do not want to be required to sign on to this, that you do not want the government mandating that you buy anything....

Yes, I am angry. Fortunately for them, *not* at my local legislators or Senators/Reps from OK (Dan Boren, I am not happy with you, but you are not "mine"....what on earth are you people in Tulsa THINKING?!? I don't care WHO his daddy was, the man needs to go!). I am angry that despite every indication that more and more and more people are angry, do not want this...the senators are moving ahead.

May God have mercy on them, because I do not believe that their constituents will...

And to any national level legislators reading this (hahahaha), I'd just stay in DC if I were you. If you do go home...don't go gallivanting around town. I'd be pretty sure to buckle down and stay home and spend my time figuring out how I was going to explain "selling my vote" to an enraged majority of my constituents.

MMMMM. Saltine toffee

2009-12-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

Some folks call it cracker candy. Some call it saltine toffee. Whatever the name, the stuff is legendarily good--and easy easy easy to make. Seriously folks. It is EASY. If it weren't for the possibility of a sugar burn, my 9 yr old could do it!

One sleeve of saltine crackers
1 c of butter
1 c of brown sugar
1 12-16oz bag of chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Open the package of crackers and lay the crackers out in a single layer on a cookie sheet (a jelly roll pan or deep cookie sheet works best). I line it with aluminum foil, some people use a silpat, for easy of cleanup, before putting the crackers on it.

Anyway, then melt the butter and sugar together into a small saucepan, bring it to a boil over med-hi heat, and let it boil for three minutes (you'll want to stir it so it doesn't end up burning!). Once you've hit the three minute mark, turn off the heat and pour the sugar/butter mixture over the crackers. Then, quickly, put the cookie sheet into the oven, for 5-6 minutes. When the time is up, remove the cookie sheet, and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot sugar. Wait 5 minutes, and then gently spread the hot chocolate over the entirety of the pan. Set the pan aside to cool (for faster cooling, use your fridge. Otherwise, it takes forever). Once it is cool, you can break it into chunks for eating, gift-giving, eating, parties, eating...well, I think you get the idea.

Some people like to sprinkle a light bit of sea salt over the top (it plays up the chocolate and the caramelly goodness. Some folks prefer it plain, some like nuts. If you are going to put a topping on it, do it after spreading, but before you get it thoroughly cool (you all know this, but sometimes those things we "assume" people know, bear repeating for the newbies).

Seriously, yummy stuff, folks, SO easy to make in large batches, for gift-giving or general eating.
Line your gift giving packages with waxed paper, or foil, so that the package isn't ruined by the chocolate (it will get soft and melt if left in a warm place).

Try it, if you never have before, and let me know what *you* think....

Enchilada Casserole--the results

2009-12-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

I forgot to take pictures (sorry!). It tastes good. Salsa will work as the enchilada sauce. I recommend trying it with mild salsa, though, esp if you are feeding it to a mixed crowd of children and adults (or even if you don't like spicy food).

We used the sour cream, but didn't need to add any more salsa, and we didn't have any avocadoes, or such, in the house. The avocadoes would have been nice, as a palate soother, considering how spicy this turned out, but weren't a real necessity.

In other words, try this! It is good, and relatively easy. And, if you make a big batch of Mexican meat mix, you can freeze some for another meal, and make this dish that night (plus, if you've got little hands to help, you can have them help put it together, by grating cheese, and sprinkling it on).

Menu tonight: Enchilada casserole!

2009-12-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

I've had a hankering for some Tex-Mex lately, and being short on money and reasonably long on pantry/freezer, and time, I decided that this was something I ought to make myself (although going to the best local "Mexican" place sounds wonderful right now...no cooking, no cleanup...siiiigggghhhh).

On a message board I frequent, I found this wonderful-sounding recipe for an enchilada casserole. So, seeing that El Husbando is tired of eating soup (we've had chili, vegetable beef, and chicken noodle, in one week, lol), I am making something more substantial for dinner tonight.

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 lbs grd beef
2, 10oz cans red enchilada sauce, divided
1 1oz packet of taco seasoning mix
1 4oz can diced green chiles
1 c salsa (to your own taste preference)
4 c shredded Mexican blend cheese (we just used colby jack)
24 6inch corn tortillas
sour cream, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and more salsa (condiments for the end)

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray or grease a 9x11 casserole dish.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain, and then add 1/2 of one can of enchilada sauce, the taco seasoning packet, the chiles, and the 1 c of salsa. Mix thoroughly, and simmer together for about 5 min.

Assembling the casserole:

Pour the remaining 1/2 can of enchilada sauce from the first can, into a shallow dish (NOT CASSEROLE DISH!). Spread about 1/4 c of the meat mixture into the bottom of the casserole dish. Dip 6 of the tortillas into the shallow pan, covering with enchilada sauce, then layer on top of the meat, making sure that the tortillas overlap a bit. Cover the tortillas with more meat mixture, a layer of cheese, and then drizzle with some of the enchilada sauce from the second can. Repeat process 2 more times, then dip the last 6 tortillas into the remaining red sauce, layer on meat and cheese. :-)

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for about 30min, or until bubbling. Remove foil, sprinkle with more cheese, and bake another 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Let casserole stand for 5-10 min before cutting into it.

Note: This is the recipe as it appears on the forum. I have no enchilada sauce, unfortunately. So I just used more salsa. A LOT more salsa (it was homemade, so I'm not too worried about it, lol). I will let you know how that substitution worked out for me, lol.

I will also attempt to post a picture. But we shall see how well that turns out, too. :-)

Hopefully, your weekend has been a nice and slow one, and you are not among the millions on the east coast of the US being slammed by a blizzard. I pray you have power, and water, and food enough to last you until you can dig out.

Many prayers for those trapped in the great white frozen north...

How to deal with difficult relatives...and other matters requiring Christian charity

2009-12-18T16:19:00.000-08:00

Do you have a relative you'd much rather not have? One you cannot understand why the good Lord chose to pair up with you?

Well, you're not alone. Most of us have at least one relative (close, distant, whichever--there's usually one in each generation of any given family), that we've got absolutely nothing in common with, aside from the genetics (and you'd wonder about those, if the resemblence between the two of you weren't more obvious).

Do I sound like I know of what I speak? Well, I do. I have a relative like that. One I'd just much rather *not* deal with. One I'd rather just...forget. But I cannot. Cause they call. And they email. And they make demands. And more demands. And complain about the way we choose to do this, or that, or the other. Being polar opposites on 99.9% of the issues that come up in life, doesn't make getting to a plateau of common ground, any easier. In fact, as I'm sure you can imagine, it just manages to inflame already 'sensitized' personalities, until every meeting or conversation, is likely to end in a flare of anger or hurt feelings on one or the other. It makes it difficult indeed, to end each call on a positive note, because so much of the time, I just don't want to 'go there'. I am short on time, short on energy, and this person does not fathom what life is like in my shoes. I don't have time to sit and talk, I don't have time--or the desire--to listen to how they think I should raise my children (not to mention how many I should have), or how I should worship our Creator....

To be honest--and there's a lot of honesty in this post--I'd much rather just avoid their calls completely. Or hang up when they start getting irritating. But where is the Christian charity in that? I cannot be an example if I end every conversation with a slammed shut phone, and a dial tone. Maybe they'd get the point, maybe not. Maybe they'd realize that "gee, every time I get to telling her x,y, and z, she gets 'cut off' . Hmmmm". But given past history, I doubt it.

Part of me wants to tell them I am not at their beck and call, obliged to answer a phone every time it rings. I want to tell them to leave me, and mine, alone. Not to call, not to email, not to leave messages on my voice mail, telling me I need to change it because they don't like the tone. Look, fine, you're a relative. I get that. And I get that you supposedly love my children. I also get that for some reason that God only knows, He stuck the two of us together in a blood relationship...that I don't want to be a part of anymore.

But we are bound by blood. Bound by the family we share in common. Bound by a shared partial history. My children would be the poorer, in some respects, without this relative. But the challenges to my Christian charity, are immense. I suppose that, in itself, is why I have been "saddled" with this particular relative. To force me to exercise more charity in my dealings with them...to chisel away at my...well, whatever it is that that would chip away at! I suppose all sin eventually comes down to pride, although pride seems an odd one, when this person regularly suggests/does things that are outside of the boundaries of Christian morality, and they do not tolerate discussion of where we feel differently, and why. Our morals and beliefs, our reasons for living the way we do, are considered joke fodder, something only a moron would go along with, or "alright for those who really believe that way"...morality is subjective...

Fortunately, our move to Oklahoma has placed us outside of the ready reach of this particular relative. We've not seen them since before our move. So, almost two years. But while distance has removed them from physically being here, the phone calls and emails do tend to make more problems. The phone calls appear out of nowhere. The text messages likewise. And the emails.

Combine our different beliefs on so many important issues (and morality is a *very* important issue, and to me it isn't subjective, it is objective, and there is no gray), with someone who likes to drink, and whose behavior is boorish in the extreme when they imbibe too much (and being so far away, I cannot always tell when they have been consuming alcohol), and you have a recipe for disastrous communications and an even more strained "relationship" than what was there before.

And so I have put their number on "refuse". I can do nothing about the text messages, but so far, they have not been an issue, since a large, earth-shaking run of them this last weekend. In a way, I wish that this relative would contact me. But on the other hand....the silence is perhaps best. For now, at least. My feelings are a touch too raw, yet, to move on so swiftly.

My main concern, is not for them, or even for me. It is for those relatives in common...who don't realize, yet, the stricture I have placed on future communications with this other relative. And they *will* be upset. And they *will* be hurt. And there will undoubtedly be a second round of fireworks when they do discover the vastness of the gulf between said relative and myself, and the fact that I am not again trying to keep a rickety bridge intact, but am instead, letting that bridge fall into the bottomless pit below. I have maintained it, and maintained it, at great cost to myself and my family, and I will no longer do so. Not out of pride. More out of self-preservation.

