Ladies day at the Fair....... a nice family day.

We got up bright, and well not so early, and we were off to the Sander's County Fair.  The Fair I went to in my childhood.  I grew up in Plains, well between moves, and actually graduated from there.  Last year we had tried to get advance tickets but had missed the deadline, this year we were on our game and got the tickets early.  We saved a total of 14 dollar which was at least gas money.  The Ladies made plans to meet Blondie at the fair.  We left the house and got there a little after 11, no Blondie in sight.  We went through all of the fair barns, we admired the veggies, not one was near as big as Poppie magnificent 107 pounder from last year, the pumpkins I mean, the dahlia's were lovely, the gladiolas made me think of my dear Grandma Gladys and I got to share her with the Ladies.  We saw the rabbits, the piglets, the goats, sadly some were under weight and some had horrible horn removals, such a shame what people do to the beautiful horns God gave goats, but I digress. We watched some of the bull calf judging, checked out the sales booths, watched the old engine go chunk....................... chunk........................ never heard a slower combustion engine, it was made in 1907.  I remember it from my childhood, it was always a highlight of the fair each year.  We had burgers and then it was time, the awaited time had come, it was after the appointed time of 12..... the ticket booth was open and they could turn their tickets in for an all day pass.  Blondie was waiting there for them.  The three little ladies were off like a shot, which ride to ride first.  The excitement had begun.  They saw their cousins, Eldest, M and Buga.  Their grandpa had paid for their all day tickets and their cousins as well.  He hadn't gotten advance tickets and it cost him 150 dollars, ouch, but the kids had more than 150 dollars worth of fun, and that is priceless.  Poppie and I were fast running out of gas when Flower and Butterfly came along and went on rides with the girls.  They eventually, with Drama and Kings permission, offered for the girls to stay with them so we could go home.  Poppie knees were done for and I had had enough visiting time with Special.  Special is Blondie's 27 year old brother that has been coming to Church for the last 5 weeks, this week he, like all the little kids, gets a prize for coming 5 times in a row, Eldest, M and Buga are working on their 5 times as well.  Special, I would say is around 6, maybe less, and when you talk to him you know in a very short time he is special.  He enjoyed the fun of the fair, as all the other kids did, he spent a bit of time at the national guard booth, and got a hat, a shirt and something else I am not sure of what, for climbing to the top, I think they didn't have as much time to spend with him as I did and gifted him all they could so he would go show whoever was there with him so they could recruit non-special people.  We escaped the fun of the fair, Poppie and I are gladly at home awaiting the Ladies return. 

I had potato salad to make for Yogie, her choice of what she would bring to pot luck, I am making Booboo's huckleberry cheesecake as we speak and my southwestern cheese cake to go to potluck tomorrow.  I am sure the excuse of going to the fair is a good enough reason to have mom make your offering.  Just think most mom's do it every time, my Ladies usually make their own.  The day at the fair is always Booboo's wish for her birthday.  We will also have a Ladies day on Thursday when  we take Yogie to the dentist. 

I pray that your day was filled with special time, special people and special times.  I hope the most special son ever born gave you an invitation that spoke to you heart.  The Lord Jesus is the most special son ever born and if you are in him you have salvation, how glorious and wonderful, so much more special than a day filled with the fun of the fair..... tomorrow.

Sadness, and sorrow, a part of our lives and a must sometime if you have to take a stand for right.

I had a horrible experience this morning, and can not or will not share as for one the person I had it with will read this and cry to one an all about me being a cruel being and how they are the victim of my meanness and have been for literally years. I will say that confrontation in never pretty, and always sad.  The sorrow is for things lost that will never be again, or maybe have been gone for years but it is always right to take a stand for the young, the innocent and the helpless.  I am and always will be a mother grizzly and sometime people forget I love my children beyond anything but God and Poppie.  I don't think that love is always about agreeing with a child and sometime is can be a tough hard thing to do.  Love is always wanting the best out come for your child but willing to walk away if that is the best way to help the child, or you have no other options.  I do love all of my children but alas two are children and at this moment they will always be more important and a much higher priority than the adults.  The adults can see it however the like but they must know I do nothing without thinking of those two little Ladies security first.  Sadly that is not always compatible with the wants or needs of others but I am honor bound to secure for them their safety and their needs before the needs of anyone else.  God knows that I take his trust of them in my care very seriously, their in lies the momma Grizzly in me. 

I pray for your safety in Christ, I pray for all my children whether they believe it  or not, I love but I don't always have to like, I am a human with all the frailties' that in tales.  Lord please comfort the ones who know you not and stumble alone in the darkness of this life without you to guide them.  I pray that they seek you for their soul as much as I seek you for their soul... tomorrow.

Another year of school beginning..... never gets any easier!

Today my ladies were up and feet on the ground at 6, they scurried here and they scurried there.  They had the last details of there first day wardrobe decisions a dozen times this week but there was the last minute, well maybe last hour, or indecision, "was that the real statement" they wanted to make? They excitedly fixed their lunches, "what should we put in it?", the options are many and "is that what I want to eat?", Questions abounded and then their excitement to be going back to school was palatable.  They were ready and more than happy to leave old mom at home and be off on their adventure.  I made them smoothies, and helped pack the lunches, took pictures of them and more of their staged modeling photos, this hand in the right place and their pose just right.  I watched as they left with a "see you mom", no tears this time or "do we have to leave you?", no last look back and a quick hug, but a more "oh, yah, bye mom"...... It is my fourth time of watching my baby leave in excitement of how they are going to conquer their world.  These two have never been singles really they have always been a pair, they are each others besties.  They are off to conquer the world together or as each others back up, and they need me less every day.  It doesn't get any easier, a tear of pride rolls down my cheek and mingles with the tears of sadness as they are each day the Ladies they will be comes out, oh the pride is there, but I know for sure this is the last time I will ever be this needed by them.  They will continue to need me yes, but less and less so every day, and really I wouldn't want it any other way, but it doesn't mean I can't sorrow for the loss.  NO, you mother's of preschoolers and kindergarteners don't have a market on sorrow this day.  God speed to my lovely little Ladies.

