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It's been a busy time here on the farm. Spring is always like that. We got the garden planted last week-end before all the rain came. The calves are growing and starting to eat grain now. The hens are all laying. I'm happy to get eggs again. I have my hanging flower baskets on the front porch and I have a few marigolds in the ground as well as in planters. I never can get enough flowers. I have a question about soap making. I bought lye crystals from the co-op. Is that the same thing as regular lye that you use for soap making? I am determined to make soap with-in the next month. Any helpful tips would be greatly appreciated. I am making goats milk soap. Last night we had the people over from church for a potluck. We had a great time of fellowship. Today all the kids from FFA came over to make slide show for the graduating officers. Britt is a junior this year, and next year it will be her. Last year it was Chad and it sure was a tear jerker. Its a wonderful program and my kids have learned so much from it. I am tired and I have to get up early so I will retire for the day. I hope everyone has a good night . Love, Tina |
Posted in Homestead News
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What a beautiful day it was. 80* and sunny. The calves are doing great. They anxiously await their morning and evening bottles. Dad and Mom came by and helped us feed tonight. Our 2 Rhode Island Red roosters are quite fiesty. They may end up in the stew pot. Our hens are laying good now. The eggs are getting larger by the day. For those of you who are thinking of getting chickens, I recommended Red Star. They are so docile and very sweet and laid back. Roosters too! I will not get Rhode Island Reds again. LOL. Live and Learn. Tonight we had left over lasagna and bread. Terry had fire training. Chad is at EMT clinicals. The girls and I are at home. Another busy little day on the farm. |
First of all I want to thank everyone for all of the nice comments concerning my kidney stone. I went back to the doctor today to get the stint removed and I was totally shocked when they removed about a 12 inch piece from me. I was expecting a 2 inch or so thingy to be in there. I was SHOCKED to say the least. And for those of you who read my last blog, I realized that I spelled knew wrong. I think I just forgot to hit the k and I spelled it new. I am not a scholar but I need all the credit I can get. LOL!We are suppose to get some thunderstorms tonight. Maybe they aren't going to be too bad. This week-end I was planning on getting some outside stuff done. Hopefully I still can. I hope everyone has a blessed day. Love, Tina |
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Last Saturday I got up and made breakfast and then went into the bathroom to do my hair and all of a sudden I felt this little twinge. Well I am not used to getting kidney, bladder etc.. infections, but I knew enough to know there was something going on. So I went and drank 2 big glasses of water,thinking that would help. Well about 5 minutes later I was in agonizing and I mean agonizing pain. To make a long story short DH finally talked me into going to the hospital about 1:30 and after blood work and a CAT scan they told me I had a 7mm kidney stone and that you cannot pass one that big so they had to do surgery to remove it Sunday morning. I came home Sunday afternoon and I have been out of it for most of the week. They had to put a stint in that I have to go have removed tomorrow. I am hoping that I will feel even better after that. My DH was so loving and very attentive and caring during the whole thing. I am so lucky to have him.He slept in the hospital bed with me Saturday night to make sure I didn't run a fever. I Love him so much. Also this week we got 3 baby calves that we have been bottle feeding twice a day.They are holsteins and we will raise them for beef. The weather has been beautiful, to bad I have not been able to enjoy it. I am hoping to get some flowers and some of my garden out this week-end. MY mom came over when my hubby had to go back to work and she took care of things here for me. I am so thank-ful to have such a wonderful mom. She is so giving and always puts her children first. She taught me alot of things when I was a child, but the lessons I have learned from her as an adult leave me speechless. I am going to spend time with my youngest since it is just her and I at home right now. I am trying to capture every moment that I can. I hope that everyone has a blessed day. Love, Tina |
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Well! Surprise! Surprise! It's raining again. I mean lots of rain. My chickens are running around with their little feet squishing as they go. It's very amusing. I guess, if your not a chicken. We have had our share of rain, but after last year of the drought, we should not complain. I love it when I don't have to go anywhere on days like this. I may go to the grocery store, if I think of something special that I want to cook. I always come up with some dish that I just have to have. Especially after browsing around thepionerwoman .It's amazing. She has some awesome pictures of every dish as she is cooking it. Now, unlike some of you ladies who are very health conscience, I would like to confess. The more butter the better is my philosophy. So if you are looking for healthy recipes, you won't find them at my site or hers. But Oh! They will be good! She has given me some very good recipes and ideas. Enjoy! |
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I really want to change the look of my blog. I want it to reflect a more simpler, primitive feel. How hard is it and do you have to purchase the images from different places? Please help! Have a wonderful Day! Love, Tina P.S. I found that blesseedmomof10 has a blog on the homeschool blog site! I was happy to see that everything was O.K. |