I know we are to love as Christ loves. And I know we are called to see those who trouble us, with the eyes of Christ, who died for all of us--not just the agreeable, likable folks, but the cantankerous, demanding aunt, the deaf, blind, manipulative as all-get-out grandmother, the brother who drinks too much and then makes passes at his sister-in-laws....all of them. But sometimes, a separation seems to be required. While it has been hard to see this relative, sometimes, through the eyes of Christ, I know, even then, that scripture instructs us to shake the dust from our feet, when we take the good news to those who will not hear it. And I think, in some small measure, that applies to our personal relationships, one-on-one, as well. I have tried to lead by example--they have wanted no part of what Christianity has to offer (unless it comes with a "Get out of hell" card with no strings attached). They have wanted no part of traditional faith and morality. They have berated and denigrated such things in not only my presence, which pained me greatly, but also in front of my children (whom they protest to love, and yet, have called them freaks, because, among other things, we homeschool them). I must protect my children. How are they to deal with a relative who says "I love you", and then turns around, and tell them that they are weird, bizarre, not normal, because they don't go to a brick and mortar schoolhouse on the bus "like everyone else"?

Protecting my children from such people would be a no-brainer, if they weren't relatives. And so I have come to the conclusion that there is just no way around it. For the good of my family, this relative must be--at least temporarily, placed on the "Do Not Call" list. Was it easy? No. Will it be easy? No. Does it make me happy? No, it does not. I wish that things were different, indeed I do. But I cannot, and will not, subject myself and my family to it anymore.

If I am doing wrong, I beg God's mercy. If I am right in my actions, I still beg for His mercy, as I am all too well aware that I need it, more than even I think I do. I ask for your prayers, for myself, for this relative, and for those we love in common...that this seperation will prove fruitful for us both, and that we will come out the other side, the better for it. It is hard, this Christmas season, to have this on my mind. But it brings home the fact that my home is truly not here. And that my family is far greater than the one I was born into, the one I married into almost 15 yrs ago, and even the wider family of friends and neighbors. For my family is the Bride of Christ. And my body does not abandon one part when it is in need. It acts much as our bodies do, circling the wagons, and defending and protecting the wounded part. And so, I beg you, to circle the wagons. Encircle me, and my family, with your prayers to Our Lord, as we go through this time, at the end of one year, and the beginning of another...that we might emerge from this, stronger than ever.

Thank you....

Pictures!!!!

2009-12-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

Pound cakes. Two, big, beautiful, pound cakes. By candlelight, no less! The cake on the right is going to the speech therapist--Christmas trees. The one on the left, the "Cathedral"pan, is going to Mom (no, not my mom. She's in Atlanta. "THE Mom", as on "Shoved to Them". Go check her out if you haven't...she's a hoot, when she's not making you cry...

This hulking monster of a fireplace (I think the thing is probably five feet deep from the front to the back wall, and the firebox will fit 2 1/2 ft logs in back, and 3 fters up front), is the first thing you see when you walk in the back door. Please pardon the odd light effect. It really is quite lovely...that black line, is the vent for the blower. Let me tell ya..that sucker will heat up the HOUSE (all except the master bedroom at the other end of the house). And considering the size of this house, well, that's quite a feat!
Now, we're in the kitchen. Imagine a big box, with cabinet on all four walls. That's my kitchen. There are two 'holes' for doorways--one into the dining room, which is partly the view you have here, and another into the front hallway...and three "windows". One actually *is* a window (you shall see it in a minute. The other is this large bar/passthrough "thing" we have. Additional serving space for parties, is what I call it. For once, it is clean. And pictureworthy. It is the prime dumping ground, of all the flotsam and jetsam of life. Enjoy it now. It is this clean about once a quarter (or more often, if we are having company). This is where El Husbando sets his "stuff". The silver dish, is the actual sterling piece I picked up at the thrift store in NC (I would have packed that store up with our household goods if I could have). For less than $3, I believe. The bowl is a new piece my mother sent for a Christmas gift (hi mom! See!? I'm using it!). The hurricane "thing", well, the marbles change as the seasons/holidays do. Very versatile piece, that one...now it has red and green glass marbles in it.

This is the mini-tree I mentioned. And the nativity scene. That's a vintage handkerchief. It's just the right size for serving as a doily here. I cannot remember which one I used last year, so this one will do, in a pinch. This was the best picture of this tree I got. Something about the lights just does NOT photograph too well. By the way, this is on the opposite end of that bar/counter/window "thing" we have. The other side is what "ought" to be the formal living room, but it's really our schoolroom. I'm glad you cannot see it right now--it needs help...

The kitchen window--this one's real, and even has glass in it! LOL. Two small apothecary jars (thrifted, tyvm!), mini ornaments, and Epsom salts as fake "snow". Holy family votive (electric window candle behind it. I'm thinking of draping some icicle lights across the top of the window/curtain rod, but I'm just not sure yet. Maybe next year.

The back door is to the left. That's our card wreath. Without all of ours on it, it is a wire form, with antique cards on metal, and that big glass glitter. I got it at a Junior League Holly Day Fair in North Carolina. Wish I could have gone this year...the "Joy" statuette has a small blue LED bulb at the top. This was a gift from my mom....the year before last? I think? I know I was there to get it....but it is hard to remember...see mom, I'm using something *else* you gave me! Oh--to the right of this picture, you can just see the cord for the lights on the above window shelf and garland. The pictures of that window just didn't turn out, so you won't get to see it in it's entirety. Sorry. I think you'll just have to cope! Oh--those two golden glass Christmas trees were an after Christmas Target buy about 4-5 years ago. Wish I had bought a few more.

This is the view of the family room, from the dining room window area. You can see the Papa Bear chair (the big reddish brown one), the Mama Bear chair (to the left of the picture--its actually a lovely paisley design fabric), and the couch. And my "oops, I forgot about the tablecloth on the end table" table between the chairs. LOL I think you all will forgive me for not having the perfect house. You can see my $40 thrift store handpainted antique European dresser to the left there. You'll see more pictures of it in a bit. The rocking chair to the right of the picture, is the one I got at my parish's rummage sale waaaay back when, in NC. And my thrift store wool winter jacket I have had for probably 10 years now, slung over the back. That's also another angle view of the fireplace. It is huge, I'm telling you. Those weird blueish splotches on each side of the crucifix, are the attempts I made at sampleing colors for the room. I'm going with the yellow in the dining room (which you will see momentarily). As it is one big room, and I'm eventually going to hang some valances--have the fabric, not the rods!--I've decided it is better to go with the same color, rather than trying something new. I *love* this color. It was a Valspar color from the mid-late 90s, called "Ivory Castle". It's NOT white. It's NOT ivory. It's yellow.

Here's the dining room. The color doesn't show up very well in this picture. But here you see my "real" china cabinet to the left, my entertainment center masquerading as a china cabinet to the right (I moved that puppy by myself, thank you, and let me tell you, it is HEAVY! Oh--those are the large apothecary jars that used to sit on the dresser in the family room (that red one, near the Christmas tree? yeah. That one---it used to sit where the entertainment center with pretensions of grandeur now rests). And yes, that is a vintage Christmas tablecloth. I *think* I snagged that one at a yard sale, but it was so long ago, I cannot remember. Thrift store, yard sale, something like that. I try to keep my eyes open...well, when I'm awake, that is...lol....

Ah, yes, here's the red dresser. And the Christmas tree. With the tree skirt my mom made me underneath (see, mom...okay, okay, you get the picture now, right? I *do* use the things you give me, on occasion!). The huge wooden thing on the dresser, is a large Christmas pyramid that El Husbando and I bought in Germany, the first year we were married. We lived up the road from a nutcracker factory. I've never been big on nutcrackers, but I *am* HUUUUUGEEEEE on Christmas in general. So this baby--the biggest one that they sold, and it was 65 Deutsche Marks, at the time, so it wasn't cheap (figure $100 to replace, if you could)--is now out and on display. We lit it the other night, and it was flyyyiiinnnngggg around. That really bright thing next to it, is a lamp. But not just any lamp. It is one of those large, heavy marble table lamps that cost a fortune, when you can find one? Well, while this one needs a new shade, it is pretty, it was local (no shipping!), and it works (which is more than I can say for the other one I got at the same time/same store, but that's actually going to be an easy fix, when/if I get around to it). Yes. I got it at...you guessed it...a thrift store, here in OK. I think I spent $35 on the pair. The mirror is one from my grandparents' farm in KY. Man, I miss them....

Folks, that's the end of the tour (for now!). I actually also managed to get about 35 envelopes addressed and stamped today, and letters folded and inside them. I printed up, and delivered all but one of the invitations to our New Year's Eve Party (having Christmas fall on a Friday, makes it harder to plan around. More people taking the long weekend to visit family). Got the Christmas picture of the children taken (with much wailing and gnashing of teeth--and that was just ME!). And made a grocery store trip. If you have a store selling "Best Choice" items, check them out--ours is selling the Best Choice 8oz cheese for 3/$4, their 4# sacks of sugar are $1.59, they have canned veggies (the usual three suspects) for 2/$.88, some of their hams are down to less than a dollar a lb, and the 10# sacks of Best Choice potatoes, are $1.50. Eggs are $1.25/dozen for larges. Some seriously good deals. So, if you have such a retailer, check them out, and see if they are running a "December to Remember" sale. I'll probably go back again in a week or so.

The last two batches of molasses cookies are ready to go into the oven (I doubled the recipe. And each one makes a goodly number of cookies--so consider yourself forewarned!). They are tasty, delicious, and not difficult, once you get over the whole rolling them up in waxed paper (I had to use freezer paper, as I had forgotten I was out of waxed paper). I'm almost done baking the molasses cookies, but the sugars are going to *have* to wait til tomorrow. There's no way I am cutting, glazing, and baking those tonight. It's already 830 here, and the girls are headed to bed...and this is a big "project" for them...so no sense doing it myself.

God willing, you've had a productive day today, too. If not, well, get up and get moving tomorrow (if you can). Even if you just dust something, you'll undoubtedly feel a bit better about life. And who knows, once you get going, maybe you'll get energized to do something else..and then something else..and before you know it, the day is gone, the house is clean, and all is well in your little corner of the world.

At least til the husbands and children come home. And then...well. We all know what happens then, don't we? ;-)

Have a good night, friends. May dreams of molasses cookies waft through your heads. Wish me luck with my busy day tomorrow, and please pray for safety on the roads (lots of construction the way I am headed).

Today is baking day...

2009-12-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

And I don't mean, the gentle, couple loaves of bread baking day. No, this is the beginning of the great Christmas baking/candy making extravaganza that is my life this time of year.

Just as a rundown, here's what I'm making today...

