Happenings from the Bush homestead
Nothing Political :o)
10:47, Wednesday, November 5, 2008 .. Posted in From the Desk .. 4 comments .. Link
I am still having issues adding pictures in here. I have several just waiting to get put in place. We have pictures of the hogs -- which I sold to a friend at church and don't even have to attempt to load up for butcher myself. I'll use the proceeds from their sale to go buy someone else's pork at the butcher.
I have pictures of our visit with Christina and her family last month -- all our combined children gathered on the swing set, and some beautiful scenery on the way over the Tennessee River.
Yesterday we rearranged the main room here. Being a double-wide mobile home, the living room is rather open and large -- ours is about 18x24. Would be a great living room if the dining room wasn't such a joke in size. Our main room is kept as living room and dining room here. The true dining room houses the school shelves and desk, computer and all the sewing needs.
The move around was done so the cookstove could be set in place for use this year. I am not construction-skilled in the slightest. I can hammer nails, drive screws and make attempts at cutting wood correctly, but I'd be afraid to live in something I had constructed aside from popping up a tent. The enclosure of the front porch into living space just wasn't going to happen on my watch. And without some properly done constructing, the cookstove cannot be used out there without subjecting it to all manner of weather.
However, I think I can manage to close off the back window and seal it properly, then sleeve a pipe through there and mount it for use.
So, the cookstove, however misplaced it may seem in the "living room" of my house, is there now, waiting for the materials to do the task at hand. Of course, I might just wait on thanksging weekend when Dewey comes home for that installation part. I do believe I can do it without him, but I wouldn't want to deprive him of the joy of blessing his wife with the use of her cookstove.
This weekend -- barring that rainy forcast -- we will begin emptying, sorting and purging the workshop building here. It's a mess. No. It's a disaster area out there. I'm bringing the trailer up here and we are going to begin loading everything onto it, then sorting and cleaning the building, getting some areas set up for the mass of tools we have accumulated over the years, and then we'll put things back in place in some sort of order. That's The Plan, anyway.
I guess that's about it. Despite all that's turning about in our country, we are just moving along at the usual pace around here. Although I will admit to a slightly deeper pull to prepare for the future of my family here, mainly our needs and daily living survival things.
Still Here!
WOW I can not believe it's been 2 months since I've had a chance to post. 
I've only have a few days left to go before our newest baby arrives!! I've been sick a lot in the last few months between normal lack of sleep and the kids sharing colds.
We have most of our garden harvested, potatoes were the main thing we planted this year. So far we've harvested about 1000 pounds and still have at least another 400 pounds to get up this week.
Last week we had our first real snow that stuck on the ground. The kids just loved it!! Me, well I'm not so ready for winter yet LOL. Once our potatoes are all in and the woods all been cut and stacked then I don't care. I'll be able to snuggle by the fire with our sweet new baby all winter. 
I've been busy making new cloth diapers and fleece/wool soaker's to. Each of my little seem to have out gown what I have! And dd1 who has lots of diapers that fit her seems to have developed an sensitivity to the suade cloth inners (sigh). She gets rashes from the pretty quickly now. So I'm going to try and go back to flannel with her. I'm hoping I can get all this sewing done before the wee one comes!
12 Days of Holiday Homemaking!!
Joyous Home is having an incredible holiday special starting Nov. 14. From sewing projects to recipes there will be something for everyone. Make sure to stop by and check out the goodies!
How *not* to Wrangle Hogs
09:26, Tuesday, November 4, 2008 .. Posted in In The Barn .. 1 comments .. Link
Maybe later today I can come back and put them in. For now, the story behind the subject line :o)
Our pigs are most obviously not bred. If they had, um, shall we say, 'met up with' the big strapping male on site the day we bought them, they would have had babies last week. As there are no babies in my barn, its time to butcher these beasts and be done with them. And no more pigs for this homestead. Well, not until we are much better prepared for them...with a concrete room or something.
These ladies have been a thorn in our side since we got them. Didn't want to load at all, wreaked havoc from day one here, played tug-o-war with some of my wayward hens, destroyed every feed bin, water trough, you name it...