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Today was a very profitable day. I got a few loads of laundry done. I cleaned alot,well actually I put alot of things away that I still had out for winter etc....I love winter so I try to drag the winter decor out until April but by then I am more than ready for the spring pretties! Tonights menu was Chicken and Dumplings Sourdough Bread Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake I love cooking all day. I went out and fed the chickens. Still no eggs. My little guys are crowing now. I forgot how much I missed that. Chad is at EMT class. He started his clinicals last night at the hospital. He got to start an I.V. or 2. He also had to take stool sample from a 96 yr. old man. I am so proud of him. He is 18 and I just love the fact that he wants to serve in the medical field. Brittany is gone to FFA Convention. She will be home tomorrow. I miss her so much. She is my quiet middle child but she is missed so much when she is not here. Abigail and I have spent alot of time together. She gets alot of one on one when they are gone. She misses them though. That leaves Terry, last but definatly not least. He is working on Chad"s car. For the 2nd night in a row! The fire dept. guys are here too. They all really look up to him. He helps so many people. I am so proud of him. He keeps me going and I really don't know what I would do with-out him. He is the capturer of my heart! I love to serve my family and I hope they see the love I have for them.I took alot of pics today around the homestead. I am hoping to get them on here tomorrow.I hope everyone had a blessed day.Love, Tina |
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Before I get started I thought I would tell what is on my list for today. I will have chicken and dumplings for dinner along with sourdough bread and a big salad. I will also make chocolate swirl cheesecake for hubby. I came across the recipe while we were in Florida and I promised that I would make it for him. Cheesecake is his favorite.The sun is out today and it is beautiful but I don't know how wet it is because we had very heavy rain during the night. If it is not too wet I will also try some seed planting in the garden. I need to plant Abigail's cabbage plants but I'm sure she would like to plant those herself. I will try to get back on later and update on the farm happenings. We still haven't had an eggs yet from my new hens. It really should be anytime now. I hope everyone has a blessed day! Love, Tina |
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Tina's list for today 1. Catch up on laundry 2. Make Amish friendship bread. 3.Make a visit with hubby to a fellow firefighter friend who was hurt. 4. Make beef stew and sour dough bread 5. Clean Sounds like a day that I love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just taking care of my family! Love, Tina |
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We have just spent 1 whole week at the beach. The girls went with DH and I, as well as Garrett. Chad had to stay home because of his EMT class.We had a wonderful time. I treasure the times that we can be together all day and just enjoy each other. It is so wonderful. I also really love the times that it is just DH and I. This year the family went too! We did get to go out to dinner 1 night by ourselves though. It was very nice.We were all eager to get back home though. The ocean is beautiful but when you live in Tennessee among the hills, there's no place like home. I guess I need those times to revive me and get me ready for a busy season of planting the garden and everything else that comes with spring.I also need that time to make me reevaluate my own life and get me back to where I need to be. When I get out with those crazy people(it was spring break) need I say more, I just can't believe how far the world has gotten away from Gods plan. Some things we saw were down right sickening. I just wanted to get back to my little corner of the world.All the junk that people were buying and the flashing neon signs, all the immodest clothing and the language. It was enough to just make me sick. The sad part is the downward spiral of society so fast. Those things would not have been tolerated a very short time ago. Anyway, I am now wanting my oil lamps, my garden, my stove, my tranquility and calmness of my farm more than ever! Welcome Home! Love, Tina |
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It's Friday and it's raining. We may have some storms this afternoon and into tonight but they just can't really be accurate in this part of the country....ever!Anyway, it's raining! Last night Terry tilled up my garden spot with his tractor and I was really hoping to get out there today, but that will have to wait. He told me that this year all he was going to do was till it up and the rest of the work would be mine. I am kind of excited about that because he usually does the planting too and he plants sooooooooooooooooo much and I can't ever keep up with it. So this year he said I can do whatever I want to with the garden. So I will plant what I think I can keep up with and try some experimental things that I haven't done before. I am also going to plant flowers in my garden along with the veggies to make it pretty. Brittany has a softball game tonight, but I think they will cancel it because of the rain. Yipee! It's a 2 hour drive to where they have to play tonight. Yuck!  