2 Cream Cheese Pound Cakes--one for a certain other blogger I happen to know in real life...(hi, "Mom"!), and one for the children's speech therapist (she has five children, too, so I'm sure it will be eaten shortly!)
at least one batch of Molasses cookies
more than a couple batches of sugar cookies...

The pound cake recipe, is one I found years and years ago in a Southern Living Annual cookbook. I cannot remember the year, however. But it was one of their highest rated recipes..so I tried it. And from everyone I have ever given one too, it has been very well received...I'll post the recipe a little later...I use my Christmassy bundt pans (there are some very nice ones out there, even the pans that do the "minis" if you don't want a huge cake, but want to make a series of small ones instead, say for a party, or lunchtime get together). I've made the investment in a wide variety of Nordicware pans, for different occasions. Not just the standard baking pan....I've got several with hearts, one of the Cathedral pans, the Christmas tree pan....of course I've got the standard baking pan...El Husbando kind of rolled his eyes years ago...he didn't say too much about it. But now, I've got adequate storage space in my kitchen (yay!), so I've been able to keep them handy and user-friendly (I still want to figure out a way to better organize them, but we'll get there eventually, right?).

The molasses cookies...sound delicious. Plus, I have a bunch of molasses I rarely use. So, what better thing to do with them, and make cookies? The recipe is from Suzanne's website, Chickens in the Road. Lots of good, old fashioned cooking on that website. I always end up hungry after I've visited there. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not, but I've made a couple of her recipes and enjoyed them immensely. Yum. I'm looking forward to getting a bite of one of these cookies.

The sugar cookies are from Ree's website (y'all *do* know who Ree is, right? The one and only, Oklahoma's home girl, Pioneer Woman?)...I don't have alot of decorating 'stuff' (for some strange reason, I buy things, and they end up wandering off with the girls, and being consumed or played with in such a way that I can no longer use them). Color me peturbed on that. Fortunately, Ree's recipe has a recipe for a egg yolk egg wash for the cookies, that gets baked on, so minimal post-baking decorating is needed. Thank goodness!! I don't have time for that mess...

Later, I'll be making fudge, and saltine toffee, and likely some sugared nuts. And yes, I'll be sharing some of this bounty with friends nearby (not that any of them read this, yet...).

I've already gotten a preliminary invite for our neighborhood party typed up. I'm waiting on an opinion from El Husbando (I love being able to email him attachments at work--it makes it soooo much easier to get his opinion on things without having to wait for him to get home of an evening). Hopefully, I will be able to start getting those out today. We'll have to see when El Husbando gets back to me, though.

The Christmas letter is typed up, and I dug out the paper to print it on, this morning. I've got stamps. I need to get it printed up later today, though. I want to get envelopes addressed and stamped and ready for filling. I'm planning on taking a picture of the children either tonight or tomorrow, once I can get them all clean at the same time (this, this is a rant for another day!). Tomorrow is speech therapy day, and so we'll be gone all day long. Seriously. But we'll have fun, regardless, and hopefully I will be able to get everything done that I need to...

In case you need a little 'something' to brighten your day, or just feel like you're in the mood for a little baking, here is a rundown of the recipes I am using today...

Molasses Cookies:
http://suzannemcminn.com/blog/2008/11/18/craving-molasses-cookies/
Sugar Cookies:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/12/my_favorite_christmas_cookies_from_childhood_and_beyond/
Pound Cake:
http://myweb.cableone.net/howle/page/poundcakes.htm

You could do like I am doing, and get the cakes going first, as they take so long, and then get the cookies mixed up and "chilling", that way, you're maximizing your time use. Something we can all do a bit more of this time of year, in particular. Because we *need* more time in our days!

Hopefully, this evening, I'll also post some pictures of the decorations around here. Keep your fingers crossed for a good sunny day, as the flash makes everything look "off", and I've not figured out how to disable it... :-)

God willing, all of you are having a great day, and with 8 days until Christmas, you are still remembering the reason for the season, the commemoration of the birth of our Savior. God bless....

Yes, another post today...lol

2009-12-16T15:01:00.000-08:00

I want y'all to go check out PW's post in her cooking section today...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/12/im-in-trouble/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+pioneerwoman-full-rss-feed+%28Pioneer+Woman+FULL+RSS+FEED%29

I soooo wish I could do some cookies up like this. But my copier is an HP. :-( So I'd have to pay someone. And I *really* don't have the funds to buy the paper, and still pay someone on top of that, no matter how cute they are...

Yesterday and today

2009-12-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

Mercy Maud, y'all, I *knew* I needed to clean my house, but I had NOOOOO idea it was this bad! Yesterday, let me see..what did I do yesterday? Oh, yes, I unpacked, washed in my "Green Clean" (from Clorox) dish detergent, rinsed in vinegar water, carefully dried, stacked, and put away (after inventorying) my antique china. I have a lot. I think, however, that there is more of it packed in different boxes. I will have to search. I am pretttty sure I have some more serving pieces.

But regardless, I have it done. I also managed to get the school room cleaned up, and kept up with the rest of the mess. Not to mention making a pork roast, with potatoes, carrots, and onions. I didn't eat it until late, as #1, #2, and I went to church for our parish's Advent Penance service. What basically happens is priests from all over the diocese converge onto a parish, and hear confessions, after scriptural readings, and a homily (a sermon based on the readings, for those who don't know what a homily is). This was a big event, as it was #2's very First Confession. She remembered everything, from what she told me, except for the fact that "I sometimes get mad and hit my sisters and brothers" (sometimes? SOMETIMES? What planet does this child LIVE ON? LOL :-) ). We're working on that...

Today was another fun day. I got the bar in the kitchen cleaned up, completely, two more Nativity scenes out (I thiiink I have five?) one in the kitchen, and one on the counter in the guest bathroom. Also got a small tree out and decorated--it is SOOOOO cute!!! Snowflakes and stars, some mini-glass ornaments...precious! And white lights...always white lights. Anyway, I eventually got around to letting the children put "their" ornaments on the main tree--we have family ornaments, and then there are the ornaments that the children will take with them when they move out and have a tree of their own. My parents give them one each year, and so do we, so they should have *quite* a collection by the time they are grown. Better than having to start from scratch!

And then...I decided to clean off the globes on the ceilings fans in the dining room and family room. And clean the blades. Ladies...we all know, that when we leave the windows open, in the spring, summer, and fall, that we are letting dust in. We know this. But in some ways, it creeps up on you gradually, until you don't remember what bright light was, and only know the dimness of the barely noticeable light being emitted by the four 60 watt bulbs over your head...

Today I found out. Oh. My. Goodness. They look so CLLLLEEEAAAAANNNNNN!!!!! And my sink, well, the sink was absolutely filled with the nastiest water. BLECH! But hey, my globes are clean--all eight of them. The fan blades all got vacuumed. My vacuum cleaner got emptied and the beater bar got the hair cut off of it for the second time in as many weeks.

We got the vacuuming done, three loads of laundry, a load of dishes washed and put away and the dishwasher reloaded. Dinner is leftovers--chili, or pork roast from last night. I've got a fridge with large pots in it, they *shall* be emptied! LOL. I was planning on baking today, but really, it just was *not* going to happen this afternoon. Tomorrow, yes, I will be baking. At least two of my cream cheese pound cakes (one to go to the Mom, and the other to go to #2 &3s speech therapist) and some molasses cookies, too. Maybe--just maybe--some sugar cookies. For decorating. But we shall see precisely how insane the children drive me, and how early that "critical event" occurs, during the day tomorrow.

I will be taking pictures of the house, in the next few days. I still haven't gotten the new garlands made, much less put up. I have typed up the Christmas letter for this year. I need to print it off. And take a picture of the children, to get copies of...First, though, I need a total card count..sigh. Wish me luck--I need to go peruse my address book...

Are you baking much this year? Are you giving gifts of food, or something usable, instead of a gift card? Or are you simply limiting the gift giving to those you really *want* to give something to, and not those to whom you feel "obliged" by workplace, or other custom?

Regardless, you have my best wishes as we head towards the final turn in the Advent season, as my oldest three have proudly announced today--only 9 more days!!!!!! Even the two year old can point to the 25th on the calendar !

And now, ladies, I am off to have something to drink (not as strong as I'd like, but it is early hours yet. ;-)

You have got to watch this--too precious for words!

2009-12-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

Almost finished...

2009-12-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

Today has been...one of those days...which seem to occur most frequently around holidays, and the much-anticipated visits of critical family/friends.

Let me give you a rundown...

After Mass yesterday, DH and the dc started bringing the boxes of Christmas decorations over from one of our 'shop' buildings. We have 9 or more boxes of Christmas "stuff" (one is the fake tree all by itself). It doesn't seem like much, until I have them all piled into the carport. I started off easy...with the garland I made up years ago--inexpensive 'fir' garland, wrapped with a red 'berry' garland, wrapped with white lights, wrapped with gold wire ribbon (all of those are wired TO the fir garland)...and then, finally, plastic ornaments are wired on. I have three of them, about 7 feet each. I made them for our much smaller old home, and so now, I need more of them. Good thing I bought extra materials, because I am going to need it to finish decorating *this* house...lol...

So I got those lovelies up, and plugged in...put the little candle lamps into the windows in the dining room and kitchen, and pulled out a few other things to put out last night. I had taken down all of the fall decor finally yesterday afternoon and packed it up...so that was another "to do" marked off of the list.

But today dawned. And El Husbando wanted his tree up. He didn't *say* it, so much as *looked* it. I think you wives know what I mean! Not to mention, that I was being hounded by my seven year old every hour on the hour "Can we put the tree up NOOOOOWWWWWW????". We actually did do some schoolwork today, but then the "fun" began.

Now, you ladies know how much fun it is to play house...move furniture this way and that, try and decide how you like it--when someone else is doing the moving. But today, it was all me and the children. We decided that we wanted to surprise Daddy, by having the house as decorated as possible today...

I'd go into more detail as to what decorating entailed, but let me just give you a short list....lol...short...lol...hahahahaha...