I have a house to clean, hopefully the swinging door of kids passing in and out of my house will slow, I love them all and want them here but I do have grouting, cleaning and canning to do.  But alas that will await me and be there tomorrow.  The littles will only be little once and can only need a hug from Nannie for so long before they don't need my comfort to mend their owie, let them come, I will have years of time to clean, grout and can........ they will be here momentarily, I love it, and the chaos.  A friend of mine once ask me how I survived the chaos,  I worry more about the chaos being gone and the silence being deafening ........

I pray for your soul, I pray for my soul, I pray for my littles souls, one and all souls, adult or child.  I pray that one and all get a calling from the Lord, and respond, because nothing is more sorrowful than the non-acceptance of the Lords gift, please listen for his call and please, please believe and accept your salvation..... tomorrow.

I don't think we are supposed to understand people, I barely even understand myself....

Do you ever just look at the people in your life and think "What are they thinking?"  I must admit that I sometimes look in the mirror and say "What were you thinking?"  I don't think God intended us to truly understand any one or anything.  Isn't the complete understand of something the death of your interest in it?  If you know all there is to know about something do you really spend any additional time with it?  Why would the people in our live be any different?  I know that if there wasn't still mystery in Poppie for me, I would not find him quite the interesting person he is to me.  He daily amazes me and come up with new depth or new layers.  People are not meant to be "understood"  surely if I know not myself to the depth and climbs how would anyone but God?  I don't know who I will be tomorrow, barely know who I am today and still contemplating who I was yesterday.  I know I grow eternally, an not just physically.  I become a new me each day because I am not in the moment I was just a moment ago.  Thus if I am ever changing then you are ever changing and our beings like the preverbal stone that grows no moss is ever changing.  Hmmm, when how would we ever begin to understand anyone.  I don't think we are supposed to, we are only to enjoy the communion we have as we pass each other along the path of life.  We are to just see glimpses of others as no one can know anyone like God knows all of us.  I don't even pretend to understand me like God understand me.  He knows the good in me, the hidden in me, the bad and the truly evil that lurks in me.  Oh, alas we all have the evil in us, we were all born sinners and only through the blood of the Lamb are we washed, so we all have that evil hidden in us. 

Today is the last day before the Ladies go to school we are going to make cookies and pizzas for the freezer in anticipation of the school lunches to come.  We are no longer participating in the school lunch program it is just to hard on my Booboo.  Funny I heard some part of a tv program a couple of weeks ago where a man was ranting on about how the Amish can drink raw milk but the rest of us "evolved" people couldn't with out getting sick.  Hog wash, that is just the brainwashing that idiots want us to believe.  The raw milk we drink is the cure not the villain, my child has not been in pain all summer like she was the last weeks of the school year last year, her body is finally clean of the poisons they put in our diets, have you ever really contemplated or read the list of garbage they put in our milk supply in the guise of making it safe and milk is only the tip of the iceberg. Really people you need to invest in your health and find out what you are really eating, and maybe you to would be finding a way to rid yourself of all the garbage being put in your food supply... Climbing down and off my soapbox.

May the Lord bless your soul, your life and your day.  May you hear God's invitation for salvation, understand it and accept his gift....tomorrow.

Busy still is our life, but then isn't that true of everyones life?

Saturday evening was truly a memorable night but mostly for its commonality I suppose.  The Ladies wanted to go swimming at the river and knowing school is on Thursday we thought it may be their last chance, or one of their last chances, this year.  We drove down to the swimming hole.  The Ladies began swimming and playing in the river. Poppie and I sat in our chairs and watched their antics.  They raced one another back and forth in the water.  The dug in the sand and made big holes that the water ran into at the water table level.  Poppie got up and started to skip rocks with the girls.  They picked the "right" rocks to try their skipping skills on.  The night was one of those still lovely summer evening where the river was as smooth as glass, no detectible current in the water.  There was relatively no breeze just the occasionally play of soft wind the rippled the water but only a moment here or there.  The sun was soft the bright harsh rays were long gone from the day.  The shadows were softly making their presence known.  The three players in the scene were in a odd harmony picking up their stones and throwing them in to the glass still plane of water,  the rock tapped the water and flipped to the next clean plane of water leaving a ring in the water the caused the next ring which caused another into perpetuity. The second tap began it's ringing as the stone jumped away into ever smaller taps on the water as it danced across the water trying not to sink to it's doom at the bottom of the river.  Each stone played a silent song followed by the melody of each stone thrown.  It was the magic of the mundane, the harmony of the last days of summer shared by a father and his daughters.  They finally tired of the stone throwing, Poppies arm wore out and the moment was broken never to be seen again.  The shadow got heavy on the water and the sun began to dip behind the mountains, it was time to got home.

Sunday was nice, the sermon enlightened our souls and God spoke to us as only he can do.  My niece, Niecy  came after Church to share her lovely children with us for the afternoon.  We caught up on lost time, and shared our lives as only family can.  Poppie and I delighted in the joy of watching the next generation bond in our family and seeing the traditions of family continuing.  We made plans to spend more time together, Lords will that that will come to fruition.

