Tour of the "Blogosphere"

Had a little time today to swing around the blogosphere.  It's great to see you are all busy and happy and productive and it's great to drop in and visit for a couple minutes from Australia, to Pennylvania, to Kansas, to Missouri, and back to New Hampshire.  Isn't it amazing?  What a difference from just a few years back when the only way to communicate economically was to mail a letter.  It took some time to write the letter and then to get it from the desk to the mailbox with postage, then sometimes you'd get a return letter, sometimes not. 

I went to visit my friend Sharmayne from Australia.  It's fun to see the changing seasons for her.  Right now she's in the midst of the winter season and we're in the midst of summer.  She makes soaps and is very talented with yarn.  Stop in and see some of her handiwork.  She also sells her soap, but not sure what the postage would be like to get it to the states.  Unfortunately the internet has it's limitations.

Then there's my blogging friend Gina from Pennsylvania  who is also very talented and a great mom with a wonderful family who all get together for fun events like butchering, canning, and just plain good fun.  Her latest post was about their new chickens.  We have that in common and gardening... I love to hear about her garden.  She also has the most adorable children.  Gina's a reader, who often gives book reviews.  I've ordered a few of the books she has recommended.

Then I get to visit with my friend Connie from Missouri.  She has such encouraging posts.  It's fun to get those in my email box nearly every day.  She also has a wonderful family with three adorable children.  She will be homeschooling this year, so pray for her as she takes this on as well as caring for a toddler.  Lots of you moms out there know what that's going to be like.
She shared this gem the other day and it made me laugh outloud!!!

Then there's my Kansas buddy Linda who is the bestest cooker.  I love to hear about her yummy recipes and what a talent she is with a needle in hand.  She lives on a farm with horses, sheep, chickens and kitties.  I also get her posts via email and it's always such an encouragement to hear all about her family and job and farm life and crafts and cooking adventures.  Hey, Linda, do any of your recipes fail???

Finally back home to our "neck of the woods".  I love my friend Mrs. T's  blog.  She always has something encouraging to say in her posts.  She puts me to shame with my measily few posts over this past year.  She also has many adventures and many yummy recipes to share.  Even though I get to see Mrs T often and get to taste some of those yummy recipes, I still like reading her blog when I have opportunity.

You all encourage me and inspire me to get going and get things done and get creative.  Love ya all even if I don't comment all the time... I'm lurking. 

This is only a sampling of the blogs that I visit, but ones I highly recommend for others to read and follow as well.  If I could give them all an award, I would.

Hello From the Millett Farm

The garden is growing and producing and we are thankful.  We've had beans, peas, and cucumber so far, but lots more on the way.  Joanna's nasturtium are drawing in the hummingbirds and the sunflowers are drawing in the bumblebees.  My grandson was here through the month of July and we had loads of fun and he was able to go to camp at The Wilds of New England for two weeks through the grace of God.  We sent him home exhausted and in the middle of a crazy rain storm. 

It has been a great summer so far with many blessings and work to do.  My job has been extremely busy... good for job security, but exhausting too.  We've been enjoying the new deck and the outdoor fireplace.  We've had numerous visit from bear but not pictures since they like to visit at night and no one wants to go be too friendly with them. 

The 28 little ducklings are growing up and now go out and enjoying the duck yard.  Here they are going on a "playdate" under all the momma's watchful eyes.  They really didn't want me out there taking pictures of them. 

Our meat birds are getting "meaty".  I gotta get busy and use up last year's chickens before we put in this years.  Won't be long till butchering day arrives.  They seem to be quite healthy.

They are "waddling" well. - * 3steps, plop * 3 steps, plop* -  That's how they get around.

More pictures later so that you can see more of what's happening on the farm.

Just a word about the grace of God. I Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."  God's grace is something I do not deserve and certainly is not something I can earn.  In fact the more I lean on the Lord, the more grace he shows.  The more I try to do things on my own the more challenging life becomes.  I know in my head that God has my times in his hands and that the more time I spend with Him the more precious He is to me, but life just seems to crowd out these thoughts and I find myself floundering, like Peter on the stormy sea.  I wonder what I'm going to do about this or that and don't think so much about when I'll get to spend some more time with God in prayer or in the Word.  God seems to always catch me when I'm falling and bring me back to that place where I am listening to Him again.  Oh foolish human that I am.  When will I ever learn that without God I can do nothing.  Unless He is the builder there is no soundness to the structure.  Unless I abide in Him my life will be fruitless.  I wonder how many others struggle with this very thing.  I'm sure there are other's out there who get into this vicious cycle.  If you have any helpful hints, let me know.  

