Day 9: 30 Days of Thankful

I am thankful today for this funny face:

Jacob is all about being a farmer when he grows up. From morning until bedtime this kid has constant dialogue about what he wants to raise, supply, and grow on his farm. Today he asked if I were glad that I will have turkey meat from him on his farm and not have to buy it at the store. Of course yesterday he asked if he could grow coconut trees on his place. My husband told him he'll probably have to have a greenhouse to grow the more tropical items!

This little boy is at such a wonderful age; I can ask him for a hug, and he'll still throw himself at me without hesitation. He just runs around all day thinking of new things to get into. I am thankful for his enthusiasm for life and his excitement for the future!

Thirty Days of Thankful: Day 1

Happy November to you! I've been tossing around some ideas for the blog, and I love the idea of a post every day for the month. Let's see how it all works out, but I hope to have a few things written by the end of November. I'm not going to work through by order of importance; I just want to talk and share a bit of the life God has gifted me.

Today I am thankful for my mom and dad. Just two days ago was the 2 year (!) anniversary of my dad's stroke. This week October 30 happened to fall on a Tuesday. Tuesday also happens to be the day my parents come to our house to visit and help with the kids. We were able to sit down to a nice steak dinner (thanks mom!) with garden corn and eggplant, some sweet potatoes, and some cookies and rhubarb sticky buns for dessert. Nice meal - huh!

We reminisced a bit about the fact that my dad does not remember his helicopter ride, as he was life-flighted to the hospital. My mom remembers every detail of that night. He does remember being carried downstairs on the stretcher (it was "very cold"). I remember calling my two brothers and sister spread around the world to share what had happened to dad. I remember the fears of thinking what-if during the next few days.

We all remember the "jail-break" of bringing my dad to our house for Thanksgiving; we had to check him out of the in-patient unit for the day. I remember my husband building a ramp to our front door, so that we could get the wheelchair inside.

By God's grace and mercy my dad has worked through lots of physical, occupational, and speech therapy. He is able to walk using his cane, and he is able to preach from the pulpit!

What a blessing it is to have a man of God as a father and friend and a woman of God as a mother and confidant. Some of the most precious scenes from my life right now are to see my children clambering all over my dad and to see my mom gently rocking my littlest one.

Dad really knows how to get the kids going! On Tuesday they were playing that my dad was the big bad wolf, and my kids were running and shrieking through the house as the scared little piglets.

I could go on. I will in the days to come, hopefully. I have lots to be thankful for; my cup runneth over.

Afraid to Move!

Just sittin' on the couch, afraid to stand up or move even for fear of what might happen next! Let me give you the story:

It all started yesterday when my husband worked so hard over a bucket of tomatoes. He blanched and processed them to remove all the skins and seeds. Then, that huge pot of tomatoes went into the 'fridge overnight to be made into soup today for canning.

Well, today has been quite the day from costly repairs to the car and chimney (I'm praying that the furnace guy tomorrow only comes to do the yearly tune-up with no news of something else needing fixed!) to me making quite the mess of the tomatoes. I burned the batch! I placed the pot on the stove to bring to a simmer knowing that we needed hot liquid to place in the canning jars. While I did stir the pot at regular intervals, I neglected to think that the pot was of poor quality and that I should have been way more attentive.

Since we had so much juice last night, we just used our enamel canning pot to store the lot until today. Nevermore! From now on we'll continue to use our stainless (smaller) stockpots. The juice stuck to the bottom and burned just enough to flavor the batch.

After a desperate facebook plea for help and a phone call or two to my parents as well as some internet searching I decided to salvage the liquid from the top two-thirds of the pot that did not have the black flecks. While the tomato broth has definite "smoky" flavor, I thought that I could freeze it and use in some smoked sausage stews or something.

I put the liquid in 4, one-gallon ziplocs (about 12 cups in each). Then, I carried 3 of the bags down to the freezer in the basement.

And then......then......I proceeded to drop one the bags of tomato broth, and it burst all over the floor (tile thankfully), my leg and flip-flops. I give up! I surrender. Fast forward through the cleaning and mopping; I'm now sitting on the couch thanking God for some good news we heard today but just admittedly a little nervous about giving the 4-month-old her bath in the sink :)

Good news today: friends that have been wanting to have a baby are expecting! Another friend had her gall bladder removed because of gall stones, and it was discovered there were some cancerous cells which would not have been detected w/o the stones! I keep thinking of my sons list of farm animals that he wants to have on his future farm; he included horses, cows, sheep, chickens, and unicorns!

