OFF TO LADIES RETREAT

This weekend we have a "Ladies Retreat" at Fellowship Bible Church.  We're going down this afternoon and spending the night together at a motel... 7 of us.  It'll be lots of fun being together with my "sisters".    I never had a blood sister, but this is better... at least as far as I know it's better.

Looking forward to fun and fellowship.

See ya soon.

Pray for the leaders we have chosen.

I may not have voted for those who are in office, but I will be praying for them now.  I do not know the future, but I know who holds the future. 

I Timothy 2:1-3
 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

We need not fear what will happen to this country.  We do, however, have the responsibility to pray for our country and those that govern us. 

Isaiah 41:10
 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.


America... the missionfield.

Election Day 2012

I have bumper stickers on my old beat-up Dodge Neon with 300,000 miles... no kidding.

Praying today that the Lord will have His way in this election... well, we know He will so I'm just in agreement with His plan for this country. 

I love America.  I still get a big chill when I hear the National Anthem or see the flag all lit up in the night sky.  I love that this country was founded on Biblical principles. 

Pray with me today.

Hodge Podge

Join Joyce at "From This Side of the Pond"  for HodgePodge Wednesday....

1. So, do you like beer?
NoNoNo!!!
After living with an alcoholic... no thanks!  Can't even stand the smell.
2. What's your least favorite repetitive task?
Shelling peas or shell beans... especially if there are several bushels to do.

3. When was the last time you rode in a bus? Where was it headed?
I used to ride the bus every day to work.  I'd say it's been about a year since I did that.  It leaves too early... I have to get up at 4:30am to get to the bus stop in time.
4. What song from your childhood or from your own children's childhood could make a parent's nerves stand on end?
I don't mind the Barney song... as long as my grandson doesn't ever see the show.  I guess we must have had some fun songs, 'cause I can't think of one right now that could make my daughter a little nervous.

5. The US Presidential election cycle is drawing to a close (can I get an AMEN??), and the third and final debate was held last night....what was the last thing you 'debated about'?
Hmmmm I try not to debate too often 'cause it comes across as being argumentative.  I think my husband and I had a "mini debate" after the final policital debate on Monday night.  We don't always see eye-to-eye politically.

6. Can a person make too much money? How much is too much?
As long as they are earning their money honestly and have integrity it's all good.  Remember the "love of money" is the root of all evil... not "having money".  It matters more what you do with whatever amount of money you earn and you remember who it is that gave you the ability to earn it.

7. Pop-soda-coke-something else...what's it called where you live?
soda bad stuff

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I have been trying to get some pictures onto my blog... unsuccessfully. 
I can't believe the elections are in 2 weeks.  It's crazy how fast time goes.

Way I'm feeling today.

CHICKEN IN THE FREEZER

I took yesterday off work.  Hmmmm could have been snuggled in a comfy chair reading a book and sipping hot tea... could have been shopping with friends or spending time with my huggable/kissable grandson... but instead of all those things on one of my precious vacation days I am tromping through mud and guts getting chicken ready to put in the freezer.  I am not bitter.  I am not even unhappy about this... what kind of person have I become that I would probably rather do this than any of the above things except of course snuggling with that huggable baby boy.  Well, for one thing we put 214 1/2 lbs of meat into the freezer yesterday.  We haven't even started butchering the 20+/- ducks that still need to be done.  It makes my heart glad to get that job done.  We're about 1/2 way through harvesting/butchering season so I will probably have one more muddy/gutty day to go. 

Pictures to come.

God is good!

Hodge Podge

1. It's a brand new month...share one thing you're looking forward to in October.

I just don't like to think about winter, so October is the last month I get to enjoy a little of the garden... just picked another basket of paste tomatoes and a few green bean stragglers and some kale which is very yummy now after the 2 frosts we've had.  This will be the end though.  I don't expect we'll be able to go too much further without a deep frost and then it will be time to turn the garden over to the chickens who will lay waste to any remaining green parts.  Right now the leaves are all the beautiful shades of red, yellow, orange and maroon.  Even on the many rainy days of fall the sky seems sunny because of their warm colors.  I like that part of October.  This fall seems to be milder than most, so we haven't had to turn on the heat at all.  I do like fall, I just don't want to think about winter right now.