Monday morning I was up bright and early.  I chopped veggies and added them to my turkey roast to finish up my bean soup and set it to simmering.  I was off on an adventure with Lady but had to make sure my bean soup would be ready to can when I got home.  Lady had found a lady selling jars on Craigslist, she would meet us in Zootown, saving us another 60 miles of travel.  We ended up getting 96 jars each for only thirty dollars apiece.  We really do try and find people who are no longer canning that are selling or giving their jars away.  The jars were wonderful but we really couldn't spend much time in Zootown as Lady had made arrangements with another lady to help clean out the full old jars from her cellar.  We got back from Zootown, I got my bean soup into jars, 14 in all, and got the first batch into the Pressure Canner, timer on, Poppie promised to watch it and turn it off, and was off to meet Lady at the ladies home.  She had 52 jars, we carried full boxes up the steep stairs and put them in the cars.  The lady, asked that we each pick a fruit box full of plums to help her use the fruit off of her trees.  We had just gotten the plums picked into our boxes when the lady asked what we was going to do with the food out of the jars.  I said, "We give it to my pigs"  she asked if the pigs would like all the down fall apples as well.  I said "yes" knowing that the pigs would enjoy them but that she really needed help cleaning the apples up so the yellow jackets wouldn't be a danger to her, they have been really bad this year and lots of people have been stung.  Lady and I picked up and raked three trees down fall of apples, ended be three large boxes of apples.  The pigs did love them and Lady and I really got a work out, with the jars up the stairs, picking plums and the raking, pick and carrying of all the full apple boxes.  We went to my house, and I picked out clean jars from the first jars of the day to replace the half of the 52 so Lady had empty jars to take home.  We parted having spent a wonderful day of friendship doing one of our favorite things, well maybe two, spending time together and sharing our love of jars, oh, and the work out was nice too.

I pray you have wonderful friendships in your life, I pray that you have a family to love and share with and most of all I pray that your life has the Savior in it.  May God guide your life, your soul and your being.... May you be his and enjoy his special love.... tomorrow.

What is normal? Why is it that we have to want to be normal? Why should I want to be normal or conform to what is you normal??

I grew up in a normal home.  Well didn't I?  I think that we all grow up in a normal home.  How could we not?  You don't know that you are not normal until some one tells you and shows you that your life in not normal.  Normal is a societal belief.  Society tells us what normal is or isn't once we make the mistake of listen to what society has to say about us.  I never meant a child that didn't live in a normal childhood because normal to them is all they know and what they know is their normal.  Ahh there is the rub, their normal.  We all are "their normal"  and that's where the trouble begins, it's "their normal"  we don't know that we are the "they in their normal" until someone tells us that we are in the "they" category. 

I have always know that we, well my family, didn't actually do the things other people did in their families.  I move 42 times as a child, went to 13 schools, lived in 6 states but I figured that was normal because that is what we did.  I am sure you had a normal life because that is what you did in your childhood.  We all have that kind of normal, and we for the most part accept it and live it.  We all live the lives we are given.  We never think of our lives as not being normal until someone points out to us we aren't.  We look at others and kind of shake our heads and wonder how they survive their lives because surely that couldn't be a normal life as it looks nothing like mine.  I think of them as the "they" and we all to a man do that at some time in our lives.  The bottom line is that there is no normal that is not our normal to us. 

I first really became aware of abnormal in an intimate way when I got married.  I thought my husbands family was so not normal.  I am sure in hindsight he thought my family was just as abnormal as I thought his was.  Funny thing we are now normal and both are families are so abnormal we can't quite figure out how they survive in their abnormality.  I think normal is relative.

I look our across the great array of my friends, and if you haven't guessed my friends are a rainbow of liberals, conservatives, hippies, hipsters, homesteaders, upcyclers, good old boys, logger and the list goes on, and they are all normal but they are all abnormal to one another, as are we all.  I get advise on how to raise my Ladies that runs the gambit.  They should be college educated and not contemplate marriage until they have come into themselves and have their future secure.  They should be allowed their friends, to make their own mistakes and they should be able to live their lives as free spirits.  They should this and they should that..... on and on.  I am sure that I should not make their plans for them.  I am not of the opinion that I should live or plan their lives.  I have been there done that and it doesn't work anyway.  I should train them up, and give them the best example that I can be.  Give them a good God based life as an example, and instill God in their lives and let them live their lives as God directs them to.  Enough said.

I don't think that anyone's opinion of how we live our lives matters in the long run, we have no right to make any judgment's about anyone.  God alone has the right to judge how we lived our lives.  I think the reality of this life is that we all get to be our own normal.  We each get to make our way the best we can.  School is the answer for some, but then look at all the over educated people in the homeless lines.  Look at the Bill Gate's who were the drop outs that succeed when no one who isn't a college graduate amounts to anything?  I think that God has a plan for the uneducated, the educated, the simple lives and the complicated lives,  I think God has a plan for all our lives we just have to let him guide us to it.  Your opinion and my opinion of anyone's life is of no matter and a waste of thinking. We should be worried about our own lives and our own goals whether they met with anyone else's standards or not, because in the end my normal or your normal is no ones business but our own.  Normal is a state of mind and we all have a normal unto ourselves.....

May God lead your life down it's path of normal.  May your normal be a path toward God.  May God direct you to your normal life and may your normal be a normal life in eternity with God in heaven....tomorrow.

Cubbie comes for cuddles..... Yogie is organizing my jars, clink, clink, clink... oh, I hope they don't break any!!

