Home with all my heart
COFFEE!
This summer I discovered that I absolutely must have freshly ground coffee. This came about when our coffee maker broke and we had to buy a new one. Without going into all the details about buying that...I will simply say that our new one came with a coffee grinder.Previously...I had wanted a grinder and to do the freshly ground coffee thing...but at this time I thought it would go totally unused. Boy was I wrong!
I got a super deal through my MyPoints account and tried a "coffee club" and loved the taste...but not the price. So I searched around in the local stores to find whole bean coffee that was just as good, but more convenient and affordable.
We discovered the Eight O'Clock Coffees and we love them! Not only are they equal in flavor...but it is more convenient for me to get them and I save a little bit.
I was just online looking for some printable coupons for them (no luck BTW), but I did notice that they have a loyalty program and for each bag that you buy and enter the info online into your account...two books will be donated to First Book. So it is a win-win situation if you are already buying their coffee or could use their coffee...go here and sign up for the loyalty program.
Blessings,
MrsC
I am exhausted!
I am currently less than two weeks (11 days...ekkk!) away from my first Christmas Craft Show of the season!On top of trying to get some last minute soap made...is there such a thing I wonder?...I am also trying to get my business out there. As in placing some ads with some homeschool and Etsy groups...and I figured something out real quick. I need an assistant!
I spent most of the day wrapping soap, getting wrapping stuff ready for when my other soaps finish curing, making bath fizzies and then making two batches of soap. Then when I finished with dinner (leftovers BTW) and could sit down for a bit...I had to start my marketing campaign (very low budget mind you LOL!). My wrists and arms are going to kill me tomorrow. Hopefully not too much though because I get to start all over again tomorrow!
Blessings,
MrsC
Presidential debate - Second Point Abortion
Kudos to McCain for standing up for life! There are a couple of points that I would like to bring up though.First of all, pregnancy is not a punishment for any woman..like Obama has so eloquently stated. Pregnancy is, however, a consequence that has been given by God. It is a consequence that should remain in place for young women to this day. Once you take away consequences...people run rampant. Young women are out there having unprotected sex with anyone that will join them because this consequence has been taken away. They don't have to "deal" with it...just abort the baby and move on.
We need to educate these young girls...not in public school but in our homes...and tell them that getting pregnant is not the worst thing that can happen when you live this lifestyle. There are STD's (25% of teenage girls in this country have been diagnosed with some type of STD), loss of self respect...worth...value (you degrade yourself each time you choose to live this way), and an emptiness that you WILL feel when you actually do meet the "right man" and choose to marry him. You cannot give him the one thing that he is entitled to...you because you have given bits and pieces of it to this guy or that guy. Note: I am not down on girls like this...I was a girl like this at one time too...and we need to change the moral fabric of our country today!
Secondly, there are so many happily married, capable couples who can not have a baby on their own. Should you make poor choices and do not wish to raise the precious baby that is a result of that...why not make someone else's dream come true. That is the most selfless thing that could ever result from your choices and the most honorable. That baby has a fundamental right to live just as you do and there are plenty of people that would be ecstatic at the chance to nourish that life.
McCain has voted for two Supreme Court justices that are Pro-Choice...I believe that proves his statement last night that he would not put any nominees through a litmus test. Obama, however, kind of fumbled his way through that statement. You could see in his eyes, that he didn't mean what he was saying. You can not say "Now I would not provide a litmus test. But..." and expect people to take you seriously. He said he believed that Roe v. Wade was decided correctly and...I believe...he will definitely (if elected) be choosing only Pro-Choice judges. And the fact that he was trying to use words to belittle what he voted for in Illinois (with regard to allowing late-term abortion survivors to die...just the fact that late term abortions are legal is barbaric)...was not surprising at all.
Presidential debate - Third Point Education
There is no easy way of dealing with this issue. I am a homeschooling mother and as such tend to be a bit biased on this topic. I graduated from public school...and had the opportunity to attend many different schools during my time in school. I can tell you that in the past 25 years...I have noticed a drastic change in public schools.The first thing that I see as I look at the present day school is that programs and buildings have become front and center for the agenda of the schools. Our local school system just spent $300,000 for 8 acres for a bus barn! Don't get me wrong but the school system already owned enough land to build the bus barn. Couple that with the fact that their income (generated by our property tax dollars was just cut due to tax reform)...before this deal went through...and you just have to scratch your head and say what were they thinking. That was a huge financial mistake that we the taxpayers are going to have to pay for...and we didn't even know about it until it was done!
The second thing is vouchers. There has been a bill before our state house for some time...just never gets through...that if you live in a failing school district...you would be supplied a voucher to school them wherever you choose (including homeschool). I think that would be the perfect solution to the educational crisis that our country is facing. If there were genuine competition with the public schools...they would be forced to step up to the plate and get the job done right. I am not pushing this for my own benefit because as it stands...I don't think I would qualify this year...but there are plenty that would benefit from it. Teachers need to be held accountable for what they are teaching (tenure is ridiculous!) and should be required to inform parents of exactly what they are using for curriculum. In our public high school, there are a couple of books (that are required reading) that contain words in them that the teacher would not appreciate the children saying to them (specifically of the four lettered F-variety). If the school does not allow a word to be used in in conversation from student to teacher, it should not require the student to read it either.