1)unloaded and moved two 4x8 bookshelves fully loaded (most shelves double stacked). Those suckers are HEAVY. They were flanking an old weathered painted drop leaf table El Husbando had brought down from storage after we moved here (before we closed out that storage unit, thank goodness!). Now they are in the corner...I just wish we had more of them! We have SOOOO many books...
2)unloaded and moved the red corner entertainment center, from the family room, near the fireplace, to the one corner in the dining room, where it will--God willing I can get the boxes over here--begin a new life as a china cabinet tomorrow, when I unload and unpack my antique china into it. That involved removing the dead tv, satellite box, dvd/vcr, the entire cannibalized collection of board games that have been utterly demolished by certain young people who shall remain nameless, but go by the numbers 1-5.....and assorted pieces of the green pottery I have collected for close to 20 yrs now, that had been residing on top (they are now, too, in the new location. But I'm thinking I'll be moving more stuff around soon).
3)moved the red dresser from the corner of the dining room where the entertainment center/china cabinet now stands, and moved it into the dining room (into the place where that dropleaf table had been.
4) moved the dropleaf into the dining room under the large window (it is close to 7 feet wide).
5)washed my collection of apothecary jars and pillar vases in warm vinegar water, and had the dds unload the summer's decor of seashells (yes, I know, but I never found enough pine cones and nuts to replace them come fall)
6)put up the tree. Oh, I vacuumed before I did that. Got said tree completely decorated mere moments before DH pulled up.
7)poured some Epsom salts into the bottom of my now-dry jars, and filled them the rest of the way with leftover pretty ornaments. Some vintage, some not. Some I got at the thrift store a few weeks ago. The apothecary jars are flanking the Advent candleholder, on the dropleaf table in the dining room (all except the two smallest, which are now in the kitchen window).
8)Got out the whirligig thingee El Husbando and I bought 14 yrs ago, the first year we were married, when we were stationed in Germany. We've used it...once? I think? in all that time. But I set it up on the red dresser, in front of the antique mirror from my grandmother's farm, and next to my thrift store find marble table lamp (Needs a new shade, but I'm trying to decide on what color). I want to do a few other things on that dresser top, but I can't decide *what* precisely.
9)pulled out some small red, green, and gold mercury glass looking votives I bought and put away for such an occasion, and put them into the kitchen window.
10)went out the first shop, and looked for my china...no luck. Since that is where I *thought* it was, I am somewhat perturbed. This was after dark, and since the other shop isn't electrified, well, I'm not going out there to dig in the dark. I suspect I know where it is, but tomorrow (during the day) I'm going to give the first shop another look, before I go on to the second. I did find my punchbowls and cups, though, so I know where those are and can dig them out pretty easily/quickly when needed...
11)made dinner. Nothing fancy, but it was hot, and it was fresh, and it was FOOD. :-) Homemade jalapeno-cheddar 'game' sausage, mac and cheese, buttered corn, egg noodles...I ate sausage. And more sausage. It was sooo good.
12)the usual day-to-day stuff...school, laundry and more laundry and more laundry, dishes and more dishes, lunch....you know what I mean...

And now...now I am sore. Very very sore. I don't move furniture often...and now I remember *why*....

I'd post pictures, but the camera is in the other room, and I am T-I-R-E-D right now. I'm going to sleep well tonight. Tomorrow, I'm going to go locate my china and get it into the house so I can wash it and put it up, unpack a box in the first shop that has some of my other decorative items in it (that I've been looking for unsuccessfully for MONTHS!), pull a box of baby clothes out for a friend whose dd is expecting her first this spring (hi, S!), make some more garlands and get them up, and try and think of what remains of my decorative "stuff" that I can put to use here and there in the house, now that I have the room/space/NEED to "decorate" it more...

Finally, I will say, I have been vindicated. All those years I was buying and putting away Christmas decorations because I *knew* we would not always live in that house (1100 sq ft is fine when there are 2, or 3, or even 5. But combine 7 people, homeschooling, a military career, hobbies that require SPACE, and a packrat/cottage oriented/homemaking nutjob--that'd be me, by the way!--and you've got a recipe for some tiiiiigggghhhhht quarters!). We've got 3 times the space now (oh, thank you Lord Jesus!), and a gazillion times the acreage. The Lord is merciful! And now I get to use those decorations, pictures, and furniture that DH was always "discussing" in that "why on earth do you have *this*?" voice (again, you wives know what I mean...).

God willing, I'll get this family room painted after the first of the year. I'm not going to get it done NOW, that is for sure. I wish...but between time, energy, and money...well, it is just going to have to wait.

When do *you* decorate? We kind of decided by default. I pushed it as far as I could, but the day finally came when the family would wait no more. Fortunately, it is far into Advent...Gaudete Sunday...the rose candle, don't you know. A day of happiness, in the midst of a penitential season, as we pass the halfway mark...

Do you have any particular traditions this time of year? We have not really gotten many, mostly due to El Husbando's frequent deployments. The one we did have (going to visit Santa at the Square and then eating pizza at the local pizza shop there on said square with my mother, in my hometown--won't be happening any more, as we won't be within reasonable travel distance for our 'traditional' pre-Christmas family get-together. We will have to start some more, but I'm not sure *what*, and I am looking for ideas...

So please share--what do *you* do? When--and how--do you decorate your home? Do you decorate outside, or just inside (we are confining it to indoors, mostly because no one driving by will see any yard decorations, and to "do" the house, would be cost prohibitive--not to mention, a pain for me to put up and take down)? Tell me what the pre-Christmas time is like where you are...

Christmas party?

2009-12-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

Lately, El Husbando and I have been considering throwing a Christmas (meaning, between December 25-and the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated January 6th--the original "12 Days of Christmas") party, for our neighbors and friends in the area. Some we know, some we don't.

I've been trying to come up with good food ideas, something a bit nicer than not. I've found a few nice recipes online, but I'm looking for some good, easy (even better if they are make aheads) ideas/recipes. I've decided on a ham, with some small biscuits (some people like to make those little ham biscuit sandwiches), some crescent rollup "thingees" I saw at Thrifty Decor Chick, earlier today http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2009/12/how-i-throw-christmas-party.html the pinwheels look easy-peasy, and pretty too. :-) I'm thinking heavy buffet. Which would mean...I CAN USE A PUNCH BOWL!!!!!! And cups! :-) I know my husband will be delighted to have me use them for their original purpose, not just for punchbowl cake (which he doesn't mind, but still). But I need some other ideas. No, not deviled eggs or pigs in a blanket. Something...nicer. I've got platters. I've got a 22 qt roaster. HELP!

If you've got recipes, send them my way. If you've got an idea or three, PLEASE share them! I'll have the requisite veggie/dip tray. Maybe a fruit one, too. But I need more ideas. Remember, I like a bountiful table! :-)

A wonderful weekend...

2009-12-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before, my friend S. Well, the family and I were blessed to be able to go and spend another--much more relaxed!--weekend with S and her crew this last weekend (hence the long break between posts). It was wonnnnderrrffuuulllll. I wish we could do it more often...

T, the wonderful DH of this family, had gotten one deer already this last week, and got another one just before we went out there Friday...so we got to come home with a cooler full of processed venison (hey, you've only got so much room in the what, two, three freezers out there, S? ;-) ).
NIIIICE. We also got to sample some T's homemade venison jerky. Tasty stuff there, T!

S and I also got to take in the last day of an estate sale (oh, I do enjoy a good estate sale, especially on half-off day!). There were some larger things that had I had means to get them home, and the money (as always), I'd have considered getting. As it was, however, I came out with a smallish table topper with a lovely green shamrock design, two vintage handkerchiefs, and a pair of hand-embroidered pillowcases (with scalloped edges, which had been treated to a wonderful handmade scalloped crocheted lace). Nice. And on half off day, well, I was mucho happy to make these small things my own (plus, they fit nicely in my suitcase!).

After our morning out, S, her daughter, and I went out and worked in their barn/shop, sorting through some old clothes that had been in storage. A good many were out-grown, some were just...well, they were suitable for the rag bag/trash, and some I got to bring home for #1 or myself. Most of the things for #1, are for growing into in the next year or so, but I'm not going to complain. This means I don't have to buy them for her, and yeehaw! All I have to do is store them in *our* barn/shop. LOL.

We got home after dark last night (which is not saying much, to be sure, with nightfall coming around 5pm), and have long since unloaded and mostly unpacked everything. El Husbando is back to his work (he took Friday off). The twins are back to screaming and rolling around on the floor 'vehemently discussing' which of them can have the red/green truck/rolling musical push toy/cup/oxygen. Yes, folks, at times, it is that bad. I've decided that refereeing is not something I am 'getting paid to do'. I'm going to let them hash out things (for the most part) on their own, as I know I will end up spending the rest of my life running interference if I start now. No thank you. I'll pass.

We've gotten dishes switched out, laundry done and switched out (some even folded and put away), and we're tackling our school work. #1 has finished her history and is starting on her math, #2 is working on her math, and #3 has finished her math and is working on her handwriting. #4&5, as I have mentioned are working on their conflict resolution skills, as well as their PE (all that running and rolling around on the floor has to count for something, right? ).

We're expecting our biweekly visit from our Tulsa friend this evening, so it will be one of those afternoons full of cooking and cleaning, once we get the schoolwork done. Not a bad thing--that'll heat us/the house up a bit more (we actually had to turn the heat on while we were gone, so the pipes didn't freeze up). I'm back to trying to keep things as cool as possible, mostly so I'm not using the electricity/propane. But we'll see how successful I am at that this month. With nights falling into the 20s, well, I expect to have to actually use the thing.

Still no word on our old home...as far as I know, things are still in the underwriting process, and moving slowwwllly. Prayers would still be much appreciated for a faster sale.

Speaking of moving slowly, M and her family's project is now finished. It went like lightning after the Thanksgiving holidays, and so they have now gone back to the Great White Northern Hinterlands, project complete, and very happy to be home at last. We were very sorry to see them go, especially as a combination of events kept them from being able to come down and visit our homeplace. Maybe someday, they'll be back down here (I don't foresee any reason for us to visit them...but they travel more than we do...). But they are almost a part of the family now (if you ask my children), so we'll be praying for continued success as their projects continue on in the future...

There isn't too much on the agenda for this week--mostly, just recovering from the weekend's travel, getting back into the swing of things, and working for our visit north to the Ponca City area, on Friday--we're having a small Advent get together with some other homeschooling friends that afternoon. I'm hoping to hit my favorite little thrift store in Blackwell while I am there, but we will have to see how things go. We've got a loooong drive up there, interrupted by an hour of speech therapy right smack in the middle of the trip. Which will be nice for the children, not so nice for myself, who simply wants to get the driving part done and over with...I'm just praying no one gets sick between now and then, as I'd hate to have to cancel on our friends.