I am slowing awaking this morning.  I have read the two verses I consider my life verses thinking I like the one more than the other.  Shared them with the girls.  Listened to them practice their song that they will sing at the Assisted Living and the Nursing Home this Saturday.  They are coming along well with it.  Booboo began reading Proverbs 21, it is the 21st of the month, though Yogie was sure it was the 20th.  Oh, my goodness she just realized there are only 8 days until school begins.  Yikes!!  Boy comes in to show us that little Buttons is on the mind.  We had thought she had a broken neck two days ago as Elvis had thrown her out of  the play house window.  He got in trouble and is not allowed to touch any of the dogs now.  She in the end was a very lucky dog, probably only had a concussion but it was a scary thing.  Cubbie comes in right behind him.  She wants a cuddle.  So, I put my book up, and cuddle and start my morning, no resting here I guess.  Well there is cuddling.

I asked Cubbie what her mom in doing.  "She has crohns" she says.  I said, "is she sick?"  "NO, she just has crohns." her answer.  I laugh to myself, not about the crohns, but the blasé way Cubbie speaks of it, like it is normal, well I guess in her life it is.  I all of a sudden hear my jar clinking in my pantry, there is a pass throw between my room and the pantry, part of it will stay but the rest is just still not filled in.   I say "what are you doing with my jars?"  Yogie replies,  "we are sorting them out for you"  I say, "don't break any I am getting low."  She says, "We won't we are sorting the pints and quarts and putting them on the top shelf."  "okay, be careful and you can add the mayo jars in."  "What are mayo jars and where are they"  I tell her what and where they are and she and Boy move them into the mix.  They are my back up, well them and the older jars, which I used some of yesterday to can more green beans.  I made my Peach BBQ sauce up in pints, I think it turned out as good as my other two bbq sauces, so we should have enough to last.  I am going to sort out last years canning as well, they are all in the kitchen and won't be taken into the pantry but I will get them sorted and accounted to know what I still have. See if any is not a likes item is so I will dump the contents to the pigs and have more jars to fill with new stuff.

I have kids to feed, and will probably have Mokie's two oldest all day, Crohns days are not pleasant for her or them so here they will stay.  I hope she feels better soon, it is not a pleasant disease and I am glad she has few bad days and is in remission for the most part.  Zucchini Gummy worms to dry, beets, syrups and pineapple to make today.

I pray for the Lord to be in your life, and praise God for all of you that have him in your lives, how glorious that is.  Share God with all those who love you and they will see his works in you and look to him, how wondrous that can be.... tomorrow.

Okay, so now I remember why I like old pork..... corn cob jelly in the jar, I did learn to write them down.

I finished my corn cob jelly and it does put you in mind of honey or corn syrup, well corn syrup is not a good thing I know but since the corn cob jelly is not made under high heat it isn't actually bad like really corn syrup, now to use some and see if it is usable in place of corn syrup or just good jelly.  I am thinking if I use it in sauces and such in should be very similar to corn syrup but the real test would be to make something like candy..... we shall see how it works.  I have made several sauces in the last week and I have learned a valuable lesson from past years, to write it down as I go.  I have done that religiously so will be able to repeat all of my sauce recipes.  I got wonderful compliments from both Lady and Pianist.  They both think I should bottle my recipes so every one can enjoy them.  I may look into what that would actually take.  I like best that I can actually make more when we run out. Roasted Pineapple Habanero Burger Sauce and my Jalapeno Hab essence Barbeque sauces are both well received, yay.

I roasted our first real dinner from Miss Chops last night and yes, I remember why I love old pork as apposed to new market pork.  It has flavor, wondrous lovely deep flavor.  I know it is a bit of a trade off but the flavor is so worth the little extra cooking slightly tougher meat takes to make good.  It has darker color and flat out tastes good.  Oh, and the bacon is good too.

Today I have a bucket of green beans sitting in the kitchen awaiting their sauna bath and sealing up in the process of preservation.  I still have that lone jar awaiting 6 jars of soup to be done.  I have beets that need grating and relish or slaw to make. 

Yesterday all but one of my grands was here all at the same time it was wonderful to have them all here to enjoy all at once.  I didn't get much time to enjoy them but just having the houseful as I canned was very home, and so normal to me.  I know that some people don't like chaos but for me there is nothing more normal.  I think maybe that is why I multitask so well, I had to to survive.  I only feel abnormal when I am alone and don't cope well with truly being alone in the quiet.  I have found reading helps, or staying really busy can ease my apprehension in the quiet.  I think so many people find that upside down...... do you?

I pray for your day, I pray for your salvation.  I pray that the Lord works in you life today.  I pray that not just for all of you but I pray that daily for myself as well.  We all need the loving arms of Christ Jesus in our lives, it is so wondrous that he has such love for all of us.  He gave his life that we may live, what else can be said, that is love unexplainable..... tomorrow.

Life just gets in the way sometimes......

I am sorry to say I have ignored you again, it is not that it is easy to forget you all it is just that time seems to get away from me more these last months than I suppose in the last 2 1/2 years. I have found that I just don't have time this summer sometimes to come and chat with you.  I will once school starts so there is that to look forward to I suppose.  We have gotten a bit off schedule so to speak.  I have actually been canning sometime up until after 10 so don't seem to be able to get up at my normal 5:30ish.  I know we will be back on schedule when school starts, yay.  I have made it my mission to fill all my jars up and I have actually for the first time in my life, canned 1/2 pints, 1/4 pints, and small batches of this or that.  It has been fun to try fun little recipes.  I have made hot habanero and jalapeno mustard.  Habanero hot sauce, the roasted habanero pineapple burger sauce, cowboy candy which has been fun to play with.  I got home from church yesterday and Booboo and I started cutting the corn off of 40 ears of corn.  I canned the corn and ended up with 8 quarts which I hate when I have an odd jar, today I am making ham and bean soup so I can can the orphan jar of corn.  I am using all the cobs to make corn cob jelly, I ended up getting all the corn juice made yesterday but I got 15 cups of juice and only had 3 sure jels so I have to get 2 more boxes to get the corn cob jelly made today.  I really can't wait to see how it tastes, it is supposed to taste similar to honey, and can be used like corn syrup but since it has never been at the high heat it takes to make corn syrup not a bad thing for you.  Can't wait. 

