Oldpine

Westy has it right, I used 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of water 2 tablespoons of sugar and a little yeast. a total of 2 cups and a little sugar dosn't sound like much but a 1/2 gallon container is none to large (I ended up with the ragged end of a disaster and sour dough starter all over the counter). You might go to http://www.fooddownunder.com and do a search for sourdough, lots of recipes and advice. Canadian Sourdough Oatmeal Bread, this is a good one, I've made it. be sure to use ether a crock or plastic container and wood or plastic spoon to stir metal can cause problems. You can also find English muffins and more here. Best of luck.

Wow, this is nice! I haven't been here in so long, and the day I show up, I get a chance to sit, visit, enjoy the sunporch and sip a little tea. We just had a solid week of rain and cooler temps. Now, I have so much to do, but just want to go out and play!

I haven't had much 'puter time in so very long, but wanted to take a minute and wish all of you (and where are some of you?) a happy fall. Our autumn weather here in OK has been so nice this year. Tomorrow we are suppose to be in the hight 80's.....of course that means there is still lots of work to do outside, but it beats stompping around in cold, wet, yucky mud! Hope everything in your neck of the woods is going well!

Turnips do well in the fall as a general rule. (I love turnips.) Depending on the weather, ours isn't as predictable as yours in CA, green beans can do very nicely also. ~Danny Lou~

I was thinking I wanted a wringer washer (I grew up helping do the wash on a Maytag wringer washer), and found one yesterday at a garage sale. Only thing was, the tub leaked. I think they would be great for quilts and blankets! I'll just have to keep looking. ~Danny Lou~

Westbrook, I bet the Christmas Spice Soaps are great! I like the idea of the grated orange peel and cinnamon together. ~Danny Lou~

Hi Angi, Welcome! I am still kind of new myself, but wanted to take time to say hello and hope you will enjoy the fellowship here. Sounds like you stay pretty busy. I think it is great that you are homeschooling. Look forward to getting to know you better. ~Danny Lou~

Haven't had much time online this past week, so thought I would take a minute to check-in. So, what is everyone's plans for the big Labor Day Weekend coming up? I am so looking forward to autumn and the beautiful changes it will bring, but I always kind of hate to see summer come to an end. (I know, that makes no sense, especially considering our temps probably won't change much until toward the end of September!) Anyway, we are having a big cookout. Lots of family and friends. That didn't take too much imagination to come up with, huh? I think I had rather take a few days and go somewhere, but then everyone would tag along and I would still be cooking, etc! So what are your plans (then you can also tell us what you'd rather be doing, if ya had yur rathers! ? Hope everyone will have a safe weekend above all else! (Along with good friends and a wonderful time!) ~Danny Lou~

Aaaaaahhhh, I love a happy ending!!! Praying you and hubby will be very happy, along with your precious family. May God heal all the old wounds and memories and may He replace them with joy unspeakable, peace for all seasons, and everlasting love! {{{{{Lynnie}}}}} You and your family will continue to be in my prayers.

WOW!!! Westbrook ~ That is so awesome! I am sure your gifts of a tea set/with the hand dyed cozies to match are treasured for years to come. Yes, you are right. You need to sew yourself one. So how did your cozy do at the fair? Our country fair becomes more commericalized every year. It is such a shame. I don't know if people don't have the time to handmake or what, but it is certainly discouraging when you see entries you know were not made by the individual who has them entered. (Too, I don't get as many "ideas" as I used to get years ago! ) Sometime you will have to post some pictures of you handywork. I would love to see the hand dying process. Too bad we can't have an online crafts fair! ~ Danny Lou

Hey Reci . . . Here is my email addy ~ cornerstonerockyridgeranch@yahoo.com Send me your snailmail address and I will get your rose rock on its way. I think you will find the rose rock very interesting. Danny Lou

Debbielee, I am so sorry you had to do this! Twenty-one years is a long time! Years of sharing secrets and making memories. Animals sure do wiggle their way into our hearts and grab hold!

