A Plain Home
Pictures, Pictures and more Pictures
Nothing special about the pictures...just things around the homestead lately :o) Enjoy!Some of the property over the weekend. This is the back clearing where we want to build. If we don't build here, I want to put our schoolhouse up back here anyway (just to the right of that center pine tree...that's where the trail heads back to the pond.
The next is the logging road they used a few years back to get to the neighbors property...and where they come up with the 4-wheelers. The bottom of that range there is the end of our property.
Next two are of the pond, coming in from that logging road, through the trees. It's just seasonal and lately, that has meant no real water to speak of. The first year it had maybe 2 foot of water. This year, maybe the same. The 2 years in the middle, it was just about bone dry and useless with the drought. We'd like to dig it out more and shore it up to try to keep water in it. We know there's a decent aquifer running through this part of the mountain, down about 150 here at the house end of the property. Would be nice to have some water for the animals if nothing else.
Thanksgiving weekend work on the homestead...Finally getting the holes dug out for the posts for the back porch area. Most likely, it will never make it as a porch and will be enclosed for living space...maybe that outdoor kitchen ;o) I tried to get the holes started but it's all clay...and really thick nasty stuff at that. I just can't do it. I'm a wimp. I admit it. So, as Drew was over for dinner, we put him to work with Dewey :o)
The goofy pup there is the beagles basset mutt mix we have...brains of a stuffed animal, but lovable. He chases rabbits and such all night. Pinned a coyote down in the timber last year so we could shoot it. He's a good dog...just goofy. Notice Miss Abigail's bare feet...this was the day after Thanksgiving. Sure wouldn't be out running the countryside like that back North this time of year!
Thanksgiving fixins' on the homestead...We spent all day Wednesday baking...2 pecan pies, 2 apple, 2 chocolate (that's the empty crust with the tin foil in it) and 2 9x13 pumpkin cobblers. And the yummiest yeast rolls :o) It's a mix we do up and keep in the pantry --delicious. And, yes, I'll add the recipe soon!
The full menu ended up looking like this...deep-fried turkey, a huge (h-u-g-e) smoked ham from the butcher (stupid me didn't ask about size, just got the one that looked so good...it didn't fit inside the 18qt Nesco roaster we have...had to sit cockeyed until it cooked down some and slide into the pan the right way!). Dressing, green bean casserole, baked corn, potatoes/gravy, sweet potatoes, then the list of desserts. We made honey nut crunch and ranch/dill crackers for snacking all weekend.
This was the first year our eldest wasn't at the table. He rode up with Dewey to pick up Hope's car and drive it back. He wanted it to be their first Thanksgiving, and he was frying his first turkey solo...
The 20 quart mixer...yes, that's a make-do kitchen sink set up there. We pulled out the cupboard a while back. I have a very nice, new countertop sitting out in the building, but until I know for sure what we are doing (building or simply remodelling) I don't want to use it yet ;o) And, yes, those are cinder blocks under the mixer -- it sits too low to the floor for comfortable use. I know it looks rather hillbilly-ish, but it works ;o)
The meat, part 1/Day 1...still partially frozen, even after 2 days of thawing in the cooler bag. Guess that cooler bag works far better than I thought it did! We cut up most of the chunks to more suitable pieces and readied them for the canning jars.
Funny!
My 3yo likes to sing along with the older girls. They like the song Emmanuel... the refrain goes like this... Rejoice, rejoice, emmanuel, shall come to .....
My little one starts the refrain... Be Joyed! Be Joyed!
Too cute!
Warmly, ~Melissa
To my "anonymous" reader
Dear "anonymous" reader who left a comment on my blog about women & working out of the home......
I want to thank you for taking time to read my blog and I also wanted to let you know I left a comment in response to your comment..... please take a moment and read.
Friends, this is my personal blog.... I share here what is on my heart..... I realize not everyone is going to agree with what I share here...... that is certainly a freedom we have in this wonderful country of ours....but I do ask friends that you leave your name when you post...... I am not sure why folks post "anonymous" comments...... what not share your name? It's ironic to me that when people leave unkind comments or comments that disagree with the writer's opinions they do not have the courage to share "who" they are... why is that so?
In any case, I wanted my anonymous reader to please take a moment and read my response to their comment. For those of you who wish to read my reply left in response to a comment left in regards to my post titled: The Old Fashioned Parlor.
May God bles you & keep you,
gloria
Books for Sale...