I did make 19 pints of barbeque sauce and finish canning, they have just a hint of habanero in them and even Poppie liked it so it isn't really hot, I didn't want to make it so he and Booboo couldn't enjoy them.  Poppie and the girls went to Thor's yesterday and picked 3 boxes that probably hold 5 to 6 regular boxes of peaches.  I was originally to can half of them for Thor but since he picked the ones off the ground and canned them himself, he gave us all of the peaches so peaches to can today, they are very ready to be in jars and I don't want to make any more peach butter.  I may try making some into peach bbq sauce though.  I will see how much time I have in the end.  I think maybe I am truly enjoying canning and not just trying to put food in jars.  I am nearly running out of shelf space in the one side of my pantry.  It will hold a minimum of  650 jars, not counting if I used 1/2 pints or 1/4  pints, all canned in the last month or so.  I am pretty proud of it being filled up.  Poppie has to get the other shelves done so I can start on the other side of the pantry.  My kitchen holds about 600 jars, I will have to sort out the canning and get a good count of last years canning that is still left.  I don't think I will put any of it into my pantry but just sort and use it up as we need it. I am thinking I will be needing more jars before the end of the summer.  I know I have over 1000 jars easily but since we do use them, and rotate them, I see no reason I can't have more.

My daughter, Goofy, passed through yesterday, she stopped in as she travelled through our state.  I got to see Elvis and Chubbie.  I was amazed that Chubbie, looks so like Bubbles and Cubbie, they all could be sisters they looks so much alike.  It was nice to get to see them if only for a short time.  I hope to get to see them again soon. 

I pray for your salvation, I know that that sounds false to some of you and that I say it all the time so you think it is something I say out of habit but it is not.  I do pray for the salvation of souls, I do pray that all that are called to God accept his invitation, I do pray for your soul and pray that the Devil could spend eternity in hell alone, wouldn't that be glorious?  God's grace is that big and God is that magnificent..... tomorrow.

Beets coming, tomatoes on the counter, bread on the cupboard, and new jars in the shelves....... I begin anew.

We got a lot done yesterday. Booboo and I got eleven loaves of bread and three pans of buns done and in the bread box for the Farmer's market.  Just foccacias and pies to do today.  I am really hoping to get some scones done as well but we will see how far we actually get.  I canned up 18 jars, 1/4 pints, 1/2 pints and 3 12 ounces jars of hot sauces.  They are deadly hot and will be great for that little kick in recipes and on food, but since they are so hot I made them up in my littlest jars.  I have cowboy candy, mustards and bbq sauces to make today.  I picked up a case of tomatoes yesterday, beautiful tomatoes they will get me by until Poppies stars ripening later in the month.  I still have lots of the habaneros left but will be freezing most of those for future project.  Miss Chops is done and ready to come home from the butcher.  We are thankful for her life and all the good she was in our lives while she lived with us, she will now feed us for the winter and we are the most thankful to her for that.  I will can as much of her as I can.

I am an admitted canning addicted but there are worse things I could be.  My BFF Lady is as well it is so much fun to figure out new things to put our canning sites one.  We share the joys, the triumphs and sometimes the failures of a new recipe.  I think that since it is such a rewarding pursuit we just might be forgiven our addictions.  I counted my quarts size jars yesterday and not counting, old old jar and mayo jars I only have 5 dozen left.  I am scary low so I will be putting my lovely tomatoes up in pints I am thinking I may have to buy more jars but am not purchasing anymore Wal-Mart jars.  I am hoping to catch a sale on jars at the end of the season, usually the best time to buy.  I will be putting up peaches again next week, Thor said if I canned half of his peach crop for him I could have half.  I agreed but he has to provide his own jars.  Poppie and the girls will go help pick the peaches this afternoon.  They are lovely little peaches and I will can them up whole so it will be a breeze.

Tonight we are to go to a BBQ at Preacher and Pianist's house so a dessert to make to go, and we are going to gift Preacher with a jar of hot sauce and a jar of Pineapple Habanero Burger Sauce,  he is always complaining about things not being hot even, somehow I think these will be....lol. 

May you know that the Lord loves you because you are, in his eyes, the most special creation he ever created.  He loves you and gave his son for you,  love him and believe his word.  Believe that he gave his son for your sins and he is offering you everlasting life with him, you just have to believe and accept his gift.... tomorrow.

Productive Wednesday......

Yesterday was my day with out kids in the morning so I took advantage of the morning hours to start my apple butter.  I put all the apples in the Pressure Canner but just boiled them until soft no pressure.  Booboo and I sieved them into the 18 quart turkey roaster, we added sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice and let them get to simmering.  My Habaneros and Jalapenos came in so went down and picked them up.  My tomatoes won't be here until Friday.  I decided to work with the habaneros first as I am splitting the 10 pound box of Jalapenos with Lady.  I decided I wanted to make a nice hot burger sauce.  I couldn't find a recipe that I liked.  I found a recipe for salsa that was made of roasted pineapple and pan roasted habaneros so with that as my inspiration I decided to create my own Roasted Pineapple Habaneros burger sauce.  I sliced and roasted the pinapple on my dry electric skillet, I got the cast iron skillet hot and add 20 habaneros to it.  Once all roasted I diced each added 8 hatch chilies, 4 green peppers, some vinegar and sugar.  It turned out wonderful once all simmered together, did I mention it is smoking hot.  It is right at the edge of being to hot for me and that takes a lot of heat.  I loved the look of it all lovely diced in the pot but decided that with the amount of heat it had in it it would not do well with big diced pieces so I got out my trusty blender out and gave it a quick blend so it in a thick puree.  It is still pretty, though not quite as pretty, but it is more taster friendly. It is hot and I ended up with a quart of the liquid left over so saved it to add to my cowboy candy as a little kick, nobody else here is going to eat the candy any way, and when I gift it it will have a little something something.

