One of my favorite Christmas Presents this year was bought with my Christmas money from my Grandmother and Mother. A series of videos from Franklin Springs.
Franklin Springs
I have enjoyed these videos so much that I wanted to share them with my friends and give them my recommendation. They deal with candle making, soap making, canning, gardening, cooking, herbs, etc...
I also have enjoyed visiting their web page as well. They really are a delightful family, a Mom and her thre
Nope, that's not typo, I meant what I said.... FUNNEL VISION .
I woke up this morning a little weary, feeling like I'd never get everything done that I needed to get done. Ya' know?
Nothing was terribly wrong, I just felt like I had about 5,000 too many things to do and felt convinced that no matter how hard I tried, it just wouldn't be enough. My head was hurting, the children were wanting breakfast, my brain was frozen or muddled or overheated or something...and I just couldn'
You hear that an awful lot when you live out in the country with a pond and creek and a few acres!
Like today, my middle son brought me the cutest little turtle. Yesterday my oldest son brought me a humongous wood beetle. There have been collections of army ants, crickets, grasshoppers and frogs (even tadpoles). But Monday they really lucked up and found ....
Well, we don't have a cat or a kitten and they just thought this was a DANDY addition to the menagerie. This
This weekend we set out on a new adventure, in our own backyard nevertheless!
A family with seven children and chickens and goats and dogs (plus a parrot) does not travel much, or at least ours doesn't.
So, we decided to take advantage of a very low cost method of family vacationing and entertainment, camping. Under our particular circumstances we had to be a bit creative...therefore...CREATIVE CAMPING.
Upon considering the choice of location for this camp out, we decided the
This morning, as I was taking an inventory of my dried beans I decided to make a Mix. We love the mixed bean soups and those bags of beans are much more expensive than individual bags. So, we looked at our assortment of beans, we had nine. I commented that this was one variety of beans per person in our family. I used one of the storage containers on wheels that I have mentioned before and we began to pour in the beans (4lbs of each variety).
Black-eyed Peas
Navy
Lentils
Green Baby
One week ago today my mom and step-dad arrived and now they have gone. It was a lovely visit and so very productive in every way!
My step-dad brought all of his handy man tools and my dh took the whole week off to tackle numerous building, maintenance, repair projects in our home and on our little homestead. My two oldest ds's worked right along side them assisting and learning so much. A new kitchen counter top, a new bantam coop, new nesting boxes in the big coop, an addition to the goa
Y'all, I am SEW excited!
Last summer we changed churches and started attending a local fellowship. It was a good decision and has made it much easier for the kids to be involved with activities and etc... My dh is very involved with the boys groups, the FCF (Fronteirsmen Camping Fellowship) as well. But me, well, I don't know, since we moved here over three years ago, I've been a bit of a hermitress.
Well, this latest story that I've been writing in Fireside has made me do some so
One of the things that I've struggled with as I've tried to buy bulk foods like grain, dried beans, rice, etc... was that once it was packed away in the opaque white buckets, I couldn't easily 'see' it nor access it.
When I bought the grains for grinding, I ordered the Gamma Lids. These are going to work well.
However, all of these white buckets filled with assorted stuff would kind of run together. Even with my best efforts to keep the Steel Cut Oatmeal separate from the pinto beans
I did it!! I spent the money and made the commitment and signed up to Weight Watchers On Line! I've been trying to get ROUND TUIT for over a year. Kept looking for that perfect moment to get started. This morning wasn't perfect at all, but I did it anyway.
So, I entered in all my info and got my "point* allowance for the day and realized I had already spent about half of that daily amount with the big breakfast we had eaten of sausages, eggs and grits
But, I don't care, well I do
At one point this past weekend I just felt so tired and wanted to sit down, but, couldn't justify it with so much needing to be done. About that time, my second son who is 13 brought his blanket that had some tears in it and asked me if I could mend it.
Well, I'm not much of a seamstress and I can't remember the last time that I sat down and mended anything, but I decided to try. This would give me a good excuse to sit in the recliner with my feet up and my hands busy.
This blanket
I almost giggled out loud, assuming the man was making a funny. But, then I caught the sincere look on his face and caught myself. We were at Aslan's Puppy Training and he was a visitor from another class.
The trainer asked how Aslan was doing with the goats and the man said, "Oh, we really want some goats. What kind do you have?"
Eager to help I said, "Oh we are just getting started, we have two Nubians and two Wethers."
That's when he asked, "So, do Wethers make good milk g
This week the kids and I did an experiment with Peanut Butter Powder. Some months ago, I had purchased this...
http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_FS D140_A_name_E_Peanut+Butter+Powder
I decided it was time to open it and see how we liked, what it tasted like, what in the world you did with it!
The instructions on the #10 can say: Mix 1 TBSP of Powder with 1 Tsp of water. Add a small amount of sugar for flavor. Add a drop of oil for creaminess.
First, we all tasted
Next month will be two years since our family grew from four children to seven. It was quite the adjustment, let me tell you. Not only did have MORE children but now we had two girls, talk about a change in family dynamics! Oh my!
