This story has been told many times lately, by our family, and usually provides a chuckle or two. I'll share it with you!!
This past November on our township election day my husband came home from work. Since our polling places are open into the evening we decided to run over to the township building and vote. We had all 4 kids in the car, so we took turns entering the building and casting our ballots. Check. Civic duty completed for the time being.
Well, it was not over; I came to find out. A few weeks later I started receiving some mailings - three to be exact - from the Butler County Election's Office! Each of those mailings congratulated me on my winning and were accompanied by some paperwork. What did I win? Here is the list (in no particular order): Venango Township 2 Year Auditor, Venango Township Constable, and Venango Township 6 Year Auditor. At this point I was thoroughly confused. Husband comes home from work again, and I show him these papers that have come in the mail. He just starts laughing, and saying something along the lines of, "I didn't know THAT was going to happen!" WHAT was going to happen, husband????
Seems that my beloved took the opportunity on the election ballot to write in my name on every available line! I guess maybe some of the residents of our sweet little township maybe forgot to also check off their civic duty because I was able to win 3 offices with just one (write-in) vote!! After some further research and phone calls to the election office and township supervisors I decided to pursue the 6 Year Auditor position. I had to fill out tax forms and get sworn in (had to get that notarized) and attend a township meeting. All the while my man is in the background just shaking his head and feeling pretty proud of himself for what he "created". He even had some of his friends from church come up to shake my hand and congratulate me on my new role.
In all honesty....I could have sent back all the paperwork and chosen the "decline the position" boxes. I did not have to do this, but we have decided that this will be a good learning experience and a nice way to further involve ourselves in our community. Working through a box of paperwork to complete this year's audit has definitely given me a greater appreciation for what goes into the oversight and maintenance of our township.
There you have it.....the beginning of my career in public office. What a beginning, eh?
TTFN! I hope your weekend is just lovely!
Friday, February 19, 2016
Monday, December 7, 2015
Raised, Processed, and Enjoyed
It all started back when Jacob had an idea. He wanted a turkey - a "farm turkey" to be exact. Last spring we jumped in and bought 4 turkey poults. We bought four to be on the safe side because we had heard that turkeys were a little sensitive/tricky to raise. Also, you do not buy turkeys that have been sexed; so we wanted to try to have at least one tom. After residing in our house in a box for a while the four turkeys moved to the barn.
Once in the barn those turkeys grew and grew. We had 2 bronze turkeys and 2 white turkeys. Turns out we had a hen and a tom of each! Their names varied daily: Cougar, Panther, Squirrel, Coconut, etc. They ate a lot and were rather stinky (sorry, they were).
Processing day(s) came with Big Fish doing most of the work. Four turkeys landed in our freezer nicely dressed and wrapped ranging in weight from 22 pounds to our giant, white tom tipping the scales at 40 pounds!
We practiced with one of the "smaller" birds for our church Thanksgiving dinner. It did just fine and tasted great. Then, we had some out-of-town family combined with more local family all converge for a glorious Thanksgiving feast. We thawed (in the fridge - so thankful to be babysitting a freezer/fridge for my brother!) that whopper turkey for a week! Here is a picture with the kids reminding us of the 40 pounds weight:
The challenge was to fit it all in the oven, but Big Fish handled it beautifully!
End result was delicious! We fed 28 people that day and were able to send some leftovers home with people and keep some ourselves. Yum! This was definitely a learning experience, and we are open to raising turkeys again. I do believe Big Fish would like to build a smoker first....mmmmm....smoked turkey legs!
Honestly, the barn area that was the turkey pen is already transformed. We've started a rabbitry! Come on out and take a tour! TTFN!
Once in the barn those turkeys grew and grew. We had 2 bronze turkeys and 2 white turkeys. Turns out we had a hen and a tom of each! Their names varied daily: Cougar, Panther, Squirrel, Coconut, etc. They ate a lot and were rather stinky (sorry, they were).
Processing day(s) came with Big Fish doing most of the work. Four turkeys landed in our freezer nicely dressed and wrapped ranging in weight from 22 pounds to our giant, white tom tipping the scales at 40 pounds!
We practiced with one of the "smaller" birds for our church Thanksgiving dinner. It did just fine and tasted great. Then, we had some out-of-town family combined with more local family all converge for a glorious Thanksgiving feast. We thawed (in the fridge - so thankful to be babysitting a freezer/fridge for my brother!) that whopper turkey for a week! Here is a picture with the kids reminding us of the 40 pounds weight:
The challenge was to fit it all in the oven, but Big Fish handled it beautifully!