I finished up the burger sauce and got all my jars of apple butter filled and water bathing.  Belle called me, we had a nice talk on the phone, and then I took her over some greens, green beans and some of my Pineapple Habanero Burger Sauce.  We talked for a couple hours and then I got home and finished the last two water bath batches of apple butter.  It was a nice productive day.  I got 21 jars of burger sauce, mostly 1/2 pints, no one needs more than a 1/2 pint open of  it at any one time.  The total on the apple butter was 25 pints. 

I have to go start sponge for the bread, we are making it today as we are going to the Preacher and Pianist's tomorrow night for a BBQ so we won't be able to cook late.  The girls spent the night with Drama's Flower and Butterfly, so I figured I would get the sponge going for them.  We can make the pies and foccacia's tomorrow easily enough.  Just three littles today.  They are hunger so off I go.

I pray that the Lord uses you to tell others about the Lord Jesus, if you are saved in Christ, if not I hope and pray that you hear the call to salvation from the Lord God.  May your life be filled with the Lord and may you know the joy of being redeemed by Christ Jesus.... tomorrow.

Apples, Tomatoes, peppers lots of peppers.... a moment to think before I dive in...

I have a busy day ahead, I have a turkey roaster of apples to make into apple butter, two cases each of tomatoes and peppers to pick up at the store, Lady is getting one case of tomatoes and 1/2 a case of the peppers so that will help a little.  I am going to make cowboy candy, Roasted Pineapple & Habanero Sauce, tomatoes and peppers, so lots to do but for a moment it is quite no kids here yet but my dear sleeping Booboo.  I get to have a minute to think. 

I have just gotten two new M. R. DeHaan's.  I got to read the first chapter of Jonah, I was so excited and couldn't even resist starting it even though I am in the middle of his Second Coming of Christ, which is a great book but I just couldn't wait.  How wonderful it is to have that much excitement about the Lord's Word and commentaries about him. 

I read a section of Jonah Fact of Fiction, that I would like to share with you this morning.  It is not on the internet so I will actually have to type it out myself,  good thing I actually learned how to do that, no hunt and peck here, I do hope I get it all right.  I will not add my commentary it speaks for it's self and with the new hype people have to prove or disprove the Bible it is sublime message.....


"M R DeHaan, Jonah Fact of Fiction... 1957.........

Must be a Miracle
This attempt, therefor to explain Jonah by natural reasoning and scientific investigation is a trick of the enemy to destroy the supernatural character of the Gospel which the story of Jonah illustrates.  One of the most subtle attaches upon the Word of God is the attempt to Prove the Bible. Men compass land and sea about, dig into the ruins of ancient Bible cities, and then expect us to become excited when they come up with some archaeological discovery which finally proves the Bible to be true.  What a clever scheme of the enemy to cause us to seek proof outside  of the Scripture itself.  The true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ needs no external proof of the authenticity of the Word of God.  He has the witness within himself, for he has had an experience of its truthfulness.  He believes it because God says it.

The Bible does not need the endorsement of science.  It does not need the proof of archaeology.  The Bible needs no apologies and no defense.  It has stood on its own record and merit for millenniums while the so-called  scientific  objections have fallen  and mouldered  in the dust of antiquity. Before  there was any archaeology  the Bible was able to stand on its own feet.  The older I become the more I see the folly of trying to prove the Bible.  Our Ministry is not apologetic, but the positive preaching of the "Thus saith the Lord." The late Dr. William L. Pettingill used to say, "talk about defending the Bible? Why, you might as well talk about defending the lion.  Let him loose. He'll defend himself."

All of this, therefore, is implied in the very first verse of the book of Jonah. 
In Jonah1:1 we read:  Now the word of the Lord can unto Jonah.    The book of Jonah, therefore, opens with a reminder that we are dealing with the Word of the Lord, and not the word of man.  It is not the word of man, but God's own testimony, and surely God does not have to explain His reason for doing things to His puny, insignificant creatures.  What brazen presumption to question what God says.  As though the Creator must stoop to the credulity of His creature, man would call God into an account why He does what He does..... "

Enough said, I think.  I pray that you believe the Word of God.  I pray that you seek to know more of what the Lord saith,  I pray that you believe... tomorrow.

Hucks, apples, tomatoes, peppers.... it tis the season.

We got up early to go pick maybe our last huckleberries of the season, Poppie may try and go once more but might not get to go.  I stopped by the store on the way up the hill and ordered 2 cases of peppers and 2 cases of tomatoes, they will be here tomorrow.  I ordered hoping the Lady would want some but didn't have the time to call her and in the end she did, glad didn't want to do that many jars tomorrow anyway.  We got to the mountain and started picking I told the Ladies that they could go by their fair ride tickets today or tomorrow if they each picked a gallon, well they both did well and in the end each picked a half gallon which was pretty good.  Poppie and I each picked a gallon before we had to leave, Booboo had a piano lesson we had to get her to.  Poppie also scoped out wood on the way down the hill, going to get it on Saturday after the Farmer's market.  Poppie is picking beans on Friday for the girls to take to the Farmer's Market so I don't have to can any more beans this week, thank goodness.  We ended up with 3 full gallons of the huckleberries in the end and with the 6 in the freezer we are two gallons ahead of last year, yay. 