Last week we had bad weather too. Last Friday a winter storm came in and Terry and I were flying out to Michigan and then we had to drive a moving truck back for his sister who is moving to Alabama. Terry did a marvelous job of driving through ice and snow through Cincinnati. He can do absolutly anything he wants to do and he is so good at it. I am so lucky! I thank God that he is so capable of taking care of this family. I am not one to travel alot. I love it here in my little corner of the world and I would be perfectly happy to not have to ever go anywhere! He keeps me balanced!I have included a really neat web site on my links. You can get to it here too.the pioneer womanIt's a great site ! She also has a link to her cooking site with alot of step by step recipes and pictures. She is a very funny lady who lives on a ranch. She doesn't like to leave her place either. That seems to be a sentiment of alot of ladies here! Well I better get going for the day. There is alot to do. I hope everyone has a great day! Love, Tina |
Posted in On my heart
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Last night I was kissing and loving on my 9 year old, Abigail. And as usual, as I was kissing her I was breathing in her smell. Just like I have done every single time with-out fail since the first time I kissed her 9 years ago. I don't care if it's a kiss on the forehead, on the lips, on the top of her head, or if it's a boo-boo kiss on her knee or a good-bye kiss or a bedtime kiss or a sitting on my lap in church kiss or a for no reason kiss that I frequently give to my children. No matter when or where I kiss my children, even my 18 and 17 year old, I inhale them so deeply, because I can't get enough of them. They each have their unique smell that belongs to them alone. The smell that fills their room when you walk into it when they are not home. The smell that gives you comfort. So anyway last night when I kissed Abigail, I said Let me inhale you!She looked at me like I was crazy, but of coarse she let me take my time because she knows that when no one else wants to kiss her, mommy always will!And mommy will never get enough of her. I think that mommies are the only ones that smell that smell when they kiss their children...... And I thank God that he bestowed another blessing on us mommies! Love, Tina |
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Well, this year I am going to do the potato garden in a garbage can that I didn't do last year. I was determined to do it this year. It goes like this......... First you buy or use one of your big, plastic garbage cans that you have outside. Put a little dirt, mulch, compost etc.... in the bottom. Next get a bag of seed potatos and place on the dirt and cover them up with more dirt etc...When you see eyes or sprouts coming out of the dirt just throw more dirt until you cover them up. Keep on doing this for a few months or until you fill your garbage can up and then dump the entire can out and you will have an abundance of homegrown, yummy potatoes. I am going to do two. One for red potatoes and one for regular. Thats why I didn't do it last year because when I went to TSC, I couldn't decide which ones to get. What a crazy reason. It's part of my sickness. On another note.. not a good one at that . I woud like for you to keep my cousin Jennifer in your prayers. She has just learned that the baby she is carrying has Trisome 18. We are going to be going through a very hard time and will need all the encouragment that we can get. This is her 2nd child so she has little Jack who is 1 and will help her get through this along with a wonderful husband and very supportive and loving family. Nevertheless it will not be easy. Please Pray! We are going to the Smokey Mountains this week-end to chaperone a youth trip. I'm sure it will be a nice week-end. Maybe I will have pictures when I return. Have a blessed week-end and make alot of happy memories! Love, Tina |
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Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we respond to it. Charles Swindoll |
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We went to church this morning and then came home after a lunch at the local Mexican Restaurant that my hubby LOVES. After we got home we went outside and put up the electric poultry netting so that my chickens can be back outside while being protected from varments like coons and coyotes and the such. It was nice to get them back outside. They can still go in and out at will. I missed seeing them out pecking around. Besides now that they are getting laying age, they need all the sun they can get. So hopefully, all will go well. We are going back to church tonight and I have chili in the crockpot for afterwards. Maybe we"ll watch the Superbowl too. It's been another gloomy and dreary day. No sun. We are having a lady come out to look at one of the horses tomorrow. We want to sell her and get some calves to raise. I don't know if we will keep the other 2 horses. I hope everyone has a great week. Lets keep smiling and being an example to everyone we meet of how a gentle and quiet spirit should be. Love, Tina |
