I got something to say

Disappearing posts & caution

You may have noticed that I've locked a couple of posts.
My brother stopped by this little bloggy home and advised me that I should be more careful with what I say.
And I agree.
I like to think I maintain a bit of anonimity here with code names and not naming specific nearby places and such but one never knows.
You just never know.
I keep this blog for myself, the joy of writing, sharing that writing and hearing back from others. It's a grand thing.
I've never gone out of my way to share this blog with my family and friends- its not a way to stay in touch with far-flung kin--- its just me being a bit more me than I can be at times and at the same time a bit more anonymous than I can be at times.
I remember my surprise when I found that a friend had found my little blog here and had been reading it anonymously for quite some time. It was a bit unnerving and for awhile I found myself changing my writing style because of it.
Just my long winded way of saying I must "proceed with caution".
Oh and go here to check out my brother's business blog.
Hi Roo!

vertigo and electrolytes, help if you can

Kidney update..

well i talked to the doctors office again today. I found out that my kidney is only working at less than 20% and  will never work at more than that. We are going to try to save it..

The doctor said that he is going to try to only go in four times to get the stone all out. That means more time under however less stress on me and my kidney.  He also said there is a chance we could start all this and the kidney die and have to be removed.

So with that being said please keep us in your prayers. I am praying for the outcome to happen quicker than what he is expecting so that i can go back to work and take care of my children..

I pray that each of you are doing well

glenda

Um- Hmm I love these muffins

Since the oven AND kitchen were already flaming hot with supper baking, I decided to whip up tomorrow’s breakfast tonight rather than heat the oven up again tomorrow morning.
I love the following recipe but hardly ever make it due to the fact that I don’t keep maraschino cherries on hand. Also due to the fact that those cherries aren’t cheap. But I was doing a pantry inventory and found these shoved way back on a shelf with a price tag of 99 cents. Wha-hoo!

Cherry Chip Muffins
1.5 cup flour
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 egg
½ cup milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 jar maraschino cherries (reserve juice- chop cherries)
¾ cup chocolate chips
1 cup powdered sugar
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside. In another bowl, whisk egg, milk and oil. Add dry and wet ingredients together. Drain cherries, reserve 2 Tbsp juice for glaze. Chop cherries and fold into batter with chocolate chips. Drop into muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 13 minutes.
Glaze: combine powdered sugar and cherry juice to make glaze and drizzle over top of muffins.
Cost breakdown: 12 cents for flour, 8 cents for sugar, figuring 3 cents for baking powder and salt, 8 cents for egg, 9 cents for milk, 5 cents for oil, 99 cents for cherries (reg. $2.19), 37 cents for chocolate chips and I bought the powdered sugar so long ago I don’t have a clue- lets say 5 cents.
Total Cost: $1.86 for 1.5 dozen muffins [that's 10 cents/muffin]
Now- these would cost $3.06 purchasing the cherries for regular price. [I like to keep breakfast cost under $2.]
Also I probably could squeeze 2 doz. muffins out of this recipe if I didn’t fill the muffin cups up so high.
Perhaps I should try making these as mini muffins. Course, I don’t own a mini muffin tin . . . . . best to stick with what I’ve been doing.

Looking at things different

Monday Daybook entry #5

The Simple Woman’s Daybook

FOR TODAY~ July 21^st  

Outside my Window... I see Mr. Steady working on repairing the garage roof, the kids “frolicking” in the yard and my oldest sitting in a patio chair with her nose buried in a book.

I am thinking... that I wish there was another way to earn money for the family and stay home at the same time.

I am thankful for... my job and the income it provides our family.

From the kitchen... French toast w/blueberries and powdered sugar for breakfast, chicken nuggets and cheese crackers for the kiddos’ lunch, leftover BBQ chicken and half a potato for me. Supper is Ballard Biscuits and we got some special flavored ice cream (on sale) for dessert.

I am creating... inserts for the church bulletin using photo shop.

I am going... to get a lot of youth ministry related paperwork done today, plus a load of laundry and squeeze in a trip to the library and post office.

I am wearing... A royal blue shirt with a fish with a big cheesy grin and the words “God is good” and drab olive capris. My feet are bare and my toes are caramel ice (according to the nail polish bottle).

I am reading... A Return to Sunday Dinner by Russell Cronkhite and the latest Midwest Living magazine.

I am hoping... to let go of the strain of the last few weeks and be at peace about my job.

I am hearing... a bird chirping, Mr. Steady hammering and the kiddos chattering.

Around the house... Mr. Conductor left a stream of Legos along the floor, I need to clean off the dining room table and tidy up my desk.

