Apples

It's been a very busy harvest this year, the dry weather has made the corn dry out fast and we are working hard to get the corn in before the wind knocks it down, the corn stalks are very dry and brittle.
An added bonus to the dry weather is the corn moisture count is down so much that we don't have to use the grain dryer. The grain dryer is usually a source of frustration that farmers have to put up with, and uses a lot of gas, and has so many safety valves that if you don't have everything perfect it will shut itself down, and then figuring out why is time consuming. The noise factor is another issue, the guys have to wear ear protection.

Its hard to believe we almost have the corn harvested already. We have a setback currently, a flat tire on the combine. It was perfect timing though because it's been raining ever since the tire went flat, so we couldn't work any way. Time to make apple sauce.

Fred, our goat, is drooling over the apples.

I have been busy with all the apples we were blessed with, a bumper crop, I have been making apple sauce by the gallon, apple pie, apple dumplings, and apple cake, then putting it in my freezer.

The goat and ram have been overwhelmed with how many apples we have been tossing over the fence to them. I think if they could talk they would be asking if we could please toss a little field corn there way.

This fall when the Field was harvested across the road and all that was left were hunting birds like hawks and scared Field mice,and snakes running for there lives, our new dog pepper thought would be fun to go check out the excitement and was hit by a car, we are down to one very happy dog now. Life for buster is back to quiet peaceful and normal, I wonder if Buster told pepper to go play in the street?, Shirley not. Jenny wren

August has been a hot house

The heat indexfor today is 99 and the humidity is 88%. My brother who lives in Texas can't believe the difference humidity makes, when you walk outside from an air conditioned house and into the humid day our glasses fog over. Its to hot to garden, to hot to bake, so I might as well blog.
It looks like fog but it's like a sauna

This is one of my new plants I grew this year. It's called Amaranth Hopi red dye herb. I am so excited that it grew.

The bad news is the basket class I go to has been canceled for a while, and I was hoping to get some interest from basket class ladies to dye their reed along with me. I hate to do all that work for no more than I need. In my research I found out that it is a grain that is really good for you. I have always wanted to buy a grain mill, but I will probably borrow an old friends till I know we like this kind of grain. I put a link below to some of the info if you are interested.

Garden & Yard

Meet Pepper

This is Pepper, we rescued her from a pound that seemed more like alcatraz. She was traumatized and very unsure. Luckily we had the foresight to put a dog crate in the van before we went to see what kind of dogs were available, because she was a mess by the time we got her home. She still gets car sick every time we take her anywhere. Buster is so miserable, poor boy! I feel really bad for him. He sits on the top step of the garage all bug eyed and nervous, because Pepper is very happy and wants to play rough.

The kids are so excited to have a dog that will play. This dog can run fast! Katie takes her for a run to the woods most evenings, its a farm lane that ends in a meadow and a large woods that we own, so I feel it's pretty safe.

I was going to blog about all the unusual herbs I grew this year but my computer need to be looked at, it's doing things that make me think it's got it in for me. I will be lucky if I get this published before it shuts me down.
Jenny wren

Someone at Jenny Wren's nest went Broody

This Spring I decided to get 4 new chicks. I was hoping for Americana chicks, but they were sold out, so the kids and I choose from what they had at the store. The kids fell in love with the silky bantams, so I let them get black and white silky. Then I decided I wanted to get barred rock and Rhode Island red. Of course I thought I had to have two of each. That was back in April.



Then I found out I could order the Americana chicks that I wanted, so I did. I kept it to myself because I knew better, and my husband told me not to get to many chickens, but the are so cute!
Any how, I ended up with twelve chicks because the kids thought they had to have more bantams, and I thought I could keep their interest in the chickens if they each had a couple of chickens to call their own. I'm not sure what Pip, the red faced chicken in the front, thinks about all the new babies, but we are going to find out soon, because the older batch of chicks need moved out of the green movable chicken house they are in. They have outgrown it, and the babies need to be move out of the brooder box.
we have been so busy, I can't believe how long its been since I have blogged.

2nd cup of coffee

Here's the new chicks on the farm,We have been very busy with the

start of planting season, and don't get to spend very much time with them. The first picture was not the one I wanted, but I could not figure out how to take it off. such is life in the bloggy world.

