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!



1. Aloha! On August 21, 1959 Hawaii officially became a US state. Have you ever been? Upon arrival would you prefer an orchid or a hibiscus to tuck behind your ear?  No, I've never been to Hawaii.  I'd like to travel someday.  I'd like to see other places, Hawaii being one of them.  It's one of those dreams that I have a feeling will never come true, but my real home is in Heaven and I'll be content to go there.  I'm a flower fanatic, so either one would be just great but the orchid would probably last longer.

2. Since we're talking tropical...what's your favorite food or beverage made with pineapple?  Mmmmm I like pineapple.  I like fruit cake, but only if it has big chunks of pineapple.  I like pineapple coolers... chunks of ice (I brake mine up with a rolling pin - no wonder my pie crust has divits), plain yogurt (if you feel especially "sinful" get the whole milk yogurt), and crushed pineapple in a blender... I have an immersion type blender, so there is very little clean-up and lots of enjoyment.  I do like pineapple, but wild blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are even "yummier"!

some fresh wild blackberries and raspberries from around our property

3. Do you believe in soul mates? Explain.I'm assuming you mean as a mate for life kind of "soul mate" as opposed to a "kindred spirit".  I think there is the mate that God has chosen, but if you don't get it right, God can cause love to grow.  We often don't get it right in life and God comes to our rescue over and over.  If we wait on His guidance in our lives we will be in the right place at the right time.  If not we must settle for what we have and what we have can be sweet if we look to Jesus.

So I guess the answer is "yes", I believe there is a perfect mate if God intends for there to be a mate.

4. Share a memory about the house you grew up in. My brother and I grew up in a lot of different houses.  I guess the one I remember most vividly is a small trailer we had in Maine.  My brother probably remembers it better since he's 4 years older than me.  This was a trailer smaller than many modern camper trailers, in fact it was about the same size as the camper I live in right now.  The back room was divided in two with a partition.  My brother had one side and I had the other.  We both had a small closet with drawers under that my father had added.  My parents slept on a hide-a-bed in the front of the trailer.  It was VERY small, no indoor plumbing and wood heat, but it was also a wonderful home with lots of love.  I especially remember Christmases there.  My father loved to tease us about Santa Claus and we always got big boxes from our relatives far away.  My grandmother would sent the most delicious fruit cake (with whole cherries and big chunks of pineapple) all the way from Bellingham, WA to Alexandar, ME... check out a map... that about as far away as you can go east to west and still be in the USA.

5. Are you comfortable with silence? Yes!  I love it when I can think quietly or read quietly.  There are other times when I like noise.

6. You spot a giant spider on your bedroom wall...what's your next move? (all spiders are giant, right?) Funny you should ask... we have an abundance of giant barn spiders... I mean giant.  They live around our camper door and entry way and kill a huge number of flies and moths.  So I keep them.  I should name them since I talk to them frequently and tell them they better get busy reducing the fly population or their lives are in danger.

7. My idea of fun does NOT include the normal stuff that people think of as fun.  I would prefer to take a hike in the woods than go shopping.  I would prefer to spend time in the garden pulling weeds or picking veggies.  I would prefer to watch the ducks swimming in the pond and interacting or sit with a good book or do some cross stitch or sewing.  Those are my idea of fun.  I don't like to spend money at an amusement park, or go to a crowded place with lots of loud music etc.

8. Insert your own random thought here. I had a really grumpy night Monday night.  It was hot in the house and because of Mr. D's allergies we had to close up the house early in the evening.  I had not done all my cleaning on Saturday because of the "chicken swap" that ended up with no sales.  I can't believe no one wanted those beautiful Muscovy ducks.  We have 24 of them that hatched this spring and no one wants any of them which means we will be feeding them until butchering time and then have to kill them all **sniff** 



my sweetie at the "chicken swap" with all our little ducks


Then I thought how foolish it was to be ugly like that in my heart.  Think of all the blessings I have.  I have a wonderful husband who puts up with me when I'm grumpy and shouldn't have to.  I have a beautiful daughter living right next door with my very cute grandson (4 months old) who had for the past two weeks washed all my laundry and hung it out for me in the sun.  God had given us a beautiful piece of property to live on and a night sky filled with a "gazillion" stars.  I have so many blessings I don't even have time to list them all or do I have the space here or anywhere for that matter. 

Norman James Peel,  4 mos, 6 days

My grumpy evening was short-lived.  I would like to abolish all grumpiness but it seems to gradually creep up on me.  It's not invited and when it arrives I kick it out right away, but the damage it can do in that very short period of time is phenominal.

I would like to say "never again", but that would not be true.  I will strive for that though.

Hope you all have a wonderful day... no grumpiness allowed!

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!