End result was delicious! We fed 28 people that day and were able to send some leftovers home with people and keep some ourselves. Yum! This was definitely a learning experience, and we are open to raising turkeys again. I do believe Big Fish would like to build a smoker first....mmmmm....smoked turkey legs!
Honestly, the barn area that was the turkey pen is already transformed. We've started a rabbitry! Come on out and take a tour! TTFN!
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Throw Your Hat in the Ring!
Gratitude. I'm feeling that right now, for my business page has reached more than 300 "likes"! Why don't you head over and participate in the giveaway.....winner to be drawn tomorrow (Friday) afternoon! I want to do something special as a thank you, and I hope to treat somebody to something fun!
I am feeling the crisp fall air and wanting to get some honey extracted today. Soap making is happening fast and furious around here too. It smells pretty good in this house!
Thank you, dear people. TTFN!
I am feeling the crisp fall air and wanting to get some honey extracted today. Soap making is happening fast and furious around here too. It smells pretty good in this house!
Thank you, dear people. TTFN!
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Sunday Lunch
Hello, friends!
Last week we attended a produce auction; we have gone to the same place 3 times previously. In the past we've bought such things as: bushels of peaches, pecks of peppers (hi, Peter Piper!), several pie pumpkins, bunches of kale, tons of tomatoes, etc. This time we came home with 8 heads of broccoli, 3 small baskets of Concord grapes, and over a peck of peppers. My mother in law bought a 50 lb bag of potatoes, several red cabbages, and some lovely mums.
We were able to slice and freeze the peppers for soups and stews later on, and I made a huge pot of broccoli cheese soup and some broccoli salad. Did the links work for those recipes? I also enjoy using Pomona Pectin and was able to make some lower sugar grape jam with my kids popping all the grapes!
So, today's lunch was a delicious conglomeration of many of the above-mentioned items. With the gift of some of those potatoes from my MIL we had a baked potato (timed bake while we went to church) bar with broccoli cheese soup as one of the toppings. We also had some leftover broccoli salad as a side. And then the THIRD form of broccoli was steamed and sprinkled with cheese as another possible potato topping. My own potato had butter, sour cream, a little cheese, tons of chives (from my herb garden), S&P, and a few bacon crumbles. The meal was sweetly rounded out with some more produce auction goodness.....pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies using pumpkin puree I had put up last year using those pie pumpkins.
It was an absolutely crazy weird meal with broccoli in so many forms, but we all were quite satisfied and thankful for the auction goodies! I forgot to mention we also picked up some butternut squash, so I think some Panera-esque soup will be happening soon.
Here's hoping you a cozy fall week.....I love that I can use the word "cozy" a bunch now that some chilliness has set in around here. TTFN!
Last week we attended a produce auction; we have gone to the same place 3 times previously. In the past we've bought such things as: bushels of peaches, pecks of peppers (hi, Peter Piper!), several pie pumpkins, bunches of kale, tons of tomatoes, etc. This time we came home with 8 heads of broccoli, 3 small baskets of Concord grapes, and over a peck of peppers. My mother in law bought a 50 lb bag of potatoes, several red cabbages, and some lovely mums.
We were able to slice and freeze the peppers for soups and stews later on, and I made a huge pot of broccoli cheese soup and some broccoli salad. Did the links work for those recipes? I also enjoy using Pomona Pectin and was able to make some lower sugar grape jam with my kids popping all the grapes!
So, today's lunch was a delicious conglomeration of many of the above-mentioned items. With the gift of some of those potatoes from my MIL we had a baked potato (timed bake while we went to church) bar with broccoli cheese soup as one of the toppings. We also had some leftover broccoli salad as a side. And then the THIRD form of broccoli was steamed and sprinkled with cheese as another possible potato topping. My own potato had butter, sour cream, a little cheese, tons of chives (from my herb garden), S&P, and a few bacon crumbles. The meal was sweetly rounded out with some more produce auction goodness.....pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies using pumpkin puree I had put up last year using those pie pumpkins.
It was an absolutely crazy weird meal with broccoli in so many forms, but we all were quite satisfied and thankful for the auction goodies! I forgot to mention we also picked up some butternut squash, so I think some Panera-esque soup will be happening soon.
Here's hoping you a cozy fall week.....I love that I can use the word "cozy" a bunch now that some chilliness has set in around here. TTFN!
Monday, August 31, 2015
Just a Quick Hello!
Hi, friends!
A little greeting on this Monday morning will help the day start right! I've had snippets of blog posts, but nothing has materialized yet! This week looks to be kind of a funny week because we are all thinking thoughts of Fall, yet the forecast is calling for some very hot days!
The kids (and I!) are easing into the school routine. We all love picking out new pencils and notebooks. Even littlest girl, who is not really in school, was thrilled to have her new green notebook. I was thrilled it was 17 cents!
