Well today is a going slow.. I am moving slow today.. I hate these type days... My two oldest girls went to help there sunday school teacher clean her home. They do this about every month or so to help earn money for the family... It is good for us and good for her..

I put on a pot of redbeans with sausage last night for dinner tonight. I will cook some rice to go along with it.. That and some rolls...

Fathers Day came and went.. NO big deal.. It is hard on me and the kids when these type holidays come around... Stevens birthday was Wednesday he was 17 years old.. It was also the date that there dad left two years ago... Wow it has already been two years.... Time has sure went fast...

I go to the kidney doctor on Friday. I am now going to a special doctor in huntsville for the issuess that have happened to my kidney... It is a good thing in some ways becuase this doctor is able to do more in case we have to....

The kids will go on there mission trip with the church in July.. I am so happy for them.. Sad for me because i was going to go with them but well with the health issues that is not able to happen.. that breaks my heart...Maybe next year.. ;)

Well all that updates you on the goings on in the house today.. I have got to get busy looking over my school books for the coming school year... Got to get somethings in order.. I will be out of it for a while with surgery and can not wait until it is time for school to start to get things together..So that means mom needs to work on them now.. ;)

Have a blessed day all

glenda

Me, Steven, Jackie, James, Rebecca and Elizabeth at the grad dinner....

Elizabeth, Me and Jackie eating out for Eliz grad...

Wow it has been a while since i logged on.. I have been so busy with doctors, the children and church...

Ok so now to update everyone.. I go to the kidney doctor in huntsville on the 26th to plan what we need to do next on my only kidney... I have another large kidney stone in my only kidney.. It is going to take at least four surgeries to remove the stone... My blood levels are still real low, and I get tired out real quick..

The children all five of them are doing great.. Liz grad this year.. that was such a huge blessing.. Steven and Jackie will grad this coming school year.. James will be in the 9th grade and Rebecca in the 8th grade.. I am still homeschooling each of them and will do it until there is no way i can..

As far as me cleaning houses i am down to only two.. It is not much income but God has been good to us and somehow we keep the bills paid and some food in the house...

Please keep us in your prayers as when i start having the surgeries i will be out for at least four weeks just with surgeries and then another 8 weeks for after surgery recovery.... It is going to be a hard time on the mind... and body...

We are as a family still trying our best to keep our little homestead.. we have now only chickens, ducks, and rabbits.. It breaks my heart when we have to get rid of the animals but have to do what we have to do...

The garden failed with all the rains. we have a small one but i so wish we would have been able to put in another large one.. maybe next year..

Blessings to each of you.. I need to work on dinner prep work.. And get things ready for church tomorrow.. Have a blessed day all.

glenda

Summertime has settled in to my part of the world, along with triple digit temperatures!  That means the garden slows down in production somewhat, and the gardener slows down, too. 

 I still have peppers, tomatoes, squash, okra, cucumbers, and melons that are setting or ripening fruit; but the cooler weather crops such as lettuce, greens, green beans, etc. have pretty much died from heat exhaustion.  

 I only venture out to the garden in the mornings before the heat sets in, and sometimes in the late evening when it starts to cool down a bit.  The biggest garden chores right now are keeping things watered and the veggies and herbs harvested.  I add a bit of mulch where needed, fertilize when necessary, and add a bit of compost or soil to the container gardens, and then  water, water, water!   The rest of the day is spent inside trying to keep cool, starting seeds for some indoor greens and some for the Fall garden, and planning what to grow this Fall.  I've been experimenting with different ways of preserving the harvest.  Still attempting to learn to ferment veggies, playing with the dehydrator, gathering recipes, etc.   I hope to plant some container grown fruits this Fall, so I'm dreaming of my own little potted orchard right now! 

I know some of you are still just getting started with your garden seasons, and some of you may be in a completely different season than I am in Texas.  Please share with us what June brings to your garden.  What's growing, what are you harvesting, what garden chores are going on where you live? 

Blessings,

Catherine

Posted by Purewater (69.176.34.143)

I need a book like that for myself, but I will share it with the children if I win! Please put my name in the hat!

Thanks for the contest and also for letting us know about this great resource.

~Eric

Hooray for you Eric/Purewater! :) Please contact me via email or message with your address and I will get it right away to The Hoffman's. Also if you are interested in purchasing your own Knot4Fun book.

Check out the site.

Knot4Fun

Blessings,

Chasity L. Burrell

Senior Editor Homesteadblogger

Heritage Acres Homestead

Over the last several months I have gotten lots of email asking questions regarding how to teach kids green methods of doing certain tasks and making changes within the family to promote an earth friendly lifestyle. Many have asked for my opinions on going green and global warming. Over the next few weeks I will be posting answers to a lot of those questions while offering tips and ideas that promote simple ideas for green living.