I had just gotten home and had time to email Lady about the tomatoes when Mokie came for me to go pick apples.  We loaded the ladder, the kids, except for Booboo who was at piano lessons and away we went.  I held the ladder and Mokie picked and I dumped into the bigger buckets.  We ended up with 15 gallons.  I also saw a bumper crop of rose hips that I may go pick for tea and jelly, well maybe. We got home and I checked the internet, Lady does want the tomatoes.  I also have to go pick apples with her on Thursday.  I just may have my apples made into apple butter and put up by the time I have to go help pick them.  I love summer such and abundance this year, and so much is free if you are willing to work for it.  I think I will put the tomatoes up in pints this year never done it before but I have many more pints than quarts and that would give me more options.  Off to wash huckle berries and start apple butter.

May the Lord love and bless you.  May the glory of God be the controlling influence in your life.  May you be in Christ and have his grace.  May you love the Lord above all in your life... tomorrow.

Only one door......

I spent the last few days canning, it is the height of canning season and since I can't bear to see any empty jars I have been trying my darnedest to fill all of mine.  I got a great deal through BBFC to go along with the huckleberries coming on in the woods, the bumper crop of chokecherries and the every bearing rows of green beans from Poppie's garden.  I share a 25 pound lug of beautiful Hatch Green Chilis with Lady, oh and 3 38 pound boxes of apples so my weekend was all booked up.  We had a great distribution at BBFC and the girls had a wonderful Farmer's Market.  I got home at around noon thirty, I had stop at the store and bought 2 free range chickens to make up pepper chicken soup.  I got the chickens right into the pressure cooker when I got home to have the chicken for the soup cooked.  I put away my basket, and for some reason the radish greens were very tasty looking.  I tried one it tasted great, Poppie said you better find out if they are edible before you eat any more.  I check on the internet and they are full of all sorts of wonderful vitamins and mineral.  I threw them into the bottom of the pressure canner with the backbones, some onions, garlic, swiss chard and what ever else I could find to put into the stock and got it going so I would have nice stock for the soup.  I chopped peppers, onions, tomatoes, opened a jar of my corn, parboiled some wheat berries and some garbanzo beans and layered all into the jars, topped the jars of with the chicken and stock when they were all processed.  I ended up with 29 jars, I always mess up the count and have to make one with something else.  It is sort of like when I make stone soup it just seems to keep growing, I guess even when I make it in jars..... who knew.  I ended up having to finish processing on Sunday.

I woke up Sunday sick.  The girls and I were to take lemon brownies and regular brownies for Breakfastfest.  Good thing we baked them the night before between batches of pressure cannering.  I know why I am sick.  My wonderful Poppie saw how hot I was from all the steaming of the pressure cookers and canners so ran the swamp cooler all night, which is right nest to my bed, so I would sleep in comfort.  The problem is that my lungs are fragile at best and he never thought that the swamp cooler was probably not the best thing after a day of steam on my lungs, and the fact that the swamp cool brought in the smoke from the fires that is drifting into our valley.  I needless to say I have a horrible summer cold, and last night the swamp cooler was not on so warm all night in our room.  I did get the other canning done yesterday,  I didn't get to go to church because I can't stop cough.  I did get to read my Bible as the jars processed.  I sadly didn't get to go to Boys birthday bash, but he did have a nice party, said Poppie and the girls.

I read in my Bible, I meandered a little here and there.  I read of how the second coming of Christ is likened to the days of Noah and the days of Lot.  The saved in Christ will be likened to the saved in Noah and Lots times.  Noah because God provided a safe haven for the saved in the ark.  The ark was a place that was especially made for the people who believed the word of God.  Noah and his family were the only ones that believed God, it was a horrible world in the time he lived.  God provided a prepared place for believers that only had one door. So few were saved. In Lots time, Lot too lived in a horrible place but unlike Noah he was living among the horrible sinners and he was saved but tested by the fires.  The Bible tells us the there is only one door to salvation, you can only get there one way.  Today were are told by false preachers that you can get there if you are good, if you love others, if you do this or that ritual but that is not the case.  God has prepared for us a place, heaven, but as with the ark it only has one door. Few will be saved, and only the few that know that  Jesus is that door.  You have to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, he came to earth and was born of a virgin, a miraculous birth, he was killed upon a cross was buried and in three days he rose again.  He gave his life and blood, as a sacrifice for one and all, that believe on him.  That is the one door to everlasting life and heaven.  God sent his only begotten son as a sacrifice for us all, he loves us and gave his son to die on the cross for us.  We, that believe, are washed in the blood of Jesus, that is the one and only door way to heaven.  If you believe that and confess that to God he opens the door way for you.  Though you be like Lot, and believe, you will still receive everlasting life, though in that case you might need to be clean by fire like Lot was before you enter but God will know and provide that as well, but enter you will if you believe in the one door way, That Jesus lived and died for you..... tomorrow.

Vegas came to visit, such a treat, chokecherry syrup, chicken and stock.... baking too..

Lady and I got to pick chokecherries on Tuesday but since it was Yogie's birthday on Wednesday I didn't get to process them until yesterday.  We had a marvelous time the Ladies and I they shopped until they had no more money left.  They got their hair cut, not that Poppie likes it but they do.  We had a great day out shopping, something we don't get to do often just the three of us. 

I juiced the chokecherries yesterday got 36 cups of juice, and since I didn't have 72 cups of sugar even though I bought 25 pounds when we were shopping I only made half of it into syrup, have to do the rest today.  Booboo and I made 11 loaves of bread and 4 pans of buns so part of the Farmer's Market baking is done. The rest of the baking to do today.  I finished up canning stock,  I had used my pressure canner the night before to make it and we got 11 quarts of stock, yay, and it jelled.  I finished the canning of with 5 quarts of green beans for the day.  I think Poppie is picking them again today, we will have nice bean this winter is all I can say.