It's a beautiful sunny day out there today.  Even though I woke up with a terrific headache, the pain is easing up and I'm at work with a full staff today, so it won't be too crazy.  God is good to me again.

Have a great day! 

Isaiah 61

Wow... it's been a month since I wrote anything here on this blog.  I want you all to know that it is not because I'm loosing interest.  I want to post more often.  There are too few minutes in the day and far more pressing issues.  I know you all understand where I'm coming from.  I love you all and have been keeping up "sort of" with you all and praying for you all too.

Just thought you'd enjoy and little New Hampshire "GREEN" today.  My garden is coming right along, though it is about 1/3 the size of past years.  The reason for that is we will be filling in the back end to level it off and Mr. D thinks that may happen this summer sometime.  So... the chickens have full reign over 2/3 of our garden space eating weeds and bugs and not really doing that good of a job, I might add.  They have cleared about 1/2 of the unused space and the other 1/2 is thick with weeds.

What I did plant this year is thriving thus far.  We've had perfect growing weather so far.  A little rain, a little sun/heat.

I was reminded of a passage of scripture which I have used for the title of this post.  The whole chapter is lovely, but I thought of verse 11:

"For as the earth brings forth its bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations"



The tomatoes, Jet Star, and Amish Paste





Jacob Cattle beans for shell and dry beans



The strawberries:  these are the June bearers which I replanted into rows this year after they had berries.  I will be mulching these after they are done spreading their daughters.



The peas, haven't harvested any yest, but they've gone way past their fencing and are loaded with blossoms and small pods.  Soon we'll have some fresh peas.



Finally going to have a blueberry crop.  This is year 3 for these 6 new bushes.  When we moved we had to leave behind our beautiful blueberry bushes.  It was VERY sad, but the new ones are starting to produce now.  Thank you Lord.



Parsnips gone wild.  I have never had parsnips to this (biennial), But they won't be harvested till next spring anyway.  Hope they're not too woody.




 

oregano



wildflowers that came back from seed... 1/2 are in the chicken yard and 1/2 in the herb garden.  We'll see how many survive after construction ends.



One side of the greenhouse.  Got some little stars from the craft store and this is my favorite combination of flowers for the window box.  I plant these every year.  One 6 pack of each will do 2 boxes, so VERY economical.



This is the sign Joanna made for me a couple years ago.  The little birdhouse in the window box is supposed to be attached to the branch of the tree, but it came off and I haven't reattached it yet. 

Happy July from the Millett Farm.

CALLING ALL BIRD-LOVERS

Just a short post...

check this out.  Fledging Red Tailed Hawks at Cornell.... live feed.  Might take a little time to start the live feed, but very interesting.  One took off this morning and is perched in some nearby oak trees.  Another is about to fly... sitting on an outside ledge.  Another is still in the nest eating meals that the mother is bringing.

Check it out if you can.

I'm going to do it!  Hodge Podge Wednesday and it's actually Wednesday.  I usually don't even get to read these till Thursday or Friday, but this week sounded like interesting questions.  I'm linking up to Conny's blog  and to Joyce's blog and will share my humble opinions:

1. My daughter2 is graduating from university this month and plans to teach elementary school. What are three qualities you most want to see evidenced in a teacher? 

I was a teacher at several different Christian schools for 15+ years, not counting the years I went to school and did student teaching.   I think a teacher should always seek to grow and update their own education.  They will be able to relate to what's going on in the world of the children they are responsible for.  Lead by example.  Always be ready to answer lots of questions and ask questions that will promote thoughtful answers.  Follow Christ's examples when He taught.  I had the privilege of teaching science and math in the 7th - 12th grades.  I wish often that I was still teaching.  My career change was based on our financial need more than anything else.

