Friday, June 29, 2012

Baking, baked kids, Poppie gets a dream and another day of the same....

The Ladies and I started the day on a good roll we had sponged the dark rye sponge the night before so finished it, kneaded it and set it to rise.  We made up a second batch of sponge for old fashion sourdough white.  I started a batch of bubble gum soap in the rebatching pots. (which I forgot about as I watched the kids in the pool and it bubbled up and over but did manage to save most of it)  Life was on track.  We decided to make sweet cherry pies from some of the cherrys we froze up last summer, to some of them we added some rhubarb and some sour cherries from our trees from last year, and in one last one we added an apple as we didn't have quite enough to make a last pie.  So new and exciting flavor offerings.  We checked on apples as we are out of the ones we normally pick and freeze from harvesting trees in the fall, they were too expensive and since we had to raise the prices of our pies this year due to the cost of fruits it was nice to come up with so many options.  Today we have to make three peaches from our stores in the freezer, we still have filling we made up for that purpose.  We have an order for one and then we are doing the two regulars.  We are hoping to make up bagels, with different toppings today, onion, poppyseed, sesame, and maybe some spiced ones.  We are going to make more plain as we got requests for more and we will finish with cinnamon and raisin.  We have cream cheese packets for them, Lady had suggested it and when we were in Costco on Monday I picked some up.  We are going to make a few pretzels and see how that goes, if they turn out well we will have them tomorrow, if not we will practice some more, picked up some mustards just encase we succeed.  Busy baking today.

We have kids today, it looks like there is a little cloud cover so that will be nice.  They all like the pools and as it is a nice part of summer it will be a blessing for them to be able to play in them. They all got a little red, well the ones that get red, even with sun screen on yesterday.  Poppie is going to finish putting in plants from Grandpa this morning, it is getting late in the planting season so he brought us some over run he had left.  He picked up the 14 chicks that the girls hatched out for him this week.  He sent 19 eggs, 16 hatched but two died and three didn't hatch so a successful hatch I would think, they are getting good at it this spring. 

Poppie helped Herbalists for a short time yesterday but didn't come home for the longest time.  I finally called him and he was at Fosters and Tinkers.  He had been working a deal with them on the van that we had gotten from Lady and Hubbie.  Poppie and Bug had gotten it running but we really didn't need all the space that it provided us.  Foster and Tinker had seen it and wanted it badly,  Foster offered Poppie a backhoe that he was going to cut for scrap as it leaked lots of hydraulic fluid.  Poppie was estatic that the gift from Lady and Hubbie was able to bring him suck a useful tool.  He was excited to make the exchange.  They finally got it home in the after noon, Poppie had come home ahead of them.  Poppie was checking it out last night and he doesn't think it has a many hydraulic leaks as Foster suspected it did, the tank is 3/4 full and has been sitting for years.  Foster has nicer big equipment to use so probably over estimated it uselessness, either way Poppie was blessed with something he badly needed to do manure work, hay moving and lots of other things. He usually has to beg the use of a small one from his Thor, and beg more help from Shinny with his, so  Poppie is plumb tickled pink and happy as a clam.  The Lord has truly given us friends and has blessed us through them. 

Shinny came over to pick up Curious and checked out the backhoe, he is of the mind that Poppie is right.  Poppie is going to drain the gas change it out and start it today,  he needs a 6 volt battery but will figure it out.  It looks to be in really good shape, only one owner, only 4000 hours of running time.  It is either a 57 or 58 with the original manual from the dealer the old owner bought it with.  Poppie has been truly blessed lately by the diligent care of older gentlemans loved maintance of their vehicles.  I can't wait until Poppie starts it he will be over the moon, it has good tires too, a blessing since they are really expensive.  I hope today you are as blessed as we are in this life..... tomorrow.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

The Word, words, written, and spoken do you ever think about them or do you just say them?

Words are wonderful things.  Could we really live without them, would we even be without the Word?  Can we be who we are without them?  Do you ever think about words.  The Word was the beginning of all our existance and we are nothing with out Him.  Why would the bible refer to Jesus as the Word?  I don't know and have a life time to study on that but what about the words in our lives, of less importance than Jesus. 

One of our biggest milestones as an infant is our first word.  Scientist tell us, through research, what any mother that ever listened to her child already knows, that babies understand words long before they can say any.  I would imagine that should have been a common sense evaluation and didn't take a panel of researchers for us to know but over kill is the way of our society, along with the waste of time and money it came to make that simple conclusion.  Words, a step that a child takes into self, a self awareness that is like no other.  Words make us who we are from the minute we utter that first one.  What was yours?  Most say Mama, Dada, Utoh, or ?  Most languages have a word, or is it a sound when it is the first one that come from a baby, that is like mama.  Basics of language, at its root, seems to be the same in so many ways.  Did you know that babies long before they say that first word cry in the cadence of the language their parents and family speak, if that isn't awarness of language in motion I don't know what is.  My Booboo didn't say mama or dada first she was an "utoh" baby but then she did say something that was very hard for a baby to say, she said NaNa. N's are not usually easy for babies or a first sound.  When she was a little baby we hadn't changed to my being called Mama by the girls.  She was the one with her own little words that called me Mama around the time she turned one.  She called me NaNa for about three months then called me Mama,  from the words of a babe God told us our destiny.  Yogie soon after in tears said to me "why does Booboo call you Mama?"  I said "do you want to?" and with little tears streaming down her face and the shake of her head she became my daughter for all time.  A little tiny word changed my life.

Do words change yours?  Do words destroy or comfort you?  What is it in a word that makes it so ominous?  When I was little the song went "sticks and stone will break your bones but words will never hurt you"  what a farce.  An abused woman's bones heal and her bruises fade but a life time later the pain of the words of hate will bring her to her knees.  Words are the single most painful or glorious moments of our lives on so many levels.  Do you remember hearing "I pronounce you man and Wife"  what a moment to become a Wife, "You are my heart" by the right man.  That little "Mama" is like no other word. And I am sure the words of the passing of the love of your life will ring forever in the finally lonely days of your life, God willing I will never hear them, but then would not want to have Poppie undure the pain of hearing them so maybe I am strong enough to hear them... or maybe we can go together and only our children will have to endure them... I am glad the choice is not mine to make.

Words spoken are the best of times and the worst of times.  The written word is only a step lower in it's importance.  Do you write with the thought of it's repercussions in mind?  Do you live in a fantasy world and not contemplate the lasting effect of the words written or spoken in your life?  Are words something you even think about, is the Word something you have thought about?  I think that maybe words and the Word are something we all need to contemplate and maybe alot more than most of us would ever imagine.  I hope you choose your words well.  I have chosen the Word and try to think on my words as he would have me to....... tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Soap, cleaning, a pit and no kids, well except the visiting ones..... just one of the days of my life.

The girls had a great day with Herbalist and her visiting grandson.  They spent the day with them, then she took them to dinner on the way home, a much needed outing for the Ladies.  The girls have had an isolated summer which I think on many levels is a great thing.  Social interaction is a good thing, and in this day in age it is "the thing", but I think so much can be said for interacting with the real people in your life, it is a much better use of time.  We sometimes have to learn things as we age that eludes us as young people.  Family is the most lasting relationships of our lives.  People without, or that have turned away from their families, are so sad.  Funny in this politically correct day and age, you know the one that is ruining America, family is gettting kicked to the street, well maybe all of us individually can take a stand and put the importance back into family, what do you know it could catch on like a virus and grow.  So, the Ladies are spending limited time in town, the farmers market, sometimes they are at the Library, were in the reading program at the park but sometimes the better part of valor is knowing when flight or fight is the better option, this time flight was the route.  I was taught to take a stand when it is worth the effort of the end results, I am not afraid to do so and in this incident it was not, so no one should ever think I am not fully capable of standing and have taught my Ladies the difference.  Being humble is always the best, or the way God asks us to be, but God does say somethings are worth fighting for, you just have to pick your batttles carefully.  My Ladies can and do read at home, and anxiety never affects them their.  Choosing the best routes for our lives is an important part of being a Godly person and a loving member of a community.  I know who my friends are, the ones that are real and count, that is what I try to impart on the Ladies.  I think they are fine examples of what kind of a person you can be in this life, sad that so many of the children that are being raised in this day and age have no structure and are being raised as the center of their worlds.  They are being taught the lifestyle philosophy of "what can the world give me" when it is so easy to teach your children the attitude of "what can I do for others".  God does call us to be servants to our fellow man, a lost art in this current society......

I have no kids today, that isn't to say the grands won't be in an out, but I don't have to be tied to a six month old all day.  Yay.  Love her to death and enjoy the time we share, couldn't live with out the smile I get when she see me.  I get to share her failures and successes toward crawling, get to bath with her and help her understand that the water isn't really scary, get to hold her as she naps or make sure no one wakes her while she naps and I get something done, but today I get a much needed break.  I have soap to make, I keep burning up stick blenders so I picked up a paint stirrer, the one gallon size, and I am going to see if Poppies drill and it are a better option.  If so I can tell all the soapers I have found a new, stronger option for the stirring.  I do know the stick blender revolutionized soap making but unless you have a professional model, that cost big bucks and since I don't I am not sure they last any better, they burn up.  So soap today and the big trial, I do so hope it works.