I hope you all have a restful sleep and a brand new day tomorrow full of blessings!

Three Things on a Thursday

1. The Garden: preparations are being made for our first cannerful of green beans this evening. Big Fish found a large canning pressure-cooker at a flea market. We did a trial run last week to learn what to do and produced 2 quarts of green beans. Tonight is the real deal. I had to giggle because my husband has never heard the magic "pop" of a sealing jar lid. It's a delightful little noise!

2. The Children: it's too hot to bake today, but the the kids and I are about to make little snack cookies that look like little hamburgers. Nilla Wafers are the "buns", and peppermint patties are the "burgers". We'll share them at a playdate tomorrow.

3. The Children Again: yesterday a new little friend kept commenting that our baby was the "funniest baby doll ever because she keeps opening her eyes". I and the girl's mom kept telling her that the baby was real! Tee hee!

Woo it is hot here; thermometer reads 90 degrees. The humidity is the kicker, though. Enjoy some iced coffee peeps!

Monday, Monday

Wow, it's already past 3 in the afternoon! I enjoy Mondays actually because they mean the kids and I have a quiet day at home to catch up after the various activities on Saturday and church on Sunday. My husband and I often remind each other that the Sabbath will become a restful day again someday, as 4 children 6 and under require a lot of maintenance! From wearing nice clothes to spreading out to various Sunday school rooms to later nap times, it makes for a rather hectic day! We are thankful for our church family with many in the same boat as us with young children.

Today we have been doing some baking and closet organization. The kids helped with mixing up the muffins and rolling the dough balls for snickerdoodles. I have a kid's cookbook, and we are trying the whole wheat version of snickerdoodles. They smell yummy coming out of the oven (I'm writing this blog post in between pulling out cookie pans).

The garden is starting; the garden is starting! We already have had bunches of yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, and fresh herbs. Big Fish used my mandolin slicer to help me make my gallon jar of refrigerator pickles. We are thinking our neighbors might start locking their doors against us, as they see us come bearing squash! I really think that my honeybees have helped so much with the pollination of the squash plants. That is another thing I hope to do this week, check the hive. If there is honey capped, I will have to track down the loan of an extractor.

Small Fry just informed me that he needs to go check for groundhogs. Between his hourly garden checks and his daddy's gun, our garden has remained fairly varmint free! We did have a mole chew through one cucumber vine, actually.

We now come to the weight loss update portion of the blog. If you don't care (really, I don't mind), just go ahead and stop reading! Today's scale reading was 178.2 pounds. On this the baby's 3 month birthday, I think back to the fact that I weighed in at 216 pounds before she was born! Of course it is hard work to watch what I'm eating and keep rolling out of bed to exercise. Thankfully, loss is still happening! The hardest day was Saturday when we had my family over, and I kept handing out ice cream cones and such. I have found a nice drink that helps with my sweet tooth control: Italian soda made with sugar free syrup, club soda, and a bit of half and half.

Well, looks like we're in for another hot week! We're praying for some rain. Hope you are enjoying a dip in the pool somewhere!

Random Thoughts With Photos

It has been quite hot and humid in these here parts, but we were able to have a front yard picnic before the heat set in. My parents joined us, and I totally cut the baby out of the picture. She is in her car seat relaxing in the breeze.

My sign has been "installed" in the front yard! I'm hoping the campground down the road will help supply some customers.

Over the past weekend we traveled to Dayton, OH on a little family trip. We visited some relatives and had a lovely time visiting a working farm modeled after an 1800's homestead, a children's museum, the Air Force Museum, etc. I visited a yarn shop, flower nurseries, and a thrift store. The yarn shop produced some lovely fiber for spinning (another post); the nurseries gave ideas for a fairy garden or terrarium; and the thrift store was a quite productive stop. I missed the day of the week when everything is 50% off, but I still found some "stuff":

Included in the pile is a skein of Icelandic yarn, 2 men's polos, several long sleeve shirts for Brookie's fall wardrobe, a puzzle for Minnow, the classic game of Twister, a silk necktie to cut up for Easter egg dyeing, several books, and 3 dress shirts for Small Fry. I spent a hair under $32 for the lot.

