Leatherstocking Tales

Time stand still for no one

Posted by Da Mamma
01:28 AM, Fri 26 Jun 2009 .. Posted in Simplified .. 1 comments .. Link

It has been over a year since I've blogged here. I can't believe its been that long. I see several of my friends no longer have blogs and I'll need to do some housekeeping. I've missed the community but can't say I've been blogging a whole lot in general. I've been keeping up with my knitting but blogging fell by the wayside unitl recently.

I'm off to tidy up some around this blog-o-sphere and see who is left that I know. Then I'll hunt around to make new friends. I'm sure there are several of you out there that I'd love to meet. ;)

Summer School Adventures Starting

Posted by HandsNHearts
09:43, Wednesday, June 24, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Summer School Adventures starting...

What do you do when the heat index passes 100? You take a field trip to a park and do some nature exploring, of course :o) Yes, I've been known to be a bit insane at times. Man, it was hot. It was beyond hot. Way off yonder on the other side of hot and muggy. Way. Off. Beyond.

I know -- I've been here in Mississippi for 4 years now, and we've made a few drives down the Natchez Trace, mostly as a by-pass kind of trip, but nothing really in-depth -- nothing you'd even call skimming the history even.

But, that's about to change for this homeschooling brood. We spent about an hour in the park, checking out the swings and playground fun, then walked around the 'lake' there and found all sorts of things...the sun-drenched playground, some hungry geese who thoroughly enjoyed our bread, a hidden Muscovey nest under the wooden band shell, lots of interesting tree shapes to add to our notebooks, even several trees with lines/rows of markings (wood peckers maybe? I'm not a nature person so maybe someone else knows what they are...lines and lines up the trunks as far as we could see, little tiny holes that don't realy go very deep), and the biggest bullfrog I've ever seen in my life. Maybe I just don't get out much, but that baby was huge, let me tell you. I had to sort of lean way over, hanging on a tree limb and squatting down and stretching out my cell phone to get his picture way up under the brush and tree swamp stuff.

And on the way home, we took The Trace (to by-pass Tupelo traffic really) and decided as we were already dripping with Mississippi summer heat, we might as well stop at a couple roadsides and check them out. We walked the trails around the Chickasaw Village site, and the Olde Town Lookout site. Then we pulled into the Visitor Center there at the Tupelo exit. Can't believe I've wasted 4 years not stopping in there! I could spend alot of time and several chunks of the school book budget in there. All manners of books covering the history of the area, the history of the Trace itself, tthe Indian tribes from the area, Civil War sites around, etc. Tons of stuff. I'm going to see what I can find online to get us started with the summer long unit study.

We may even join their Junior Rangers Program, and starting this weekend, we'll make the rounds with their Pioneer Day and their Dulcimer Day they offer each month. We are even taking our dulcimer along for some lessons. I'd like to take a trip and follow the entire 444 miles of The Trace, stopping at all the side areas along the route itself. For now, we will contend with looking through WebRangers and then see what we can gather this coming weekend at the Pioneer Day gathering.

I think we can even tie in our Trail Guide to U.S. Geography studies as well -- doing a virtual tour of the various National Parks online, and meeting up with online folks from those areas.

Of course, you know me...I like my curriculum...I found this the other day, and I would like to given it a try, too. Looks interesting. But...the last thing I need to is to be tossing another iron in my fire, heh? We'll have more than enough read-aloud material after visiting The Trace Visitor Center again this weekend! shhh...don't tell Dewey I'm adding even more curriculum...let's surprise him :o)

Adding to the Summer School fun...and a baby shower gift

Posted by HandsNHearts
09:41, Thursday, June 25, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

Adding to the Summer School fun...and general fun

You know me, I have a hard time sticking to just one plan. I like to do a few things spur of the moment. I like to infuse a little 'homeschooling on the fly' into my life. It can be a curse, sometimes, but mostly, it's just fun.

Ok, got a great email from The Long Thread....OH. MY. GOODNESS. If you haven't checked out her site, or signed up for updates on her blog, get over there now...just stop reading my drivvel and get over there. She shares such cool ideas it's just amazing.

The sharing I received today was on 50 Summer Crafts For Kids...lots of links to a collection of great ideas for summer projects to have fun with. Sort of a carnival of summer ideas.