Made cheese yesterday, washed cheeses, I have to get some wax and wax most of them.  I think some of them are good, or I would hope so, but no real way of knowing until time to cut them.  I think I may have some more that are parmesan, funny how if I screw up I still get good parmesan, not sure it can be called that as it is like champagne, it only really comes from one place in a foreign country but the resulting cheese or wine is still good, just not the real thing.  I have a week until the big party. 

We have cleaning to do, hoping to do the carpets today.  The deck, kitchen and front room.  Poppie and I have finally settled on the method we are to use to cook the whole pig, which will be harvested on Sunday, brined and then ready to roast.  We are going to do a pit and roast it on a large grille we are making. Poppie wasn't sure he wanted to turn a rotisserie all day or was sure about digging a hole and burying a perfectly good pig in the dirt.  If it turns out well we may make it a permenant addition to our yard.  We have some pumice blocks, but need to round up some more, have metal racks that will work for our needs so that is good. I am thinking I am going to do a pinapple marinade.  I think I will give Poppie a mopping sauce to baste with that will include pinapple so I think it will be a success, it will be a first try so lets hope it goes well. We are thinking there should be around the normal 45 to 50 guests.  We are blessed with great friends.  The kind that matter, the kind that are more like family than anything else, the kind that people had a hundred years ago, and not the superfical ones that people pander for in this throw it away and go on to the next thing or friend day and age... tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Whirlwind day, much needed fun, food and friendship reboot.

Poppie and the girls were such troopers they let me go on a girls get away day.  They stayed home to hold down the fort.  They didn't have it to bad, they had the 3 grands, Fairy Princess and Daddy's Boy so not a whole crew.  Bubbles was a bit fussy as she is used to her Nannie fix when Mommie has to work but she will get over it.  She now offically crawls but it isn't into high gear yet.  Today, the girls and Poppie get to escape, Nannie will have the kids all alone, lets see if I can do as good a job as they did. I have lots of cleaning to do,  only one week to the 4th.  Lots to do and so little time to do it.

Lady picked me up after 9:30 and the pace for the day was set. We headed in to Frenchtown for a dentist appointment at a new dentist.  He was a nice man, I think was liked and has already decided a crown is needed.  Future appointment made.  I meant the nicest girl, well woman with a one year old, who has family ties to the community here.  She was busy making her order for Bountiful Baskets and Lady got to make hers as well.  I am interested in them but think at this point, as they are not here in our community yet, they are a little out of my cost range and need to make sure to support my farmers market.  I will join and participate as soon as we can get them here, and during the fall and winter they will be more of an appeal for me. Dentist done the day was ours.

We stopped at Wallyworld for suckies for Bubbles.  Next we stopped for lunch at Noodle Express, hadn't been there, was scheduled to once with Little Sister but her baby got sick and we had to cancel. We stopped in at Murdocks and picked up Poppies wire for the rabbit cages.  Errands for others done we were a go.  Oh, I forgot one of the best parts, after the noodles we stopped and got the elixir of life, goooood strong brewed coffee and heavenly lemon cookies.  See, I told you it was one of the best parts.  We then hit the Costco, I got cream cheese packets to go with the girls bagels.  I hadn't know of the packets being available and Lady had mentioned them so have them and ready to go for saturday.  It was 2 ish but since we had no time parameters, except the waiting husbands and family at home, we were off to the Amish.  We got there and I got to share one of my favorite places, yes some of the whole foods are more expensive than some of the stores in Zootown, but the rest is not.  The variety of things you didn't even know you needed is the best part, and that everytime you go it is different as well.  Lady had never been and I think she is now hooked.  We picked up lots of fun things, and then we got some of the wonderful deli items.  Corned beef and swiss was the special so you know I got some for Poppie and the girls, got some of the Hutterite sauer kraut as well, I am currently out of my own, so Reubens was what was for dinner.  All the deli delicacys were well recieved by one and all.  We finished our day by coming down the cutt off and enjoying the beauty of the country that the Lord has given us here in Western Montana. 

Lady dropped me off, helped me pack in the items I had purchased, the Ladies and Poppie pitched in.  Lady picked up some mild simple soaps for her Grand Girl, I hope they work out well.  I packed out some jars she picked up from me and our day out and about was over.  I think it just made us ready for the next one we will get.  I hope you enjoy you life today,  life isn't about what you have or what you can amass, life is about what you give.  Giving of yourself is always the most important thing you can do for anyone.  I spent a special day with a special friend and we got to give of ourselves and that made it the most cherished of simple days.... tomorrow. 

Monday, June 25, 2012

Did you know that 38 percent of young adults in America don't believe in God? Sorrowfull, such a waste.

I amazes me that this country was established because of religious persecution, Pilgrams ran from their persecuters to be the first inhabitants of our country.  They were looking for the freedom to worship God.  Others came after, more and more joined them and our country had it's foundation.  The forefathers founded our country on belief in God and the seperation of that believe and state.  They never intended to turn their backs on the Lord, they just didn't want the religious narrow minded to overwhelm our fledging country the way many theologies of the churches did in Europe.  They wanted us to have the freedom to worship God seperate from the running of the country.  Sadly in this day and age the few have parlayed that into the oppressive view of God not being allowed in our country, which was never the intent of the forefathers.  It always amazes me when non-believers say "if there is a God where was he when this or that happened."  The reality is that if you don't believe in God he doesn't believe in you.  He doesn't hear your voice if you belittle him or proudly shout that he is non existant then expect him to come to the rescue in your life.  If you want the Lord to bless you and keep you it is easy to have that, you believe in his existance and become part of his promise. Hebrews 11:1"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."   Faith isn't about putting on an act for others, no one know for sure but you and God if you are saved, so it is not about doing better than the Jones.  Faith isn't about what you can get for nothing.  Well, it is but it is more complicated than that, it has substance and God sees the heart of the faithful. 

Today we live in a country where by survey it has been determined that 38 percent of young adults don't believe in God.  I am totally unaware of what it is that they believe in having never not believed with all my heart that God is and always has been the Great I Am.  So how did the grandchildren of the Greatest Generation, that carried God in their hearts on to the battle field, so easily walk away from God?  How did the baby boomers that were the children of that generation not introduce their children to the Lord?  Did we as a generation coddle our babies and inable them in to disbelief? if so shame on us.  We have decided that we should be so politically correct that 38 percent of our spoiled, lazy, self indulgent progeny don't believe in a power greater than themselves, well they way we brought them up as a whole maybe we did give them a god complex but lets get real.  God exists and more than a third of our young people will never know the joy of the Lord, sadly as they don't beleive in him he doesn't believe in them and they will die never knowing his glorious presence.  I am so sad for this generation.  They have it all, instant satisfaction in all that they do and the hollowness of never knowjng the Lord.  They are the kings of all they touch and survey but their kingdom will never mean anything with out the everlasting persense of God and the home he promises to all that believe and are saved.  I sorrow at the ones that have it all for this short instant in time and have nothing they can't see and touch.  I would much rather spend my life in abject poverty, persecuted and down troddened than to think for a moment that God didn't exist, as there is nothing like the joy that faith in God brings.  I am so sorry for the lost souls of this generation, and their generations to come, the complete and utter loss is heart wrenching when God asks so little for the reward he offers.... tomorrow.

No, I am not gone just took the weekend off, Farmers Market and the woods.

The Ladies and I had a nice farmers market,  the new bagels were a success.  The girls sold almost completely out so they were happy.  They gave the last two loaves and one little bagel to Grandpa and to Bug.  They got good feedback on the bagels.  They are already talking about making pretzels, as I had told them that they are made the same ways as the bagels, so they are plotting to make them.  I sold soap about the same as last week.  It is funny the new bars are a great success, so sadly not as many people are as fond of the rustic cut bars as I was but most like the rustic cut molded bar idea.  I am looking to find a small, either wooden step ladder or vintage metal ladder.  I had seen it done at the flea market and thought it would work well for me.  I then saw a few photos of Twins booth and she was using it in much the same manner as I had invisioned.  So it looks to be a great idea now just to find one.  I checked eBay but I am too cheap to spend what they want for one.  I did find a pet ladder design that might work great as well, but I would have to get Poppie to make me one.  I have to get my printer, atleast one of them, to work so I can print labels for the back of the bars.  I do like the cover of the shrink wrap but like the bars in the open as well, I think I will end up wrapping the ones I sell, say in a stores, but do both for my own personal booth. 

We had a nice day at chruch but were all worn out so after we went to Jackies's for a nice lunch and then we escaped to the woods.  We had not been all spring and it was such a nice get away.  The girls weren't into it, at first, as we hadn't done it for so long they forgot the many hours we drove the woods when they were little mights.  They soon fell into the magic of the woods and were spotting paint brushes, bear grass and blue flowers, probably weeds but lovely flowers all the same. We past the old mine shafts and they were amazed at the holes still visible.  We passed one that is all closed up and has a no tresspassing sign on it.  We spotted some burl knots for our deck that we will go back for when we go cut fire wood, Poppie, of course, spotted out loads of fire wood.  We came down the Chinese Ladder, the brakes got warm but it was a peaceful descent.  We passed the road where Poppie got hurt, with no desire to explore it, probably will never return up there.  We got home in the evening. 