Here they were , these three little children who had been in an environment that would make you and I shudder. They had a different set of values, morals, priorities, opinions, outlooks, lifestyle...I could go on but I think you've got the picture.
It h
I struggle with this... Collecting my Preps and not wanting to use them.
Whenever I'm canning something I am almost hoping one jar won't seal so that I can taste what I've done. I'm a bit better than I was, been working on it. I rememberJudy saying in a post, that we were 't creating a Food Museum with our canned goods (a while back). That really got my attention!
Months and months ago I bought a Berkey, went through heck and high water to get it. I was so proud when it ca
I just tried the Sam's 'Click and Pull' for the first time. So, hopefully after PT tomorrow I can go and pick it up without having to 'shop'. Here's what I got...
Item Description Item # Quantity Unit Price Subtotal
FULLY COOKED BACON 72 COUNT 272086 1 $8.52 $8.52 I try to keep a pkg of this on hand, very handy and shelf stable
DQ PK SALMON 4-14.75 4-14.75 OZ 822899 1 $7.67 $7.67 noticed I needed mored salmon the other day when counting
CHOCOLATE PUDDING 112 OZ. 4
I had a dream...and I don't dream much lately. It was so vivid that I can't stop thinking about it. When I woke up from it (or in the midst of it) I was distressed, trying to catch my breath and had to go and wash my face with some cold water before I could think clearly.
Before I tell you about this oddity, I want to give a disclaimer - I am in no way trying to say this is a prophetic dream, a hidden message or anything to but me and me alone. But, it sure got my attention and I thought
Hi everyone. I've kind of dropped the 'blog ball' here lately. Actually, haven't been posting much even on the board. I feel a bit disconnected.
I think this started with my 9 day trip to Arkansas. I was there with only one of my children and he is 13, so able to take care of himself for the most part. I ran the roads with my mom and sister, shopping, taking mom to therapy, visiting my grandmother. I was a free spirit. I had no time constraints to speak of, no one pulling on my skirt
God has entrusted each of us with much of value as well. And to whom much is given, much is required. (Luke 12:48)
What has God placed in your hands, in your life, in your safe keeping and how will you Ergazomai ἐργάζομαι ?
Remember the usage list for Ergazomai ἐργάζομαι
1) to work, labour, do work
2) to trade, to make gains by trading, "do business"
3) to do, work out
a) exercise, perform, commit
b ) to cause to exist, produce
4) to work for, earn by
In Junior High School I was in a play that my French Class did for the younger grades.
I was - La Petite Poule Rouge (The Little Red Hen)
I had to go to all the other characters and ask for help only to hear them say over and over Pas Moi! Not Me!
Now, here I sit, three decades later wondering if I've become a real life La Petite Poule Rouge.
I'm answering myself with those same two little words - Pas Moi!! Surely not!
And yet, I find in my possession a newly ac
Aslan has arrived! After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Aslan has been safely delivered to our family!
It was love at first sight of course, but the last couple of days have been filled with wonderful puppy love!
He is a puppy with purpose! Yesterday we signed him up for the Puppy Training Classes at the pet store. They start the week that he turns 10 weeks. So, we've got about 3 more weeks to do the best we can with his very determined little self.
His markings a
I love Word Studies!
And this word caught my attention. Ergazomai ἐργάζομαι It is a Greek word that is found in the Scriptures 39 times. These are all found in the New Testament of course since it is a Greek word.
I came across this word as I was reading the parable of the Talents found in Matthew. I have been doing some contemplating in the last week or so about living a purposed life and making my moments count.
In this parable, Jesus tells of three servants
I'm a busy mom, I get tired, overwhelmed and just outright pooped sometimes.
In the past, on a day like that, I'd ask dh to stop by and pick up something convenient. After all, hungry kids, a frustrated mom, lack of time, a small crisis of some manner, and etc... were the recipe for disaster. And so I excused it. Now, while we still eat out (very occasionally), it is a planned event, not a matter of convenience.
In my life, Convenience has been Redefined.
It started rathe
A little over a year ago I ordered the nicest whittling beginner's kit for one of my sons for their birthday. He thought he'd like to give it a try, I thought it could develop into a neat hobby for him. He tried it, He didn't like it. It was too painstakingly detailed for his happy-hyper self and so, I gave him the money I had spent to go on something he liked and inherited the tools, books, blanks and etc... for myself.
From the beginning, I was captivated. Taking a piece of wood and
I think I'll tell you a bit about me. I think I've been assuming that everyone already knows, but maybe you don't.
I live in Alabama with my dh Henry and our seven children whom we have been blessed to make our own through the miracle of adoption. We have been married 26 years! I assure you he is the only man on earth who could live with me that long, he is amazing and the love of my life.
Our children, and how they came to us, are miracles indeed. Just briefly, the are
ds
My husband and five sons are involved in a program that is similar to Boy Scouts that is called Royal Rangers. They have an extension group called FCF (Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship). If there is such a group in your area, I highly recommend it. This coming weekend my dh and two oldest sons will be attending the first part of their orientation into this program.
http://royalrangers.ag.org/fcf/index.cfm
I am busy collecting the required items that they must bring. I thought you