After finding tons of cool projects we can do during these hot and humid days, I checked out her archives of Crafts for Kids and found these (among about a hundred other great ideas!) Those paper stars would be such fun to do and have a start exchange with our postcard buddies. And just hanging them all over to brighten up things. Gifts for Grandma. oh, the places you could use those pretty little things!! We are definitely going to make a bunch of them.

Along the same bent, we found these too -- what a cute gift idea.

And a Fabric Butterfly Mobile...and some pretty Paper Butterflies...
Ok...well...there's plenty more to keep you busy making all sorts of neat crafts this summer.

We've signed up for the Nim's Island CurrClick Live class that starts July 8th and runs for 8 weeks. They offer so many Live Classes at CurrClick...and so many good resources. It's worth checking out the fun there, too. We found the book at Amazon for next to nothing and ordered it as well, and while we wait on it to arrive, we'll just check it out at the library. Hope it turns out to be a great read-aloud!

And we have 2 nightgowns finished now, and I'm moving along to the baby shower gifts...that diaper cake for sure, made from cloth diapers and plenty of fun burpies, and maybe some of those fabric butterflies for fun, and a couple of receiving blankets and changing pads. And I'm definitely decorating the cake with some ideas from the sites shared below...like the baby sock roses.

Here are some tutorials on make the Diaper Cake:
About.com Diaper Cake
How to make a Diaper Cake this one is to buy a video, but the photo's will give you lots of decorating ideas
A YouTube Video for a Diaper Cake
How to Make a Diaper Cake

we are closing Guantanamo...

Posted by HandsNHearts
12:11, Wednesday, June 10, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

...but we are moving them to a small island instead.

Well, maybe not the same thing completely, but we are afraid to send them home because of persecution, so we have made arrangements for them to begin again, in the South Pacific, on an island we have relations with, on our dime.

$200 million of our dimes, it seems.

There are many others needing 'refuge' for their acts that brought them to Gauntanamo in the first place, but we have some hurdles in their release it seems.

Most countries aren't interested in being attached to money from our failing financial structure here...and they won't accept relocation of any detainees from the military facility. They figure if we are setting them free and they can't go home, they should come and live here in the U.S.

I suppose that makes well enough sense. What's the difference if we support them here or we support them in Palau? We can't support ourselves on any level these days, but hey, what's another mouth to feed?

Got good foods?

Posted by HandsNHearts
11:54, Wednesday, June 10, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

First off -- yes, I posted a rather lengthy little amount of personal soapboxery over at our other blog. I know the temperate climate here at HSB, so I won't send my personal drivvel here. I imagine it will draw enough flack where its at anyway. You know me, I don't lack in a mouth and mind of opinions. And that's what a blog is, right? Just opinions and thoughts that roll in one's head, with a fair amount of useful information tucked in here and there.

So, in that spirit...the useful information spirit, that is...I want to make sure folks visit Susan, from Homestead Momma and The Nourishing Kitchen blog. There are several other blogs she shares on...worth reading for sure.

I need this list as a reminder, and I thought perhaps someone else might find it interesting as well.
Visit Susan's blogs...there are so many good things shared!

Important Foods to Eat

Raw (grass-fed) dairy products which are rich in CLA, alkalizing minerals (Ca, Mg, K) critical Vitamin D, beneficial probiotics, numerous enzymes, vitamins A, E, K and B Vitamins.
Free-range eggs, which are rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, cysteine and other amino acids, lecithin (phospholipids).
Cod liver oil, which is a rich source of vitamins A and D and some EPA/DHA.
Coconut oil, which is rich in medium-chain, saturated fatty acids as found in human breast Milk, Very anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial. Readily absorbed, easily processed by the liver.
Fermented soy products such as miso and tempeh (avoid processed soy products, soy-based supplements).
Fermented vegetables (raw) such as sauerkraut, kim-chi which contain powerful anticarcinogenic compounds, lactic acid, lactic bacteria, enzymes, nicin, acidolin Fand lactoperoxidase.
Fermented milk products: kefir, yogurt, clabbered milk, and buttermilk.
Raw butter/cream from grass-fed ruminants: rich in CLA, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, Wulzen factor (anti-inflammatory).
Sprouted grain products: rendered free of phytates, enzyme inhibitors; rich in enzymes and additional vitamins.
Pigment-rich fruits containing resevetrol, astazanthins, lutein, lycopene, proanthocyanidins, bioflavonoids, flavenols, ascorbic acid, etc.: blueberries, strawberries, elderberries, raspberries, prune-type plums, cherries, etc.
Ocean fish rich in EPA/DHA, such as sardines (watch mercury in large fish), wild (not farmed!) salmon, sea vegetables rich in alginates (which are metal decontaminants), iodine, numerous trace minerals and mucopolysaccharides.
Vegetables: brassica (especially kale, brussels sprouts), also broccoli, asparagus, garlic and onions, winter squashes, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, and miscellaneous greens such as raddichio, arugula, mustard greens, endive, dandelion, radish, celery, etc.
Meats (pork, poultry, beef and lamb) should be ranged fed and drug free. If your pH levels are low, eat small amounts until they rise.
Tropical fruits (for enzymes!)--pineapple, mango, papaya, jack fruit, leechee, guava, coconut, etc.
Pure water: up to half your body weight in ounces. Consider alkaline and energized waters.