Poppie decided to try and start the pickup he had just gotten.  It was to be his earlier in the spring but Bug had decided to keep it but then never did anything with it and it was finally brought up to Poppie.  He had been told it was unstartable, Bug never tried to.  I thought it would start as it was orginally a forest service vehicle, so would have been well maintained. It later belonged to an old gentleman who took care of every thing he owned with deligence, we got the truck because he has passed on to home.  It was not owned by anyone else.  I was betting it would start and be a good vehicle for wooding for Poppie.  Poppie opened the hood.  We tried to start it and no luck, there was not spark.  We got out of the vehicle a little disappointed.  His friend, that he got it from, said he had tried to start it with no luck.  Poppie checked wires, found that part of on of the spark plug wires was missing. He checked some more and the distributor was unplugged.  Poppie laughed and said no one could start it with out it plugged in.  We plugged it in and tried again.  It sparked but didn't start.  He primed it and Glory Be it started right away.  I didn't stay running, but the motor sounded wonderful.  It had been sitting 10 years so Poppie was totally stoked, wonderful motor to do that.  The fuel pump turned out to be bad and there was no gas in it.  Poppie, has to put a differnt fuel pump on it but it is a great truck and such a blessing.  Poppie needed a blessing and the Lord must have known he was due one.  Poppie is so excited about his new truck, and with the "new" truck still down, it is definatley a blessing we needed.  The Lord does take care of his own.   Wood here we come, we do so love to firewood. We ended the evening with the milking.  Yogie is the queen, she milks 5 goats every night, about all she can manage.  She is going to milk Mokies goat this morning.  She is a blessing to our little farm.

Off today on an outing but since it is an escape I will not divulge the details until another blog. Poppie will have the kids and it is so nice of him to let me escape for the day.  Tomorrow he and the Ladies will go out and help the Professor so they will get to escape then, both well deserved escapes. We do love the kids (grands and pseudo grands) don't get us wrong but we are worn out from the long three week stint of having them.  I hope you have a day of escape it you need one.... tomorrow.

Friday, June 22, 2012

A second stint, prayers for our Drama Queen.

I remember vividly moments of my sister Drama Queens life as a child.  She came into the world in October of 72 a few weeks after I turned 12.  She was a scary baby to us children.  We had wished and hoped for her arrival for months.  My mom had been real sick during her pregnancy, she was bed ridden part of it and depended upon our help, we probably weren't as good at it as we should have been.  It had been a hard year, the mill had burned down in Zootown where dad had worked, today in it's places stands the Southgate mall.  My dad lost all of his tool and a cherished original cartoon about a Sawyer and a Filer discussing whether they could run a broken saw until noon.  Many copies are still out there put it was a loss that saddened my dad.  He had to go across the state to Big Timber to work until he got the job in Plains.  We moved there in February of 72.  The day they brought our trailer into the trailer court it slide off of the road at the trailer court, the rain was a regular torrential down pour.  They got a 960 loader to save it, from the mill my dad worked at next to the court. Life at the trailer court was a new experience for us kids.  We had three hounds and 13 puppies that had to be housed at a friend out of towns farm.  We liked Plains and in many ways it was the home of our hearts, but it was also a place of lost childhood for many of us, so the two extremes still have a hold of us in many of our hearts.  We moved our trailer out of town by the state gravel pity before Drama was born.  She was a pretty baby but as I said before scary too.  She had horrible pressure marks on her eyes when she was born.  Most of us had pressure mark birth marks on our foreheads and the backs of our heads but she had them in the whites of her eyes.  It made her look like the devil, or that some one had hurt her.  She was the second of my three sisters born at home.  They took her to the hospital, which was basically next door, shortly after she was born to have the Doctor check her out.  He was a young doctor and reacted to her pressure marks worse than us kids.  He said "what happened to her"  My dad in dead pan said "we beat her with a baseball bat what did you think"  They took her home shortly there after thinking they were more expert at children than the afore said "doctor". 

She was a happy child and liked drama at ever corner, ere go her name.  She liked to make things a fuss.  I have a fond memory of her at about 3, maybe a picture as well, of her sitting on the ice cream maker as Red turned the crank, giggling up a storm, the twinkle of the devil in her eyes.  This time just the twinkle no red demon eyes.  One of my most vivid memories is of her the day I brought Poppie home to meet the family, she was about 7.  Poppie and I were stand and he had his arms around me, she looked up and saw us standing there and she gasp in amazement. "Mom, Poppie's arms reach all the way around Nannie."  The whole family died laughing at her observation.  Poppie does have long arms but I truly didn't need his 7 foot arm span to reach all the way around me then or now. 

We had had our ups and down in our lives, I would suspect the 12 year age difference is a part of it and that every set of sisters does and if they don't they aren't trying hard enough at being sisters.  Today she has the second stint put into her heart in the last six months.  The first one has failed due to scarring and I am not sure what else.  I do want the Lord to keep her safe today as they do the surgery on her.  I also want her to know that I pray for the will of God to be a long life for her and that mine and Poppies arms still reach all the way around her even from afar... tomorrow.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Sourdough lessons, sponge and a Ruby is added to the "herd" what are rabbit bunches called?

The Ladies and I had a morning without the kids so we got to go out to the Herbalist to show her how to make sourdough, sponge and sourdough pancakes.  We gave her a nice start of starter and some kefir grains to get her up and running on her own starts.  She had to leave around noon so we had a short window of opportunity to show her the fun of them.  We ended up making a nice sponge, showed her how to feed and replenish her starter.  Told her of their need for feed and how to feed her kefir and sourdough daily.  Belle call them little grizzlies and say if they are not feed they are as mean as a grizzly.   We also told her how to hibernate them on a weekly bases and how to hibernate them for months.  Explained that if it sat in the frig for a long while it would get a liquid on it on the top, it could be any color from little gold to black, all acceptable.  If the liquid sets awhile it will have an alcohol smell.  The yeast does create an alcohol as it works.  We ended the teaching lesson by making up some sourdough pancakes.  Herbalist was excited she said it was the only pancakes she ever made that the first one wasn't a throw away.  The Professor tried them and they were a winner.  Booboo cooked off the rest of the batch. 

We went outside and Professor had had the help of Yogie to feed his rabbits.  She ended up getting to buy a nice red satin female.  The female is named Ruby and she is bred to a blue satin so we will have a nice colorful litter of bunnies soon.  The Yogie is going to keep her name as Ruby.  It reminds them of their Bible verse Proverbs 31:10. " Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."  Their memory verse last week.  Professor was so impressed with their work they are going to go out once in a while and help him and Herbalist, she needs her pan cupboard and spice cupboard and pantry sorted and her needs help with little things and his rabbit.  The girls were ecstatic as they really love them both and would like to spend more time with them.

We came home just after noon, neutered Mokies three bucklings.  She had wanted to keep one of them as a buck but since he has not grown, as my Peanuts has, who is the grandson of her beloved Pansy, she decided she would much rather have him as he is a big strong buckling and should pass on his grandmothers good qualities.  I think she is going to take him over to her house sometime in the next few days and get him out of my weanling pen.  He is too big and is to aggressive to the other weanling, likes the little girls toooooo much and needs to get on to his buck life.  He is truly a beautiful animal. 

The girls spent the night with Mokie and family.  We had a nice quiet night.  Funny this morning I went to call them to read our scriptures and had forgotten they were gone.  It was the first time I had not felt their loss in the house in their whole lives.  They must be growing up and I have let go just a little.  Well off to get breakfast and coffee to be ready for all the kids today.  I think I have them until next Tuesday and then it will only be occasional again, can't wait.  Love them all but I am ready for some peace in my old age...... tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Bagels, Birthday and Goats give Poppie a melt down.

Booboo and I made our first experimental batch of bagels.  We have been thinking it is something that we would like to add to their line of baked goods.  We made up a regular size batch per the recipe.  We looked at many recipes until we found one we thought would be a likely candidate. I had been looking at recipes for well over a year on my own.  I had actually tired one about 15 months ago but was disappointed with the outcome so had not really pursued it until Booboo and I did it together.  I had learned from the first foray that I did not want to use baking soda again in my boiling water.  I had seen a piece on "How its made" about the Amish being the only commercial makers of bagels that still used lye in their water.  I was fascinated so had looked and looked to find a recipe for the lye to water ratio.  I spent alot of time looking and was shocked to find on recipe where the recipe writer instructed the reader to go to Lowes and by "lye" from the Drano department.  I went on in my searched figured if the writer didn't know that you were supposed to use food grade lye they probably didn't know how to use it.  I finally found an old recipe that was from a bakery site, so my water would be safe and to standard.