Understanding Exodus
You ever read the Bible with a "Wow, that was incredibly dumb of them" additude?
I will never forget suddenly seeing myself in Eve and her choices a few years ago. Incredibly humbling experience!
Well, I'd be complaining right along with everyone in Exodus, too.
I dunno. You read the passages, and about manna, this wonderful, heavenly bread. And surely a few people weren't complaining, right? Some people surely fell into the routine and just "went with it". Because that's what I would do . . . .
Nah!
I think I'd be complaining along with everyone else. A diet of pure, unadulterated manna stretching out before me, drying the taste buds completely up in my mouth.
A few days ago, I was praying for each day to pass without labor. Now that I've had a few in a row, I'm impatient. And a single hard contraction still makes me panic, of course, and flop over on my side like a whipped puppy . . . . but the inactivity is grinding on me. Terribly.
Sorry to complain. I'm just tired and irratable from . . . doing nothing. You know, don't-pick-that-sock-up-off-the-carpet or carry-your-glass-to-the-sink or labor will comence and then my baby is wisked away to the NICU. Now don't you wish you had left that dirty sock sitting there another two weeks? [insert evil laughter here]
Here is me a few weeks ago, waaay out in front and carrying baby high . . . .
And, here is me now. Even my mama asked if the reason I looked so small was because the baby dropped. Not sure if this picture does it real justice, but it's the best I have at the moment:
Baby "bump" gone. It's more like I had the baby and haven't lost my tummy yet ... hardly that I'm carrying around an increasingly larger child, still! *sigh*
I don't want to be more trouble than a I need to be. Do I really need to be waited on hand and foot? I just don't know. It would be hard to tell until I'm doing light housework and go into labor .... oops!
A few weeks of taking it easy to get us closer to full term . . . pray for me to have patience! 
And perhaps my midwife might have some words of wisdom and insight tonight . . . .
~Ashley~
Oh Joy!
Today I had a conversation with a friend who is not a Christian ~ this friend has tried on various occasions to persuade me to accept the teachings of their church ~~ this person knows me well and paid me the most precious and lovely compliment a believer of the Lord Jesus could ever be told...... it has made my heart sing for Joy an I just needed to share it here with you all because so many of you love my Jesus as much as I do and will understand!!
This person told me that " born again Christians like me and another Christian they know were content with Jesus and not looking for any thing else" ....... oh dear reader -- can I just tell you how my heart lept for JOY when this friend shared this with me????
Oh that I would always be content with my Jesus..... oh that I would always have such closeness to Him that I would never feel the need for "religion" or "other teachings" outside of what He has given us in His word...... oh, how that made my heart sing!
One of my favorite songs is Shout to the Lord by Hillspring ........
My Jesus, My Savior,..... Lord there is none like you...... all of my days, I want to praise.... the wonders of your mighty hand....
My Jesus, My comfort.... tower of refuge and strength....let every breathe, all that I am.. never cease to worship YOU.......
Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing... power and majesty praise to the King......
The mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of YOUR name ....
I sing for joy at the work of your hands, forever I'll love you forever I'll stand....
nothing compares to the promise I have in YOU.........
Praising Him!
Gloria
Back Online again....several updates here
First off -- Ron & Jo...if you visit and read this, do email me! We've been worried about how you both are doing!The computer went down again. Apparently, the first computer geek didn't do any sort of system diagnostics and simply wasted 3 days or so re0installing my modem driver.
Well, it went down on me again, 2 weeks ago now. Not that it didn't make for a quiet and peaceful Thanksgiving, and we did get many things accomplished, but still....
This time, I went to the original geek I had planned on using last time. They did a full system whatever and ran several diagnostics. They think the main issue I was having is that my BIOS system was rather outdated. There were 5 newer updates than I had, and they don't simply install with the regular system update stuff this thing does on it's own every so often. He updated me that way, installed another antivirus program then downloaded a new modem driver and viola...we have internet again.
And life picks up with hectic busy-ness, of course.
Just to note: If you sent me an email over the past couple of weeks and haven't heard from me...don't expect to. Just email me again. I had a million emails in my inbox and they are all being deleted as I write here. Please, email again if you need me!
I have all 300# of meat in the freezer...well, minus the 50# of stewing chunks sitting in the kitchen waiting its turn in the canner. My pressure seems a bit off today -- it's taking forever to get up to pressure for some reason. But, it's all cut up, the packing juice blend prepared and jars scalded and waiting.