2nd cup of coffee: "Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Link Up Here for the Random Doz



1. How do you feel about 'Gladiator' sandals, also called 'Roman' or 'Jesus' sandals? A fashion yea or nay?
If it doesn't have arch support than I wont wear it.

2. What is your favorite pizza?

I found a recipe at All recipes.com for Valentino's pizza crust, it is so good I think my family would be happy to eat it more than once a week.

3. There are plans in the works to sell roughly 1,000 items from Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas. This means you could buy Picard's chair for your family room. If not a Star Trek item, what prop, background, set, etc. from what TV or movie would you buy if you could?
[Ex: Hurley's 'I Love my Shih tzu' shirt from LOST, the plantation home 'Tara' from Gone With the Wind, or Tracy's tambourine from the Partridge Family.]

I don't care for material items, it shows in my house, I recently had my brothers and their family's over for Easter and it made me look at my house from another perspective, all my furniture is second hand, and or sounder end tables that look like they were dropped down the stares. it made wonder what they thought of me?. but I guess I don't care that much.

4. Name a local food or restaurant that your area is famous for.

Pizza king, they have the best Pizza.

5. What is your current favorite snack?

Hershey bar, and pecans eaten together.

6. Hypothetical: You are required to be a reality show contestant. Which show would you choose based on your probability of success? (You cannot choose 'none.')

A. Dancing with the Stars (I have two left feet)
B. Biggest Loser(I would wimp out)
C. Survivor(I would die)

7. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being uninhabitable and 10 being cleanliness that meets the standards of OCD, how clean is your vehicle's interior?

Yuck ( its farming season, and I am top gofer, and run after two teenagers, that make me on call all day, driving dirty men and stinky kids when ever and wherever they need to go.

8. It doesn't feel like Spring until _________.

My hands get warmed up and I get to plan seeds in the earth, our last frost date is may the 10, and it feels like an eternity away.

9. Something that made you laugh really hard recently is ____.

My kids

10. Tell me about a goal you're working toward.

loosing my winter blubber.

11. Share a thought-provoking or inspiring quote this week. cant come up with any right now.

12. Name one thing that you do as a parent that you absolutely know will make your kids happy. If you're not a parent, feel free to substitute 'friend' or nomenclature that works for you."

Getting ice cream, Eric is lactose intolerant so we try not to eat dairy and say yummm in front of him, so when we get out with out Eric we get ice cream.

Rileys post

Greetings! A blog post from the other fledgelings from the nest (Riley). I am taking this chance to brag about my hobby of keeping pets. But first I must apologise for the mess I have made of this blog. I absolutely HATE the setup of these blogs. I had a terrible time trying to get my pictures on and kept accidentally deleting them. Finally I gave up on organization and put my pictures on indiscriminately.

The corn snakes you see are two of my favourite pets. their is a male and a female. The males name is Julius Squeezer and the females is Scarlet. I got them as hatching's on August 30, 2009. That makes them about 5 months old.

In the plastic container pictures are before and after pictures. The one below the other is when I first got them and the one above is from a few days ago. They have both grown about 4 inches and will eventually get about 3-5 feet in length. Not your largest snake but impressive enough.

In two of the pictures you see Julius climbing on the handle of a door and then their is another picture of him climbing up in between the door without any support. This is a small example of their athleticism. I had to put clamps on their cage lid because they kept inch worming their way up the corner of the cage, pushing up the lid and escaping. They are constrictors and are quite Strong. Their is also a picture of Scarlet trying to be a hat on my head.

Their is also several pictures of my fire bellied toads. I got them for Christmas last year. They are very pretty and entertaining. You can tell I had fun designing their cage.

The picture of the Betta is a fellow I just got a few days ago. The plant in his boll is a live plant called a Java fern. He has been very entertaining to watch. Especially when you put a mirror up to him.

And lastly my least favorite pet. the garter snake at the top used to be my favorite but now he is about a year and a half older and a lot bigger and nastier. The cute thing in the picture is now about two feet long and has a grumpy disposition. He or she (I don't know which because it's wild caught) is relatively docile if you have been holding it for a wile but if you wake him\her up you might get bitten. Just yesterday I caught a night crawler for it and brought it up and the little devil bit me, then musked ( a nasty thing, garter snakes are somewhat like skunks in that respect, secreting a nasty smelling liquid when first caught, startled, or in this case just plane mean) then ate the worm. How is that for thanks? I am going to let it go this spring when it warm up more.