Booboo mixed up the dough and kneaded it.  We let it rise, which was probably a mistake so won't let it rise 2 hours like most doughs again,  only 20 minutes next time.  We rolled them out in the manner of good bakeries.  We rolled out our snake to twice the width of out hands and then circled it around our hand and rolled the snake together.  They worked out great.  I had tired to make them last time in a different manner and they came apart in the water, so success this time, with new instruction from another recipe and maker.  Love the knowledge you can get on the Internet.  I had also tired cutting them like donuts last time, not a good idea, and I had tried making a bun and putting hole in it and stretching it, not good either.  So success this time was rewarding.  Booboo struggled a little with her technique but will improve.  Next time I will make 8 out of the recipe, like it said, I thought the dough balls looked big so I cut them down and made 10, not a good idea. We boiled them in our lye water, a minute each side then Booboo sprinkled sesame seeds on them and we baked them 20 minutes at 425.  They came out of the oven with nice color and wonderful looking for the first try.  We will make changes and improvements but they are a success.  We took them to Grandma as it was her birthday and we were invited to a party for her.  She and Grandpa were impressed.  They said they were tender and chew which is what a bagel is to be like.  yay.

We got home from the Grands to find the goats in the garden, a blessing that it is not up and not all planted.  Poppie was mad, he had left the gate open.  They had been in the grain room as Poppie hadn't gotten the second gate done.  We got them all in the pen, Poppie went to the grain room to check the damage and there lay Carmel in a little sad lump he was laying with his neck at an odd angle under his body.  The herd had apparently stomped him.  He was breathing but it upset Poppie to see him suffering.  He couldn't even reached down and touch him he just walked away and blew a gasket.  He was mad at the goats, he was mad at the world, he beat up his motorcycle and the girls began to cry.  I ended up yelling at him and he eventually began to cool down but was still angry.  He finally walked away.  I went over to pick up the little guy and try to see if I could put Carmel out of his misery. I picked him up and low and behold he cried out and stood up, for some reason he wasn't hurt he just was in position that he could get out of and had lay there real still, maybe he had given up.  We got him up gave him some water and food, later we put him in the pen with the little goats.  We did the milking and went in the house.  The satellite man had come earlier in the day so we had tv and didn't have to watch the same recordings over and over again...... tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Do ever feel like you go from one pressing thing to the next? I thought life was to slow down by my age.

I was always under the impression that as we aged we would come into our own and eventually get a nice rocking chair for our front porches.  I am coming upon the age that my Grandma Gladys cherish, well she may not have cherished it, but she was so proud of it, her senor citizen discount.  When she turned 55 she proudly told any, and all that gave discounts to 55 year olds, she was collecting on her discount, my Grandfather Jim, her husband tried never to use his right  up until his death at 67.  He didn't embrace his senior citizen hood that way she did.  Sadly my beloved Gladys only got to use hers for 5 years, maybe she knew she needed to get on it while she could.  Ok, so I am a few years off and I am not sure that 55 is considered a senior citizen by any one in this day and age.  I am looking forward to my discount with the same thrill of savings as my Grandma did though. 

I find the older I get the more I have to do, I have daughters to raise, lots of grands to help raise. Is that a job that most seniors have? I truly think it was Gods intent but it got lost when our society became a single family home society and walked away from the large extended family home that had been a part of society for eons.  It was how families lived until the modern times.  Society walked away from the family and became independent and compartmentalized.  I wonder if that is where apartment got it's name, ok I jest, but with that Independence we lost so much of the "family" in our lives.  Families are not the same thing as they once were and the meaning changes more each day.  I do think sometimes there is a resurgence of that need for family and in some ways it is becoming more and more seen.  Generally need changes our barometer in this world.  If we are riding high on the bubble we seem to need people less, and especially are families. During a time of recession we remember why we are a family unit, why we aren't animals that birth our young and walk away.  We relearn why the grands and the great grands lived near us or with us, it had to do with sharing the load, sharing the prosperity and sharing the love.  I read recently that up to 25 percent of kids were being raise by Grandparents, I don't know maybe it was a faulty percentage but maybe not.  It seems that the harder the times the more we remember who is important to us, and how they matter in our lives, sort of a comfort food mentality.  I do know that the older members of my family, extended, weathered the "Great Depression" and they knew what family was down to their very core.  They were part of the "Greatest Generation" they cared about their fellow man and died in droves to secure our futures, the futures of their children and grandchildren. 

I don't know why the rocking chair got thrown off the porch, maybe it is for the better maybe grandmas and grandpas running marathons and climbing summits is a good thing but I fully intend to find my rocker in the next 25 years and sit in it.  Maybe I can rock with my great great grand babies and then send them home, but if they need to be staying with Great Nannie they will be as welcome as the current generation. Family is next to God in my book and if you can't love and take care of your family how can you really do any of the other things God calls you to do?  So I guess I do have to figure out how to get all of my pressing chores done because sure as shooting I will have more things on my list keeping me from my rocker before the day is out.  Do you think maybe that is why Grands marathon now? running from the complications we have invented in our lives to keep us off our rockers?.... tomorrow.

Monday, June 18, 2012

The first farmers market of the year has come and gone, as has Father's day.

We had a nice showing at the farmer's market of Saturday.  It was small only about 7 vendor, the regulars, and traffic was slow but steady a nice small event.  The girls sold all of their wares except for two pies, so not that many people like rhubarb, and one little loaf of bread.  They gifted one pie and the last loaf of bread so all was well and good.  We try never to take much of the left overs home.  The fun of making breads every week is the making, we try not to over burden the freezer with items some one else could use.  It was nice to get out and see friend again, I usually don't get to get away from my booth much so it takes me a few markets to visit the vendors, on and all. I sold a nice amount of soap, and a couple feta's.  I may be getting an order for diapers and covers which will be fun to work on. All around good Saturday.  My folks stopped in late in the evening and we got to visit with them, sent home some soap and gave my dad some blue feta, blue cheese in general is his favorite, so a nice end to a nice day.

Poppie's day was Sunday, he is in one of his it is just any other day veins so we really tried to step lightly and let him have it his way.  NO, breakfast in bed, allowed.  We actually had father's day potluck at church so it was nice to visit with all of the people in fellowship.  We had a lot of people come, filled all the chairs and then a family from the park, who remembered they had been invited came, over and joined us as well.  The Lord is growing our numbers which is nice and a true blessing. 

We had a family night at the house last night, the TV is still out and we are getting tired of the dvr recordings, Mokie lent us a few movies so we ate pie, left overs from church, no big rhubarb fan there either.  Poppie actually ate a piece of the pie,  we had soaked the rhubarb in sugar all night, a method I had read several years ago, and it was very sweet.  Nice flavor and sweet.  I don't like it as well but for those who don't like rhubarb, because it is to sour, it is a blessing.  You just dice your rhubarb up and stir in sugar, like if you were making strawberries or peaches with sugar, I add jest of an orange, cloves and cinnamon.  Let it set at least a few hours, overnight is better.  You then add cornstarch, fill a crust and bake.  You can also strain off the juice, if you like and have nice rhubarb juice, then cook juice with cornstarch, to thicken it, and add it back to the fruit, fill crust and bake. It leaves the fruit intact in a way that rhubarb isn't usually because it has to cook so long to thicken.  This way you only cook it about 45 minutes, very pretty when done especially with the red rhubarb. 

I have mozzarella to make this morning, kids but not sure how many I will have today.  The girls and I are going to try to get the bedrooms floors scrubbed.  We have enough laminate for one of their rooms but have to get enough for both before we install it.  I am hoping to laminate my bedroom suite of rooms next spring.  I hope the Lord blesses your day in all your endeavors, he will you know, all you have to do is believe and he will give you life eternal, and isn't that the first step to a wonderful day....tomorrow.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Standing on the backs of those who preceded us, is part of life, it is how we use the gifts we are given that make us who we are.

 It is funny that we rarely contemplate, or acknowledge, the gifts of our ancestors as part of our inheritance on this earth.  I am not talking about a monetary inheritance.  I am talking about the gifts of the countless generations that came before us unto time at its birth. We talk about the wheel in this day and age, sort of more tongue and cheek than with any real thanks, for what it has really done for man.  There are eons of countless discovers, inventions and blood shed that have made us what we are today and no one really knows the hardships endured to get us to this current mans world.  We live in a warp speed. or maybe it is now a nano second world, in which we expect immediate gratification.  Young people, in general, have no real concept of the sacrifices that were made in the past for their comforts, way of life, and place in this world. Maybe no generation really knows the cost that was paid for their lifestyle.  I sometime think that each generation understand less than the previous generation but that may not be the way of it entirely, or maybe it is not the whole of the generation that doesn't understand. 

Maybe it is like the man who buys a house as apposed to the one who builds his home. The man that buys a house new or old has nothing invested in it physically, he reaps the benefits of someone elses blood, sweat and tears.  All he invests is his money.  If he has bought a new house he may make decisions on the house so his investment is a little more than the man how bought an older house.  The man that buys an older house reaps the benefits of the past owners.  Okay,  I am not talking about the man that buys a house to flip or a run down fixer upper, but then even the run down fixer upper has history and sweat equity in it you just have to look to see it.  I am talking about the person that buys a lovely cared for home, maybe the key word is home.  They buy the home that was loved with all of someones being. The previous owners no longer could stay in their loved home, they could have died, it could be that foreclosure, that is rampid in this country, could have taken it, someone could have lost a much needed job and had to move not of their own will, a spouse could have died or couple could have become empty nesters and couldn't keep this loved part of their family.  Any of these, or none of them, could be the reason that the home fell into the buyer hands.  This is the home that is so like the past generation we forget.  We glorify in our accomplishments in this age much like this kind of homeowner. 