Hope the weather is cooling off for you in your part of the world!

Crazy Eyes

This photo demonstrates the baby's precious smile as well as her completely surprised and wild eyes that she often uses:



Sometimes all you can do is find a box and sit in it:



Today I took the yarn that I have been spinning (a wool and silk blend) and plied it. Then, I "set the twist" by soaking in hot and then cold water.



Lastly (no picture provided), the weight loss update: just click away if this is of no interest to you! I'm just trying to keep myself accountable. The scale read 184.2 pounds today. I'm still in the "approaching obese" category according to some medical charts...yikes. But! I did lose over 3 pounds this past week, so progress is being made.

Hope the week is a great one for you!

A Post.....With Pictures!

I finally grabbed the camera to post a few updates. Let's see if I can "make it work".





One fun summer activity for the older two children seems to be pans of dry beans and rice. I set them outside with various kitchen utensils, and the kids are enjoying filling cups and ice cream scoops. It's our cheap sandbox!

Here are a couple of pictures of my new spinning wheel and some lovely fiber:





I'm trying to spend a few minutes each day getting acquainted with my wheel. It really is enjoyable, and I'm making some fabulous "art" yarn.

My weigh-in was today. I have no picture, but the scale is still moving in the right direction. It read 187.4 pounds, so that's 2.6 pounds lost since last Monday. I am finding that I am a "sneaky snacker". I grab a few animal crackers here and a handful of the kids' dry cereal there. It all adds up! This is something I hope to work on this coming week. This goal will be added to my other goal of drinking more water.

Well, I'm about to publish this post and see if the pictures actually get uploaded! Have a great week; Happy Summer!

Monday Check In

We're busy celebratin' birthdays (Brookie and Small Fry and me!) and an anniversary (12 years) this month. Lots of blessings for which I am so thankful.


Big Fish surprised me with a beautiful spinning wheel for my birthday. He had found it at an auction; and I truly believe that it is in like-new condition. The biggest tip-off? The wheel was not set up right! Now that I've watched many youtube videos and re-read the instruction packet many time, I'm happily spinning away. My yarn is not pretty, but it's yarn! One of the items included in the auction lot was a basket full of wool that I'm using to practice.


The children and I picked strawberries this morning and then came right in and had some for lunch. We are having a bit of a problem with chipmunks stealing some of our produce!


The hardest part about all these birthdays is trying not to eat birthday cake! I weighed in this morning at 190.0. I'm happy to see the scale moving in the right direction! This is the plan I've been following. I appreciate it's structure and am very happy with the breakfast and lunch shakes/bars. I feel like I'm getting good nutrition instead of grabbing things here and there that don't add up to a meal.


We're thinking we might have a thunderstorm here this afternoon, so I need to refer to my list of indoor activities for the two older kiddos.


Enjoy the warm breezes!

And so it Begins

First weigh-in today: 195.8 pounds. I cringe to post that number, but I have to start somewhere! The baby is sleeping almost through the night. She prefers to go to bed late and then sleep late. We're hoping to slowly adjust that, so that she goes to bed closer to 9 or 10 rather than 11! She is in that cute little stage where her eyes are always so wide open; it's like she's constantly surprised! We've been re-organizing our living areas. The TV has been moved downstairs, and the school area is expanding upstairs. Big Fish and I are starting a collection pile of things to sell at our local flea market. Today was cleaning out the school shelf and cabinet. One of the next things on my to-do list is refresh myself on how to upload pictures to this blog!

"Fall"-ing into a Routine

Now that Fall is practically here, we have started to settle into the routine of errands or appointments in the morning and school for Brookie in the afternoon. Small Fry has been attending speech therapy sessions two or three times a week and seems to enjoy the individualized attention and help.

For blog purposes, I will call the baby (who is now 9 months old - yikes!) "Minnow". Minnow looks a lot like those tiny fish, as she wiggles across the floor to get where she needs to go. She is a busy little soul whose happiest moments are in mama's arms or sucking on a teething biscuit while seated in the high chair.