2. You can tell a lot about a person by_____________________.

... the way they treat others and how they react under stress.  ...for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.  Luke 6:45

3. What song makes you think spring?

Vivaldi - "Spring"  from "The Four Seasons" 

4. May 1st is Mother Goose Day...share your favorite nursery rhyme.

Who on earth comes up with this "Mother Goose Day"... I was never really that fond of "Mother Goose" stories.  I was more of a Dr Seuss kinda mom.  My girls remember those stories well and "The Hungry Thing".  I like SOME of the old Mother Goose illustrations though but others are just scary.



like this one is so warm and inviting...





but others are like this...  whoever came up with this evil looking Humpty Dumpty?  Yikes!



5. What makes someone unforgettable?

I'm sorry to say that I most often remember those who were hurtful.  I don't mean to do that and usually wish I could just forget, but those memories stick.  I do remember many who have been helpful and kind or just fun to be around.
6. Should music and/or art be part of a well rounded education?

Absolutely!!!  It has been studied and found that learning to read music or play an instrument excel in other academic areas as well.  My daughter the artist has a better frame of mind when she is doing art or creating.  She is more relaxed and easy going.  When she is kept from her creativity by work or other stuff going on in her life, she can get depressed and anxious.  I think some people are just hard-wired that way.
7. What social situations make you flustered or nervous?

I get really nervous and/or embarrassed when receiving recognition for something I've done whether it is good or bad.  I've been in both situations.  I don't like to go to the hairdressers, 'cause the focus is on me.  I don't like "awards" where the focus is on me.  I've been asked to speak at certain times and even though I spent all those years teaching and loved it so, I still get almost sick to my stomach when I have to get up in front of my peers.  It is getting better as I get older, but still panics me.
8. Insert your own random thought here.

My random thoughts at this time are really in the forms of prayers.  Prayers for a young girl who is practically homeless and I have no way of helping, prayers for a friend who just had surgery on her throat and I can't go visit till Thursday, prayers for my daughters and their boys, prayers for our house that it will somehow get together before next winter and I won't have to live in a camper unless I want to actually go camping.  My mind is flooded with thoughts, but no answers, so I just pray about them.  What else is there to do?  I'm waiting for clear direction which I know will come eventually, but the waiting is not fun.

Two Week update

Well, if I don't get this done, it will be a three week update.  Joanna and Norman are doing very well.  All good check-ups.  She's going through the nesting phase a little late..  I came home last night after work and she had the mattress off the bed and was condensing and storing winter stuff and putting things in order. Actually in a camper this needs to be done on a continual basis or there is no room for you to move. 

Mr. D was away for a couple days to the Middletown Bible Conf, in Middletown, CT.  I would have loved to go, but took two days off already for the birth of Norman.  It gave me some time to spend with Joanna so we went out to eat Monday.  We haven't been to a restaurant in a long time, so this was  a very special treat.  Then last night we had homemade bean/rice burritos together. 

The worst part of Mr. D being gone is of course I miss him.  The next worst thing is having to take care of the "stock" (chickens and ducks).  It's been raining for a few days and all around the coop is a greasy muddy mess.  I somehow avoided landing in it.  YEA!  Actually, taking care of the birds is not a bad thing, just getting up so early when I'd much rather be Z-z-z-z-z-z-z :)

from Google images... this is Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington State.
I've been to this park... when I was very young.  Scenes like this are common.  Isn't it beautiful with all the spring flower?

We are planning the garden.  I ordered a few seeds, but most likely we'll not plant too many new things this year.  Our garden is looking pretty good right now.  The chickens have been out there all fall/spring eating anything that's green and bugs and stuff.  It needs to be tilled, but otherwise the weeds are gone and it should be much easier to get ready.

Hmmmm... must have slept wrong on my wrist last night 'cause it's really achy this morning... hard to type.  Just took my watch off, maybe that will help.

Back to the garden.

I bought some different beans this year.  Mr. D loves the Romano pole beans, but they don't have fruit until late summer.  This year I want to supplement them with some "potash" to see if the vines will produce more and earlier.  We always add manure which is rich in nitrogen and the plants are lush and green usually, but the Romano beans don't produce a lot of fruit.  I think it'd be good to add some other nutrients to see if that will help.