Well, I had my three hours and then some! I started to get ready to leave and DS#1 came by, wanted to *talk* a little. Hadn't seem much of him the last few days, so enjoyed visiting. Between family, college and work, he stays pretty busy. Finished getting ready and decided to check out an Architectural Salvage. WOW!!! They had the coolest stuff! I got some really good buys. (DH didn't even complain when I told him, he would have to take the truck and trailer in to haul my bargins home!) Left there and went and picked up the youngest two from school. They wanted a snowcone, so since it was Friday, I agreed. On the way in to town we passed a closing sale. A gift/flower shop that had gone out of business a few months ago, was closing out everything at garage sale prices. I went a little crazy, but got things I can use for Christmas gifts. One fantastic buy was one of those glass containers the stores used to sell penny candy out of. It was full of votive candles (the ones that retail for around a $1.00). I got the jar and 29 candles for $2.00!!! Also, got some Leaning Tree greeting cards for a quarter each. Bought a couple of larger shelving type items (poor DH, he has to haul them also). We went on into town and got snowcones. I decided not to cook, so we went by and picked up bar-b-que ribs and chicken for supper (I only do that about once a month!) Got home and DS#1 was back with DIL and the two youngest grandkids, so they had supper with us and stayed until a little after midnight. So glad tomorrow is Saturday, so I can sleep in a little. All this tramping around, stomping out good deals makes me tired! It was a fun day though and I feel less stressed ~ (probably shouldn't dewell on what I spent or the *stress* may reappear!). You guys have a great weekend!!!

I've got about three hours today, to explore a little! Yes, I could find plenty to do here at home, but I am not looking (if need be we will trip over it for another day ~ work rarely *goes away*!). I want to get out and connect with ~ me, I guess. Haven't decided if I am going deeper in the country or to garage sales, wherever, I just know I am going. Hope I have something interesting to tell you when I return, but regardless it will be fun! Hope all of you have a great day and a super weekend coming up! *Talk to you later!* Take time to just enjoy life!!! Celebrate {{{{{yours!}}}}}

Hi Patty, Glad you decided to join in. Debbielee is right, the more who join in, the better it gets! Everyone has something to offer. It is a shame when we underestimate our own wealth of insight and information, thinking no one will be interested in "what I have to say." You may be the one who really encourages someone through a difficult time. So post away and don't be bashful! Oh, and pass that bowl of popcorn. Would you like a coke or dr.pepper to wash it down with? We got some that are iceycold!

Reci, I will get with you in a day or two about the rock exchange, okay? Sounds like a great idea!

Westbrook, You have the right idea on the tea set(s). I have two from England (my AF uncle sent), some individual cups & saucers (received as gifts over the years), a silver tea/coffee service (which was my mothers), a beautiful transferware tea pot - reproduction (bought off ebay), and 4 miniature tea sets I am saving for my g-daughters. Such refinery??? Not! You should see the "everyday dishes" around this place or the "country china" as DH refers to the paper plates!!! I also have a lot of the granite ware, which sees more "duty" than the "tea sets." A few years ago, I attended a women's meeting and author, Susan Duke was the speaker. The name of her program was "Afternoon Tea with Jesus." It was a wonderful devotion and my interest in tea sets grew from that.

Painting Quilting Photography Writing Flower Arranging Gardening Bible Study

Well like Westbrook, I can claim dust, pounds, and clutter, but also memories, and hopefully a little knowledge. Coffee Cups Tea Sets Old Dishes Cookbooks Water Cans anything old & country Mary Engelbreit *stuff* right now I am collecting her cards to use for a border in the small bathroom. I plan to used family photos in between the cards. I have some neat rocks, also. My favorite is Rose Rock which is only found in Oklahoma. If anyone would like one, just speak up! I have tons of books ~ always a stack set aside for the next time I am grabbed by the "need to read." Material. My material collection far exceeds my sewing ability, but I have it all the same. Craft projects ~ lots of unfinished craft projects. WOW, I've turned into my MIL!!! I thought she was the packrat of the family! LOL! [This message has been edited by Danny Lou (edited August 15, 2002).]

Reci, you are not longwinded. You are awesome! I love reading your descriptions of where you live and how it touches your life! (((Reci))) Thank you for sharing!!! [This message has been edited by Danny Lou (edited August 16, 2002).]