Foods to Avoid

sugar: Feeds cancer cells and causes insulin production, which stimulates cancer growth. Demineralizes and acidifies the body fluids. This also includes refined carbohydrates.
Vegetable oils: easily oxidized, causing peroxidized lipids (carcinogenic); especially avoid hydrogenated oils (trans-fatty acids). Exception: Raw, first-expeller-pressed olive oil, which is rich in chlorophyll and squalene.
Processed dairy foods and conventionally raised meats--they lack CLA, and are likely to contain hormones, antibiotics, E.coli, salmonella, camphylobacter, etc.
Too many carbohydrates even from whole grains (high in phytates, which inhibit mineral absorption and enzyme activity:). Soak and/or sprout grains before eating
Refined soy foods.
Fluorine, chlorine: enzyme inhibitors, carcinogens that suppress iodine uptake by thyroid.
Pesticide-laden produce: especially potatoes, apples, coffee, bananas, celery, onions, etc.
All processed (canned/frozen) foods such as possible, including organic processed foods. These foods are "dead".
Foods containing artificial colors - very carcinogenic.
Microwave and barbecued foods (heterocyclic hydrocarbons).

Voddie Baucham -- We Despise Our Children

Posted by HandsNHearts
08:44, Tuesday, June 9, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

I have listened to several of his preaching/teaching sermons and honestly, I have not often heard a man of God preach so honestly and so 'harshly' as he does.

AMEN and PRAISE GOD for such anointed preachers still found in this day and age!

Generation Cedar (http://www.generationcedar.com) has shared an awesome message by Voddie Baucham and I strongly recommend you take time to listen -- and to listen with the openness of spirit and heart you should have as a professing Child of God. He will most likely offend the delicate ears and toes of folks comfortable with the soft soap given most every Sunday in this country by paid preachers more concerned with their popularity and the numbers and dollars they can log in with their conventions and districts.

Yes, I know he is Southern Baptist.

Let me tell you straight out, big deal. Who cares? Does it truly matter? If you are Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic...does it make a difference who preaches the strength of The Lord on any given matter? Do you only take your preaching from a pastor/preacher/teacher within your own religious tag? I don't. I prefer to choose folks based on the power of their preaching, the depth of their messages, the calling and anointing they have in their lives from The Lord. I believe He will use a great many folks to teach me what I need to know and understand about Him. They won't all be whatever label I lay claim to.

I don't listen to alot of SBC preachers. They usually seem 'slick' to me. I would probably consider myself Baptist on several levels, but all in all, I just plain don't like labels of any kind. Too many folks can't get over a label. They have already made up their minds about you based on the label they have given you. SBC is no exception. I wonder if Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic make any exceptions to the label maker?

I like Voddie Baucham, SBC or not. He isn't preaching from his scripted resources from some higher up through the chain of SBC churches. He is preaching what he believes. You can tell it's from the depths of his heart and spirit. It comes from a calling. From a true Calling.

:::"All I can think to say is, I can't believe he got away with it. If you are pressed for time, at least listen from 25 minutes until the end. He speaks on the state of the Church and how to close the generation gap." -Amy Scott

Of course you know how much I respect and admire the boldness and truth-speaking of Dr. Baucham, so I take any opportunity I find to point to him. I've heard part of this message before and it just makes me want to shout. Oh that more godly men would just speak the truth and not worry about its popularity…just as our Savior did.