Hopefully, you have had a nice quiet weekend. Maybe you got something productive done, maybe you just spent it snuggled up with family, as you dealt with the onset of real wintry weather. Regardless, its good to be back...

I'll undoubtedly have more to say later this week, but for the moment, I've got math to supervise.... ;-)

Hospitality, part 2

2009-11-30T13:20:00.000-08:00

Would you believe, my last post was started because I got a hankering for a casserole? A delicious concoction from the church potlucks of my youth...a simply fantastical blend of creaminess, mixed veggies, water chestnuts, cheese, and french fried onions. MMMMmmmMMMMmm. I will be buying thingredients during tomorrow's shopping trip, as I am really hankering for some comfort food....

But I digress....

My last post, on the dearth of old-school church ladies. where they've gone, why, and lamenting the lack of older women who can train up we younger ladies who aspire to church lady greatness, all started for want of a recipe. A recipe, as I said above, that I loved to eat, at every church potluck it made an appearance. I couldn't find it. I looked online, I looked in the church cookbook I got as a wedding gift. I looked all over the place. I finally put out a plea for help, on a message board I belong to, which apparently is where all of the good casserole recipes have gone to 'hide', til a more interested generation rears its head. And there I was blessed to find it, in a couple of versions...

Regardless of why it was hiding there, I wanted to know why I never saw such things anymore. Once upon a time, a woman would have been ASHAMED to bring store bought food to a potluck. No woman worthy of the term lady, would have swung through KFC and picked up a bucket of chicken and proudly placed it on the table at church. I cannot think of a single one of the women I looked up to in my youth, who would have stooped to grabbing a tub of potato salad from the grocery store's deli department for a church social, dropping it on one of the tables covered in fabric tablecloths, and considering her contribution to the festivities "enough"....why is it, that now, we think we "don't have the time" or "can't be bothered" to actually provide something from our own kitchen? It certainly isn't less expensive, or better for us or the ones we love. And it isn't as if it must be cooked that morning, for the most part. Most things reheat quite well, actually, or stay nicely chilled, and can therefore be made ahead....

I think it goes back to the demands that serving another 'master' puts upon us. When we women are at home, we don't just cook, we prepare a meal. We master recipes, skills, and develop a repetoire of family favorites, that over time, become honed to the point where we could almost make them in our sleep (like my biscuits). We feed the souls as well as the bodies of our families...if we are not home, if our times to eat together as a family, are stressed, brief, rare, when do we take the time to really work on a recipe? When do we spend an afternoon, working on a meal that will really feed the eyes, the nose, the very hearts and souls, of our families--not just the bellies?

When women are not at home, they are not spending that time in the kitchen. They are not finding their way around pie pastry, or biscuits, or fried chicken...they are not putting themselves into their food. It is simpler to grab something at the store, and plop it onto plates directly from the plastic serving containers, missing a valuable opportunity to raise what is usually just an "eat and run" time, to something higher, something better...you lose that intangible 'something', that only time and patience will bring to the fore, when it comes to family meal-times...

So, now, we have generations of women who don't know how to cook, or do so poorly. Who regard being a good cook as something negligible, never realizing what it says about them and their view of womanhood. And they, honestly, seem to disdain the women who take the time to cook a meal well...instead of grabbing the ready made "convenience" foods or snagging something from the plethora of pre-packaged frozen foods.

I know, there are women who are not by nature great cooks. I'm not saying we all are gifted with great cooking skills by nature. Sometimes, it is something that must be practiced. And honestly, some times, it never comes, even with practice. I have one friend, who is not the best cook, in general. She can bake some wonderfulllll pies, though. Her husband, on the other hand, is a man who delights in good food. Fortunately, he enjoys cooking, and so she bakes the pies, and he cooks everything else...she, on the other hand, is far more suited to dismantling the engine of her motor bike, fixing the washing machine, and roller skating and skateboarding with her teenagers (and breaking bones in the process, but that is a whole 'nother story, lol). Regardless, their home is a welcoming place, for their grown children, their youngest child (a grade-schooler), and everyone in between. It is, despite its apparent irregularities, a *real* home. Not just a place to store one's things. Friends both far and near are welcomed there, and great thought is given to making the most of such occasions.

That all being said, in general, it *is* the woman of the house, who is the chief cook and bottle washer--and you know I mean that with no disrespect, for 'the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world'. Being the 'woman of the house' (ah, flashbacks to watching "The Quiet Man" :-) ), brings not only a certain amount of labor and duty, but also a great amount of privilege, more than any misguided misogynistic, so-called 'feminist' would believe. Look at a great many of the suffragettes--they didn't want all of the nonsense that the modern day feminists would have you think. Indeed, all they wanted, was the right to vote, and to be respected, and treated, as full citizens of this country. They had no interest in being pushed off of their pedestals, for who would want to go from being the much-beloved queen of an albeit tiny realm, to being a deposed monarch, forced from their kingdom, into an exile of who knows what duration?

Hospitality was once an art form. Look at old newspapers--they speak of a family in the local burg having guests from out of town, what was served, how long the guests stayed, etc. Even older newspapers, will speak of special local evenings, socials and the like, detailing the singing, and dancing, the clothes of some of the attendees, and so forth. Today, we regard get-togethers like that as 'old fashioned' and 'quaint', but far beneath what 'we' as a society are expected to provide our guests. Today we have people over to watch televised sports games, with little real interaction between any of the viewers, just between each individual viewer and the television announcer...I don't see how the television evening is a better occasion of hospitality at all, as a rule. Let's see...no one 'does' anything except put some appetizers on a plate, and then turn on an oversized television. Hm. As opposed to an event that was likely planned for a while, arranging for those coming to bring along a musical instrument, or memorize something to recite, etc....and of course, food must be prepared, the house thoroughly scrubbed...there is a place for musical evenings, or game nights, and television special events...but the key thing, is remembering that social evenings are meant to be social. Not to be 'a bunch of people sitting in a room staring at a screen'--I will go to the movies at the theater if I want to do that! No, being social is about so much more than simply being together...

But how does one quantify a truly social, successful occasion? If the food is good, but the company poor, or vice-versa, how does it rate? I'd suggest that better the food be poor than the company--food, in and of itself, can be done away with, but how is one to be politely sociable, much less, enjoy one's self, when surrounded by bores, poor conversationalists, and people one would generally rather not spend the time of day with? It certainly doesn't bode well for a succesful event! Perhaps, by making sure of a certain amount of personality, with a variety of interests, and yet some that intersect, would be a wise idea. Making certain to allow for a good range of ages and experiences, but also, being sure to invite those who will make the evening a positive one (and I believe we all understand that while there are some people who need help to become socially adept, there are some no matter of assistance will end up helping--invite the former, not the latter!). It can actually be an easy way to help the socially inept get a little practice in a smaller circle, where they may pick up skills and polish others, gaining experience and a bit of surety in themselves, as they go along.

Part of having a good time, is making sure that things are properly prepared for, in advance of the arrival of guests. Whether it be cleaning the home, or food preparation, getting some form of entertainment arranged for, be it music, or games, or simply conversation (so one would read up on news and interesting ideas that might be of interest to one's guests beforehand)--proper prior planning prevents pretty poor performance (a slight change from the 7Ps of my darling husband's Army days). In truth, I find it necessary to spread my preparations out over several days leading up to any planned for visitor or guest arriving, especially for something more involved than a simple meal and conversation. It has taken some time, but I think I've finally figured out why that works so well for my family...

One thing I have told my children, is that we clean and prepare our home for guests, to show our respect for them, and the fact that they are gracing our home with their presence. It doesn't matter whether this guest is visiting every other Monday night, or if they come once a year, we clean our home as thoroughly as possible, make sure that the tablecloth is particularly clean and neat, and try our best to put the family's best foot forward, as a united front. It does not matter whether the guest is a new neighbor, an old friend, or a close relative, the issue is respect. Certainly, preparations for one, may be different than for another, but nonetheless, preparing for their visit, is a more visible indication of love and respect than simply going on about every day life up til the minute they pull into the driveway. While we try to maintain a certain level of cleanliness and preparedness for guests who might unexpectedly appear at our doorstep, I also know that I prefer to make special touches before anyone arrives--even a fresh hand towel and a check on supplies in bathrooms makes me feel massively more at ease, than if someone just 'pops in' and I'm totally unprepared. I feel as if I am showing some minor level of disrespect, that my home is not better prepared for guests (with five children under the age of 10, I'm doing well to keep things as clean and tidy as I do, I believe. Anything beyond that, is 'gravy'!).

I suppose, in a sense, that that is something that gets overlooked. Hospitality as respect. Indeed, do we feel respected, when we are invited to someone's home, and show up to find that their home is messy, dirty, and there isn't anything to eat or drink? Do we feel as if they want us there? Do we feel truly welcomed, or as if our presence is a burden and an afterthought?

I am not suggesting that we pull out the best silver and china for every guest who walks in the door, every time. Indeed, using one's grandmother's antique Limoges might be a bad idea for a barbeque for Independence Day, or for a raucous party for the adolescents in one's circle. But there are steps one can take, to make one's guests feel at home, and welcomed, and yes, respected, when they come over for an afternoon, evening, or even longer visit in your home...

It seems, however, that we see hospitality at one extreme or the other--beef tenderloin and heirloom china, or television and some chips and dip. While both certainly have their place, there is a middle ground, which we can all aspire to...and it isn't that hard...

But how do we learn? We all weren't blessed to have mothers who trained us well, unfortunately, as the case may be. Indeed, some women are working with a severe handicap, in that their efforts towards the traditionally feminine skills of hospitality, and domestic endeavors, have been denounced, derided, and denigrated (got to love those negative D words). Sometimes by their mothers and fathers. Sometimes by their spouses. Sometimes, by their friends or the public at large.

Indeed, when I was in high school, and I informed my Advanced Placement US History teacher, that I "wanted to be the best wife and mother I could be", over and beyond any 'career' outside of the home..I was laughed at, quite derisively, and informed that that would not be enough for a mind like mine. Sadly, she is the mother of two. I wonder what perspective her grown children have now, and whether they share their mother's thoughts on the subject, as they are married and have children of their own. At the time, I was not as sure of myself, and my dreams and goals for my life, as I am now. And being raised to be polite, I was not going to argue with my teacher (whom I very much liked and enjoyed learning from). But this was in 1990-91, and I assure you, it has not gotten any better, anywhere over the years, except that now, one can find moral support online. While I am better able, by far, to voice my opinions and beliefs, I find few to hear them (mostly because I am at home 95% of the time, which is as it should be). Of course, the flip side of that, is that I have to argue the point less, because there are fewer people arguing against me--at least, in person.

