The chicks are very happy in their new home.  Three of them are 7 weeks old and the other two are 5 weeks old.  I set them up a spot in the storage side of the chicken coop, separate from the adults.  They have about 20 square feet in there.  I hooked up a light for them with a 60 watt bulb - mostly for light, but the heat will help at night when it gets cooler.  The temperature outside today was about 64 degrees, so they didn't really need the extra heat during the day.  That side of the coop only gets light through the little window in the door, so the extra light will be good.

Making progress on the fence for the chickens.  Yesterday I dug two holes and today I dug 1 1/2 holes.  That leaves just 4 1/2 holes left.  I bought all the lumber for the fence and began staining it today too.  I will feel good when the fence is finished - see all those big rocks I've been digging out?!

We bought 8 sockeye this week and I picked them up Thursday.  I filleted them that night and stuck them in the fridge.  Total filet weight was 44 pounds - average of 5.5 pounds per fish.  Yesterday, I canned up 14 pints (used just a bit more than 3 fish), vacuum sealed the other filets and froze them.  Aren't they pretty?!?  :o)

Ok, I know I came to this planet with them pre-installed.  My guts, I mean.  I'm certain of it.  They have to be here somewhere.....  There is some classes coming up for basic (motorcycle) riding.  They teach you everything you need to know and then give you a paper to take to the DMV, and wahlah, they give you a license. However, no matter how bold I am becoming in doing things differently (like getting my second holes pierced in my ears, may I say now... OUCH!) and independently, I am still a ..... yes, I'll say it,... I'm a girl.  That being said, I know even girls come with pre-installed guts.  But... I'm a girl, and girls do everything in pairs or groups.  This will be done alone.  Eeeek.  The 'eeeeky' parts are the cost which is expensive,  a 100 mile drive one way, scheduling to do this on a Thurs. evening, drive back home that night, work on Friday, back up there on Friday night, spent Friday and Sat. night there and do the classes on Sat. and Sun.   Having written it down makes it a lot easier to manage, because now I can see what the obstacles are :D!    I believe I have a place to stay while up there (my daughter's boyfriend has an apt. there but he's working out of town during that time, so it will be empty), I think I can navigate to the college fairly well, despite it's in a larger city.  Guess the only place I'll have to do a "gut check" is when I get in the class and get astride the bike they will be providing :D! 

www.allposters.com

1-8 oz. Cool Whip

1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 c. sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

1 stick margarine

3 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 can pie filling (your choice)

1. Melt the margarine & mix with crumbs.  Pan into 9 X 13" dish.  **Save a few crumbs for topping!

2.  Mix cream cheese, sugar, & vanilla until well beaten.  Add Cool Whip. 

3.  Pour mixture on top of crumbs.

4.  Pour pie filling over top Cool Whip mixture.

5.  Sprinkle reserved crumbs on top.

July 5

When Things Go Wrong

And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.

Romans 5:3

Most of us are acquainted with adversity. And most of us don’t appreciate it. We regard it as an enemy as old as Job, who lamented, “Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).

There is, however, a positive side to trouble. It was Thomas Edison, standing in the ashes of the fire that destroyed his laboratory, who spoke these inspiring words, “Wonderful! All our mistakes have been burned up and we can start over.”

Even in nature, life depends on resistance. A fish, without the buoyancy of water or the thrust of the current, would be unable to swim. Birds, without the lift provided by the air against their wings, would remain earthbound.

In its metamorphosis from larvae to caterpillar and finally into the beautiful creature we call a swallowtail butterfly, the vital principle of struggle and resistance is striking. In its final stage, there is so much visible effort as the fully developed butterfly struggles to emerge from the chrysalis, that a sympathetic observer is tempted to come to its aid and slit the cocoon open with a sharp knife. This, however, would be a good deed gone awry. Without the benefit of the effort involved, its wings, which were intended for flight, would be mere appendages. The poor little creature, deprived of the life supporting benefit of struggle, would be doomed.

