The Busy Bee Mama

Leaving tomorrow for vacation

We are leaving tomorrow to go to Ohio with a stop in horse country.  My in-laws live in Northern Ohio so we go to see them only twice a year (Thanksgiving week and 4th of July week).  We leave tomorrow morning and will stop in Lexington where my sister and her family are meeting us.  The kids love to stay in a hotel so they are anticipating that!  Then Saturday morning we will head up to Buckeye state.  I hope to have pictures and details of our travels after we return on the 11th.  Y'all take care! 

Happy Independence Day!!!!

***If you are on Facebook, feel free to join me on my travels because I have it loaded onto my phone.  If you're not my friend on there let me know and I'll add you.  You can find me under Farrah Cook Ginter.

Errand day

Today is our main errands day this week.  I have been out and about alot already this week, but today we are hitting up 5 different places.  Today I am going to stop and pray before each place and ask God to help me make the right decisions, purchase the best things, and to help me be a good steward to God's and my husband's money.  Do y'all do this?

Simple Woman's Daybook 6.29.09 and menu plan monday

FOR TODAY...

I am hoping...to get everything done without my husband having to tell me.

Raising Godly Men

In this day and age, it is quite difficult to raise boys to be Godly men.  It is especially difficult when they attend public school and are around very un-Godly boys and even some homosexual teachers.  Bryson was "told" about sexual acts when he was in the third grade.  Nicholas has been encouraged to get piercings and have sexual relationships with girls since the seventh grade.  Most people in our neighborhood listen to music that is degrading to women and quite frankly, quite violent.  So, what is a woman of God supposed to do to help her husband in raising these two boys to be Godly men.

1.  Pray, pray, pray!!!!!  Pray for them.  Pray with them.  Help them to realize that though we love them and are there for them when they leave our nest they will be need to depend on God for everything.  For instance, yesterday, Bryson was taking his standardized test (he failed the first time-praying he did well this time) and he was rightfully so nervous.  So, I sat him down and we prayed together.  I pray daily for he and Nicholas to be safe and for God to send them wonderful helpmeets.

2.  Teach them to search the Bible.  I love www.biblegateway.com.  I have taught them that if they need to find out what God says about a subject to look it up there and then if they'd like they can then see it in the Bible.

3.  Marry and then have children with a Godly man.  Make sure that the man you marry will be a good influence on your sons together.  I am so proud to know that my husband will take the boys for walks and talk to them about anything they are too afraid to talk to me about.

4.  Censor their media and friends.  In the world today there is so much of Satan that will try to influence your children.  Boys especially for they really want to be the cool person.  Girls are influenced as well, but they typically have a more of a conscience than boys.  Boys want to be known as the coolest person around.  We have monitored what they have seen and heard their entire lives (for Bryson, but could not for Nick until he moved here at age 12).  My husband loves to sing the song, "Be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear....".  My stepdaughter has had a difficult time since coming here this summer because of our censoring.  Now, Nick usually censors for himself.  Bryson is the ultimate in censorship!

5.  Last, but not least, make sure the boys know they can come to you.  Have their hearts.  Earn their respect.  Spend time with your boys doing something they like to do.  Yet, make sure they have a well-rounded experience with life.  Share your time and knowledge with them.  Teach them how to build a fort, change a tire, and shoot a gun.  Also, learn how to skateboard or in our case hard-core dance and play the Wii.  Be there if they need to talk and tell no one (except for your spouse).

I hope this has helped you know what we are doing in our home.  If you have anything to add please feel free.  I love hearing from other Christian Mom's of boys.  I would also love hearing how to raise daughters for this is new to us.

Have a blessed weekend!

Summer Fruit and Sauerkraut

Have y'all been enjoying the fruits this summer?  Our peaches are just lucious this year!  I just so love the fruits in the summer and yearn for fresh fruits in the winter.  However, getting them in the summer makes them so much more special!  In my house as soon as I bring home any berries or peaches they are eaten within 2 days!  My produce guy, Mr. Johnny, and I have become great friends because of my many visits and he reminds me of my grandfather whom died 12 years ago.  What are y'all doing with your fruits?  I am looking for a delicious cobbler or crisp recipe.  If you have one please share!