But it also makes finding someone to instruct you on how to become one of those venerable "church ladies", HARD, let me tell you. They are simply not out there. Or if they are, they are doing one of two things--hiding, or being terribly over-worked because they have been found out. It used to be, each church had a number of these sorts of women. Most--if not all--of the women were at home, and could be counted on to help split the work load. Now, there are so few, even amongst the older set. Some even admit that they want no part of it, for all that they are retired and at home most of the time. They "have better ways to spend their time". I would argue that point, obviously. But they hang up, before you can get the chance to do so!

Admittedly, I am in no position right now, to become *the* church lady for my parish. Far from it--this is that season in life where my skills need to be more focused on home and hearth. With five small children, God willing more to come, my time away from home is...infrequent. Yes, I could take the children and visit shut ins, or a nursing home, and it is something I have considered for when my twins are a bit older (twin two year old boys being something of a challenge in even the most amenable of surroundings, I am reluctant to start taking them places where control of the enviroment is a toss-up). But this is a time for me to be an understudy of sorts, in an apprenticeship. It is a season for being taken 'under the wing' of an older woman well-studied in the ways and means of our local parish, and given time to grow into the role of "Church Lady". But instead it appears that there are no wings to take shelter under, and indeed, it seems as if I will be thrust from the nest before fully fledged, and forced to fly or fall.

And so, since I cannot find someone to teach me, I must learn on my own, as must so many in today's world. The question remains, how do I learn it? Where do I get these skills, that I would love to learn? Some things must, in truth, be learned hands-on, in the trenches, but sometimes, one can "scale down", and learn something incrementally...gradually working up to tackling the entire project. I read the blogs, I get recipes, and I invite people over. They all seem to have a nice time, I've never had people refuse to come back (especially if I lure them over with my cream cheese pound cake!). But I want to learn MORE. I want to grow into that Church Lady role, gently, and not with force and violence, as being tossed out onto the wind seems to be...

Where do you find your knowledge? In old books of generations gone by? So much of what they expected a young woman to know back then, is simply novel and uncharted territory for women of all ages now. I've found that to be a draw back, in that method. In general, with the potential information available online now, I've found the internet to be a decent resource. But it does not take the place of having an older, work-worn hand to guide you...

Have any of you been blessed to be taught by one of those venerable women? Are any of *you* the "Church Lady" of your congregation? Have you ever been? Wanted to be? Felt like trying, but were concerned you would fall short for one reason or another? I know how you feel, believe me. I think, however, I am going to simply start a campaign...maybe more like guerilla warfare...no...a 'top secret' intelligence gathering mission, a la the Cold War....sneak and peak in 'enemy territory'....go where they don't want me to go, and see what they don't want me to see. Hunt out the Church Ladies of old, and see what secrets they can teach me. It is going to be interesting, seeing as how we have one car, live a goodly distance from town, and are new around here. But I *want* to find this elusive matriarch of the church committees. And so, I think I shall set out...make a mission, to try, in 2010, to find one of these women...and see if I can get her to impart her knowledge to me...

Wish me luck, I think I'll need it!

A ramble on hospitality, Church Ladies, and feminist claptrap

2009-11-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I still await the "Table of Doom", as I refer to it. El Husbando has been gifted with the boards he needs to make our family the most enormous, substantial, "family sized" table one can imagine (okay. Maybe the Duggars can imagine a bigger one, :-) ). Sixty to eighty year old heart of pine boards--once floor boards in a WWII era warehouse on a military post. Most of them are well over twelve feet long, and will make for a beautiful, long!, and wide (oh joy of joys!) table for our family. God willing, it will also have the worlds thickest table legs (I want the "thunder thighs" models, tyvm!). Solid and super thick, so that no ambitious 9 yr old boy is going to be able to kick the leg out from under the table when a large roast (or lasagna) is sitting on the table waiting to be consumed...yes, I have heard of this happening...and I don't want it to happen here (ever, would be preferred, but certainly not until after we replace the flooring in the dining room!).

But one thing this table will mean, is that we will have a greater capability for inviting guests over. Now, we barely have room round the table for the seven of us. It is a tight fit, to be sure. And that is with the extension. But hospitality is something we weren't overly able to extend before our move to the wild West, and so now we are trying to make a greater effort to do so....it may not be fancy, but there will be food, and fellowship, aplenty, to offer.

That brings to mind something that has been on my mind lately....

Where did the church ladies go? You know the ones I mean. The ones who always answered the "casserole call" (fortunately, they were usually the best ones at making the casseroles, too). The ones who chaired the Meals Committee--for after deaths in the family, or after a new baby was welcomed...they were the ones who decided which letters of the alphabet would bring which dish type for the church socials...you know--A-F brings a main course, G-L brings a side, and M-Z brings a dessert. LOL. They frequently had a smile, and a welcoming spirit for the new members of the congregation. They'd know all the little children in the church, and frequently were one of the first outside of the family to see wee babies newly home from the hospital...when they stopped to deliver the casseroles for the freezer, you know ;-).

Where have they gone? These elusive women...whose club I desperately wanted to join, as a girl growing up. I wanted to be Mrs P, or Mrs C, or Mrs S. Actually, they were more correctly known by Mrs Wallace P or Mrs Robert C or Mrs William S. Yes, they went by their husbands names in most things--oh, one-on-one, they were Sue and Jean and Mary. But they were the kind of women I wanted to be when I grew up. With normal, happy, grown children, having families of their own, a husband who loved me, and the desire/ability to extend hospitality to others in the church and the community. I wouldn't mind being known as Mrs El Husbando's First/Last Name. I rather like it...those who know me well enough, would get the (privilege?) of calling me by my first name...a formality I know that has been long discarded, but I miss it, I'll admit...

Where are these women? Are there any left? Is there anyone taking their place? Having left the church of my childhood, and reconciling myself to the Catholic Church, it seems odd to me--I don't see those women, anywhere, anymore. Unfortunately, I am in a season of my own life where hospitality will mostly have to take place here in my home. I am simply not able to stretch myself, and my family, to something larger than ourselves, right now. But I wonder, how will I learn what I need to know from these women, if there are none left? Who will tell me where they hid the doggone platters after the last church social? Who gives the parish the best price on large quantities of things, when it comes time for the big fund-raisers?

I so wanted to be one of "them", that I am the proud owner of not one...not two...but THREE punchbowls. Yes, ladies. THREE. Two of them, complete with cups (which I buy more of when I find them in the thrift stores, lol). One of those, even has the matching 'stand' which lifts it up off of the table top...I lucked into that set for $5!!! I couldn't believe it myself, and could scarcely stop myself from doing the happy dance all the way back to the van! :-) I have an entire cabinet full of platters of various sizes. Nothing makes me quite as happy, as a huge table laden down with food, a house full of people, and many of my platters and serving pieces being used. I even got my wedding dinnerware in white, so I could mix and match various dishes, all in white, or use the white to 'play off' when having large numbers of company in...

I would *love* to find one of those fabled "church ladies"...who not only knows how to set up a good potluck, but also knows how to do all of those lovely crafty things I yearn to learn how to do--but don't have anyone who can teach me, in person (a you-tube tutorial only goes so far, you know). A woman who has the patience to put up with me and my brood of sometimes unruly children, and the wisdom to see how she can help...either with advice born of years of experience, or simply grabbing a two year old and reading him a story...Someone, who could fill the gap left by one grandmother being far away (we're in Oklahoma, and my parents are in Georgia), and the other grandmother being dead for more than 25 years now...

Where are these women, these models of Christian hospitality? Where are the Titus 2 women, the older generation helping train the younger? It is frustrating for me--and for others, I know, when we look to our mother's generation, and realize that not only are they not there, but that if they were, they either wouldn't have the skills, or they would denigrate our desire to learn them...

I've had women my mother's age comment negatively on my decisions to dress in a more feminine, modest fashion, and to veil myself when in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament (or when receiving sacraments at all). I have my decision to marry young and leave college unfinished denigrated, El Husbando's and my decision to leave ourselves open to the unqualified blessing of children, spat upon as if we were stupid fools to even think about such a thing...and to think of educating our children, not just in our day-to-day life's activities, but to actually teach them math, and how to read, and write...well, that's just unheard of--ridiculous! And when I dare to suggest that parents are (as scripture tells us, and the Church backs up) the primary educators of their children, in *all* things, especially matters of faith and morals, well, that really gets the hackles up...

It is heartbreaking to realize that *these* are the women who we are supposed to turn to train my generation in how to be a Proverbs 31 woman...that *these* women are the ones who are supposed to be the women Titus 2 speaks of. And yet...what do we have?

This is not a Catholic phenomenon, by any means. Look around your local Baptist, Lutheran, Wesleyan, Methodist, Presbyterian, or Non-Denominational congregation on a Sunday morning...I daresay, if we did a poll, many or most of them would agree with the more negative stances I mentioned above....

Why is this? I suspect that there are a few reasons, overall. The somewhat "calculated" drive to get women out of the home, denigrate those who stay there, and push the "you *must* have two incomes to survive, much less prosper these days" line of thought...the women's movements have also made some serious problems for more traditional womanhood. The "you can have it all" mindset has done incalculable damage to the status of the woman as manager, guard, and director of her home....

Once a queen of her own small realm, now many women are merely a drudge, a serf, a slave of her own making...following after the endless, unending siren call of the latest and greatest gizmo or gadget...the latest "must have" fad of the year or season. Listening to the comments of the crowds, falling for the lines, and leaving her home, her family, behind....

Now, while I understand that there will be times, and situations, where a given woman MUST simply work or starve...they are far fewer and farther between than many of us think. Most, if not all, people *can* live on one income. If enough people stepped off the merry-go-round that is our consumerist, materialistic society, we could rock this boat. If the women said "no more!"...if the husbands and fathers said "Come home! We need you here!"...if the women left their jobs...and made their way back down the paths to their homes...if they learned to embrace the foreign-ness of the life of the SAHW/M...there would be more demand for our men in the workplace. There would be more need for the qualified man, and it would lead to greater pay. If people simply stopped buying over-priced, and soon out-of-style items, and stuck with what they had for a season or three, then the stores would have to lower their prices...markets would shift...