“When things go wrong.” How dare I entertain such a thought? The Word says, “All things work together for good.”

Jerry Yoder, Auburn, KY

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

—Psalm 34:19

Bible Reading: Job 5:1–7

One Year Bible Reading Plan:

Acts 13:1–24

Job 31, 32

Used by Permission of Vision Publishers

PO Box 190, Harrisonburg, VA  22803

Phone:  877-488-0901

E-Mail:  [cs@vision-publishers.com]

Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBaOlSPPK2c

May God use this in your life to draw you closer to Him! 

Happy 4th of July!

I took the girls to the parade.  They decided at the last minute to help with the church's float, so I took them.  It's about 30-35 miles from our house, so we got up early and got some chores done then left.  The Parade theme this year was REMEMBER WHEN... and our church's float was small (just a pick-up truck with several walkers walking by it).  They had signs that said "Wise Men still seek Him"  and 3 wise men in the back of the truck with a wooden camel.  They got lots of cheers, I guess, through out the parade, so they knew people appreciated the thought.  My kids handed out flyers with the rest of the walkers... they has small children's booklets and magazines to hand out and a few adult flyers as well.  I just watched from a friend's house which is the very corner the parade starts and while we saw all the floats, many weren't in sync until after the first block. 

After the parade, I quickly ran into town with a friend's keys to her store and picked up as many empty boxes as I could fill in our mini van for the BIG FIRE CLEAN UP!  I so appreciated the boxes, that means I can start right away (and we did this afternoon), just removing dirty items from the immediate house and have them out of the way for the cleaners.  I packed up my cookbooks and then boxed up all the food they told me to throw and I also inventoried it all.  My girls packed a few boxes of items they did not want to have messed with when they are away at camp.  

We are to record our time cleaning and boxing items and we can work off our deductible.  The insurance adjuster told us to keep track of times.  He does not have the exact rate we will be paid at, but it will be between $8-10.  I figured if we got the rate of $8, we need to work off 132.5 hours.  So far, we've logged 16.25 hours.  Not much, but it's hard to do much when they say you can't clean until the cleaners come.  But some things like laundry and boxing up items we can do (now that we have approval).  I have four pages of inventoried items from my spice cupboards.  The adjuster said I'd likely have to take a price shop and get some prices on the items and then figure the cost... by how much was left in the packages.  Full, half, 1/4, etc.  I am really hoping that turning in sheet with prices will be adequate.  Rebuying everything right now seems just over my head.  First, there is no where to put it, and second, I just want the house clean before I think about restocking the cupboards.   I will say however that fried potates with no seasonings aren't as grand as one might think... LOL.  I really should buy a little salt and some garlic or a couple seasonings... but then again... maybe I just shouldn't fry anything!!!  That's bad for my health anyways!  

I am feeling a bit better today.  I was thinking about how overwhelming this process is really turning out to be.  And yet... I recall that recently I was stunned by the doctor's diagnosis of depression.  As I was thinking of the garden... if you are gone 1 week, it takes nearly 3 weeks to catch up with weeding... things just don't stop growing!    As I looked at the house and noted my past couple years worth of keeping house (little was done when I was dealing with my daughters illnesses, our hard sheep year, and my depression)... I realized I kept the family areas clean... as clean as say... there wasn't food stuck to the furniture, but dusting was done every couple of months rather than once a week... I had lots to catch up on... and if it worked out like the garden... even though I am getting my energy back, trying to keep up and catch up at the same time was still going to be a lengthy process.   Now I am offered help.  I was at first mortified that they are cleaning EVERY little piece of my home, but I am beginning to be grateful for this opportunity... I mean how often does one get a full cleaning and professional cleaning help when one does spring cleaning?   I simply have to humble myself and just admit that I need help to get back on my feet... and Wow, God already provided that help!  Even before I asked.  How great is that?  God is sooooo good to me sometimes that I know I hardly deserve any of this (I don't deserve any of it!), but oh how grateful I am to be His child!    

Warmly, ~Melissa