I am going to get very tired of looking at meat, I can tell that already, and it's just Day 1 of a long line of days to come! We may well turn vegetarian for a couple months once it's all said and done!
We have, aside from meat meat and more meat in the works here, fencing outside we are dealing with. Seems we are being over-run with wayward hunters. We knew they had been around the property, but they have found several signs of them running 4-wheelers clear up to the back of my barn! They are using our deer stands, running their dogs all over and apparently using our private property as their own personal hunting grounds.
That will come to a stop this week. We are getting the signs up so we are more properly POSTED everywhere, and I am setting up some wire along the back access where we know for a fact they are coming and going. If they damage a 4-wheeler with a slightly hidden barb wire fence, serves them right. It will be well inside the perimeter of my property line, where they don't belong. That and some bird shot peppering their hunting expedition should do the trick.
Before anyone takes issue to our methods here, we have a very good idea as to who the culprits are, and they know we don't want hunters here. They know we have young children who enjoy our property, and as they hunt with high powered rifles, they are definitely not welcome here. My own dogs stay on our property, and they are being annoyed with the constant traffic as well. I don't need the aggravation, or the worry of my children being shot while playing on their own land.
To give you some idea of the genius we are dealing with out here, this group was shooting targets last year in their own cleared plot just down from our line. It's their property, I have no concern there whatsoever. It's a free country.
However, they use high powered, long range shot guns/rifles whatever you call them. Where they were shooting from/at, in virtually every direction on the compas, they had nothing but timber land. Literally hundreds upon hundreds of acres going out in every direction. Nothing in line for miles and then some.
Every direction, that is, but they one they chose to shoot in. They set up just the other side of the creek and were shooting directly toward my house. Literally peppering my roof with their shot. Branches and leaves were falling after every shot. Genius, pure genius. In any other direction, they would have had nothing but trees for miles and miles, yet they picked the direction that went through my property straight to my house and animals....and children.
Running a 4-wheeler across a low-lying wire fence is going to be the least of their concerns if we actually catch them on the property hunting, instead of their leftovers and signs.
We also have a lengthy sewing list, as usual. And school work to catch back up on. We are having reading issues it seems. I need to determine where my cut-off needs to be. There is a point where not reading well is a problem, and I think we might be there. I know we took more time with our first reader learning, but I've 3 in the works now and they simply aren't coming along very quicky. I know, homeschooling certainly affords my time in that respect, no hard-lined schedules to adhere to and all, but still...we have been at this enough now there should be a bit more progress I think. Time to re-evaluate The Plan here.
As to the olders, Jennifer finished a decent amount while gone with Dewey the past couple weeks. And Johanna, well, she has her own agenda. She is set on graduating when she turns 15 years old...about 2 years or so from now. She blew right through one grade level already and is just about finished with the next set of math, language and science I bought a couple weeks ago. She definitely needs some more indepth work to keep her coccupied. She easily completes 4 or more lessons a day. Like I said, a girl with her own agenda.
I have a Christmas gift...yes, I know what I said about Christmas and all, but this is different, sort of. I came across a bargain and couldn't pass it up. Dewey said birthday and Christmas gift and I jumped on it! (my birthday is Christmas Eve...I tend to get those 'combined' gifts quite often!). I have a 20 quart Welbilt Varimixer sitting in my kitchen :o) It's huge. It's sitting on the floor right now -- there's no way my counters, besides being far too tall, would accommodate this machine. I'll have to build some sort of stand for it, but for now, it's just sitting there, waiting to be used. We will start selling bread and such soon, and much easier.
The man we bought it from buys out various businesses and such and resells the equipment. He thinks he knows of a commercial oven and stove and is checking on that for me. Dewey wasn't really in the mood to drag along with me to pick it up, but he wanted to check it out first. Well, he has found his new dream shopping warehouse now. This man has virtually everything. If he doesn't have it and doesn't know where to find it, you simply don't need it. He has all sorts of building materials and so on. Dewey enjoyed his trip more than I did I think!
I will get some pictures up this week, but today, the meat is calling!
Country Music = 5 1/2"!
Are you a little confused with the title?
Let me explain.
I'VE LOST 5 1/2" IN 2 WEEKS BY LISTENING TO COUNTRY MUSIC!!!
Nov. 17 I started working out....more!