2. Is chivalry dead? Explain.   Many people today are quite "self absorbed" thinking only of what will make their life better with little regard to others.  I blame the way they were educated, and I don't expect their thoughts will change.  There are still many who have been taught to respect others by their parents and grandparents.  There are young people in the community where I live who will still open the door for a lady and who will offer to help without being prompted to do so.  I don't think chivalry is dead... it may be dying, but with good training I pray it will not.

3. On October 2, 1950 the Peanuts comic strip made its debut. Which character is your favorite? Which character is most like you? (Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Snoopy, Woodstock, or Pig Pen)  I guess if I was going to identify with any of them it would be "Peppermint Patty" .  She was the "tomboy" of the bunch and was a little bossy, which I can be.  She also wore sandals which I do most of the year.... at least till it gets too cold.  Gotta love the Teva's

4. What's something you're competitive about?  I am not outwardly competitive, but inwardly it really irks me to lose.  On cold winter nights, Mr. D and I will play card games, especially the Monopoly card game, and I hate to lose, but I don't let on that I'm unhappy.  I wonder why I do that?  Hmmm not sure.

 

5. October is National Popcorn Popping Month...are you a fan? How do you like your popcorn?

I eat popcorn nearly every weekend and take the leftovers to work with me... evidenced by the popcorn under my desk.  I recently started making "kale chips" which are rivaling the popcorn right now.  They are addicting.  I make popcorn on the stove in my 2 qt sauce pan.  A little canola oil in the bottom of the pot and then some kernels.  Heat them on high shaking the pot till popping stops or pops are 5 seconds apart approx.  Put the popped corn into a large bowl and salt immediately.  That's it... no butter.  It's pretty good!

         VS         

Kale chips are easy peasy too.  Rinse and take main rib out of the leaves.  Cut into 1" pieces or rip the leave... not too small.  Let them drip off extra water or put them in a salad spinner.  Lay onto a baking sheet sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until crisp.  These can be a little messy to eat, but on the weekend who cares if I have a little kale chip stuck in my teeth.

6. When did you first realize the world is small?  I guess with the coming of the internet the world became a lot smaller to me.  I haven't traveled much, but I do get to write to my family members who live all over the world instantly with the internet.  I still know that the world is big though because I haven't visited face to face with my family in a long time.  We write and exchange pictures, but have not had the money or the time to travel to see them.  My daughter comes here a couple times/year to visit and grandson Brandon comes to spend the summer with us.  I'd like to get to see my brother and family in SC sometime.  When I was younger, I traveled all the time, but now not so much.

7. In terms of architecture, what's the most beautiful building you've seen up close and in person?  I think the most impressive building I've ever been to is the US Capitol in DC.  I love all the white marble and the sculpture, the paintings, the history.  I like all that stuff.  Now you need to have special clearance to even go up the steps of the capitol, but when I was younger you could go in and tour with a group anytime you visited our nation's capital.

 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 



Joanna and I at the ladies retreat at
The Wilds of New England. 
 I've been so happy to be able to spend
time with my daughter this past year. 
 And to see her little boy Norman
daily as he grows and does new
things all the time.  I miss Heather
and Brandon and wish
they were living close by too.



 

Few new pictures and garden harvest

Hello ya'll.  I just want to update anyone who still looks in here now and then.  It's been a very busy summer and now things are beginning to slow a little.  The harvest is in, though not all processed yet and I'm getting ready to turn under the garden and soon we'll be butchering the chickens and ducks and putting them in the freezer too.  I need to clean out two freezers that got a little frosty over the summer too.

So here's a couple pictures my sister-in-love took at a recent family gathering... she put them into this cute frame for me  She's so good at picking out colors.