It would be earth-shattering. It would be life-changing. It would tilt the economies of the nations back to the place they need to be--something more sustainable, something less transitory...something built on a solid, sturdy foundation. Instead of building on a mandatory two-income family, build on a single wage earner. Maybe by changing our own mind-sets. Maybe by shifting our own world views back to a simpler time...when families either worked side by side, or father might have to leave the home during the day for work, but came home at night, to a warm fireside, a clean family gathered round him, grateful for his labors, and glad to have him home once more...

It isn't easy, by any means. But without bringing the women home, there won't be any more church ladies. Without cutting our debt loads, without denying ourselves some of the "luxuries" of life, without changing ourselves, first, we cannot change the culture. Think of what you can do, instead of what you canNOT do, since you are a SAHW/M.

Can you sew? Can you knit? Can you cook a mean pie? Do you sing? Do you play a musical instrument? Are you just a nice person to be around (okay, that one is subjective, lol)? Those are gifts, that can be used not only as a hobby for your own personal enjoyment...but can be shared with others. Sew up baby blankets for a basket to go to new mothers. Knit blankets for wounded soldiers, for children removed from their homes (Project Linus), for the mothers sheltering at the unwed mother's homes...for the crisis pregnancy centers...for the elderly shut-ins...

Cook up one of those pies, and take it to a neighbor, a church member, or just put it into the freezer until you can talk to your pastor/minister/priest about which congregant shut-in needs a visitor. And visit! Take the pie then. Share it.

If you sing, share it...If you play a musical instrument, and have one at home you can play, maybe consider a musical evening, and invite those you know are likewise inclined, as well as a few who may not be as talented, but make up for it by dint of their personalities...and maybe they'll bring a pie or two to share...

Hospitality doesn't have to be difficult, but if one can practice on a small scale, perhaps we can revive the ancient, honorable, position of "Church Lady". Perhaps we can be a modern day Dorcas. Perhaps Tabitha, Priscilla, and the other venerable sisters in Christ have more to offer us than merely being more biblical names to use for our baby girls. See them as an example. Open your homes, even if only a small scale, to friends and family. Especially for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere (Hi Therese, down there in your Aussie Coffee Shop!), this is a time of social gatherings, warm fires, cider, and 'dessert evenings'. Maybe plan a social evening that is something new. Invite some people you don't normally have over. Something different...maybe have everyone bring a different board game, and play them. Maybe have another couple or two over, and play bridge, or gin rummy, or *something*. Every couple bring a dish, and potluck dinner, and have a nice, family oriented evening...

Hospitality doesn't have to wait til Christmas. It doesn't depend on the ball schedule. It doesn't depend on tax season, or summer vacation, or fall/spring break. It just depends on each of us, welcoming someone into our home. Reaching out, and saying "Welcome, why don't you stop and stay for a while...warm yourself by the fire, and here, have a cup of cider/tea/coffee/water". It doesn't have to be fancy, or expensive, or difficult. But you just have to do it.

Or it will never happen. The shut in won't have a visitor...the wounded won't have their blankets. You won't get to know that really great couple in the pew across the way, and won't be there, when they need that serious prayer support--because you won't know they need it, and they'll be too hesitant to ask. The college student will spend their time in the dorms, or the bars, without a better alternative, when they are far from home.

We don't build a community, by staying at home, locked behind closed doors. We don't start knitting a 'safety net', however small, by staying cocooned in our little nests.

Don't be an island. Be a part of that net. Become a part of your community. Reach out, and find one person...one couple...one family. And start knitting that net. Start building--or rebuilding--your community.

Do it today. Start thinking about what you can do, this week, this month, the rest of this year...and do it. Make it happen.

Because change has to start somewhere. And it may as well start with us....

Please contact your legislators...

2009-11-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

I realize that their offices are closed for the holiday. But if you could please, email or write your federal level legislators, I am sure that we could get this nonsense stopped!

I just heard, of the Navy SEALs, who are being court-martialed because a terrorist they apprehended claims that they punched him in the stomach (he also ended up with a bloody lip). Now, this is not your average, run of the mill, IED placing terrorist. No, he's the one behind the capture, torture, and MURDER of civilian contractors...

Now, these men are out doing their jobs. They find this...specimen of humanity...capture him. And in the process, he gets a punch to the stomach. Frankly, if that was all he got, well, GOOD FOR THE SEALS!!!! He's lucky *I* wasn't the one running that op--he'd have been lucky to make it into custody. I realize that murder is wrong. I realize that as a Christian, I am supposed to let God do the judging. But there are some times, ladies and gentlemen, that I revert back to my more primal, "remove this scumbag from the number of the living", instincts.

The fact that these sailors were doing their job as Special Forces operators. They captured the man alive, and brought him in. And all the Iraqis do is complain because he was punched in the stomach? I am so livid right now...

We have friends over there now--civilian contractors. We have many many friends who are still in the armed forces. El Husbando served, as did my father, great-uncles, and grandfather. I am so angry, that I am almost incapable of coming into words fit for public consumption....

Please write/contact your leglislators, House and Senate. Here is a link for finding your state's representatives...

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml#ok

and here is one for the Senate:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

I've already emailed mine, and plan on calling on Monday. I want them to intervene, and insist this idiocy be stopped. First we're giving these criminals rights of American citizens, bringing them to NYC for trial, as if they were simple burglars...letting them air their 'reasons' in open court--as if there is a reason for murderous behavior. NO. Enough is enough!

It is as if the "powers that be" keep pushing and pushing and pushing. This administration has made no friends of the military, and this sort of behavior is something that only adds to the pile in their disfavor. Between the dithering on the troop increase--if there is even one--to Afghanistan...the lack of proper behavior towards the terrorist (yes, I said it) attack at Ft Hood...the comments that soldiers 'are a good photo op'...this administration is full of cowards. It is near treason, what they are doing to our men and women in uniform. What they are doing to our citizenry, whether they are military or not, by bringing those terrorists from Guantanamo Bay, to NYC for trial.

Contact your Senators and Representatives, and let them know you want these court-martials, dropped. Period. They *can* put pressure on the defense department. They *can* do something about it, don't accept the "well, we let them handle their own affairs". Sorry, this is a citizen led military, and they get their budgets via the legislature. We *can* tell them what to do, and we *can* tell them to quit the PC pandering to the leftists who want to hamstring our military, who would just dearly love to 'make friends' with these terrorists who want us dead. We *can* let our opinions be known, and we'd better get on the horn, and start letting them hear allllll about it. We 'hire' these men and women to represent us, and in order to do that, they need to know what we want. So let them know!

Sorry for the rant. I'm just livid. These sailors should be taken off the docket for court-martial. Shoot, this shouldn't even show up in their records (except maybe as a commendation).

If you don't feel you can in all good honesty, contact your legislators, then please, pray for these men and their families. And for all of those who will suffer as a result of these actions by the military command structure and the executive branch of our government.

Thank you...

Pie pie and more pie

2009-11-25T17:22:00.000-08:00

Homemade pumpkin...homemade apple...homemade pecan....homemade praline pumpkin (combine two of my favorites!). For 7 people. LOL. I think I need to invited a few people over, but everyone I call, is already gone for the holiday. LOL.

I've got things lined up for tomorrow---green beans a la El Husbandoare on the stove, cooking Southern style (in other words, with bacon, onion, black pepper, and a looong time, so that all the nutrition is cooked out of them, lol). Green bean casserole makings are on the kitchen counter...right next to the makings for sweet potato casserole. Turkey (in the fridge, thawed), an 11ish pounder. Don't need a huge one, since it is just us...stuffing (El Husbando prefers stove-top), mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce...gravy...and of course, more more more pie. I've got the whipping cream ready for tomorrow's whipped topping fiesta...the vanilla ice cream for the apple pie...

AGHHHHHHhh. My stomach already hurts. And I've not eaten a thing yet, lol.

I took the last pie out of the oven not long ago, and have it covered with the praline topping now. It looks sooooo good. I am very much looking forward to taking a bite of it...

Yes, I will take pictures. :-)

I considered making some deviled eggs, but to be honest, we've got so much food for just the seven of us, I don't wish to overload us with leftovers.

I ate a light (hurried) supper of reheated spaghetti this evening...the children had eaten long before, while I was getting pies into the oven so I could relax a wee bit this evening. I am going to try to brine the turkey this year, overnight. It sounds super easy, and super tasty, so I'm going to "try" it. Hopefully, it will work. LOL. I'll let you know.

I think the ice cream is calling me...the big question is, should it be more of the red raspberry sherbet, or brownie batter? Oh, so difficult a choice! (just a warm-up for tomorrow's pie dilemma!).

Regardless, God bless you all, may you have a Thanksgiving full of things to be thankful for...even in these times of economic hardship, we need to remember the old song, about counting our blessings....

"Count your blessings, count them one by one, count your blessings, see what God has done...."

Everything in life is a blessing. Even the strangest and most painful, discomfiting things...a blessing.

May you have many blessings, my friends, of the sort we are "glad" to count, this year....

Good news, then the bad...

2009-11-25T16:39:00.000-08:00

Well, in the good news, my prize yesterday, was the "Faithful friends" Christmas stencil--I realized too late that the linky doesn't take you where it should! Drat! And I changed it--now it is coming in black and gold--the majority of the stencil will be in black, with the cursive lettering in gold. And I'll put it on a red painted canvas....probably won't get it done for this year--got too much on the list of things to do, but hopefully for next year...

Bad news...well, needs for prayer. Our house in North Carolina has still not sold, and I've not heard anything terribly recently. I've been praying it will be "finished" before the first part of December, but will you please add your prayers to mine? We need all we can get....

Secondly, two expectant mothers...one, at 18 weeks, had her water break/leak. This is her first child. Her doctor's office has put her on bedrest immediately--she'd gotten to 1 cm yesterday, but bedrest had gotten her back up to 3cm (thickness, not dilation, ladies--so 3cm is GREAT news). Her name is Katrina....

The second mother...oh, ladies, it breaks my heart. Her name is Alicia B. She is the mother of 10, pregnant with #11. She and her husband have been very faithful, and have left themselves open to the gift of life...