Did we magically invent computers and the explosion of the electronic gadget in our own life time or did the invention build on generations of inventions?  Did the home owner build the garden, the flowerbeds, the barns and out buildings?  No, but they show them off with pride but don't have a clue how to weed or water to keep them as they are.  Did we become the "politically correct" people we are now over night? No we let people step on our rights right up until we don't have any because we went along with the flow or didn't want to make a fuss.  Did the new homeowner enjoy the patina on the wood work, the nicks in the banister or hand prints in the cement? Do they cherish them or do they puddy and fill them?  Do we as a nation accept our part in the declines that are occurring in America or is our apathy getting the better or us?  Is the new home owner worried that the garden is now full of weeds that they mow because they are to lazy to till and plant it, they mow it but are to lazy to plant even some grass seed.  They have allowed the flowers to fill in with the "pretty weeds" they call flowers never knowing they are harboring a noxious weed, and don't care.  Know any noxious weeds in this society?

We, in this country, have become too lazy to keep up the past honor of working hard to make a good product for a fair wage, we have decided that we have to be paid more than we are worth so we have been outsourced because someone some where else willing do it for less than it is worth.  We could have prevented this had we not become so self indulged of our own worth, in general.  I know there are alot of hard working people in this country that do remember and want to work for a fair days wage.  They were called soldiers, farmers, loggers, mill workers, etc.  They do still exist but they are becoming fewer and fewer as their jobs are being taken away at an alarming rate.  We would rather let the few decide what is not good for us and take away our right to work and make a living to support our families.  Is it really so hard to stand up and say you can't do that to us and you can't take our right to do that way? Invariable it must be, because so many of us have let the loud few change our world to a world we don't even recognize and if we don't recognise it, you can darn sure bet our founding fathers and ancestors wouldn't either.  

Friday, June 15, 2012

TV has blown up again, well the sat, Pigs to harvest, Foccacia's and bread.

Booboo and I spent the best part of the day making pies and different artisan breads.  We had fun and got lots done.  She made some funny designs on her pie tops but has managed to get the rolling down pretty much.  I had a friends mom tell me once that you could determine how good your marriage will be by how round your pie crust is, well Booboo has a ways to go before she is marrying material.  I am think that that is a good thing for an 8 year old.  We ended up with breads of blue feta, garlic and feta, olive and feta, spinach and feta, and chipolte feta, we hadn't tasted the chipolte feta, as it has just ripened, before it has some kick.  We made 4 rhubarb pies and 2 peach, Booboo picked the rhubarb so ended up with some filling for the freezer, that is a good thing.  Yogie spent most of the day being her dads side kick, she helped him with all the chores and was good, well except at the store.  Dad gave out allowances and both received their full amount, so a good day was had by all.

Today we bake more bread and foccacia.  We made yeast bread with whole wheat flour yesterday but today it is sourdough.  Booboo made the sponge yesterday so it will have had a good time to age and sour up.  We are supposed to harvest three pigs today, hope all goes well with that.  Poppie helped to take a market pig to the meat man that Son had sold to Little Sisiter.  All went well in that endeavor except the pig was a little arbitrary, in the end all went well and he got there on time and in good standing.

I don't have any kids today but then when don't I have the grands.  I am not sure that they know how to exist without a good visit to Nannie's each day.  Boy was in trouble last night, Poppie had called him as the tv clicker was missing.  We didn't think anything of him coming over a few minutes later to help look, problem was he didn't tell or ask his parents that he was coming.  Mokie came over to get him, lecture him and actually find the clicker.  The TV apparently got hit or taken out by recently lightening, or it is just more of the faulty throw away appliances that we have in this day and age, who knows.  Poppie is not looking forward to having to call the TV service.  This will be the third receiver we have had in 2 and half years, wish they would get it right.  We are going to be dropping our service down to a smaller package, a lot of it we don't use and it will cost considerable less.  We almost never watch movies or listen to the music channels anyway.  We will be sad to have to start over with our dvr, again.  We have quite a few good movies recorded and we don't have the usb drive it takes to record them on to, I wonder if I could record them on to my external drive that I use for photos, well that might not be a good idea anyway but we could ask to find out.  We will see, the girls hate when we don't have a cope of the Wizard of Oz, and I am not sure what Cubbie will do with out Soul Surfer.  Most of our recorded stuff is children's movies other than that and they will be hard to replace.  I think we have 70 ish.    Well time to start our morning bible reading so you have a great day.... tomorrow.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22.

“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.” Matthew 5:10
“It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” 2 Cor. 12:9 – 10
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.” John 15:18-20
“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12
“Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.” 1 Thessalonians 3:7

I some times get down and find that I have so much sorrow that I can't imagine having the strength to get out of bed and go on, then I look to my Lord and know that persecution is a blessing and I just have to remember to embrace it.  I am weak and sometimes I fail to grab on with both hands right away but I do seek out the Lord and he comforts my soul and shows me the blessing of the humble and the persecuted.  I glory in the pain as I come to the understanding that God is with me and will keep my soul in his bosom and I will get through with God as my leader and Jesus as my savior.  I have whined enough and pitied myself as much as I will allow.  I have had times in my life when I didn't hold on tight enough to the Lords glory and fell short of his comfort but no more God talks to me, and tells me I am his own, and I have no need to fear the persecution of man because no man is as God and God alone makes the decisions about my eternity.  God gives us our crowns and those who are weak, insulted, have hardships, difficulties and are persecuted have a special place in God's kingdom.  I hope that through my distress, the hate and the persecutions I endure in this life are enough to get a nice crown in glory, I shall embrace my weakness and my faith.... tomorrow.  (oh, thanks for letting me vent my pain I rarely need to as I tend to be a half full person, but there are moments I fall short)

Bubbles one more day this week, Mokie needs relined. Sunny day promised, hope it comes true.

I have spent the week mostly with my Bubbles, she has been patient and played on the floor a good deal of the time.  I have had several other kids each day.  I have used my time out corner, my time out chair, my "making good choices" speech, hugged the the booboos, said "what a big boy, so proud of you using the potty", used my Nannie voice, and have had the excitement of the grands and the pseudo grands love for me.  I have them all again next week same time same place.  Bubbles just arrived this morning, nice smiley face.  Cubbie will be here when her dad drops her off, as will be Boy.  Cubbie is struggling with her mom working this week,  Boy and I have come to an understanding.  So the day with kids awaits.

Sold my first pairs of Longies on the Internet this week, hope they are well recieved and liked.  I had an order of shorties or diaper cover to make yesterday, finished them just have to lanolize them.  I think that on Etsy, the diaper covers are really going to become one of cornerstone of my sales.  I am hoping that with the new molds and shrink wrap I can get my soaps to sell eventually but I have to find the time to take photos, and rework my listings.

Mokie is going for her reline of her teeth today.  I hope all goes well with that.  I learned yesterday day that all of the people that think my lovely daughter is meek and mild are sadly mistaken.  I have had to listen to people say for years, she is so easy going nothing like you.  I always suspected that they were wrong and she was her mothers daughter and then some. Well, I am here to tell you I am the one in the right.  She defined her momma with an intensity that her mom only gets to when defending her cubs and hubbie, and then she let the person have it on a level her mom never gets too.  I do belief I did a good thing and actually taught the girl empowerment when it is called for and needed.  The person she was defending me against thought she needed a reline in more ways than one.  Not so sure but told them I would see what I could do.

I would like to put forth a question.  I was told I was a slandering some one yesterday by saying that they called someone a lair.  I don't think I really was but did say I was sorry.  I thought it was the same think but a different perspective.  I was told "no it is not the same thing and I was wrong."  Here is the question.  I was told something had been checked out and that the something was found to be unfounded.  So I said so that means that person who said it is a lair and you are saying they lied.  Right?  This is when the person said I was slandering them,  I still think that when some says something happened, and asks for help, if a person that wasn't there determines it was unfounded it is that the same as saying the person asking for help is lying?  Apparently not..... hummmm   Unfounded does not mean the victim is a liar.  So, what does it mean?   Stumped, confused, still abused and not understanding where the help is, why asked for help in the first place.  I did take steps towards understand how to help my kids and am told I "have" to make a scene.  I am not a person who likes scenes but as I was able to teach Mokie how to make them guess I can step up and make one myself, just will be ashamed of having to ask my friends, and those around me, to understand that is the only way I will get help per the person who has to help..... tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

what are some people thinking? Are they? Who knows in this day and age?

The Fox news has been reporting all week about a Principal in one of the inner city schools in New York is not allowing the Lee Greenwood song, God bless the USA.  Originally she had problems with it because it was too adult for the kindergartners who were to sing it.  It had been used by upper grades in the same school but she wouldn't allow the kindergartner to sing it.  They did state the she is a Jehovah witness and has personal issues with the song.  She told the kindergarten class they could sing Justin Beibers "baby baby baby" song.  Really since when is it better for kindergartner to sing about teen age dating than about a man honoring the lives that were given to give us the rights in this country.  The right I might add to ban a song.  She has since recanted and re chose a song.  She now says the song was offensive to some cultures.  She is now allowing a whole list of songs to be sang trying to pander to all the cultures though still not allowing "God bless the USA'.  Sad. 