"We despise children in the Southern Baptist Convention." -Voddie Baucham

Oh dear sisters, call your husbands and children around and listen to this message.

The Cleaning Challenge

Posted by HandsNHearts
01:45, Tuesday, June 9, 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

The Challenge:
We tackled the pantry -- yes, we just did this maybe 3 weeks ago but we had an issue to fix in there, so we tore it apart again and reworked it. That has to count for soemthing right?

Now the *real* purpose behind the challenge I offered up -- my main closet! We will be putting it under seige!

It isn't so much a closet really as a 'hidden storage area' here and wow is it a mess and disorganized extremely.

I know what we have in there, but the main trouble is too many littles going in and out for things, so nothing is even remotely stacked or grouped anymore :o(

Ok, not that being stacked or grouped even helps this area.

I admit it -- I have far too much fleshly pride to even take pictures. This is such a disaster area, I'm ashamed to have you see hoe bad it's gotten in there.
And it's not as though it's been in use as junk storage a long time either -- we just redesignated the area back when the woodstoves were put in! Losing a living space here for the wood heater and the cookstove meant repurposing those items from that room to another.

Well, I suppose 'repurposing' isn't really the word considering I didn't go about storage the proper way. What I should have done is to truly sort and dejunk *before* we relocated things to that closet area. I should have been ruthless and done some serious purging before even trying to relocate anything.

I am certainly passing on a poor legacy to my children with my lack of plan and organization especially when it comes to this! I want so much more for them! I definitely don't want this to be an issue for their spouses to deal with -- pack rat tendencies show a basic lack of faith, if you think about it. And if I trust that The Lord supplies my needs, I am stealing so much of His Glory by hoarding away so much junk and clutter this way.

But, I plan to regain that ground and honor God with my clean sweep as it were! God can easily redeem the loss to the locusts here, and I plan to be heavy in prayer chat with Him the entire way! I have to truly be honest about what is necessity and what is plain junk to shed ourselves from. And I know my level of pack-rettedness here...there is far more JUNK there than treasure to keep on and level!

So -- my JUNK Challenge this week will be the closet area.

What is YOUR area?

Monday's Update

Posted by HandsNHearts
01:40, Tuesday, June 9, 2009 .. 0 comments .. Link

Yesterday was nice and quiet and a perfect day of rest as it should be.

But this week is busy. Good thing God instuted that wonderful day of rest and worship for us because we certainly needed it this week.

Tonight and tomorrow our preacher is doing Revival meetings at another church. We'll be meeting up with them to drive over -- so many back country roads stretching out around here, there's no way I'd find it on my own.

Wednesday we have our own church services and I have class with the teens. We are ready to start putting things together for our VBS now. I left the tubs of supplies last night, now its time to begin 'crafting' our 4 themes -- the jungle, a castle, an Indian village and a volcano. We have laid out the plan of action for the VBS, with the craft projects and games we are planning and we have our Bible stories/lessons together. Time to start making our props and such.

Thursday is the Visitations night. If any of the ladies come along for the ladies crocheting, I'll be up there. A couple of the ladies are planning to join the visitation rounds themselves, but I believe it's better for me to hang out at church on that. With my headcovering and dresses-only, Plain style to boot, I don't believe I'd be a help in visiting. Most folks automatically assume that we are Amish (well, we've been considered everything from Amish to Catholic to Jewish and even Muslim based on headcovering alone! Folks just don't know anything different and people do like their stereotypes and pigeon-holes). I don't see folks running to check out our church if they believe we hold anything Amish to ourselves -- folks don't tend to like "rules" or strict teachings; they want fluff and lightness.

Friday we just have bill paying to do. Whew! That will be a nice quiet day!

Saturday morning we are starting an Outreach at church. Again, the adults were starting this, but the teens really need to be involved in something themselves. I'd like to carry them up to Memphis one day, to the mission/homeless shelter and places like that. There is no end to the things they can and should be doing to reach out and see what is around them. They are rather coddled in their lessons sometimes, but they aren't children anymore, it's time they act as though they truly have the Salvation Gift they lay claim to and step into The Lord's adulthood.
Being the first gathering, and a bit short notice, I don't have a deep plan yet for this gethering, but hopefully we will get some ideas for next meeting at least.

And back to Sunday's glorious rest and worship again! We will definitely enjoy the Lord's Day again and bask in His Wisdom of a day set aside from the things of the world.