...and then Sunday evening, they tore out of our fence. No idea what was on their minds, they were just suddenly in the yard and not the barn. Emily saw them first, calling them 'piggie dogs'. Yes, we will enlighten and correct her on that :o) Knowing that these ladies are just plain evil nasty creatures with a taste for blood, every child outside scattered like the wind. Jennifer loaded the 22 and off she went, I got with Dewey -- poor man, sitting in Arkansas, listening to what sounds like some frantic 911 call or something from us -- and found out for sure how to load that SKS. All I could see was dogs being chased and children bobbing about. I knew we weren't a good enough shot to do much more than irritate the ladies with a 22, although I'm assured now we could have handled them with it well enough.
Dewey called a couple friends from church and they headed over to help us...either load the pigs back into the barn somehow or shoot em where they were. Didn't make a difference to me either way. Here we were, guns loaded, moving around the barn with frantic dogs, frantic hogs and spooked children...5:30 on a Sunday night, dark enough to not be able to see diddly out behind the barn and off into the acreage at all, and do you think we had a flashlight? Of course not. A half a dozen DeWalt and Black & Decker batteries sitting here yet not one had been charged! The one light we found was about as promising as simply holding matches out there.
Yes, we had some rather stern and serious discussions about why those batteries need to be charged and ready at all times now.
We ran those stupid hogs everywhere. One minute they are running after one of the children who are screaming looking for shelter, the next, the hogs are chasing after the dogs trying to bite them. The dogs were trying to keep them wrangled near the barn at least...seems they aren't quite as useless and stupid as I thought. Our friends finally arrive and I'll be slapped silly if those blasted hogs didn't stand still and find contentment in eating the 5 gallon pail of corn we had been trying to entice them with the whole time. Between the two men, they shooed and sue-y'ed those ladies right back to the barn and rigged up their fence again. Just slick as could be.
Here we had a comedy of errors running amok on the homestead and they show up, seasoned farm wranglers, and it all proceed smooth as frog hair.
Yes, the wild "amish woman with the military rifle" was probably the topic of quite some discussion up at Dry Creek Monday. The old timers all sit around up there at the hole in the wall 2-pump gas station and grocery store. It's very Ike Godsey's General Merchandise up there on the mountain. When I passed to go to the feed store and get more corn, it was packed with 4-wheelers and trucks. I thought about stopping and getting something to drink, but I figured they could have a better conversation without the wild amish woman.
I suppose some prayer requests were sent up for us at church as well that night. City folk in the country and all that. LOL...yes, I imagine we will be talked about for a good week after all our escapades here. Guess that's part of living in the county like this. Everybody knows everything, and they all have their opinions as to why this or that happens to the outsiders :o) And with all that went on here with those hogs, I imagine we are the current object lesson for the youngers as to why City and Country don't mix well and why you should be very selective in your marriage selection :o)
The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ 10
Click on this image to visit The Simple Woman blog, and find daybook entries by others.For Today...
Outside my Window... cold cold cold winds, which is why I can't see out my window, because I never opened my thermal drapes today.
I am thinking... that I might be getting sick, along with my kids. My ear is hurting.
I am thankful for... nebulizers, and a Dr. who will call in prescriptions for my kids without seeing them.
I am wearing... blue jeans, light blue sweater, light blue fake crocs.
I am going... to fold laundry tonight.
I am reading... The Missing Link: FOUND.
I am hearing... The Grinch on tv.
Around the house... humidifiers, nebulizer, tissues, sick kids
One of my favorite things... time with my husband.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... visit my father-in-law before he enters hospice care, prepare for a funeral.
April
TONS of Books FOR SALE!