He's got the "poochie lip" down to a science, though he wasn't unhappy at all that day.  He just likes to look at everything and scrutinize.  The gentleman holding him was so happy we brought him to the reunion.  I was happy we brought him too.  His Mom was hiking that day.  She took an overnight break and Grandma and Grandpa had a fun couple of days with Norman.

I like this picture too:

Hey, Norman, you aren't supposed to stick your tongue out!

His new trick is shaking his head "no" and giving us the "raspberry". Love that little guy.

IN THE GARDEN:

We had a good harvest by the grace of God this year.  Mr. D had no time to work in the garden, he was working on vehicles and getting ready to start construction, so it was up to me... actually I think he was able to put in an hour or two at the first.  We cut the garden size down using only about 1/3 of the space we normally do and the chickens had free range of the rest.  We didn't plant any winter squash like we usually do and I was able to plant some things 2 weeks early because of the strange weather we had this spring. 

I planted Jacob Cattle beans.  = 1 bushel  (plants were attacked by a white mold.. I sprayed with a combination of milk, baking soda, and dish soap and this helped save some of the crop)

Straight 8, and pickling cucumbers = we ate quite a few and put up 7 quarts of dill pickle slices from the rest (again these were attacked by powdery mildew... used the milk treatment on them too... wasn't as successful with the beans).

Amish paste tomatoes = good crop, very little rot, vines got heavy and toppled the tomato cages... picked 1/2 bushel twice off 4 plants.

Jet Star tomatoes = good crop, very little rot,  treated all the tomatoes with calcium chloride from "Gardens Alive" to control bottom rot which has been a plague in our tomatoes for two years prior.. picked 1 full bushel from 6 plants.

We aren't done picking tomatoes yet.  We also have many green tomatoes which I think I'll use to make a little green tomatoe relish and fry some up (fried green tomatoes.... mmmmm).

Romano Pole Beans =  I was able to plant 2 weeks early due to warmer than usual spring temperatures... we ate many meals off these plants and then picked 1 full bushel which I was able to process and freeze for winter.

Ruth Bible Beans = didn't do too well this year, but probably because I didn't plant many seeds and they were not in an ideal location this year.  We did, however, get a good amount for eating throughout the summer along with a few (very few) asparagus beans (won't do that again).



Norman enjoying one of our only funky looking asparagus beans.



Gnuddel Beans = I think we rec'd about 8 seeds and from those we got about 1 quart of shell beans.  I packaged them in small amounts to add to soups and stews.  I don't think I let them go long enough, so probably won't plant again.  They need to longer a growing season than we can provide.

Kale = lots... will probably harvest this week since we just had our first good frost and kale is sweeter after first frost and so good in soups and this year we decided it was an excellent pizza topper.

Peas = were done quite early this year because of the heat.  We had a few good meals of peas.  I will not plant the shell peas again - just the edible pod.  It's too much work for so little produce.  With the garden being so small it just isn't practical.  When we have a bigger garden, I will maybe grow shell peas.

Strawberries = did poorly this year.  Rain came just at harvest time, so we lost a lot to mold and I transplanted this year, so next year may be a little better if I can keep up with the weeds.

Zuchini = all the plants I started early died right away, so I bought one at the greenhouse and it did well   Though it also got some powdery mildew on its leaves, the plant was very healthy and strong and just kept growing.  We got several nice squash to enjoy and I think if the weather holds we'll get a few more.

So the garden is not completely put to bed yet.  I want to turn the soil and burn all stubble to help prevent powdery mildew next year and get some neem to help keep the fungus down and some milky spore to help fight grubs and japanese beetles next year.  

Over all we are very pleased with how the garden produced despite spending very little time there.  I let the flower beds go this year in favor of veggies.  I wish I had more time, but I am where God put me at this time in my life, so I'm happy.  I can honestly say there are days I'd prefer not to make that trip to Hartford,  but then I remember there are so many folks looking for work.  I am thankful to have a job.

God is good!