One of my favorite things... walking barefoot on a carpet of thick cool grass.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... some work for our upcoming VBS, helping set up for the family reunion, a ball game, taking my youth group bowling, 15% discount day at the local teacher store and the end of summer reading at the library- means turning in books and “cashing in” points.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... I call this Mr. Steady’s hillbilly watering system. Thank goodness he doesn’t continually leave this buckets sitting on my patio! 14 Buckets full of free water (remember we’re townies and pay, pay, pay for that stuff!). BTW- Mr. Steady dumped 3 inches of water out of the rain gauge on Sunday.

Menu from my townie farmhouse

Notes: From the Garden: we’ve got lettuce. More raspberries fresh picked from my parent’s farm. A few cucumbers from my brother (ours aren’t doing much of anything!).

I talked to the doctors

Well the doctor called. My kidney is at low function. He said with this type of problem we would be best to try to save the kidney. It is better to have a low function kidney than NO kidney... So I will find out tomorrow when i will go into the hospital for the first operation. This will take many many times in the hospital. Please keep us in your prayers.

God bless

glenda

The Simple Woman's Daybook.....

I love participating in Peggy's The Simple Woman's Daybook, but just never have time.  Although, today I just made the time.  Here goes:

Outside my Window...I here the chirping of birds and it is going to be a scorcher of a day.  They said the high was going to be 98 with a high humidity.  Oh, my!

I am thinking...of all that I need to get done.  I have cleaning and laundry, as we pretty much do nothing but spend time with Ronnie on the weekends.

I am thankful for...my children.  I am thinking on the new school year and I am so thankful that I can spend my days with them.

From the kitchen... Ronnie smoked two chickens for me this weekend and I will be putting them to good use today.  I think I will make Poppyseed chicken and Crockpot chicken enchiladas.

I am creating...we have so many projects going on but the biggest thing I am working on is our plan for next year's school year.

I am going...nowhere today or tomorrow.  We will be home, praise the Lord.  Wednesday we have dentist appointments and hopefully a library trip.

I am wearing...right now I am still in a T-shirt and pajama pants.  The kids are still sleeping.

I am reading...I have started my chronological reading plan over and am reading in Genesis.  I just ordered the Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery and Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs.  So I will be devouring those pretty soon. 

I am hoping...for a week that is full of great memories with my kids before the hustle and bustle of starting school starts.

I am hearing...I am listening to a little news before the kids get up and it all gets turned off!!

Around the house...are piles of school books that I need to sell on ebay.

One of my favorite things...the simple life that we have found and are now cherishing. 

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...not to get too busy!!!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

This is a great picture of the sun setting I took a couple of weeks ago in our back yard.  I wish those electric lines were not in it but you still get the jest of the beauty.

After you are finished here go over and check out the other daybooks.

Have a great day,

Trixi

New additions to the homestead (pictures)

Well it has been such a long time since posting.  I have missed you all!!  I have come by periodically and checked in with a few friends.  We have been so incredibly busy since buying this new home.  I have even started a new blog dedicated to the projects we have going on around here, as far as fixing up this house.  Here is the link:  Making It Our Home.  However, I love this community of people and all that I have learned here. 

Here are some of our going ons.....Last week we expanded our temporary chicken fencing to add an additional 50 feet, to make it a little more permanent.  We may add another 50 feet of fencing.  That will make our chicken yard around 150 + sqare feet.  We have also added 4 new guineas to our 24 chickens. 

Now for the newest addition to our homestead.  Here is a sneak peak.

Aren't they just the cutest.  We went to Philadelphia, Ms. Saturday, to the little local flea market.  They have every kind of chicken, guinea, donkey, duck, cat, dog, rabbit, goose, turkey, and on and on, that you could ever imagine.  Well, Saturday they also had pigs.  Now let me tell you that my sweet hubby has wanted to raise a pig for such a long time.  He looked at all of these guys and we went and ate lunch and talked about it.  The number one concern was that we do not have the fencing set up for them yet.  Has that ever stopped us?!!  Anyway, we went back and got 2 little girls.  They are 5 weeks old and just as cute as can be.  We named them Petunia and Penelope.  My son wanted bacon and ham but the girls didn't even think that was funny.  We ended up putting them in our old brooder box in the barn.  Our rabbit has been occupying it but he went back in his old pen.  We will start working on our pig fencing this next week and soon they will have a more permanent pen.  Here are some more pics. of the girls:

I know these girls are for food but I just can't imagine this little cutey being in my freezer.  My hubby keeps telling me I wont feel that way when she is 300+ pounds.LOL

Have a great day,

Trixi