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Well here it is again Friday! Last night we got very heavy rains and wind. It is a very gloomy and cold and windy day! A day that you don't even want to step a foot outside your door! But there is so much to do today.....Grocery shop for the week ahead, catch up on laundry, check and feed the chickens, It's so easy when it is sunny but as you can tell I am having a hard time this morning just getting the ambition to get it all done! Oh Well I better just bite the bullet and do it! It could be alot worse! Once I get out I know I will start to feel better too! I am going to undertake a project around my home. I am going to gather up all the lose change and roll it . Sounds kind of trivial doesn't it, but I assure you that when I am finished everyone is going to be quite surprised. And sorry that they didn't undertake that job. It seems like everywhere I look there is change. I am excited. Hubby and I are blessed and he is such a good steward of our finances. I know that there is so much more that I could do to really be what God wants me to be. I am not a shopper and I seldom by anything that is pricey or a brand name but I could do alot more to save our extra $ and just get rid of the surplus things that we don't really need. Like for instance loose change everywhere. Does any one know if those change roller machines really work. It would take me forever if I rolled it by hand, which I am ready to do if need be. I just think it is a sin to be wasteful and money is money. We would not dream of leaving dollar bills around everywhere. That is my plan! I am very inspired by Amy,she is the featured blogger of the week.If you get a chance go and read what she has to say. Well I better get going for the day. I hope everyone has a great day! Love, Tina |
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Okay I definately have to get a better feeding schedule down in the mornings. I just went out to feed the chickens and could hardly get into the coop because they were bombarding the door and would not let me in. But as soon as I did get in they started pecking me all over my legs and muck boots like I was food. Well, both hanging feders were totally empty and they probably have been like that for days by the way those chickens were acting. You see I have Fridays off and that is the day I go out to the coop and feed myself, especially in the winter. During the summer it is light so much longer so I am out there more,plus I don't want the eggs to sit in the warm weather.And since I am not getting any eggs yet from these youngins I have been a little more laxed in going out everyday. You see I thought that when Chad was going into the barn to get the hay that he would feed for me also....Wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I guess if you want anything done right you have to do it yourself.So I better set the alarm a little earlier. My kids don't like the farm scene as well as I do. My youngest does but she can only do so much on her own. Oh Well! Maybe I wouldn't have liked chickens at 17 or 18 either. |
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Good Morning! It's Friday and that is the day I try to get caught up on everything that I wanted to do during the week but couldn't get done.I usually do a pretty good job unless I have a long list of things to do for everyone else,but thats OK too because that is what I am here for. We are going to our friends house tonight for dinner. We will grill out and just have a very relaxing evening. It is supppose to get real cold tonight and maybe get a little bit of snow. We will keep our fingers crossed. I just miss the snow so much. I am curious what you women do who work outside of the home and have animals. Do you make time in the morning to do feed and all or do you do it at night. I work 4 days a week and I find that I have very little time at night to fill water and all that. I have chickens so they don't require as much attention as some animals. My husband and son take care of the horses so I don't worry with them unless I am off that day. I just wanted to know how you juggle that sort of thing.I would like to spend time everyday out there but that is not always the case beacuse we often have things to do at night with church. Well I better go and get started on my to do list. Love, Tina |
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Hello Everyone. We have had a busy week as usual. Last night we got a little bit of snow and it was sooooo pretty. It didn't stick around long though because it started raining. Maybe we'll have another chance. I love the peacefulness of snow falling. I grew up in Michigan and some of my fondest memories are of the snow. I thought I would write a little before bed. The girls are already in the bed and Chad just got home from EMT class. I heard his truck pulling in the drive. Terry is already in bed reading Life from a Deerstand by Steven Curtis Chapman. He really enjoys reading his work. This morning Chad went horseback riding. There is so many blessings to be had by living in the country. I just love it. My chickens are doing good. I should be getting eggs in a couple of months . We never got them in the winter before but they are doing great. This batch was Rhode Island Reds. We may order some Red Stars too for the spring. You can never have to many eggs. Well I better get in bed. I will blog more tomorrow. Love, Tina We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 |
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Good Monday to everyone! We had a cold day here in Tennessee. Terry and Chad are at a barn burning. Literally, they had to burn a barn for fire training. I'm sure they are cold around all that water, but hopefully warm with all that fire.Tomorrow, Chad has a big test in EMT class. I'm praying that he will do good. Brittany and Abigail have only a half day of school.They are happy about that. Terry starts a new position at work Friday. He is so excited.I'm happy for him. I just finished an article for our newsletter at church. I had the joy of writing the one for the winter quarter. I based it on Philippians4:8. Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- think on these things. What a helpful passage of scripture to meditate on. It all begins with our thoughts. Keep them on the right track! The Lord wants us to have a peaceful mind in Christ Jesus. I hope everyone has a great start to their week. Love, Tina
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