The chickens do not seem to mind the extra time I take to let them out in their pen these past several chilly mornings. We are eagerly awaiting eggs; thinking that the first ones should appear in the next month. We did bid farewell to the rooster, for he was becoming a nuisance both in his noise and his abuse of the sweet flock. Peace seems to be restored, although I did have to shoo a couple of the girls out of the garden today. We still have a few tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants we hope to enjoy.

Big Fish has installed a tree stand up our back hill, so we are officially ready for hunting season. He is turning our children into bargain hunters, as he has been taking them along to a weekly flea market and any auctions that are in the area. They did come home with a cute, vintage "Fresh Eggs" sign a couple of weeks ago. Now we just need those eggs......

Boy is it chilly outside; the thermometer registers 59 degrees. Time for a hot dinner and maybe some post-dinner hot tea! Hope you are warm and cozy in your corner of creation!

Summer Updates

We've been enjoying an unusually (for southwest PA) sunny summer! Everything is growing: the kids, the chickens, the garden, the weeds, etc! I look around the house and see lots of signs that summer is in full swing:

1. There is watermelon in the 'fridge and ice pops in the freezer.

2. Every day brings a new opportunity to pull weeds. My mom blessed us last week with the edging (by hand) of our sidewalk while I baked a cake.

3. Big Fish has been industriously watering our garden and even stringing hoses together to water the pumpkins and squash down our back hill.

4. My 4 basil plants in the garden are in desperate need of a picking. I've already made a pesto batch and pizza with basil and cheese.

5. Shhh! Don't tell my mom, but Small Fry is carrying around a mason jar with a baby ring snake in it. I must remind Big Fish to let the thing go tonight!

6. The honey bees seem to be expanding. I checked them on Saturday and actually placed a honey super on the top. The bees have been quite busy in their two hive body boxes, so to my inexperienced eye they looked like they needed more work space. Maybe we'll have a tiny bit of honey this year! I'm starting to read up on how to care for them through the fall and winter. Plans are being made for a second hive next year.

7. Hummingbirds have drained their feeder - need to fill that today before they get too angry!

8. The chickens are enjoying their "big girl" digs. The coop is ready for its first clean-out already! They come running when they see us because we usually have a slice of bread or some old lettuce for them. I did hear on the radio that homegrown eggs don't really taste any different than grocery store eggs. They do definitely look different, though. We'll have to test that ourselves in a few months!

9. Brookie spends large amounts of time on her swing. It's just a disc hung from a tree branch. Another favorite activity of hers is sidewalk chalk drawing on our driveway. We need a rain just to give her a clean slate!

10. A recipe for rhubarb custard bars will be posted this week, so see you back soon!

Enjoy some iced tea on the porch swing!

Kid-isms

A couple of days ago I snipped a miniature rose and put it in a vase by Brookie's breakfast plate. She loves flowers! She was very pleased and buried her nose in it for a few seconds. "It smells like cookies and birds!" I smiled and tried to hide a laugh. She then elaborated that the rose's fragrance was that of "chocolate chip cookies and bluejays".

Just today we're doing some preparatory baking and cooking for tomorrow (an eventful day - mother-in-law is moving from our basement to her new house next door; also a visit from grandparents and newly-married brother of mine). We're hoping to make homemade ice cream. I'm making the custard today, and I told Brookie that we'll use the ice cream maker that's in the garage. She immediately asked me, "What's his name?". Clearly we need to use the ice cream maker more often, my friends!

Sunshine

We have sunshine on our minds around here......we dash out between thunderstorms to clear a patch of weeds, plant some herbs, check the bees, or hammer a little on the new chicken pen!

This morning I was cuddling with Brookie and told her she is my sunshine. She told me no! She said that she is not my sunshine but rather her brother is. I asked why she is not my sunshine? She replied, "I'm your daughter!"

Get it? She is thinking son-shine!