I find it funny that when people that think their agenda is more important than the agenda's of all the rest of us the say "well God is Christan"  I bet they didn't ask all the "cultures" that aren't christian what they call their supreme being then.  Oh, I forgot they were taking into consideration the ones that don't believe in anything.  Well why should all the other cultures bow down to the ones that don't believe in anything.  Why is the answer if it offends the minority why do the majority have to be subjected to the rule of the minority?  Why is a moment of silence, to do with as you want, always have to be prayer.  Why can't the ones that do pray be allowed to pray and the ones who don't, why should we deny them those few minutes that they might like to make a grocery list. 

Last night I caught an episode of Chopped.  There was a young chef on the show who was from Pakistan and she was proudly Islamic, during one of her courses she said "God, Please let my bread pudding set."  Ok, so I might be stupid but I would bet money she wasn't praying to a christian God.  She therefore, in the moment, was asking a pray to her God.  So where do the nay sayers of God in our communities get off assuming that the term God always implies a Christian connotation.  By the way, her God did answer her pray, no the pudding didn't set but she won the 10,000 dollars.  I digress.

I notice on the news this morning some group has decided the the bible should no longer be allowed on military bases.  It is terrorist material.  Really?  I am glad that some where someone died holding their bible in their hand, because the service provides them, and services of all faiths, to the soldier so they may pray to their god, so this group had the right to exist and are so self serving that they don't know how lucky they are to be allow to complain about their rights being stepped on.  The original term for bible was an account or a discourse.  So I would assume that that would include many books,  It was also include many of the different religions bibles.  Aren't the Bible, the Koran, the Quran,the Tanakh, the Torah, all bibles in the since of the original word? Aren't they all accounting of the lives of their spiritual leaders?  Aren't they all a discourses from their God's words?   I hope that somewhere some one gets some sense before this country allows people to twist our rights right out of our lives.  I did hear a glimmer of hope recently.  Somewhere in the south a Govern has stood up and said prayer should be allowed in the school.  I also heard the the statistics are turning, 50 some years ago to court case took bible reading and prayer out of school but in the 90's and now schools and government building, well not so much the building itself but, are fighting back and allowing the inclusion for prayers at Graduations and why can't the 10 commandments stand in front of the building, the place next to it can be the sacred writes of any other religion just get yours together and put it there.  So why can't inclusion be the way of our rights, why is it always that we are forced into seclusion's.  Why should nothing be the answer so the atheists can be allowed their rights at the expense of all other beliefs.  I vote for inclusion and let the people decide for themselves.  So let Lee Greenwood's song stand, 10 years ago it was almost our new anthem and now 10 short years later a Principal from "New York, mind you" has already forgotten..... so sad.... tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The day was nice another day of busy without much to show for it.

I do so hate when I spend an hour writing a well thought out blog and the computer eats it, I am not sure whether it is the blogger it's self or my computer, but it is frustrating. It has happened twice in the last couple of weeks. Yesterday was one of those days and the most upsetting, I think.  I usually get the thoughts back together in the second writing but it is usually a condensed version with out the depth of thought the first writing had.  I sometimes can tell it is going to happen as the computer will sometimes lockup and I can retrieve some of it before I lose it but not always, sometimes I only  lose a few corrections or a few sentences but I hate the most when I lose it all and have to start over.  Maybe it is God's way of telling me to do a rewrite or that I should rethink my thoughts, lets hope so because I general have to so, who knows.

I had a nice breakfast out with Lady, it is always a renewance to get together and talk about everything and nothing.  We did have an illiterate person pass by, sad when educated people with perfectly good UM education can't read the simplest of words, and understand they are meant for them, or maybe big numbers like 1500 feet aren't taught to all the degrees  they give out.  I know that my Ladies have been taught all there numbers at the grade school level here.  I guess some educations cost more than others or some are more wasted on the clueless.  I got to show Lady my newest soaps and tinkerings, the morning was a lovely start to a nice day so in the end the disturbance to our morning was just a minor ripple in a day that was God's gift.

I came home to find Foster and his wife, Tinker, visiting they were up to ask specifics about how to care for Lilly, we gave them Lilly last week.  She is milking and they are trying to learn to milk her, Mokie, Yogie and Booboo went out to help them learn several times last week.  She will be much happier with them, they have a huge amount of land and space for her to be her wild self.  I also gave them three weanling, not Lilly's, to get their heard started.  They ended up with the last two weaner pigs as well.  They are well and truly on their way to farming bliss.

I finally made it into the house with Bubbie, who from this time forward will be known as Bubbles.  She has well and truly earned the name change in my heart with her bubblie personality.  She sometime bubbles out her bum and occasionally bubbles things out her mouth but her little smile and shinning loving face is as bubbles on my heart so is my little Bubbles.  She gave me her smile and love as I arrived home to her world.  I put her down for her nap on my floor with all of her pillows and blankies.  She slept a little and before long she was standing on her head looking back wards through her legs.  She so reminded me of Yogie when she was learning to crawl.  She has mastered that Nannies floor is slippery and is no longer falling on her nose, which hurts and makes her little smile go away.  She is almost well and truly crawling.  Since I will have the kids for two week so Mokie can fill in at work I will have the grands and which ever kids are to be here on whatever days, never really know the schedules and never actually get the kids who were scheduled, so it is always a surprised, some day more so than others.  Poppie and I had a total of 8 yesterday. 

Once most of the kids were gone, but the grands and the girls.  I had to stop over at the Preacher and Pianists.  It was a nice visit, I ended up staying way to long.  It was nice to talk and to get to know them better.  I am hoping to help her purchase some bibles on eBay, I do find the best deals and am the Queen of the frugal find there.  I hope to get her a good deal and as she has never really done eBay it is a process of learning. 

I have cheese to make this morning and hopefully some soap.  I burned up my stick blender and am trying to get Poppie to make me a paint stirrer on a drill, or my second fordom motor, but he is sure I am not understanding what I am asking but I will get him convinced to make me a monster stick blender before I am done, just you wait and see.  We are a good team that way I think it up and he thinks how to make it for me,  that happens on most things we get done, artwork, barns, greenhouses, goat pens so I know he is up to the challenge.... have a love and God filled day, I hope you get a hug and maybe one from God... tomorrow.

Monday, June 11, 2012

When is the age of accountability? When is our faith saving faith? Do you know? Does anyone but God?

I have spoken of saving faith in the past and it is a different type of faith than intellectual faith.  One is the knowing of what is ask of you and the other is the faith that fulfills what is ask of you by God. Another blog and I will not expound upon it here.  I recently spoke of the age of which it is right to leave your child are home a different age of accountability but I would say in many respects of the same nature.  Can a child that can't be left alone at home really be able to make a choice to be saved into Christ? The bible never actually gives us an age of accountability for a child.  I would surmise that different cultures, different ages and times, would play in to that as well, do you really think that your 15 year old and the 15 year old of two hundred years ago is the same age?  Probably not on any level.  We, in our age, especially here in America are asking less and less of our children and making them younger and younger for longer and longer. I recently read that the child's brain is not an adult brain until they are 25 is that the new age of accountability?  I heard on the news that someone wants to make the age for marriage 25 as well, is that really ever going to happen?  Should it?  We as a society have decided that we will mandate the age when we vaccinate our children, how old they are to be in a car seat, a booster seat of when they can set in the front seat.  We have decided that at 18 they can die for our country but aren't old enough to drink alcohol. So they are adults when we ask them to sacrifice their all but they are children and shouldn't drink?  Odd, and something is wrong there, but the law none the less.  I am not much of a drinker so it is not about the alcohol that I have a question of right or wrong it just seems out of wack that they aren't old enough to make an adult choice about alcohol but we want them to step up and die for our rights.  I digress and that is not the point of this blog.

I have recently become aware of the age of accountability in regard to salvation.  I know that some Churches, of which I know nothing about, baptise their children at birth or shortly after and since I don't know anything about their theology have no opinion on the subject and this is not about judging any theology.  I do know something about two churches,  I was raised in the Church of Christ and am trying to understand the Baptise Church.  I was trained up in the Church of Christ and as that is the training God choice for me to have will probably never stray far from the core belief I have.  I am therefore in a place of limbo in many respects.  I do want to raise my girls is a church and God has called us to the local new testament Church, which both churches are.  My girls will be trained up in the Baptist church.  I know that those among you that are Church of Christ find me to be a sinner for my decision, but do not think that this decision wasn't made without long hours of prayer with God.  It is a decision he has lead us to and is the right decision and has guided us on that path.  I know to the dismay of the Baptist church that I will never be a true member in their eyes.  I would like anyone that finds me a sinner for this choice to show me scripturally the church I am to go to, just give me the name of the church and I will glad to read God's word and go there.  Since it is not there, I will be guided by the Lord and be a member of the church he is the head of and that is the church I was saved into anyway. 