We hope (since Labor Day gives us an extra day of Big Fish at home) to process our turkeys this weekend. The turkeys have been weighed, and Saturday has been designated. Our biggest tom weighs 50 pounds!!! Dressed in my freezer we are going to have quite a Thanksgiving dinner. I'll let you know his final weight.
I am knitting up a storm! My goal is to make one thing a day to add to my bath and body products, so I am working on washcloths and other little knitted goodies. I might have to expand to 2 tables and a shelf for display purposes!
Finally for today, our 2nd doe rabbit had her babies last week. We are excited to see them emerge from their fur nest; there are 6 of the little babies.
TTFN! Hope your week is a blessed one!
A little greeting on this Monday morning will help the day start right! I've had snippets of blog posts, but nothing has materialized yet! This week looks to be kind of a funny week because we are all thinking thoughts of Fall, yet the forecast is calling for some very hot days!
The kids (and I!) are easing into the school routine. We all love picking out new pencils and notebooks. Even littlest girl, who is not really in school, was thrilled to have her new green notebook. I was thrilled it was 17 cents!
We hope (since Labor Day gives us an extra day of Big Fish at home) to process our turkeys this weekend. The turkeys have been weighed, and Saturday has been designated. Our biggest tom weighs 50 pounds!!! Dressed in my freezer we are going to have quite a Thanksgiving dinner. I'll let you know his final weight.
I am knitting up a storm! My goal is to make one thing a day to add to my bath and body products, so I am working on washcloths and other little knitted goodies. I might have to expand to 2 tables and a shelf for display purposes!
Finally for today, our 2nd doe rabbit had her babies last week. We are excited to see them emerge from their fur nest; there are 6 of the little babies.
TTFN! Hope your week is a blessed one!
Friday, August 7, 2015
A Fun Little Happening
We have a lovely lady in our church named Garnet (I even love her name!). She sits in the pew next to us, but she also happens to live less than 5 minutes from our house. Here husband Bill passed away this summer; he was the last male charter member of our church actually! While he was still alive my husband would be part of a crew to help Bill up the stairs into our church sanctuary.
Garnet has been going on and on to me that she wants to give our family a cake! Her relative is a caterer, and Garnet wanted her to make us a cake for us. Isn't that so kind? Well, you should see this cake that is now in my refrigerator! The obtaining of it was a little story itself!
'Twas a dark night last night. Thursday evenings I regular drive (about 30 minutes) to Grove City to attend Knit Night at the downtown ice cream shop (Sweet Jeannie's). Last night after knitting I had to pick up a few groceries as well. I was more late than usual driving home.
My phone rang with a "restricted" number, so I did not answer. Just as I heard the beep for a new voicemail I also had a new text message come in from ANOTHER friend saying that Garnet was trying to get in touch. I hurriedly listened to the voicemail which was indeed Garnet saying she had driven to our house with a cake (!), but she went home because no one seemed to be home. Now, Garnet had never driven to our house before! I still am so impressed she tried to find our house around 9 p.m. to give us this cake!
I do believe she was in our driveway, but since I was at Knit Night and Big Fish had put the kids in bed and was watching a movie the house was pretty dark. Also, our house is far back off the road; I just can't even imagine Garnet's perseverance!! They were late in coming because on their (she and a cousin) way back from picking up the cake they came across a huge tree down in the road. They had to do all kinds of backtracking to get to our area.
Finally I talked to her on the phone and told her I was still driving home and would be coming RIGHT BY her house in about 10 minutes. Of course she was waiting for me on her front porch, and I picked up this cake. Just take a minute to look at this cake:
Her relative, whom we have never met, collected from Garnet the information that we have "kids, bees, and other critters running around"; so this is the decal she picked. I am just tickled pink with those bees all over the sides. Isn't this just the most lovely thing.....a cake this fancy made especially for us. What an adventure! I told Garnet I would show the kids the cake when they woke up in the morning and take a picture. We cannot wait to eat this! Thank you, Garnet and your cake-making relative!
TTFN! We're off to spend the day at Grandma and Grandad's!
Garnet has been going on and on to me that she wants to give our family a cake! Her relative is a caterer, and Garnet wanted her to make us a cake for us. Isn't that so kind? Well, you should see this cake that is now in my refrigerator! The obtaining of it was a little story itself!
'Twas a dark night last night. Thursday evenings I regular drive (about 30 minutes) to Grove City to attend Knit Night at the downtown ice cream shop (Sweet Jeannie's). Last night after knitting I had to pick up a few groceries as well. I was more late than usual driving home.