But this pregnancy comes with some very bad developments. While the baby is fine, Alicia has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Very far advanced, unfortunately. It is one of those horrible choices--have the surgery/radiation treatments, and lose the baby, or have the baby, and quite likely, die. They have done some surgery, and removed a majority of the tumor, and a piece of her skull, to try and relieve some of the pressure...they couldn't remove all of the tumor, due to the location, and nature of it--there were fingers extending farther into her brain that they simply cannot remove. Alicia and her husband, have entrusted themselves into the mercy of God. The doctors--and of course Alicia--are trying to get the baby far enough along, that it can be delivered and be viable. That could be any time in the next few weeks.

PLEASE pray for Alicia, and her family and friends. All of her children at home, are young. Very. Pray for the baby, that it will not need too much longer in the womb, and that it will be born healthy and strong--may it surprise the doctors and all concerned. Pray for strength for Alicia, that she will be able to hold out long enough, and even, God willing, recover from this horrible circumstance.

I get updates sporadically, from a DIL of a friend of the family, so please, continue praying, even if you hear nothing from me about it. She is fighting hard, but any and all prayers and most especially wanted and needed...

I'll be posting again in a minute....but I wanted to get this done first...

I won a prize, a pretty pretty prize!!!

2009-11-24T07:34:00.000-08:00

I get emailed "The Inspired Room" ...and a week ago, Melissa had a give away...multiple parts...one of the parts, a large, professional quality stencil, oh, here, take a look...

http://thesimplestencil.com/twocol/index.php?em=Faithful+friends+who+are+dear+to+us...etc.

I'll admit it, though, I'm boring, and getting it in black and more black. LOL. My walls are about the color of the ones in the photo, but since I'm not going to leave it up year round, and repainting after the holidays is not on my agenda, I'm planning to simply put it onto canvas, or perhaps sand and prime some good quality wood. But canvas would likely be cheaper and easier, lol. I'm planning on a deep red background (the same color as my kitchen, lol), and the black lettering will stand out nicely. :-)

It is the very first online 'contest' or giveaway that I have won, so I'm pretty peached! I even know just where I'll hang it...now, to explain to DH...LOL..."Yes, dear, even *more* Christmas decorations!" ....

I'll just have to promise pictures when I get it done.

Now, to find a great big canvas....

LOL

Also, some good news, an online friend of mine has finallllllly had her baby after weeks and weeks of 'false' labor. It was fast, thankfully, but A's wee little girl is here!! No name yet. But I'm so excited for her. It was a nice, peaceful homebirth, so I am glad that all went well. Many prayers for a beautiful babymoon, and a healthy recovery...I've got several other online friends who are ready to pop within the next month and a half...so I'm sure you'll see some more congratulatory "whoopeee!" on here...

Hopefully, you are having a beautiful Tuesday, and your Thanksgiving is coming together...

A ramble on preparing for Advent

2009-11-23T14:53:00.000-08:00

Most folks right now, are preparing for Thanksgiving...thinking ahead to Christmas. Decorations and the requisite 'Holiday Aisle' have appeared in the stores...and the temptation is there... boy, is it ever...to succumb to the lure of the music and the decorations and the garland and ornaments and lights...

And yet...there is something far more important to consider...

Advent is not a time for settling in with cocoa and cookies and parties and dancing and fa-la-las. In fact, in the traditional Church, Advent is instead a time for penance...for reflection...for preparation for the coming of Christ...frequently overlooked--because we are so terribly surrounded by the commercialization of a holy-day...Lent is harder to ignore, since we're not as overwhelmed with the Easter Bunny as we are with Santa Claus and Rudolph. But the pre-Christmas period of penance and sacrifice...well, everyone else is going to the parties...everyone else is dancing and singing and shopping and giving gifts and so on and so forth...

I'll admit it--I'm prone to the early decorating, the singing of Christmas songs as early as possible. I don't decorate for most holidays (not on an individual basis, mind you)...but oh, I go whole-hog for Christmas...one year, I pulled the decorations out immediately after Thanksgiving dinner....yes. I was *that* bad. I think that was the Christmas of...1996, so it has been a while. :-)

While I still like to mail off Christmas cards the first day of December, I'm trying to make sure that my cards are not the typical "Ho Ho Ho Have a Happy New Year" tripe. I'm trying to use cards that focus on the import of the season (and I don't mean this year's "Tickle Me Elmo" or Furby or Cabbage Patch Kid). If nothing else, they might give someone a moment's pause...

But for me, I'm trying to make Advent a time of better preparation for the eternal...not just for a couple of days at the end of December. I do my Christmas shopping as far in advance as possible, so I'm not fighting traffic, or waiting on the FEDEx man to arrive...so I can focus more on what Advent--and Christmas--are really all about...

About a God who loved me so much, that He lowered Himself, to become not only Creator...but one of the created. To confine His infinity, within the limits of a finite, mortal being...

It is easy for us, most of us parents, to focus on the wee sweet Baby....or the heavily pregnant mother, traveling soooo far, so late in pregnancy, only to deliver far from home, in a stable, with little assistance of any kind...the shepherds in the field, for those of us who raise animals....we get so focused on making Him come to us, that we seem to forget what that entailed....and why...

That same, sweet, innocent Babe, only a fraction of an infinity later, was brutally sacrificed, for the sins of you, and I...for those who have come before us...for those who will come after us....as precious as our infants are, none of them will be able to do the same as that one Baby lying in a manger...none of us would be able to take away the sin of the world...no matter what we did. We cannot even absolve ourselves...how could we have borne it?

A slightly tangential bit to this post...on a message board I frequent, one poster has been discussing their Baptist church's push to "take God out of the box"...wow...well, in a way, I can understand what they are saying. But unfortunately, what many mean by that phrase is to remove scriptural backing, and remake Jesus in their own image. One person said that they could not imagine Jesus punishing any of us after death, that she couldn't imagine Him being angry or furious...and yet, in scripture it clearly talks about Jesus in the temple, tearing it up with a whip, for the righteous anger of having His Father's temple desecrated by the money-changers...Revelation (or the Apocalypse, for those Catholics among us) gives us another view of a Lord in battle...

And yet, this person said that because they couldn't imagine it, because it didn't fit inside their 'box' for Him, that He could not possibly be that way...there were more comments along the same line...They complain about Christ being in a box...So they take their image of Him out of one box, and shove Him into another...yeahhhhh....

And all the while, He must be rather sadly laughing at our rather pathetic attempts...to confine Him in anything. Because not only is He in the box, He is outside the box...shoot, He *is* the box. For all our attempts to make Him into a god of our making...we succeed in only setting ourselves up as demi-gods, as wee false "gods" with no power, only deluding ourselves with an illusion of what we think is real.

So what *is* real? Real is the blood, splattered down the back of the baby-grown-into-man...real is the sweat, and the splinters, from carrying the cross, under such pain and stress...real is knowing what lies ahead, and facing it anyway....real is forgiving those who sin against you, even as they are killing you slowly...real is the deep agonizing tear of the lash, cutting into you time and again...real is the torment, of the bone-crushing pound of the hammer, as it drives spikes into your hands and feet...the finger-length thorns, crowning your brow...the blood blending with sweat, pouring into your eyes, stinging doubly, triply, beyond bearing... And yet He trudged on. He carried that cross. He bore that burden that no solely mortal soul could bear.

We look upon the cradle, and forget to see the cross contained within the wood. We see the babe, and forget the man-to-come. We watch the shepherds, and forget the crowds that flocked to sing Hosanna to the king...and a week later, screamed for His crucifixion...we hear the angels singing on high...and forget those self-same angels will raise their swords to fight the battle at the end of time...banishing the foe to Hell for all eternity--and the souls who side with them, as well.

We would do well to remember these things, and think of them, as we prepare for Christmas. Take a moment to take Christ out of the boxes we have attempted to put Him...take ourselves down a peg and recognize our complicity in trying to make Him less than He is...and accept that the gift of His birth, came in two parts--within the birth, came the greatest gift, that of His death...

In truth, it is hard sometimes, for us to pull back from the commercialized images of the mother and her Son...to see beyond it to the ugly fact that because of US, because of our sins, because of our own freely made choices, this wee baby, this precious child, Our Lord and God, would DIE, an excruciatingly painful, agonizing death...sacrificed, because of US...those of us who are parents, know we would rather die ourselves, a thousand times, than for one of our children to suffer even a fraction of that borne by Our Lord and Savior...and yet, we continue in our patterns of self-serving behaviors, we fail to look beyond the here and now...and each of us, in our own way, by our own choice, pounds a nail...wields a whip, or pushes a thorn...over and again...

Should we prepare for the celebration of His birth with song, and dance, shopping, and parties, with nary an acknowledgement of our own part in His suffering and death? Or would we better served spending the time before the celebration of His birth here, getting ourselves into a better spot, spiritually, and seeking ways to really work on the sinful traits in our nature... those self-same traits that required His arrival here as the sacrificial Lamb?

There is time for celebration, most certainly, when the day is nigh and that season is upon us in full. But give proper time for spiritual preparation this Advent season. Do not neglect the gift that you can give to Him...a proper awareness of what His coming would eventually mean....

I'll be posting more about our family's Advent activities...but if you want to join us, look into an Advent wreath. They are a very traditional way to remember the season's importance, with scriptural readings, to go along with the lighting of the candles. They can be as simple, or as elaborate as you may prefer...everything from a simple green wreath, with the candles standing in the middle (three purple, one pink), or something more long-lasting, in metal, for taper candles..ours is pewter, in circle form...I just got some new beeswax candles (poured, not wrapped--I'm picky that way, lol), just for the occasion.

Here is a good link, discussing some of the history of Advent wreaths, as well as containing more links, and options of how to celebrate Advent...

http://catholicism.about.com/od/adventactivities/p/Advent_Wreath.htm

A quick google search for images of Advent wreaths, brought up some very traditional versions (evergreens in a circle), but there were also those candles in a straight line, like down the center of a dining room table, some pillar candles were gathered into a large earthenware bowl, surrounded by moss and rocks...

And in the meanwhile, be safe. There are crazed lunatics on the road, dashing hither and yon to gather their gifts while they may..and woe to any who get in their way...I pray you will remain whole and untouched by the unfortunate violence that tends to come around this time of year--and I suspect that this year, it will be worse than most. God bless and keep you, my friends...

Rejoice!

2009-11-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

Not much else to say, but just rejoice with us that all is well for M and little one and the birth mother...

Thank you...