Other happenings this week:
We have 3 dresses cut to sew, prayerfully before midweek.
Lots of baking -- we might, if it's in His Timing, put together some mini breads to carry along for Visitations. Regardless, we have plenty of our own baking to do. And get the list together for the Farm Market.
Schooling goes on no matter what the busyness looks like
Finishing the side area of the barn, cleaning and mucking out
Putting together next month's school plan so I can check out the reading materials needed and used

All sorts of odds and ends to tie up with small projects and projects nearing completion.

And none of them are getting any closer to ticking off with me typing!

What's on your plan for the week?

wondering how to contiune homesteading and a long over due update.

Posted by Debi
10:54, 9 June 2009 .. 1 comments .. Link

Richard is in the final stages of deploying and we will be driving over to OK to see him for four days next week. Which is wonderful as it is Father's Day, his birthday is this week and our anniversary is the 28th.
We are planning on doing something there in OK, going down to Ft Worth and going to Build A Bear, for him and for the two littlest children, not really sure what else we are going to be doing.

I am also planning on going up to KY quite a bit this summer to see my BF, she was a HUGE support to me in '04-'05 when he was deployed, only we both lived in FL and she was only about 15 minutes away.
I am also planning on at least one trip to FL this year, we haven't been down there since we moved and I need to see family as it's been a really long time.

I wasn't able to get a garden in this year, as my FIL had foot surgery on both feet and won't allow me to use the tiller. The gentleman that turned our garden in the first place has cancer and I guess I asked him to late as he had turned over several other gardens, praying for him no matter.

I have a few tomato plants out, need to get a green bean teepee in and then we have all of the fruit trees and bushes that we bought back in Feb. So for this year we are just trying to keep the grass cut and there is a lot, going to take my last chicken over to Mom & Dad's and add to their flock, fatten up the pig and either sell her to someone or send her to the butcher. I might get chickens for over winter again, and do a small fall garden.

The future is unknown, as Richard is saying that he might go active at the end of this deployment, but then he mentioned the other day somthing about staying over there at the end till his buddy is at the end of his contract. We are praying for him as well-he's gone through a rather nasty divorce and is at the moment lost, but is walking with the Lord.

The plans would be what? If/should/when Richard goes active would we sell our home? try to keep it and live the army live for several years moving as often as they say? I know that no matter what happens God is in control and that is all that matters.

I am doing better since my miscarriage-on 9 May I lost our 10wk old child,(which is someone special as we lost a child 4.4.05, 1 month 5 days and 4 years later, I am I guess not supposed to have children in Nov or Dec.) still feel like I am in a fog and need that afternoon nap some days and then others I am fine all day till around 8.30pm then I am done.

We found a church that I really like and we've been there two full Sundays and a Wednesday night now going again tomorrow. We will be helping with VBS the weekend we get back from our trip, I wish that we had gone to this little church a long time ago. If any of you followed when those 10 churches were burnt here in AL this is one of them. Those boys that did them did not do this one though, but the college where they were attending included them in all the things that they did and are still doing in getting them all rebuilt. It is a true testament of the Lord.

We went over to Mom & Dad's the other day so I could get my mower blade sharpened, I was to the point that I was tearing the grass and not cutting it. Well Aric had been promised a ride in the tractor and when they walked down the hill to the hay barn they saw all the blackberries, well once they came back all the boys went off to pick blackberries, there are still tons out there and we will probably go back over and get some more later this week. I made a yummy cobbler and we ate it over vanilla ice cream.

Anyway all of this to say that at this time I don't see how we can continue homesteading in the ways that I wanted too in the first place, but if it is God's plan that we stay and do this then I will make it all work. Dad did mention the other day that he needs a nurse maid cow, he has a couple calves that their mamas just don't have the milk. So once he gets one and he's done with her, he will bred her and give her to us. Which means that we need to get the bottom of the pasture fenced in, set up a water station, work on getting hay for winter months,and anything else needed for a dairy cow and calf. I will say that I am very excited at the thought of finally having one, but at the same time I am looking forward to the possibility of living together as a whole family at the end of this deployment should he go active, even if it means moving.

Debi

Have I been missing that long?

Posted by HandsNHearts
08:31, Tuesday, June 2, 2009 .. 4 comments .. Link

Thought I was doing a better job about keeping up. Apparently not.