Tons of Books, Curricula and More FOR
PayPal Lisa@HomesteadOriginals.com / Add $2.50 for USPS Media Rate Shipping
Farmy/Animal/Garden Books
Your Goats, A Kid's Guide to Raising & Showing BRAND NEW! All around, good basic information book on goats and their care. $5.00 paperback
Our
Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the
Writings of a Deliberate Agrarian- Herrick Kimball. BRAND NEW! Great read on living a life of simplicity, and appreciating God's creation $5.00
Family Friendly Farming - Joel Salatin BRAND NEW ! 400 pages / Great read on the intergrated family farm. $10.00
Homeschooling Books & Curricula
Rod & Staff English 9/10 Teachers Manual BRAND NEW $10.00
A Charlotte Mason Education : A How to Manual by Catherine Levison BRAND NEW $4.00
Homeschooling w/ a Meek & Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell BRAND NEW $4.00
Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling by Dr. Brian Ray BRAND NEW $4.00
Millstones and Stumbling Blocks by Bradley Heath BRAND NEW - EXCELLENT READ! $4.00
Teaching the Trivium by Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn BRAND NEW $10.00
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto BRAND NEW $5.00
101 Devotions for Homeschool Moms by Jackie Wellwood BRAND NEW $4.00
Homeschooling from a Biblical Worldview by
A History of the
BJUP Bible Truths : A Servants Heart 2 TEACHERS Ed. BRAND NEW! $10.00
Christian Liberty Press Our Father's World-- Student and Teachers Book. Brand New--Teachers Book shows a little wear. $10.00 for both
ABEKA Our America 2 Student and Teachers Books, Gently Used, but still look almost new. $10.00 for both
365 Days of Celebration & Praise by Julie Lavender. Daily Devotions and Activities for Homeschooling Families-almost 400 pages! BRAND NEW $5.00
Best Homeschooling Ideas by Debi Pearl No Greater Joy CD $2.00
Super Science Cococtions by Jill Frankel Hauser FUN book of science experiments for elementary age children.
Draw Write Now Book 6 BRAND NEW $4.00
Veritas Press Genesis through Joshua Book and Cards BRAND NEW $15.00
Books for fun & learning for children!
Annie Quinn in America by Mical Schneider BRAND NEW hardcover w/dustjacket $3.00
From Submarine to Steamboat by Robert Fulton hardcover BRAND NEW $6.00
A Christmas Carol paperback $1.00
Water Dance hardcover $1.00
Manatee Winter hardcover $1.00
A History of the
A History of the
The Sleepytime Ponies Trick a Trickster by Lana Jordan hardback $2.00
Little Skinks Tail Sylvan Dell Press paperback $2.00
Turtle Summer Sylvan Dell Press BRAND NEW hardcover w/dustjacket $2.00
My Half Day Sylvan Dell Press BRAND NEW hardcover w/dustjacket $2.00
Whistling Wings Sylvan Dell Press BRAND NEW hardcover w/dustjacket $2.00
American Girl Samantha Saves the Day paperback like new $2.00
American Girl Happy Birthday Kirsten paperback like new $2.00
American Girl Molly's Surprise paperback like new $2.00
American Girl Changes for Molly paperback like new $2.00
American Girl Molly Saves the Day paperback BRAND NEW $2.00
Civil War Ghosts by Daniel Cohen BRAND NEW $3.00
The Kingdom Series; Kingdoms Quest Book 5 by Chuck Black
Helen Keller Courage In the Dark by Johanna Hurwitz paperback used, good shape $1.00
Story of Liberty by Charles Coffin BRAND NEW 1879 reprint, great history reading! $7.00
Eagles Wings by Lauraine Snelling paperback used, $1.00
The Race by Lauraine Snelling paperback used $1.00
ABEKA Message of the Mountain BRAND NEW $2.00
These next few are from a set, they are "Classics" in leather covers with gold embossing, very nice books! $5.00 each!
The Ambassadors by Henry James
Tacitus: The Annals
Candide by Voltaire
Michel De Montaigne Essays
Faust Goethe
Henrik Ibsen Plays
Books for parents/adults
Biblical Hebrew paperback gently used $3.00
Doorposts As Unto the Lord: A Tool for Wives who want to glorify God by Pam Forster BRAND NEW $4.00
Mama's Torah Batya Ruth Wooten BRAND NEW paperback $3.00
The Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer BRAND NEW $3.00
Why Won't They Listen by Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis) BRAND NEW $3.00
Walking Wisely by Charles Stanley Used hardcover w/ dustjacket $2.00
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren Gently Used hardcover w/ dustjacket $3.00
Nightlight for Parents a Devotional by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson $2.00
One Blood by Ken Ham, Carl Wieland & Don Batten (Answers in Genesis) BRAND NEW $4.00
Skydiving for Parents by Jane Bullivant BRAND NEW $4.00
Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade Used $2.00
Pagan Christianity by George Barna & Frank Viola BRAND NEW hardcover w/ dustjacket $3.00
15 Reasons to take Genesis as History by Don Batten & Jonathan Sarfati paperback BRAND NEW $2.00
Just like Jesus by Max Lucado paperback $2.00
New Concise Bible Dictionary Gently Used hardcover w/ dustjacket $2.00
Created to be his Helpmeet by Debi Pearl No Greater Joy paperback BRAND NEW $5.00
If Mama Ain't Happy, Aint' Nobody Happy! by Lindsey O'Connor $2.00
Fields with God by
Left Behind by Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins $2.00
The
Louis L'Amour Collected Short Stories Volume 1 & 2 Hardcover w/Dust Jacket BRAND NEW $5.00 each
BOOK GIVEAWAY!!