My phone rang with a "restricted" number, so I did not answer. Just as I heard the beep for a new voicemail I also had a new text message come in from ANOTHER friend saying that Garnet was trying to get in touch. I hurriedly listened to the voicemail which was indeed Garnet saying she had driven to our house with a cake (!), but she went home because no one seemed to be home. Now, Garnet had never driven to our house before! I still am so impressed she tried to find our house around 9 p.m. to give us this cake!
I do believe she was in our driveway, but since I was at Knit Night and Big Fish had put the kids in bed and was watching a movie the house was pretty dark. Also, our house is far back off the road; I just can't even imagine Garnet's perseverance!! They were late in coming because on their (she and a cousin) way back from picking up the cake they came across a huge tree down in the road. They had to do all kinds of backtracking to get to our area.
Finally I talked to her on the phone and told her I was still driving home and would be coming RIGHT BY her house in about 10 minutes. Of course she was waiting for me on her front porch, and I picked up this cake. Just take a minute to look at this cake:
Her relative, whom we have never met, collected from Garnet the information that we have "kids, bees, and other critters running around"; so this is the decal she picked. I am just tickled pink with those bees all over the sides. Isn't this just the most lovely thing.....a cake this fancy made especially for us. What an adventure! I told Garnet I would show the kids the cake when they woke up in the morning and take a picture. We cannot wait to eat this! Thank you, Garnet and your cake-making relative!
TTFN! We're off to spend the day at Grandma and Grandad's!
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Still Here! Busy Summering!
Hello, little blog! I thought, since the laptop is now in working order (something happened with the hard drive and also something else - I don't know details), I'd check in. Boy has the time been passing super fast; I can't believe all the back-to-school posts and activities around.
My goal today is to take my camera outside to snap pictures of the fairy garden the girls and I have been putting together. We had an unwelcome visitor, in the form of a black bear, come around while we were attending a picnic yesterday evening. We need to re-adjust our garden a bit, for that bear dug up some flowers (I think the bear was attracted to the compost/manure blended in the soil mix). I also want a picture of the baby bunnies!
Jacob and Abigail are mainly involved in our rabbitry endeavor. Through the generosity of a teenage friend from church they inherited some rabbit cages, feed, shavings, water bottles, and a rabbit named General. We acquired 2 doe rabbits from a local breeder. So, we have one litter that has arrived a couple of weeks ago; and we hope in a few more weeks to have some more babies! Thankfully the cute little babies become not-so-cute when we use them for our meals. We have been enjoying taming the 2 mama rabbits, and General was already pretty tame when we obtained him. What rabbit can resist a hand offering it clover and lettuce? Oh! I almost forgot the kids' names for the rabbits: Abigail has named her rabbit "Verbena" after a flower we have, and Jacob has named his "Red Eye" for practical purposes :)
Finally in this jumble of a post, I tried a new recipe. Through generosity of another family from church (maybe you should come to our church!) we had some wonderful green beans!!! For a couple of years now I've read canning articles and canning cookbooks with recipes for dilly beans.....thought I'd try a few jars. Those pints were put up yesterday, and they look so nice! The true taste test occurs in 2 weeks.
Well, TTFN! Off to fill the coffee mug!
My goal today is to take my camera outside to snap pictures of the fairy garden the girls and I have been putting together. We had an unwelcome visitor, in the form of a black bear, come around while we were attending a picnic yesterday evening. We need to re-adjust our garden a bit, for that bear dug up some flowers (I think the bear was attracted to the compost/manure blended in the soil mix). I also want a picture of the baby bunnies!
Jacob and Abigail are mainly involved in our rabbitry endeavor. Through the generosity of a teenage friend from church they inherited some rabbit cages, feed, shavings, water bottles, and a rabbit named General. We acquired 2 doe rabbits from a local breeder. So, we have one litter that has arrived a couple of weeks ago; and we hope in a few more weeks to have some more babies! Thankfully the cute little babies become not-so-cute when we use them for our meals. We have been enjoying taming the 2 mama rabbits, and General was already pretty tame when we obtained him. What rabbit can resist a hand offering it clover and lettuce? Oh! I almost forgot the kids' names for the rabbits: Abigail has named her rabbit "Verbena" after a flower we have, and Jacob has named his "Red Eye" for practical purposes :)
Finally in this jumble of a post, I tried a new recipe. Through generosity of another family from church (maybe you should come to our church!) we had some wonderful green beans!!! For a couple of years now I've read canning articles and canning cookbooks with recipes for dilly beans.....thought I'd try a few jars. Those pints were put up yesterday, and they look so nice! The true taste test occurs in 2 weeks.
Well, TTFN! Off to fill the coffee mug!
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