My friend Vegas is visiting in town this week.  I am always blessed that she takes one of her precious days, to spent with her family from her vacation, and spends part of it with us.  We had a marvelous time with her.  She and I have only known each other for two years but she is like one of those people you meet and you have just known each other for every.  We can start a conversation and continue it a year later.  She is one of my new friends that I share an old friendship with, what a blessing, oh, and the kids all just love love her.  I was so glad to see her for the time we had.

Well off to make those pancakes, like time waits for no man, kids can't seem to either.  There is syrup to taste after all.  May the Lord bless your day, may heaven be your future and hell have no hold on you.  May you know your final destination and thank God for your life to come.... tomorrow.

Back from Camping but gone huckleberring.....

We had a wonderful time camping.  I swear camping in the rain is far better than in the hot hot.  It actually only rained one morning, and miraculously cleared up in the evenings for lovely evenings and great fishing.  I think you can call it great fishing if they mostly caught only fun, and two fish that were actually incidental.  We did get cut down two trees and get 3/4 of a load of fire wood.  Poppie can't seem to actually see trees standing by the road awaiting cutting with an empty truck and go on without putting them in the truck.  The girls were just excited it was a small load and it took no time.  They rode their bikes to the trees, loaded the truck up and with Lady Jay in tow road back to the camp site and commenced to swimming in the cold creek.  We got back in the late afternoon and just had time to go up to the top of a different mountain to check on our huckleberry patch.  It was ready and begging to be picked so after church this morning we were off to pick huckleberries.  Lady and Sweetie came up and picked as well.  We ended up with 6 quart bags stuffed so probably a couple gallons all toll.  We are headed back up in the morning to pick more huckleberries, they wait for no one when they are ripe they need to be picked..... tomorrow is the day.  I am happy to be home sort of we had a great time and much needed away time from the grands.  Oh, I forgot the grands stayed with G-Ma and they  had a lovely time.  They were so new to the experience they were angels for her, hmmm I am not sure how she got them to do that they let their little devils come out when I have them everyday.....  May the Lord bless your life, may you ask and the Lord bless you with all your needs, may you know that the Lord loves you and gave his son for you, yes you, the free gift of salvation is Jesus's gift to you... tomorrow.

Rhubarb and ?? Pie fillings. Baked bread, buns, and cobbler, escaping later to day, even in the rain.

My sister Drama gave me a whole bag of rhubarb a couple of days ago.  I looked up recipes and found rhubarb salsa and rhubarb bbq sauce recipes but in the end the frugal planner in my won out.  I ended up chopping it all up in to tiny pieces and got three giant bowls of chopped rhubarb, oh and Mokie took enough for a rhubarb pizza.  I liked that the rhubarb was tiny long stalks for the most part.  I chopped  it into the nicest small dice, small dice more rhubarb in a cup....  I made up rhubarb huckleberry with the last of last years harvest.  I got 3 freezer bags for 3 pies.  I next mixed up rhubarb blueberry, from the blueberries we get at Costco for the girls pies at the farmer's market.  I got 7 freezer bags.  I then mixed up rhubarb strawberry, from the strawberries I got at Costco again for the farmer's market pies.  I got 9 freezer bags and with the last rhubarb I made 4 plain rhubarb freezer bags.  So I thought it was a great day of work for the 23 pies we will eventually get.  I measured each bag out most were around 18 ounces but the one with strawberries they ran 28 ounces, not sure exactly why, more dense maybe?  I did make a wonderful huckleberry, strawberry, rhubarb cobble to take on our camping trip.  I would have canned them except I didn't have any clear-jel and I don't actually like canned pie filling as good as frozen so I used some of my precious freezer space, I did make sure the air was all out of each bag and they layed nice and flat so took up as minimal space as possible.

Freezer pie recipe for one freezer bag

Rhubarb Berry Pie Filling

2 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups berries whole if blueberry, raspberry, huckleberry, sliced it strawberries... etc
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)

Mix ingredient together and let them set and meld together for several hours until they juice up and the sugar melts.  Put the filling in a freezer bag, or freezer container.  I make sure to take out all of the air, or as much as I can and press flat so it take up less freezer space, I just use bags, less space as well.  When you use them you take them out of freezer let the bag thaw until it in malleable but in a pie crust, homemade or you can use the store ones, top crust or crumble.  Bake 45 minutes on 375 should have a golden brown crust.

Nannie's Never Fail Crust, as adapted and tested from years of baking for my family

3 cups flour
1 cup of lard, Coconut oil, butter or shortening ( all give you a little different flake)
1/2 cup of water
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar

Combine flour, sugar, salt  in a bowl, with a pastry cutter or fork cut the fat into the flour until you have a nice crumbling dough.  In a small bowl combine the water, egg and vinegar.  In the middle of the flour mixture make a well, pour the water mixture into it the well and mix together.. do not add any more water just gentle knead until it is all combined.  Once combined wrap in plastic wrap and put it in the frig for at least and hour before rolling out.  Enjoy.

I baked bread, hamburger buns and cobbler yesterday for our camping trip.  It is raining today and we had been planning this trip for some time so we are still going.  We have camped in the rain before and sometime it is the nicest of trips.  Yogie has not gotten to go on a camping trip for year and that is her favorite way to spend her birthday time so we are going.  It won't be unbearable hot so that will be a blessing.  Fishing in the rain??  We are taking books and cards along as well, just encase....

May the Lord bless your life, your day and you.  May the Lord be upper most in you daily thoughts, you are the most special person he ever made, he loves us all that way, isn't that marvelous and so hard for we humans to wrap our minds around but he does.... tomorrow.