Random Dozen

Random Dozen


1. Have you ever fired a gun or shot a bow and arrow?
I grew up with three brothers, they didn't share there weapons very well but I did get to use their B. B. guns after they moved out and left them behind. our family had a perfect place to have a shooting gallery in the back yard.

2. Do you know where your childhood best friends are?
Yes, some.
3. Do you usually arrive early, late, or on time?
My husband broke me of the habit of being late, he is always punctual.
4. Are you more of a New York or California type?
Neither, I am 100% country girl, but don't care for country music.
5. Do you have a special ring tone?
no
6. What is your favorite type of chip?
I love homemade chex mix, I like to put candy corn in it. (sweet&salty)
7. Best comedy you've ever seen is ....
Abbot and Costello, Who's on first.
8. Have you ever cut your own hair? To quote Dr. Phil, 'How'd that work for ya?'
Just bangs, I always get them crooked.
9. If you were going to have an extreme makeover, would you rather it be about your house or your personal self?
My house! it was built in 1899 and hasn't had a face lift since the 1970's and it needs to be updated. I have gotten rid of the sea foam green and blue shag carpet, and orange paneling, but I have other plans I would love to fulfill.
10. Are you allergic to anything?
EVERYTHING !!
11. Why is it so hard to change?
It's not, I change my mind all the time.
12. One last question dedicated to February love: CS Lewis said, 'To love is to be vulnerable.' Please share one example of that assertion or share any thought you'd like to about this topic."
Don't get it.

Ice is the frosting

j

This is the whole flock of chickens. Whenever we let them outside, some of them won't go because they are afraid of the snow. It's funny to see their reactions.

These are some pictures of the beautiful weather outside. We have a family of eight to twelve blue jays that visit everyday to eat some bird seed.
Katie G. wrote this because she would do anything but the dishes.

new camrea

Random Dozen

Bugs in my soup!!!

yuck!

The organic long grain rice I bought from Meijer had bugs in it. They didn't show until after we already ate some of our soup. Otherwise it was so delicious.

Would you eat the soup if you found bugs in it? My son did.

1. Are you pleasant when you're ill, or are you a grumpy, fussy patient?
I turn in to a whinny baby who just wants to sleep all the time.
2. When you find out that school is canceled (due to inclement weather) what is your gut reaction?

I always tease the kids like its torture,but I don't mind, I remember how fun it was to get out of school for snow days.
3. What is one domestic skill you wish you could improve?

decorating and arranging my furniture
4. Do you decorate your home for Valentine's Day?

I have a box of decorations in the attic, but I just can't get inspired to get them out.
5. What song is on your mind today?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
6. Do you prefer contemporary movies or classic?

Hallmark Movies are my favorite.
7. How well do you "compartmentalize" your feelings? For example, how well can you put aside a really trying moment to deal with the immediate situation which is not related to the trying moment, e.g., putting aside a tiff with your spouse in order to finish wallpapering a room.

8. What is the first thing that attracted you to your spouse? (Or if you're single, to your best friend.)

Eric has the most beautiful smile, and his quiet character.
9. When was the last time your heart raced?

10. What are your memories of Valentine's Day at school?

When I was a kid they always had a valentine with a skunk on it, and you didn't give that one to anyone you liked
11. If you were going to receive candy for Valentine's Day, which would you prefer?

Dove milk chocolate, please
12. Red or pink?

I can't stand pink any more, my daughters room was pink for ten years, and I guess it made me sick of it.

Another day in paradise.

St. Maarten was so beautiful. We took a tour of the island and spent some time at the beach. It was three days at sea before I could even interact with the sea.

I didn't catch the name of the artist who painted these murials, but they were fabulous. They were painted on a retaining wall on the side of a hill, it looked like a dangerous place to be, to stand and paint.

This was one of the best pictures of our cruise ship because it was so big it was hard to get the whole ship in one frame.

Random Dozen,cruse pictures

San Juan,Puerto Rico was our first port of call, how wonderful is was to get off the boat and see new sights.







shop,and see It was fun to The streets were very narrow and the reminded
us of Italy.
what they had to offer,















I wish I would have bought this hat,


I think Eric could use another hat besides farm seed company hats.
Nice change Eric.