I also am wondering how many of y'all make your own sauerkraut?  If you use the Nourishing Traditions method, do you use a crock?  I've tried 3 times to make it without a crock and it never turns out correctly.  I'm wondering if it is because of the non-crock usage.  Along with sauerkraut, what other fermented vegetables do y'all make?  How do you make and store them? 

Thank you in advance!  We are working on eating more towards the Nourishing Traditions typed foods and I just need advice!

~Farrah

P.S. I have decided to change the direction of my blog.  I am 100% putting it back towards things that are positive and will build up my home.  Satan (and poor choices by all) are trying to tear it down.  Consequently, I am ridding any and all things that do not bring me closer to God and my home.  Thank you for your patience!

Dreaming again!

Good Morning all!

It seems as if us homesteaders are constant dreamers doesn't it?  I am always dreaming about my homestead loooking like I want it to with so much done, the garden growing , all barn chores and animal needs taken care of and never behind well I will keep dreaming and plugging away at it.

While we were at the feed store last night I was talking to one of the ladies who work there.  DD and I have always wanted a horse, her since she knew what they were ( 6 years, she's 9) and me for ( about 30 years).  I asked her how much it would be to take care of a trail horse and she said alot less than it is to take care of our goats.   She told us it is very doable for jsut a trail horse and not a show horse ( we have no interest in showing )  Dh said if she sold most of her goats we might be able to do that!   Wow!  I nver thought that possiable!    I will look more in to it!

Today :

Steam carpet where dog threw up  with rented rug doctor.  Muck, plant garden ( sooo- far behind!) trim hooves.

Seize the day!  Enjoy the day the Lord hath made, rejoice and be glad in it!

Mama

Happy Father's Day to all the dads...

Today is Father's Day!  I do hope everyone is super loving the daddys of their world.  I no longer have an earthly daddy to love on, so I will concentrate on my children's daddy.   

The plans we have are as follows:

Breakfast-bacon, fried eggs and toast with homemade jam.

Then off to church.  After church, I plan on stopping by Farm Fresh to pick up some Pepsi for Donnie.  Sigh....

At 2 pm we will be going to Natasha and Pat's house for a graduation celebration for their daughter, Breanna.  Donnie wanted to support Pat and I wanted to support Natasha, as well as, Breanna.  We will only be able to stay for about one to one and half hours though.  That is okay with Natasha.  Ah...having good friends is a real blessing of the LORD.

Next we will be coming home to have some Beale family daddy time.  He might want to watch the race--Donnie is a NASCAR fan--Oh well, it is his day.

I have the steaks already marinating.  The Three Bean Salad is also made.  In a few minutes I am going in the kitchen to make his favorite pie--Lemon Meringue.  The only dish I have to cook before eating is fried yellow squash and onions.  That is our menu for the evening. 

We will be joined by Donnie's eldest son, Lee for the meal.  He is a dad, too, but his children are in Italy for three years, so we want him here with us and not alone on Father's Day.  Plus, Lee has a way of livening up a party.  Personality plus is this man of 40 years.

So, these are the plans.  

I have finally got Seth into is larger room.  It has been freshly painted and cleaned.  (Seth was moved from this room into a smaller computer room when his sister and her family moved in with us for seven months.)  I promised Seth that I would redo his room anyway he wanted--within reason--He chose camouflague.  So, his bed is done in cami and I am working on the rest of the room, slowly.  Very slowly these days.  He did not sneeze once last night--the room was so clean.  Yipee!!!

Well, I need to go and make a pie and fix some breakfast!

A special "Happy Father's Day" to Robert, Pat, James and Jim from the Beale Bungalow!! 

God Bless!

P.S.  Marianne and Angie, the CalMag, Rescue Remedy, Alfalfa and Vitamin B has my BP down and I did sleep last night.  Thanks for the support.  Now, I need to just remember to keep taking my supplements.   

Bryson's 5th Grade Luau and Graduation

Our right to Homestead at question even more!

Good Morning all!

I just received my new issue of Countryside Magazine.  I thas even more shocking news about our current governments plans to remove our right to homestead.  In an article by Jerri Cook on page 11 he tells us about what plans lay in the wait to take away our right to grow our own food even if it never leaves our farm!