So no one is confused, I don’t have an answer to global warming. I do not take a side, because I don’t feel there is a side to be taken. The truth for me lies in a logical thought alone; the earth is a planet of clean resources. If those resources are abused, mistreated, and squelched into non-existence, the planet must change to accommodate. This means that you cannot cut down trees and other vegetation endlessly and recklessly at a quick rate and expect the air quality not to be affected. God made earth with a perfect balance to support life. Plants give off oxygen, which supports animal life. Animal life gives of carbon dioxide to support plants. Destroy this intricate balance without concern and there will be problems. God’s design for life is intricate and complex and we were given the task to care and respect His design (Gen 1:26-28 and Psalm 8:7); a simple concept in my mind. God in His omnipotence already knew what man would invent over the ages, how many humans would inhabit the earth, and how the earth would be treated. Yet, we have been given free will to follow His commands. So, my official stance is, live, but be careful and mindful as much as possible.

So today I offer a few simple ideas for incorporating earth friendly lifestyle choices. Lift this topic in prayer. Ask God for wisdom and guidance on how He would use you and your family to care for His earth. Remember, every change takes time. If your family currently doesn’t have a focus on how many water bottles they dispose of, you will not change this overnight. Take it step by step and soon your motivation and mindset will be changed, because your focus is on glorifying God and respecting His creation, not because it is the politically correct thing to do.

• Water your lawn and gardens in the early morning or in the evening, helping to reduce evaporation and allowing you to use less water to do so.
• Create a common place for a recycling center, even if it is only one bin to place all recyclable items.
• Consider taking recycling items to a recycling center on errand day. You may be surprised at how much money you can put back into your wallet. We do not have a specific schedule of how often we go, but we average $80-$100 on each trip.
• Purchase items in bulk whenever possible. Make certain you are getting the best bang for your buck; not all bulk items are a good purchase. When it is cost effective, you will also have less waste, due to less packaging.
• Avoid using any spray cans that use CFCs (cloroflorocarbons). Instead purchase items that come in stick, pump spray, or creams. Believe it or not, CFCs remain in the atmosphere for over 50 years! That cannot be good for your in home air quality, or for the atmosphere in general.
• Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable. They are a very inexpensive investment now, and will save you a fortune for all those battery operated gadgets such as flashlights, clocks, video devices, remotes, and toys. The additional benefit is that all those batteries will not be leaking lead into the earth’s surface.
• Check out stationary stores for deals on recycling printer cartridges. Many offer return policies that either give you a coupon for cash off your next cartridge or will give cash back just for bringing them in. Some cartridge manufacturers give you postage paid return envelopes to send the used cartridges back, so they can be recycled properly. Consider saving yourself money by refilling or having your cartridges refilled for a fraction of the cost of purchasing new ones. These won’t last forever, but by refilling them until they need replaced and then taking them to a store that will give you cash or coupons towards purchasing replacements, you will save a bundle and reduce trash all at the same time!

Try incorporating one or two of these over the next month and your family will be well on their way to helping improve and maintain a healthful balance of the earth’s resources.

These are my thoughts.

Leslie Valeska

~Contributing Writer~

Below are recipes for 2 herbal hair rinses I plan to make today.  I scribbled the directions down on index cards, and tucked them into my Idea Pile (I have a Recipe Pile, too....no files, just piles).  I have no idea now where I got these... I need to keep better notes. 

Elderberry Rinse

3 handfuls Elderberries

2 1/2 cups vinegar

Bring to boil.  Simmer 30 minutes.  Strain.  Use as final rinse.

*My Notes:  I wrote this just as my copy reads.  Now I don't know if the recipe meant fresh or dry berries.  I only have dry and I think I'll not use 3 handfuls...maybe 1 cup or so.  I plan to use apple cider vinegar, and I think it might need to be diluted with some water.   I'm just going to put mine in a jar and set it out in the sun for the afternoon.  It's sure to simmer in the triple digit temps. today!

Update:  I handful of dried elderberries was about 1/3 cup...but I only added about 2 handfuls.  They make the vinegar very red...might be a good thing, might be very colorful!  I will dilute with water after it has simmered in the sun for a while. 

Nettle Rinse

1 cup dry nettles

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup filtered water

6 drops rose essential oil

Simmer nettle, vinegar, and water in a covered pan over a double boiler, for 1 hour.  Cool.  Strain.  Add essential oil.  Use as a final rinse.

*Notes:  Again, I think I'll just put mine in a jar out in the sun for the afternoon.  I may try some different essential oils in different batches- rosemary, lavender, bergamot. 

Update: I had to add more liquid- probably more like 1 cup of water, 1 cup of vinegar. 

Anyone else have a favorite herbal hair rinse recipe to share with us?  I love making things like this!

Blessings,

Catherine