The kids had four snow days while we were gone, and the grandparents kept there since of humor the whole time. P.T.L.

Well back to reality, I m hoping to cover The itinerary as we did on the cruise, the next island was so beautiful, St Maarten, we took a tour and went to the beach, see ya next time.

Now for the random doz. Thank you Linda for giving me a reason to blog when I have noting else to report.


1. How good are you at delaying gratification?


I have improved so much since I have been married and had children. I was so spoild by my Mom & Dad when I was living at home, I will always cherish the extra time I had with them.

2. Maybe a marshmallow wouldn't be too difficult a temptation for you. What food (or anything else) would be most tempting?



Chocolate, is the ultimate food. On the cruise I had a small bowl of M& M every day because believe it or not the desserts they served usually were not as satisfying as my old standby.


3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being saintly) how patient are you?



It depends on how much sleep I had the night before,

plus the amount of caffeine,

plus the reason for the wait. So



S+C+W= 8 if all the desirable equations work out.



Otherwise minus one or more desirable equations I would be about a 5


4. Have you ever waited for something in life only to be disappointed upon realization of the goal/object/etc.?



Senior prom, I had a date set up by a mom in our church, He was so handsome and I always was to shy to talk to him, but he was a trouble maker, He was in prison on the day of the prom, I'm glade I didn't get to know him after all.



5. Are you a person who takes shortcuts?

Oh yes, if I can do it my way its usually the way I can do it most efficiently in my mind.


6. Which line is hardest to wait in?



Check out at Christmas.


7. Did you wait to discover the gender of your unborn child until its birth?



MY first we found out , but my second they wouldn't tell us,[ Grumpy tec.]


8. Are you more patient with children or the elderly?



Love them both but when kids are old enough to be bad mouthed disrespectful self centred human beans I loose my patients.


9. Did you ever sneak a peek at a present?



When I was a kid, My mom always had the same spot in her closet to keep all the goodies, I took a regular tour through her self just see what was new.


10. What is the longest you've ever waited for anything?



Heaven !


11. Who has more patience, you or your significant other?



Husband wins hands down.


12. Which of the following songs about waiting is your pick for the best? (OK, you may substitute another, if you like.)

A) Anticipation by Carly Simon
B) The Waiting by Tom Petty
C) Right Here Waiting for You by Richard Marx
D) Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James

My editor way too tired and busy with homework to make my post look smart, She is a great person. and wanted to have her own blog, what do you think? is it safe to let a almost thirteen year old going on thirty have her own blog? it doesn't seem to be any worse than face book.

Ode to Food

I love food, it is the center of my life, the best way I know to say I love you, or My Language of Love, some days I feel like I write poetry with sugar and spice.

Every meal starts with a drama. Onions& garlic in butter. and some poor dead critter. And I didn't have to take its life (and I don't mean roadkill).

My favorite easy way to start a meal it to buy a rotisserie chicken,( I didnt have to kill it,puck it, or gut it. Heck I didnt even have to cook it!) I prefere barbecue, or lemon.

I aways boil the bones and skin don't forget the jelled stuff in the bottom of the pan it comes in. Chicken stock is so easy.

If I don't need it right away I put it in a clean cottage cheese carton, they hold 2 cups of broth, and they freeze well, and they're easy to thaw out in the microwave.

I hope its OK to use cottage cheese cartons that way, because my family is doomed if it causes cancer or something.

I'll give you guys the recipe soon!

:) Smile from the Editor! (She's getting better!)

Random Dozen

1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you cave?
Chocolate, Today ,yesterday, and tomorrow.

2. M & M's or Skittles?
M&M's

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through?
I wish I can say yes to this one, I have tried,but cant seam to stick with it.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning?
I have all day to do what I need to do. So I spend an hour every morning just chilling out.

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to?
I am so excited, My husband and I get to go on a cruise this winter, its all coming together, I don't have anything really nice to wear, But I don't really want to spend any money on clothes but I don't want to where what I have.

6. Who is your favorite actress?
Sandra Bullock

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand.
How the fashion industry stays in business when they only target on one generation like stick figure teens, I cant stand to see obese girls in tight shirts with there belly fat hanging out.(yuck)

8. How much of a technology junkie are you?
I got a mp3 player for Christmas, and cannot figure it out. I just barely get my computer to work properly. Life would be easier if my kids would be techno geeks.