Alot of you know about NAIS ( the National Animal Identification system) if you don't  please don't delay in checking out www. nonais.org  It will inform you and make you sick to your stomach.   In Jerri's article he lets us know about H.R. 875 The Food Safety Modernization act of 2009. This" defines a food production facility as  "any farm,ranch,orchard, vineyard, aquaculturefacilty or confined animal-feeding operation" giving the FDA and other governmetn agencies broad control over small-scale producersand those who raise food for their own personal consumption. Other language in the bill is deeply ambiguaous; those who dehydrate,can,or freeze food in their homes could be required to abtain a license to operate a food production facilityshould the bill pass as is.   H.R.814   The TRACE Act of 2009 is essentially NAIS  repackaged and reworded so it can be enacted by an agency other than USDA. This legislation requires intensive electronic monitoring of all livestock, including carcasses and pieces of carcesses.     H. R. 759 The Food and Drug Adminstration Globalization Act of 2009 mandates that the Secretary of Health and Human Services " establish science-based minimum standards for the safe production of harvesting of fruits and vegetables as necessary," setting strict licensing reqquirements."   These bills are supposedly  intended to protect consumers they do not have definet language excluding the small scale producer or family farm. While some might say this is an oversight I have to  say this is partof our wonderful  govt. plot to remove the self producing small scale farmer and family producer from the picture so they can get more money and lock in the big brother govt. run crappy food producers.   We need to rally together and fight this bills.  NAIS ahs so far not passed because of the out cry and harrassment from people like us, peolpe who want to live like our grandparents did. They ar now trying to sneak NAIs through with all their petty changes in wording and bill labels.  Wake up fellow homesteaders star contacting your Representative, you Senators anyone who is suppose to listen to your opionon!   We are losing our rights more so everyday.

All wording with in the quotations is quotated directly from Jerri  Cook's article in the July/August Countryside Magazine page 11.  Thank you Jerri for wording things so well.

That said I have goats to milk, a garden to still get in and I am really wishing I had ordered some meat birds already.  Let's see What else can I possiably do to provide for my family.  Maybe some meat rabbits. I better get busy making that goat milk chees with all my milk. 

Blessing to you all , be diligent in good doing and ahrd work and God tells us we will reap the harvest!

Seize the Day!

Mama

Yep, it is Sunday...

Well, it is Sunday.  The sun is out and no rain!!!  Thank goodness!  My poor little mammoth sunflower babies cannot take anymore rain.  I think I am going to put them in our shed for the night.  We are expecting more rain some time during the night and my babies need to dry out a little.  I can just picture them standing tall out in front of the Beale Bungalow with their big yellow and brown faces facing the heavens in the cool of the day.  I really love my sunflower babies.

Church was church.  The people are nice.  The music was hard to sing to.  The people are nice.  Yep, church was church. 

This brings me to a dilemma.  Donnie and I are fairly quiet people.  We can be content just sitting around reading and taking naps on Sundays.  Seth is not a quiet, sit around type of young boy.  He wants friends, activities, trips, etc.  With Marianne gone--our Sundays (as well as Mon-Sat) are blahhhh.....  There are very few children Seth's age in our church.  So, I am going to pray about this dilemma.  Seth needs friends...Christian friends.  He has friends outside of the church, but most of them for some reason or another are moving.  Not to another local neighborhood, but to other states! 

Now, I am not making a move without God directing me.  Been there--done that.  But, Seth is lonely and it is very hard to watch and live through.  He wants a dog, but we really cannot afford one right now, truly.  (I personally have had my fill of dogs, but Seth and his needs must be priority.)  Money is an issue, but even then he needs something more.  Something that both Donnie and I would agree on.  I am no longer a go getter, so I am sitting on my prayer chair just praying for an answer.  I really don't want Seth hating his childhood because he happens to be a "lonely only" as Dr. Kevin Lehman would put it.  I have lived through one child in that category--I do not think I can live through another one.  Sigh....

I am reading a new book!  Youniquely Woman Becoming Who God Designed You to Be, by Kay Arthur, Emilie Barnes and Donna Otto.

It is really a wonderful book.  I have been struggling with my vision/purpose that I believe that God gave to me--years ago.  This vision/purpose has taken several beatings over about......5 to 6 years.  I have been in a pickle thinking maybe God has another vision/purpose for me, but He doesn't.  I just needed to live out this vision/purpose in His strength and authority--not my own.  I would really recommend this book to a young lady, so she will not make the mistakes of the authors or me.........  I love this book.   

Anyway, today has been very peaceful and quiet.  I personally needed today to be just the way it has been. 

God Bless!!