Ok....a quick review of the last many weeks here on the homestead:
eldest daughter got herself into trouble by hanging around with someone she shouldn't have. I'm not going to get into a debate on how she is 16, can make her own decisions, yadda yadda yadda. you throw your children to the winds of the world, I'll keep mine under supervision until deemed unnecessary. You'll just have to agree to disagree on my parenting techniques. Of course, if you disagree, there is always that little delete button that you can use to move elsewhere in blogland. I strongly suggest you take advantage of it prior to typing up a comment to me.
Bottom line is plain and simple -- she lied, flat out, bold-face, lied. And she enlisted the 'sibling code of honor' on her behalf as well (meaning she had them cover for her lies). No, nothing "serious" happened. We don't have to ship her off to some matronly aunt in another state for several months or anything like that.
But, she might wish she were being shipped off. Life as she knew it has ceased for the forseeable future. Her cell phone is gone, her outside life is gone. She lives only to do school work and chores right now. Her every breath is monitored. She is shadowed with every step. At such a time when she is repentant and sincere with her apologies for the lying, when she shows that she has regained some level of maturity and responsibility...that is when she might begin to enjoy life again. Right now she is pouty and trying to walk with an air of rebellion. And she really gets irate when it is pointed out to her attention that in doing so, she is only cementing the fact that she is too immature and too irresponsibility for a friendship with this young man.
Add that to the fact that there is absolutely no fruit there on his tree, we have cut all ties cold. He has been attending church with us for a good year straight now and there are no signs of anything in him that would lead one to believe he is walking in Salvation. That alone makes him unsuitable as a potential future here. We haven't always been so strong on this, but you know, God only whispers so many times, then He has to take other measures to get your attention. He certainly has it now.
I blogged about this on our family blog already, so I won't rehash it all again. Cut and dried, he has no job, no motivation to get one, enjoys his sleep a bit too much, lies and sneaks around behind his family's back as well as our own and he is not saved and living a right life with God.
I do not know the Plans God has for my daughter, or any of my children, so no, i honestly cannot rule that out. Hey, The Lord works in mysterious ways. I just don't know that I see Him sending a 16 year old girl some 17 year old want-nothing-do-nothing young man to grab her heart. To steal pieces of it that rightfully belong to Him and to her future husband. I can see satan doing it. Tempting both of them to give away portions of their hearts so they are incomplete for their future intendeds. If I'm wrong, if this is totally of The Lord, He isn't going to keep it some long drawn out secret. Hearts will be changed, love will be challenged, and futures will be planned with vision beyond chatting at midnight in the barn after hiking 1/2 a mile in secrecy.
When and if that happens, hey now, I'm all for it --
get in church and grow some visible good fruit,
change that man-of-now into a Godly man-for-life,
get a job and make a serious plan for the future.
Then come back, in the daylight and not in the shadows, and come to the front door like a true man of valor and morals, and speak to her father about the proper steps for speaking to her on any level of propriety and maturity. End of discussion.

In light of these recent events, our Bible studies have revolved around Proverbs, specifically around the foolish vs. the wise.
A fool is called by several names in Scripture, but whatever he is called, he is a menace to society, to his friends, his family, and all Christians. He is the most dangerous person under satan's rule because he thinks lightly about everything, things sacred and things concerning sin. "Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom" Proverbs 15:21a.

Some characteristics of the fool: He does not think ahead of his own actions. He lives only for the present joy and pleasure.
He is self-opinionated and acts as his own counsel and instructor, shedding the words and advice of others as preachy or 'bossy'.
He is easily seduced. Flattery and sweet words from the wicked are readily followed while common sense and morals are left to drift aside.
He realizes no need for protection from evil or the wicked.
He is not aware that he is living in a world of profound evil.
He is heedless of satan's countless traps and willingly pulls himself from one only to step directly into another.
He is unreliable and has no sense of direction for his present life or his future.
The fool deliberately causes trouble for others and is quarrelsome.
The fool never admits he is wrong, sincerely, unless the wording of such a 'confession' will enhance his chances to create more strife for others and joy for himself.
He lacks common sense and cannot be trusted.
He brings grief to his parents and his family because he refuses the teachings of those in authority over him, and with life experiences he could learn from. He is rebellious in most, if not all, things and shows little love or respect for others.

The only activity that can be safely undertaken with or for a fool is PRAY.