I do know that the two churches are alike in many ways, I know I am sinful for saying so but they are to me and God has lead me to that understanding.  They are different and I understand that as well and there in lies my dilemma. I was taught to believe that the act of being saved was one step, you stepped forward asked to be saved, were baptised and we added to the church in one action.  Seems the Baptist church does that in different steps, you asked to be save and at a later time, or maybe the same time sometimes, you are baptised and then later you asked be a member of the church.  My question lays in when is a child of accountability in a Gods eyes.  Jesus and David both saw children as innocents in the bible and scripture says that,  yes, we were born into sin but there is an age when we are innocent.  When does that age no longer exist?  Is a child that can't stay at home alone of an age of accountability?  Does a child that believes in the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy and Santa have the mental ability to be accountable to God?  My older children could know that the tooth fairy wasn't real but still be of the belief that Santa did, were they at an age of accountability if they couldn't know what was fantasy and what was real?  I am sure that two hundred years ago that many a 7 or 8 year old were at an age of accountability with God, but is your average 7 or 8 year old of today? 

Sunday, June 10, 2012

First week on summer vacation gone, The ladies are unwinding and life is settling in to life I guess. Deodorants and Facial cleaner.

I think I may have finally found the spring cleaning success I was looking for not that I am done or anything but I have gotten the house organized enough to be able to get the cleaning done on a clean level that is manageable.  I know most people have this all figured out and it is a routine. I don't really get time to have a real routine when it comes to organization.  I have lots of excuses, kids (lots some days), lonely grandkids that's mom is a work and need a hugs or a good talking too, 3 gallons a milk a day that needs some sort of processing usually cheese (I have a whole freezer of frozen milk for soap), I am a hoarder that needs to throw some of things out (not the normal hoardering, well mostly not, things like yarn, crafts projects, antlers, fleece, but then there are clothes to sort and others hoarder like thing....uhhhm), and I have many more things that pull me away from the daily routine so I have a just get it done when I can routine.  Well, the ladies and I are trying to have a routine of sorts, we read our bibles, I blog before if I can but sometime I can't, we do the dishes and try to catch up on the laundry that needs to be sorted to the give away, the throw away, the upcycle and the hangers, someday I do better than others.  I make cheese every other day.  The Ladies do the floors, kitchen and front room, they are in charge of cleaning their rooms, and they have to read a book or at least pages before they can go play outside.  Poppie does the morning chores but sometime we help, the girls each are to do their turkeys, chickens and rabbits but Poppie alot of time does it himself, thinking it is easier but I would like him to have them help him daily as they are off of school but he is not good at getting them to help him.  They are good at it and like to if he would just let them know he is doing them but he likes to do it when they are doing their reading or indoor chores.  He complains that they don't help but he is more of the problem than they are.  They help with the evening chores, Poppie can't milk, Yogie milked all five of our goats last night, Booboo is not good at it and makes the process longer so both Yogie and Poppie try to get away with doing it without her.  She will never get better if they don't encourage her, I was busy making a skirt for a friend at Church so didn't help.  You can see that live here has no routine so I may be paddling up a stream I will never succeed at..... oh to be organized, never going to happen it is just not in me.  I am hopelessly not organized in the traditional manner, does sideways organization count?

Church this morning, Breakfastfest so will go early.  We do so love the time we get to praise the Lord and attend a called out meeting, that is what the Preacher calls Church, I just like the feeling of the Lord I find in the praise of a shared group.  Maybe we can go on a ride today, we haven't gotten to all spring and I do so miss the woods.

I made up some deodorants and some facial cleansers this week.  I changed the facial cleanser formula a little, I try to each batch as I am not sure it is quite right yet.  I use sweet almond oil as the main ingredient so it has a nice almond smell, I used apricot kernel and grape seed oil this time as well, they have nice skin qualities, I used some beeswax, Lemon and aloe vera gel, and  witch hazel to finish up.  I cut it a little more than a quarter, maybe a third, with my liquid soap.  It has a clean squeakiness to it and leaves a nice moisturizing quality to the skin after.  Both girls tried it and said "mom my face feels as soft as a baby's bum"  I hope that is a good thing, not that their skin isn't nice on its own.  I actually have good skin, from my mom, and only use soap consistently on my skin, I have tried Jafra and MaryKay periodically but since I didn't need it couldn't justify the cost in the long run.  I have been using it for the last couple days and it does add a smoothness I don't always have but it is hard to tell. I changed the ground flax seed I used in the first two batches this time for hand ground orange zest which I think I like better. I think it may have gone better with the lemon, but may add the flax seed back next time and some ground almond and see if the three exfoliates make a difference together..... see what I mean the possibilities are endless, ok no organization again...

I did make the deodorant again, I have made three different kinds in the past but decided I like one the best so only tweaked it a little, more beeswax, and called it good.  I only had a couple of the twist up containers and I dislike having to spend 1.25 apiece on them.  Lots of people give me laundry soap container and other bottles but no one really thinks of upcyclingmeds.  No one recycles them really, the plastic is recyclable but the recyclers don't like to take them.  People sometime can take them back to certain pharmacy to have them refilled but not usually, some vets take them to use for prescription.  They can be used for lots of small tasks and are suggested for use in carrying small amounts of lotions, toothpastes and gels.  I thought yes, I can use them.  They are sterile when dish washed so safe for food as well but you should never, never, never use them for candy, a child would not be able to distinguish the difference between candy and pills.  But the sky is the limit to use them, no legal restrictions.  I filled 6 with deodorant, if some people that want to use my deodorants are hesitant that is ok, they don't have to,  they can use theirs with the aluminum in it or maybe they have a upcycled deodorant bottle they want refilled.  I have found that during the last year that I used my deodorant, that was in the frosting container, which by the way was too big so not an option for a refill, that I liked massaging it into my underarms.  Do you massage your underarms?  Probably not and if you do it is in passing, they need love too, it is alot like doing a quick breast exam, a good thing considering you have used that aluminium filled product and might just pay a little attention to both on a hands on way.  I found I like the process and my underarms are the better for it.  So, upcycled prescription bottle hold my deodorant and they are about exactly 2 ounce which is the right size as well.  The oils in it stays good up to a year out and longer you refrigerate it but it usually doesn't take near that long to use it.  I made jasmine this time, it is soft scent so nice I think.

I have two ladies to read the Lord's word with, have a great day and remember the Lord always hears your prayers even if you are lost and calling from afar..... tomorrow.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

What is the age when a child can be left at home alone? Shouldn't we know as parents the answer to this?

I was never a latchkey child and actually had to look it up to know what the term actually meant.  I had a mother who never left us with babysitters.  The one and only time I remember being left with a babysitter I jumped out of a tree and cut my foot on a broken coke bottle, the only stitches that I ever had as a child. I was 10, I was actually quite old for a 10 year old having so many younger siblings, and, no, I was not old enough to be alone.  We didn't always have a lot of money growing up but we had parents that loved us and were there for us.  I realize that people who have to use babysitters love their children and have a reason to use babysitters. They have to work to feed their children or there are other reasons to need the assistance of a babysitter.  Babysitters should be thought out, someone you should trust to take care of your child. If you don't have a friend, or family, to do it by all means make sure that it is a vetted childcare person.  No, the direct tv man is not a suitable candidate.  I know a woman who left her 8 month old with the direct tv man for over an hour while she visited the neighbors.  The baby was asleep and the man was there, go figure.  Common sense? no.   The law in Montana allows for us to leave our child alone at an age we think they are ready, we are to use common sense.  No, the woman didn't leave the baby alone but when did direct tv have to check background for registered offenders?  was the child with a pedophile for an hour?  did she pay him for taking care of her child? What if the house burned down did he even know the child was there? I digress.

When is you child old enough to be left alone?  I heard of a woman recently asking around the baseball field if anyone knew how old her kids had to be to be left alone?  She was heard to have said she thought a 6 years olds could be left alone.  Really is that a common sense reality?  Most people suggest that 12 or 13 is the age when a child can be left alone.  Are they old enough to be alone by themselves? sometimes.  With an other child to care for? sometimes.  Is 13 the age? sometimes.  15, sometimes.  18? sadly they are legal but sometimes they are not old enough to be left alone.  Is your child trained up to be responsible?  Have they ever been taught to have the skills to be alone.  Do they have the ability to take care of other children, one hour? an afternoon? a day? No, you can not leave your 12 year old alone for a week.  Is your child anxious about being left alone?  Does leaving them alone cause them fear? Depression? Do they misuse their alone time, do or will they bring friends in and do things they aren't allowed to?  Do they know how to cook?  do you want them to cook?  Is your child a victim of Murphy's law?  Do you have a back up, a safety measure if they need help or someone that will check in to see how things are going?  Do they need these measures?

In third world country's children are quite often responsible for younger children, at unheard of ages, a nine year might be the soul caregiver of a 1 year old in Africa but in this country if your nine year old is taking care of your 1 year old for hours on end you will eventually get a visit from CPS and law enforcement, no your child is not ready to give that kind of care.  Yes, you may have the most responsible 9 year old that ever existed but no your child is not ready to babysit a one year old for extended time periods daily.  Common sense is a subjective thing but it is something that is a part of the law, and in reality it is the best way to decide when a child is really ready to be alone. The problem with common sense is that sometimes people, in general, and parents, in particular, don't have any and that is when the law has to step in and say, No, your six year, your nine year old and most certainly your 8 month old are not ready to be left alone to take care of themselves.  A child's childhood is so short let them have time to be a secure, well rounded and safe, they will know, with your guidance, when it is the right time for them to be alone.  They will know when peer pressure won't get the best of them, when they are ready to be alone and ready, if ever, to take care of younger kids. It is just one step on their way to adulthood like anything it has to be in the right time for them and not about the convenience it might be for you to leave them alone... tomorrow.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Trying to get into a routine this summer, not yet there! Soap making is a passion.