So this year I'll plant Romano, asparagus beans, and Ruth Bible beans on the fencing and some half runner Amish Gnuddel beans.  I've heard good things about the Gnuddel and I'll grow them on the corn as the seller suggested.  I'm hoping they'll make good dry beans for winter soups.

We'll also have Jacob Cattle bush beans for shell type beans and dry.  I have eaten these as green beans, but they're sorta stringy. 

Other things we'll have are Lutz Winter Keeper beets, Amish Paste tomatoes, stakeless tomatoes, our own "Dan" squash which is a good hard winter variety, straight neck summer squash and zucchini.  There will also be spring peas, and parsnips that have overwintered.  The herb garden will have a few new things.  I'll try again to grow some lavender.  I'll also put in some Basil of a different variety. 
I think I bought some more strawberry chard seed too.

In the flower bed I hope to dig up and transplant a few items, making them more visable and improving the bed they are in.   Mr. D has put the chicken egg box right in front of the flower bed and I just think it needs some "shaping up".  I had originally just put that flower bed in quickly so that my flowers would survive when we moved.  Now it needs some help.

Gotta love spring.  It's been cold this week and rainy, but looks like the weekend will be glorious.  I'll post some pictures of the progress.

Happy Day to you!

Once a Month Blogger

It was never my intention to turn into a once-a-month-blogger, but seems that's what it has come to.  I would love to share with you all the stuff that is happening in my life, but it seems that something always comes up and gets in the way. 

Well, I have some very, very, happy news.  Little Norman is here.  My wonderful daughter Joanna has given birth to a 8.4lb 20" bouncing baby boy.  He's such a cute kid.  I am blessed now to have 2 superduper grandbabies... oops... grandboys can't say "baby" anymore for Brandon... he's almost as tall as his mom now. 

So let me tell the tale.....  not to put you to sleep necessarily, but to record these happenings for "posterity".

Joanna came to the house (camper) from her house (camper) 100 ft away... on Wednesday AM 6:30.  She had gotten up in about 1:30 AM and was spotting, so she drover herself to the local hospital to see what was going on.  They checked her all over and told her that they felt her water was broken and leaking and that she should go home and get some rest and call her Dr. in the morning.  She had tried to get some sleep and now she was at our camper calling her Dr.  They made an appointment right away and she went in to get checked yet again.  Her Dr. felt that she should probably check in since they were unable to confirm that her water had broken.  We got to the hospital about 8:30 AM and they started an IV with antibiotic and got her settled in her room.  It was clear that this was going to be a rather inactive day, so I went on to work.  Joanna got some rest that day and was still not in any great labor when I came back after work, so about 8 PM I went home and decided to get some rest myself.  I called work and took off Thursday and Friday since it was pretty sure something was going to happen on those two day or at least before the weekend.  The Dr. gave Joanna something to soften  the cervix and a few hours later... about 9 AM on Thursday they began a low dose of Pitocin.  Finally she was getting some significant contractions.  By noon the contractions were getting intense.  About 7:20 PM she was ready to push.  By 7:44 she was holding her little baby boy after giving 3 hard pushes he was here.  It was a good delivery and she is doing very well. 

Joanna came home on Monday (cause nothing happens in the hospital over the weekend ya know), and is quite the Mommy.  It's been amazing to me to see her thrive in her new roll even with less that 4 hours of sleep each night.  At Norman's first check up on Tuesday the Dr. thought he was doing very well.  He's gaining weight and his color is great and he's very alert. 

Now you know this is the Grammy talking, so you will understand that I am just a little prejudice, but we love him to death and think of course that he's the most special baby in all the world. 

Here's some pictures to confirm what I just said.

feeling a little miserable right now....

only an hour old... we suddenly thought to take a picture :)

at about 2 hours... Mom's up and running.... sorta

next day... getting his footprint taken...

here I am in all my glory... snoozing on Mommy's lap.

our little bundle... a cute little cowboy swaddler... gift from our friend Carrie...

Norman James Peel... first outing... to prayer meeting.

Everyone was so happy to meet you and Gramma was really proud.

more admirers at church... and a mommy admirer too.

So that's the story as best I can recall.  We've had some very happy days this past week.  Thank you for spending some time with us.