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you?
I have 5 birthday cards to get for January, my husband made me put back all the funny cards that make you want to pee your pants. He is no fun to shop with.

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut?
I always pick out a little different style, but I keep getting it cut shorter and shorter. Last month.

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most?
I guess I don't like to shop. I can't think of anything. Well, OK, I love to buy plants.

12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house?
What have I forgot? I have a list. Keys, check; purse, check; phone, check; money, check; head, check.

I want to thank my personal editor, she makes me look like I know what I'm talking about.
I love you Katie you are best kid a Mom could ever want.

Random Dozen

2nd Cup of Crank!


1. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being a cranky-baby-hissy-fitter, how much of a complainer are you?

I am a whiner , it just slips out of my lips, I need to get out my purple bracelet again and keep on switching till God can get it thru my head that it doesn't help to whine.

2. When someone else is talking, do you listen, or are you thinking about what you're going to say in response?

I try to listen I think my hearing is not as good as it was, or my kids are not speaking as loud and clear as they used to.

3. I just deleted 1062 messages from my email account. Do you have any plans for a clean sweep this month--of anything? I have been cleaning out cabnets in my kitchen and throwing away old out of date vitamins and other products that go out or date quickly.

And now, here are some brilliant questions from a gal named Angie at Angie's Ad Lib who graciously offered to let me borrow her brain. Please go over and see Angie because it was so nice of her to help me out. Thank you so much, Angie!

4. Tell us about your perfume. Was it a gift? What does it remind you of? Do you have a signature scent?

I am so allergic to strong perfume, it feels like some is stabbing my sinuses with a knife. I feel some perfume should be illegal, after saying that, I like to use lotion with scent brown sugar vanilla is my favorite, my kids say it smells like mom.

5. What is your best organizing tip for the new year?

Just do it.

6. What is your favorite comic strip?

Garfield, I think cats are so funny, and the comic strip adds just what I think my cat would say.

7. Do you sleep with a fluffy or flat pillow?

fluffy

8. What color is your kitchen? Why did you choose that color?

yellow, it was wallpapered in yellow plaid when I moved in and I am not very good at home decor, so I left it, but took down the sunflowers for a change. and left a plackared up that says
(NOTICE THIS KITCHEN IS CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS)
I'm sick of cooking.

9. What’s the most interesting bumper sticker you’ve seen?
Cant think of any off hand.
10. Do you prefer an expensive writing tool or whatever is lying around? (Are you a Montblanc or a Papermate?)

Any thing that's lying around.

1. What chore doesn't feel like a chore – you just enjoy it (at least most of the time)?

I love to make home cooked meals, and bread. It is so satisfying to have my family sit down together to a hearty meal, and tell me about there day. It just feels right.

12. If your parents often repeated themselves, what is something one of them said more than once?

Thankful Thursday

This is my first thankful Thursday. I wanted to start the new year by being more positive, and Thought this would be a good start.



1. First I am thankful for my life, and the people who God has put in my life. I grew up in a charismatic church surrounded by people who loved me and now I want that for my kids. We currently go to a mega church and kind of slip in and out without much notice.

2.I am also thankful for having all my needs met, warm house, good food, clean water, etc.

3. the birds outside are so entertaining I am so blessed to live in the country where the wild life can flourish.

4. My family is one of the biggest blessings, I am in awe that God has ordered my steps and guide me through my life, and I feel the results are in the Joy I feel when we are together and loving each other.

5. This winter my husband and I get to go on a cruse to the Caribbean, I cant wait but I wish I could take my kids. It is so expensive, between getting passports, airline tickets, and the money you spend on tips, and the extra side trips to go snorkeling, in which I want to do, or just floating on a mat in the ocean that costs 25. dollars.

we are going to miss the snow and the FREEZING cold weather. (joking).





Our ports are Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Tortola, B.V.I., and Haiti.



There are package deals to buy at each port, They are very pricey.
Have you been on any of these islands?, and do you have any story's about what you did?, or any advice about if it is safe to go on your own without a guide?
.
Hubby and I went on our honeymoon, it was so fun, but we found out some of the things we did wasn't as fun because of over crowing, like walking to the rain forest to see a waterfall, when we got their their were hundreds of other people their milling around and only one outhouse for us all. Yuck.

We actually saw a octopus baby on one of the beaches.