I had been doing light weights Monday, Wednesdays & Fridays & then on Tuesdays & Thursdays I would go to the gym & walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes. That worked well until I quit going to the gym & walking. I put back on all the inches that I lost! Well, then I decided to just walk outside around my block. I think I did that once before it got too cold. Hmmm....what to do? Our gym membership is over! So I decided to continue with the weight lifting on Mon., Wed., & Fri. but to also do my stepper for a half hour EACH day! Yes, that's 5 days a week! Let me tell ya, the first day I thought that I was going to throw up! I tried doing the stepper & watching my Little House series but that didn't work very well b/c I just couldn't follow the story while exercising. Then I decided to do the stepper while watching CMT. That's the ticket! It's working! Music just makes everything easier! It also helps to see all those skinny women singers. Kind of motivates you! I want to be skinny too! ~Smile~
So I lose inches but I don't lose weight!
Keep moving those bodies ladies!
Our Little Country Church...
At the end of a country gravel road sits a 110 yr old country church......it's a small, simple church..... just one room... no bathroom ( there's an outhouse!) I feel blessed that my family attends this little church...... where the Bible is still preached each and every Sunday and where the Hymns of our faith continue to be sung by the young, the middle aged and the elderly...... It's a humble little place...... no big praise bands here.... no fancy awanas programs or children's worship service.......
What you will see though is young families as well as elderly couples praising God and praying. You will see the young children sitting with their parents as there is no "children's church" here..... nope, this is a family integrated church..... that means church is held like it was 100 yrs ago before the Sunday School programs came into style.
I am blessed to have a pastor that believes children learn to worship best by worshipping with their parents.... that no child is too young to sit under the teaching of God's authoritive word.
We may be few in numbers, we may be humble farmers , carpenters and laymen..... but we love the Lord and seek to worship Him in Spirit & truth.......
These little country churches dot the midwest...... these churches were the backbone of America once a long time ago...... the farm families that lived in this area all attended this church... communities would gather in their local church for worship, and for fellowship........
I truly feel like I am a part of history ...... 4 years ago this church was ready to close it's doors.... there was just 3 elderly couples attending.... then my pastor felt called of God to come pastor this church..... and now 4 yrs later we have about 40 people attending... we are still small in numbers, but children are now raising their voices to sing Amazing Grace once again....
Another generation of Christian families are coming to hear God's infalliable word.......
Oh sure, we could be driving into the city to attend the new mega church with all the fancy programs for kids, teens and moms........we could be listening to the praise bands.....
But you know what? I really love our little church...... we know everyone, it's "home"..... but more than that I know that each Sunday I will hear God's word preached.... not a sermon, or a 10 minute talk, but our bibles are opened up and we dig into God's word......
I am so thankful for our little country church at the end of the gravel road......
Praising Him,
gloria
December!
I am 33 weeks today.
The more I rest, the better I feel and the fewer contractions I have. Which is good. Very good. The fewer contractions I've had since Friday has really made me aware of just how serious Friday really was. *gulp*
So many mixed emotions. When I had a single hard contraction this morning, I was reminded that I really don't think my body is "faking".
I feel this baby move inside and my arms ache with longing. With my belly's changed shape, at times I feel like I've already had this baby. And it strikes me that the empty sensation of not having my baby with me that I deal with for a split second before I remind myself that I'm still pregnant is what I dealt with after I had Eijah.
I held him for only moments after he was born. And then he was taken to the hospital. Jonathan came back without him, to hold me until I fell asleep. Falling asleep that night without a baby in my arms was the lonliest feeling I have ever dealt with.
Please, Abba . . . not again . . . .
I remember going to the hospital and staring at him, feeling strangely detached. They asked me once if I wanted to hold him for a moment and I said no. Jonathan held him for a minute. I held myself aloft all that day - they never asked again - knowing my heart would break if I touched him. If I held him close to me and then had to put him down and walk away.
I hold him that night, for only a few carefully sanctioned minutes, and the things it did to my mama's heart . . . .
Please Father . . . You know the thoughts of my heart . . . .
Was it worth it? A hundred times, yes. It struck me recently how much sacrifice has went into having chidlren for our particular family. We don't get to take things for granted, simple things like going "full term".
For we know that all things work together for God, for them that love God, for them that are called according to His purpose . . . .
He will uphold me if I go into labor tonight. He will be my strength if I have to birth my baby into a stranger's hands and face that fierce pain of seperation again.
The pain God must feel to a greater degree when we are seperated from Him by sin . . .
Just some ponderings,
Ashley
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