Yesterday was intersting in a male/female way. DH asked me to spend the day with him and ride into the city. (Okay, that sounded good....get off the place together for a while, no kids, no gates to hop out and open/shut, maybe eat out at a nice resturant where they actually wait on you.) *Let's go* Well, first we need to go clean out the back of the truck and hook on the trailer. So much for that nice shower I had and the Pleasures perfume.... 1st stop on (his) list ~ The Tractor Supply Store 2nd stop ~ Atwoods (okay, here I did find some great clothing items on clearance for the kids, so no complaints) 3rd stop ~ Feed Store 4th stop - Another Feed Store 5th stop - Another tractor supply 6th stop - Lowes Home Improvemnt Store (we were in Lowes for two hours!) 7th stop - dinner out (we stopped at the first hamburger drive through (Sonic) at the edge of town (So much for that sit down, relaxing dinner for two!) (On second thought, we were sitting down in the truck.) 11:00 p.m. back home, still had to unload the truck Exhausted, tried, dusty (but *happy*) We did buy a new dishwasher at Lowes to replace the relect. Spending time together is always nice, but never quite like *we imagine it* big sigh! (Did I really enjoy going to the tractor shops 20 odd years ago when we were dating or did I just act like I did?)

*Fall planning* *Fighting over the calendar, for weekends ~ auctions, (Amish School Auction 9/14), county fairs (ours is 9/3 - 9/6), livestock shows, crafts festivals, the Oklahoma State Fair, the Arbuckle Mountain Bluegrass Festival, the Chickasaw Culture & History Festival and that scratches the suface for September. *4-H organizational meetings* *Apples to pick and dry* *Rework the herb garden* *Cut back the dead canes in the blackberry garden* (ouch!) *Fall bulbs to set out* *Examine the trees in the orchard, decide what needs to be pruned, replacement trees, etc.* *A small fall garden* *And three September birthdays!* *Then there is the stock, what to sell, what to feed over the winter, what to butcher a little later in the year* Even though fall is a busy time, it is also a refreshing time! The blessings of harvest are awesome, even if the harvest is small. I think it is in the doing of what has been familiar for generations. It is working and passing that legacy to the next generation. Enjoy the beauty and abundance that surround you, Danny Lou

Hey, can you hear those seals poppin'? After an exhausting day yesterday (I'll post more about later), I am trying to get caught up on things around the house. Those seals in the background belong to a fresh batch of peach jam. The color is so lovely, unbelievable! I've got bread dough risin' and a large pot of green beans and new potatoes simmerin' away. The kitchen smells so good! The storm that has been threating for a few days, finally got here about midmorning, so we are enjoying light showers and cooler temps! Lots of laundry still to do and tomorrow is the first day of school for the younger members of the family. This time of year is so lovely! "Live simply, so others may simply live." Hope each of you are enjoying the fruits of your labor and the blessings of God.

(POSTED BY DEBBIELEE) (Many of you may have already seen this around the net, however the message is so special, it is worth reading again and again. May each of us be given the opportunity to touch others. ~ DL~) ~~~~~ The Daffodil Principle. . . . Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. “I will come next Tuesday,” I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, so I made the two hour drive. When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house and hugged my grandchildren I said, “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the fog and clouds. There is nothing in this world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch.” My daughter smiled calmly and said, “We drive in this all the time, Mother.” “Well, you won’t get me back on the road until it clears and I am heading toward home,” I assured her. “I was hoping you’d take me over to the garage to pick up my car.” “How far will we have to drive?” “Just a few blocks,” Carolyn said. “I’ll drive. I’m used to this.” After several minutes, I had to ask, “Where are we going? This isn’t the way to the garage!” “We are going to my garage the long way,” Carolyn smiled, “by way of the daffodils.” “Carolyn,” I said sternly, “please turn around.” “It’s all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.” After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read, “Daffodil Garden.” We got out of the car and each took a child’s hand and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers! “But who has done this?” I asked Carolyn. “It’s just one woman,” Carolyn answered. “She lives on the property. That’s her home.” Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking,” was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs,” it read. The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet and very little brain.” The third answer was, “Began in 1958.” There it was, "The Daffodil Principle". For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who more than forty years before, had begun - one bulb at a time - to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable (indescribable) magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, sometimes just one “baby” step at a time, and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we, too, will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world. “It makes me sad in way,” I admitted to Carolyn. “What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago, and had worked away at it ‘one bulb at a time’ through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!” My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. “Start tomorrow,” she said. It’s so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, “How can I put this to use today?”

Hillbillee, Thank you for sharing your wonderful memories of your Dad. God certainly blessed you, when He brought the two of you together. May he live in your heart and memories forever. {{{{{Hillbillee}}}}}