The quilt project I shared last is still a work-in-progress. It needs to be moved along to the status of a finished work, but you know me...I come out of the gate well enough, but by turn 3 I'm just too slow for my own good. I have 3 months to complete the project and quilt it to boot. Plus, we started another one in the same style, with the sunday school children to give to our preacher and his wife as a gift later this year.

Dewey will home in about 3 weeks, give or take a few days. The job is all but completed now, inspections are beginning on the critical and life safety ends and Lord Willing, he will be home for good before the end of the month.
I'm tickled. The children are tickled. He NEEDS to be home. Yes, we prayed over this job situation, and yes, I was in agreement with it right from the start. I don't have any regrets. Still, a father, a husband, cannot properly lead and direct his family from 6 hours away. He has to be here. I can handle a great many things here between famiy and homestead, and I have made myself comfortable with that, but I want my husband home. I need my husband home. Not that we wouldn't have problems with him here, but they are typically lessened when you have a strong male influence walking the path ahead and clearing the weeds for you. It's beenn near 9 months without him here. Enough is enough. Time to come home and be a Greeter at Wally World :o)

I needed brakes and shocks on the van. I called around, called Dewey, ended up spending close to $300 on the parts. Then headed to Geno's to get them installed. Found out my back brakes are still a good 90%, so we left them alone. We will worry about them later in the year. Spent near 3 hours yesterday having them put on. I worked out the plan for the North Carolina studies, working in history, geography and science, then did some crocheting I had in the works. I had plenty of other things that needed tending to, but I needed brakes and shocks more. And it's good that it's done now.

While clearing the center of the barn to level it with sand, I started chopping vines and honeysuckle from the front of the barn -- should have probably left them there, could be they are holding the barn wall up.
Should have left them there because I knew most of it was poison oak and ivy :o(
Now, you would think, common sense (which I was lacking by working on those vines in the first place!) would lead one to think that I'd be rashed out on my arms, my hands, maybe even my legs from being in my dress.
Am I rashed out in any of those places? Nope. Not even discolored skin.
But my face -- now that is another thing altogether! I am puffed up and look like a red grape fixing to pop. I washed thoroughly and even washed with some alcohol to clear the oils up, but no deal. Just call me Puff Mama :o(

This week at a glance...
We have a water leak to repair. Picked up the materials Sunday after driving hither and yon through southern countryside trying to find the 1/2" tee we needed. Goodnesss, everyone had 1/4 and 3/4 inch -- we finally found something we think will work well enough, in the 1/2 inch we needed, at Home Depot. Nothing at TSC, Scruggs or Lowe's. Ugh. And with Dewey gone back to Arkansas, guess who gets to fix the leak under the trailer? Ain't me -- I'm way beyond the other side of claustrophobic and it won't be pretty if I need to get under this house! Eldest daughter and son will get the honors of blessing their family. No, less someone starts chiming in about child labor laws and other garbage, our trailer does sit a fairly respectable 3 ft from the ground level. Still -- I can't even poke my head under my desk to plug in the printer without hyperventillating.

We need water this Wednesday. And, it's time to rotate out of use several of my original water jugs now. A good half of them are pushing 4 years old now. Take note -- we have those large water cooler jugs in the blue plastic whatever...they make a good 4 years before they need to be recycled to other uses. We'll save one for change and other miscellaneous monies, and I may even cut the tops off about halfway down and use the others for planters as we rotate them off the schedule.
Last trip for water, we discovered that a couple of the 3-gal jugs we use developed leaks. We have scrubbed and shampooed the carpet in the van I don't know how many times, but let it get the slightest moisture and WHEW! It smells like a barn of hay and critters in there on a hot day! Ahh, country living...a van that smells like old wet goat :o( You just know you a country family when that happens :o)

Tractor tire still needs to come off so I can get it "vulcanized" (I suppose that's the term...they are going to take 2 sections of rubber and melt/mold them inside and out over the side wall where the air leak is.
Once it's up and running, I have 8 yards of red sand to work into the garden, the we will grab the trailer and go for good barnyard scavenging to add more organics to that pathetic soil. I'd like the disc on the tractor to be the mule...not me with the hand tiller!