I'm giving away a book, Mary Jane: Her Book, from Salem Ridge Press. You can enter the contest at my other blog: ElCloud Homeschool.Trusting in Him,
April
Do you want to try some new curriculum yourself ... Free?
The Old Schoolhouse magazine has a directory of freebies for homeschoolers. Many of the vendors we'll be testing this year for the Homeschool Crew are on the directory. You can go to the directory for some free samples and trial memberships yourself.http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/freebiedirectory/index.html
Trusting in Him,
April
Cough, sniff, blow, sneeze, cough
The sounds of coughing, sniffling, sneezing, blowing, and more coughing have filled my home all week. It started with 9 yo C ... poor girl. She has it bad. Others started sniffling and sneezing a bit. Yesterday it tackled 7 yo J and hit him just as hard as 9 yo C. Poor boy. I wonder who will be next. Hopefully not me or Baby G. Hopefully not DH, either, since he's still tired and stressed with his Dad's health situation.Pray for us, and Steve's family. I haven't said much about his Dad here ... but he has been in the hospital since early August. He's diabetic, and had to have both legs amputated below the knee. He has been in ICU ever since then (over 6 weeks now) and is still on the ventilator. This week, he began daily dialysis. He is so weak, and just isn't recovering. Time just seems to bring new problems, rather than healing and strength. While health complications from poorly managed diabetes are inevitable ... it has still been a surprise that it came on so suddenly. And his decline since August has also been a surprise. We had expected he'd be in rehab therapy by now, not still lingering in ICU.
Steve's parents are Christians, and their hope is in the Lord, but it is still discouraging to them to be in this position. (Father-in-law in ICU, heading for a nursing home ... and Mother-in-law with alzheimers and also heading for a nursing home before too long.) They are only in their 60s ... so young to be dealing with this. Of course, my parents and our Sunday School class (all couples older than us) keep telling us we are too young (in our 30s) to be dealing with this, as well.
But we don't get to choose the trials in our life, or the timing of the testing that God allows in our life. Our hope is in Him, and we know He provides the grace and strength for any trial that comes our way. When I think of the trials others face, this one still seems minor in comparison. My child isn't struggling to overcome cancer, my husband is still living, and our family is strong. It could be so much worse.
Trusting in Him,
April
Rethinking our school year ...
Since we'll be testing curriculum for TOS Homeschool Crew this year, we're rethinking our curriculum plans. Our vendor list includes 6 different core curriculum products. I don't know if we'll end up testing all of those, but since I intend to give each product we test a true trial, we'll be using whatever we're offered as our actual curriculum.Tapestry of Grace would be difficult to start and stop throughout the year, so we're going to set it aside. We'll use Five In A Row instead. I will use FIAR volume 4, although the older girls will need extra assignments to make it challenging enough for them. It will be easier to start and stop FIAR, since it uses picture books and each book is only 1-2 weeks of schooling. No chapter books, no continuing theme or chronology to disrupt. But it will still provide a good education for the kids, and it will fill in the structure when we don't have something to test.
We'll continue with our usual math curriculum, until/unless something else arrives. We'll continue working on phonics with Josiah, and use our other usual books (grammar, logic, spelling, penmanship) in between testing products ... unless we decide we like one of our test products better and choose to stick with it. The only one using a science textbook is 13 yo A, but we may be testing Friendly Chemistry for her, so we've set it aside for now. If we don't get chosen for that, she'll resume it. The others are still reading their science books (Christian Liberty Nature Readers, and It Couldn't Just Happen).
Since some of the curriculum/products we'll be testing are not subjects we usually cover, I want to be careful not to overload anyone. So we'll try to keep a balance of challenging everyone, covering our basics, and not pushing too hard.
This will be an unusual year, switching between different curriculum. But, I know we'll still be learning, and growing. I'm not worried about falling behind, or anything. We'll resume Tapestry of Grace year 3 when we're done reviewing other curriculum. We're looking forward to this year, and the opportunity to try new products.
Trusting in Him,
April
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