I really did get up early today but since the girls and I are reading Proverbs as are beginning to reading the whole bible together I have gotten off track on being able to blog first thing.  I think I have to get up earlier so I can fit it in first as after I seem to have to make breakfast then other things call and I don't get back here until around now.  So trying to get my life on some kind of new order.  We each read the same chapter so we get to hear it three times and talk about it together. I hope they start a life long routine.  I think talking to the Lord first thing is a good habit to start in their lives.

I have spent the last few days in the house getting better, thank the Lord, and am doing great this morning only a little residual cough but much better thank you.  I have manage to make 8 batches of soap. 7 are French milled and one cold process batch.  I am excited about the outcome of all the soaps.  I do like the rusticness of the cutting but must admit I do like the cute quality of the mold a win win in the long run.  I have had fun making up the different soaps.  I ended up making kelp and sea salt, apricot kernel oil rose/berry and sea salt, African black like with sandalwood and flower scent, honey comfrey oatmeal,  lilac and poppy seed almond oil, mineral oil and flax seed, almond comfrey oil shea honey oatmeal,  and coffee soap. They all seem to have nice bubbles and a nice lotion like after feel to your hands.  I am hoping they are the best I have ever made.  Poppie said when he watched me and Mokie selling soap at the flea market I sold it 10 times better than she does.  I said that is because I have a passion for it and she doesn't.  I love everything about soap, making it, creating new recipes and combinations and I love sharing it with other people so I end up sharing my joy of soap so people want to try it when I talk about it.  Mokie thinks of it as soap, no fun in soap.  She is excited about maybe making scentsy like wax candles so we will see how it goes with her and that.



I unmolded my first blue cheese wheel this morning.  I put it into the stove, my blue cheese cave for now, and we will see how it comes along.  I like making cheese about as much as I like making soap.  It is a longer process in seeing the outcome of what you are making, soap is a much more now gratification product.  I hope you have a passion in your life, I seem to have lots, the Lord sends me so many artistic passions I never seem to just stay with one, I am a wanderer I suppose when it comes to the passion for creating.  Here are a few photos of my new soaps, I think they are pretty and thought I would share some of them with you.... tomorrow.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Feeling a little better, Cheese to make, Soap turned out cool. Rabbit hutches.

My GRD pills are making me feel better the sore is gone now I just have to wait for the cough and yuck to go away.  I woke up with my upper diaphragm so sore from coughing, it feels like I did a hundred setup in my sleep and I know I did not.  I was good yesterday and stayed in my chair except for making soap and helping girls with the chores. I ended up taking a 2 hour nap in the middle of the afternoon, I never do that so must have needed it. I plan on being nice again today and helping this stuff go away.Sadly no coffee day with Lady, but I can look forward to next week.

I ended up cutting the black African like soap I made, it turned out really nice.  I made up a nice batch of coffee and then lilac and poppy seed.  I do like the molds that I can cut the best of all the soap styles I have made.  Still have to put them in the shrink wraps with cards, what kind of soap and maybe ingredients on them.  I have to decide what I will but on them. I hope to get that done in the next few days.  I like the way they fit in the display stand Poppie made. Mokie is going to take them do a boutique after we get it all finished.  I have decided I really do like the rebatched or French milled the best, but I do like the plain oatmeal so will make up some of that style for sure.

I have 6 gallons of milk today so will have to make cheese this morning.  My kettle only holds about 4 and half to 5 gallons so will have seed for more cheese. The frig is getting filled up.  I think I am going to make blue cheese today, not the feta but a regular blue so wish me luck. 

Poppie is going to be making a double hutch for momma rabbits.  We have one the is going to have babies next week and one that has little ones. She was a first time momma, she had seven and ended up losing 4 over the first few day but Professor says that is really good for a first time mom.  She has three fat little babies that are getting their hair. They are starting to get cute.  We had decided we like the nesting boxes to be a part of the hutch.  I know the modern rabbit keepers like to add the nesting box a few days before they kindle and then take it away after the babies no longer need it be we like them to have a place to hide and sleep.  We will just have to clean them more often but we like them. I am off to start my new day, it is going to be slow paced and I hope healing. Here comes my coffee. Have a great day yourself.... tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Poppie has grounded me to bed or atleast in the house. I think I will let him be right.

Do you ever find that you have way to many things to do to be sick,  I think that is the story of my life and that is why when I do get sick I get really sick.  Booboo gave me a her sick  and I ran out of my GRD medicine at the same time and couldn't get any except in Zootown so I have ended up really sick.  Got my medicine on Monday and I am playing catch up for my throat to be well on both levels.  I have some cheese to lard and wash, some soap to make as well as some cheese to make but all are do a little now and do a little later chores so will try and get them done.  The ladies will be working on their chores so we should be able to make do.  Rain pouring down so a dreary day to begin with.

We have hopefully found a new home for Louie and Mokie ended up with Muddles so we were down two dogs, well leave it to Mokie and Poppie to bring a new one home.  Foster had a little Minpen that needed a home. Well they brought him home yesterday.  He will need to be neutered but he seems to be fitting in.  At least it was a big dog and a little dog out and only one little in, I hope no more orphans need a home or softy Poppie will be bringing them home.  I have never meant a person that dogs love more.  I know alot of people say that but Poppie is truly a kindred spirit.  As a child Poppie spent many a night locked out of his house, as his Mom and step dad had gone to the bar, an they never leave the door unlocked even to go to the garage.  Poppie would come home and they would be gone until the bar closed he sometime spent hours in the dog house with the dog awaiting their return.  Some of those night were long, cold and hunger but the warmth of the dog helped him survive.  Poppie truly does love dogs and they love him back, even dogs that hate men love Poppie.  God gave dogs to Poppie to survive and Poppie never forgets that love that helped him get through some long dark days...

I intended to rest as much as I can today and hopefully lesson my cough and sore throat, who knows if I am nice I may get to get out of bed the sooner.... tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Today is primary voting day in Montana. Did you vote? Do you have the right to bitch?

I remember being so excited to be one of the first group of 18 year olds that got to vote the year I turned 18.  I was going to change the world with my vote.  I still think I can change the world with my vote but not on such a grand scale.  I am much more a jaded person in my old age than I was in the spring of my youth.  I take voting as a serious business but not so black and white with age.  I had righteous outrage in my youth.  If you didn't vote you shouldn't have any right to an opinion on who won or didn't win.   You shouldn't be able to complain about any of the laws enacted or the ones that failed.  I took my voting responsibility as a scared duty and those who gave up their rights and didn't vote were someone to be looked down upon.  I have mellowed with age and have become the vary things I once despised.  I am someone who believes that you have the right, and duty to vote, but I also believe the constitution and the lives that our forefather gave in hard won battles also give people the right not to vote and still bitch about the outcome. 

How many countries in the world now have big displays of allowing their people to vote, but the outcome is already determined before they vote.  People in those countries, one and all, vote but did they really express any rights?  Did they get the ability to express a right and not vote?  Did they really elect or not elect anyone?  I have the freedom to vote and I have the freedom to not vote here.  I also have the right to be upset about the outcome of the vote whether I voted or not.  I have the right given to be by the blood of my ancestors to be part of the system or to just ride along in the system.  Did you know that most of the OWS dissidents don't vote, but they still have the right to assemble against the status quo,  I don't believe in their cause, or support it, but I do support their right to assemble and object.  I have the right to worship where I will, do they in that other country where they got to "vote"?  Do they get to worship Christ in Iraq, really or are they endanger every minute that they do.  Do I like the president of the United States, no not particularly but I do respect that he is my president and that as a Nation we rally around his right to speak for us for 4 years.  We as American are alot like a family of sisters.  In a big family of sisters I can call my sister names that would make a navy man blush, I can hate her with every fiber of my being and want to grind her in to the mud just for looking at me funny, but you had better be ware, that is my sister you just call a "what?"  so if you don't want to eat dirt you better leave my sister alone or me and all my sisters will put you in your place. This is America, where we can hate our President, bitch about the laws that he and the other elected officials make but if you are an outsider we are going to stand as one and put you in your place. 

We as American have been given many many rights that other countries dream about having and funny enough one of those right is the right not to vote.  The right not to worship at all.  The right to occupy wall street or to be the CEO of the biggest bank in the world and get bonuses we cheated everyone to get.  We have the right to be a hermit or be a celebrity.  We have to right to participate in our government and we have to right to glide along lost in the flow of the tide.  We have the right to be proud of our vote and say look what I did I voted for that wonderful guy.  We have the right to say I didn't vote and look what my not voting did.  We have to right to say I don't really care and voting doesn't effect me so why should I vote.  We have all of these right, all cherished and all rights given to us because some one died for us to be able to express our right to do it the way we choose to.  So yes today we vote and are proud of it and today just as many get to not vote and be proud that they can make that choice with out fear and have the freedom to not vote..... tomorrow.