That sand -- we had an 8 yard dump brought in Saturday morning, and there is another coming this week. Of course, despite our best efforts, he wasn't able to make that loaded dump truck finish its trek all the way to the barn :o( He got stuck in the mire that is still my second driveway and yard. Talk about a mess. But, all day Saturday we were playing work mule here....shoveling the sand into 2 large yard wagons and dragging them to the barn to spread. The center is totally filled and packed with sand now. The goats are thrilled with their new-found footing as we come and go from the milking area. We are tickled with our footing in there as well. It's a low area (why there is a barn there, I don't know!) and with all the recent rains this season, it was like walking over a saturated sponge in there. We will have rock brought in later -- when July comes and the ground out here has no choice but to dry out to support a full and heavy dump truck.
We laid out the sand on the second drive, where the truck was stuck. And, we started bringing it up around the house here as well. I swear, any other season, you'd look around and think we were fairly level out here. Give it a few weeks of rains almost daily and see where all that water stays and you'll begin to wonder if we aren't just a low spot everywhere. This is a mountain...and it totally disproves the Law of Gravity big time. Water does not flow or run off here at all. Ever.

First part of the new geography books arrived...I didn't even pay for the quick shipping and they got here in just a day! Just looking over the Trail Guide to U.S. Geography, I can tell we will really have fun with it.
Of course, you know me...I've read through it already, but we aren't going to follow it verbatum. Being summer, and temps inching rather quickly into the upper 90's and above (heat index has already hit 102 a couple times...ugh), I thought we'd prefer starting in the middle with the Southern States.
First stop on the 11 week trail (we'll do one state each work) will be North Carolina. I've been gathering information already and am putting together a list of what materials we'll need.
We will work science into the geography lessons by reading about native wildlife, plants, general climate, etc. There are tons of ideas we can study about --
The Outer Banks and reefs and shoals
pirates of the coastline -- namely, Blackbeard, as his base was at Ocracoke Island there.
The Wright Brothers famous flight at Kill Devil Hill near Kitty Hawk
The Lost Colony of Roanoke, the first English baby, Virginia Dare, and the Freedman's Colony
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (the largest in the nation made from brick) as well as just lighthouses in general... what is the name of that book about the girl and the lighthouse????
Civil War notes, including ships such as The Monitor and The Merrimack
various Native American tribes of the area, including information about the Trail of Tears, The Qualla Boundary, and the Great Smoky Mountains in general.

There is plenty to fill a week, even two, on most states. I'm planning to start at just a week per state, but who knows -- if we are really enjoying things, we will certainly stretch it out! I'll share some links later for things we have already found to use.

Well -- I need to start settling the day work here so I can hit town and have the brakes and shocks done this morning. And hit the pharmacy for some Ivarest and Benadryl. I don't have anything herbal that I know of to help with the puffy and the itchy that covers my face. Could aways apply some calamine...but I'm a big fan of pink...

I will be floating off in a pink stream soon enough -- I'm downing Benadryl like I do my Dr Pepper. Not much in the way of relief really, but there is enough that I suppose it's well worth taking.

I am starting another project, too. I know, like I really need another log on my fire. I am starting a Quilt-Along with my blogs.

The plain and simple of it is that I have scraps. Lots of scraps. And they need a project to make them useful and not simply clutter. Right now, they are just clutter.
We don't have to share blocks (unless anyone wants to...), we just have to share in the journey together.
Nothing too fancy, at least not for me. I was thinking a simple block a day being made, with the first week being cutting time and prep work. Simple blocks, like Ragged Squares, or an HourGlass Block, or just a cute little Baby Log Cabin Block. Crazy Mom even has a great tutorial on Quilt-a-Long, week by week with different blocks. There are some neat ones in that tutorial.

Either way, the point is use your fabric stash if you have one...go ahead and buy new if you don't. I'm using the TON of scraps I have here. I am thinking I will try to do several blocks, the log cabin and ragged squares for sure. I get bored with one style when I work. It's that Type A life I lead I guess. Always looking to see if there is something more perfect waiting for me. But, good things come from indecision sometimes...I think I could get a good sampler quilt with some simple 9-patch, the log cabins and the ragged squares.

Care to join me? I'm making this multi-purpose, too -- most of my scraps are collected together, very haphazardly I'll admit, in a closet here. A very messy, very disorganized, monster-under-the-bed kind of closet. I figure I can jump on this go green lifestyle everyone is finally grabbing at and get some quilts for the homestead at the same time.

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