Updates on the Projects

We've been in a whirlwind lately!! I don't know what we're going to do when the weather actually warms enough that we can get outside and work on the garden. We're so busy already :) It's a wonderful busy though. Maybe some of the busy-ness is because of my personality; I have to get something right or I don't want to do it at all! Here's the latest:

1. Chickens - our family has gone 'round and 'round with where exactly to house the chickens! First we were going to build a coop (and by "we" I very possibly might mean my patient husband). Then, "we" decided to convert part of our existing shed into a henhouse. Finally, we (and I mean all of us here) found a cute coop for a reasonable price at our local AgWay. Now, we just have to get it transported to our house! I myself have gone 'round and 'round trying to track down the little chickies. What a process: most hatcheries need a minimum order of 15 or 25 chicks. We were hoping for 7 or 8! It's too cold to ship smaller amounts of babies without a much higher shipping rate I've discovered. Another twist is that I really, really want to have 4 kinds of chickens! I've researched a bunch, and my list includes Barred Rocks, Golden Comets, Araucanas, and Buff Orpingtons. So, our hope is that our local feed store will be stocking live chicks around Easter. We're not sure what breeds we will come away with, but we are prepared with our heat lamp and chick feeder!

2. Honey bees: a hive has been ordered, a jacket and veil are on their way, and my dear Big Fish has built a stand to accommodate the hive. I stopped by a local army surplus store and found some canvas-type pants to go over my jeans (for 10 bucks!).

3. Soap making: I've made 2 batches that are curing. No verdict yet as to how the bars have turned out, for I want to hand mill them and add some wonderful essential oils. I did provide some comic relief in my safety goggles, pink gloves, and apron when I was mixing in the lye!

4. Completely unrelated yet keeping it real (stop reading if you have a weak stomach): I smelled something earlier today - you know, the smell you smell when you step in "something" from the yard. Well, turns out my little dog seems to have some tummy troubles. I had to do a major cleanup of him including donning my latex gloves (I'm finding more and more uses for those things), giving him a cleanup and trim around his bottom, and also cutting the hair off his back feet. While in the middle of this project which I was doing in the bathroom, my daughter came in to use the potty. She told me she was having tummy trouble. Then, my son filled his diaper. In the space of about 20 minutes, I cleaned up poop from 3 sources. Yuck! I've said it before and I'll say it again: I can't wait to open the windows!

Off to check the baby's diaper....

Wondering

Sometimes I feel I have so many ideas running around in my head! Too bad there isn't an occupation in which I could just provide ideas. Any-hoo, here are some questions for you in no particular order:

1. When canning vegetables and fruit, do you prefer using a pressure cooker or a boiling water process?

2. Does anyone have a nice recipe for candied grapefruit peel?

3. Is it really worth it to cut bangs in my daughter's hair, or is this something I'll regret and wish I didn't have to keep up with them?

4. Why does snowcream have to be made with freshly fallen snow? Does day-old snow not work?

5. Does anyone have tips on helping a four year old and a two year old be kind to each other? Some days are really good, and some days are really bad!

Any help or advice you could provide, dear readers, would be much appreciated!

Homemade Marshmallow Recipe!

Happy New Year! We've begun the New Year with both Big Fish and his mother returning to work (on Monday). My New Year's resolution is to survive with three kids at home now! Just kidding.....it is a joy as well as an adjustment. The only goal that I started on Jan. 1 is the attempt to read through the Bible in a year. I have some quiet time while feeding our newest addition (still coming up with a nickname for her on this blog), so I thought this might be a good time to try.

I have not been holding out on you with my marshmallow recipe; I promise! I must credit the source. The recipe is from an old Williams-Sonoma catalogue. They often print some interesting recipes to go along with their eye candy mailings.

Homemade Marshmallows

3 packets unflavored gelatin
1 cup cool water, divided
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/8 tsp salt
1 T vanilla extract

Combine 1/2 cup cool water and the gelatin in the bowl of an electric mixture to soften. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment.

In a small, heavy saucepan combine the other 1/2 cup of cool water, sugar, corn syrup and salt. Stir over medium heat while the sugar dissolves. Then raise the heat to high; cook the mixture (without stirring) until it reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Take the pan off the heat.

Turn the mixer on low and pour the hot mixture over the gelatin mixture. Turn the speed up to high and whip for at least 10 minutes (you want the mixture to cool to about room temperature). Add the vanilla extract towards the end of the time.

Spread the mixture into a buttered 9X13 pan (glass is the best). Use wet hands to spread out evenly and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Let the marshmallows set overnight or so. Use a greased knife or cookie cutters.


Optional flavors: instead of the vanilla extract; go crazy! Use half a tsp of peppermint oil, or swirl with crushed peppermint candy, or a 1/2 tsp of espresso powder, etc.

Enjoy toasting over a fire or in some yummy cocoa.

A List

I inherited the list writing gene from my mother. At any given point in the day I have a least 3 lists going; some are short term for the day, and some are more far-reaching (like what needs to be done before Christmas!).

Here is a list of the small and the great from our recent lives:

1. The top of the list is the life-changing event of my father's stroke. At the end of October, his 58-year-old self was changed by a blood clot that traveled to his brain.

2. After over a month of hospitalization in a neuro-intensive care unit, then a stroke ward, then and in-patient therapy facility, dad is now home! We praise God for His mercies.

3. My dad still has major paralysis of his left side, so therapy will continue for at least a year.

4. In two days (if not earlier), the baby inside me will be induced! Friday is two days earlier than her due date.

5. Small Fry was induced two WEEKS before his due date, and he was almost nine pounds!

6. Christmas baking is officially finished! The kids and I made cookies, candy, and Chex Mix. Pans of cinnamon rolls were also baked to gift Sunday School teachers and neighbors (and we're keeping some for us too).

7. Brookie and Small Fry enjoy a "light up the Christmas tree experience" every morning.

8. I don't think I'll stop saying the words "be gentle and kind" until the kids are at leasst teenagers!

9. With the amount of snow we have EACH DAY, the birds seems to be thankful for our feeder. Small Fry reports "Dee, dee, dee" when he notices the chickadees.

10. Big Fish has filled our freezer with his hunting expeditions in our backyard. Any good venison recipes out there?

The tea kettle is whistling; may you also enjoy a nice cup of something warm today!

Hot Chocolate

One of the best things about weather that turns chilly or cold.....hands down....is the steaming mug of hot chocolate ready for sipping! My kids, ages 2 and 4, each have their own little mug. Their "hot" chocolate is half milk to cool it. They love our store brand of multi-colored marshmallows.

I prefer two large, regular marshmallows OR a square of my homemade marshmallows. To me, the marshmallow adds the perfect touch. Not only does it provide the sweetness and creaminess, but the marshmallow helps the hot chocolate remain hot! As it melts across the surface it seals in the steam and heat - perfection.

I hope you take time to enjoy a mug of hot chocolate soon!

Catching Up

1. Small Fry had tummy issues for six and a half days! We ended up making a trip to the doctor and then sending a sample to the hospital only to find out nothing! We're still not sure what caused all this, but we're thankful he's better and that no one else in the house had the same problems!

2. Last weekend was a quick trip to my parents' house. We were able to attend their church picnic - a bonfire on a beautiful Saturday afternoon/evening. One of the highlights for the kids was picking up apples on the ground and sampling them. I do not remember what kind of apple tree it was, but I have a bagful ready for a little baking.

3. Cookie dough is chilling in the 'fridge ready to make some pumpkin cut-outs for us and maybe the neighbors. I'm experimenting with some new food coloring for the icing. This food coloring is all-natural with ingredients like strawberry juice!

4. We had our first fire in our fireplace two nights ago! I love it!

5. Our neighbor lady turned 94 yesterday! I hope to spend a little more time with her listening to how life was when she was a young girl. What a treasure trove her memories are; I remember a school assignment having us interview our grandparents.

6. My kids are learning to sleep in their new bunkbeds. We're trying to make this transistion before the new little baby girl arrives in December. They are doing very well at night, but naptimes are party time. Yesterday Small Fry joined Brookie in the top bunk before I went in to intervene.

7. We're studying the book of Joshua in a Bible study. Last night the discussion centered around the Jordan River crossing. What an awesome display of God's power this was!

8. We've been looking at plans for pig and chicken houses online. There are some creative options out there! I think I'm overwhelming Big Fish with the possibilities - poor guy. He was just hoping to put together some scrap wood, and here I come with these pictures of little barns and cottages!

9. The kids love to read books together; I wish my voice and throat could last longer!

10. Time to brew a cup of tea and figure out a little excursion to a nearby apple orchard/gift shop. I have some of my handmade things for sale at a couple of local markets, and I need to check in with them this week to see if the "stock" needs replenishing.

Stay warm!