Let's turn to "early education"...otherwise known as Head Start. You want to know why they are not seeing a difference between those who have went through Head Start and those who didn't by the third grade? In my little corner of the world...the only kids that can "get into" head start are the welfare kids. So quite literally...it probably is working because without it those same children would probably fall way below the other third graders. Not to be controversial or anything...but they have proven that children from that type of background do have a more difficult time at school than the other children.
That leaves us with college. Where does one begin when tackling this topic? It is unreasonable to think that just by throwing student loans at the kids...that that will solve the problem. Colleges have gotten out of control with the cost of tuition...and once again it is due to administrative costs like buildings instead of an actual increase in educational expenses. More and more I read about huge donations to these institutiona and think "what are they doing". If I were rich (HA HA) I would want to help kids get an education instead of build a new idol for them to worship. The American workplace has deemed college a necessity...the problem is that the wages being paid to college graduates are no where near close enough to allow for the cost of tuition.
There is very little that government can do on the educational front though...except control spending. It is going to take parents who care enough to make sure that children are getting the most out of what they have been given. That does mean that the parents need to be involved with the school board and voice their opinions as to what should be taking place and what should not be. For far too long now...parents have given the public schools free reign where their children are concerned and that needs to stop. The answer is not big government...it is less government in this case.
Presidential debate - First Point Insurance Reform
Ok...so there are some things that I will break my TV fast for and this was one of them. Although...I just ended up getting irritated with McCain because he left out some of his more important points (IMHO that is) and then got frustrated with Obama because that man is totally clueless when it comes to how normal people live. Note: Never fear...while I am irritated with McCain for not taking advantage of this platform fully...I am still supporting him 100%.One of the things that was brought up but was never "tackled" was the issue of healthcare. They bantered back and forth...saying much the same thing the entire time...but never really solved anything (like we thought they would right?!?). McCain has...in the past...shown support for the HSA/High Deductible Insurance Policies. However, I never heard him mention it at all last night. This is the answer (IMHO) to the healthcare crisis.
Here is a bit of my experience...my husband works for the state and they started this HDHP/HSA plan a few years ago. Being a "born and raised" traditional insurance plan person myself...I was scared to death of it and refused to change. I mean...who wants to have to pay a $5000 deductible...not me! Note: The state used to have the best insurance package available...however...in the past eight years our out-of-pocket premiums have quadrupled...it was either switch or go hungry for us at this point!
So this year, the state did a better job of educating the employees on the finer points of the insurance plans. To name a few...no bi-weekly out-of-pocket premiums...the state will put aside some money in an HSA (because their premiums are lower too)...we contribute to the same HSA (just a portion of what the premium on the traditional would have been)...those contributions are pre-tax dollars...the HSA rolls over (it is not a use-it-or-lose-it deal)...while we do have a deductible the insurance still covers a portion of (or all of for well checks) many visits...costs are still negotiated for you...we can use the HSA to pay for prescriptions (which came in handy when my son was prescribed Singulair...ouch)...we can also use the HSA for glasses or dental work too. I am sure that I am leaving out some of the benefits here...but you get the idea.
Now here is what we have saved. Since insurance premiums have skyrocketed these past six years or so...our out-of-pocket bi-weekly premiums on the traditional insurance would have cost us around $4500-5000 for the year! That is before office co-pays and 20% for this or that! As it stands right now...we have spent probably around $1000-1500 this year out of our HSA. That is a huge savings and money in the bank for my family...and it would have been more of a savings if we could keep our son out of the trees!
What you need to understand about this plan is that it is a great way to keep people in check...so to speak. If I am paying for insurance (by way of premiums), and only having to pay (out-of-my-pocket) around $20 per office call...I am more likely to run my kids to the doctor for every little thing. If, however, I am paying into my deductible...I am more likely to evaluate the situation and then determine whether it is doctor-visit worthy. This saves the insurance company tons of money...they pass the savings on to the employer...and of course the insured person saves money too.
Why wouldn't anyone want to go this route? Cronic illnesses?...well you would be paying the premiums anyway (and if you don't yet...you can count on it when the union renegotiates your contract next!). Note: I am not anti-union in any way...however...most of the auto workers do not currently pay weekly premiums...but should not expect that to continue forever. Large family?...the deductible is for the entire family...not each member. Choice of doctors?...this is the most user-friendly doctor list that we have had in a long time...believe me the HMO-thing was horrible (and they went bankrupt BTW).
The downsides of this plan...well for us as individuals and for employers...there really aren't any downsides that I can see (now that we have been educated). However, if you are the doctor or the traditional insurance provider...I can see a lot of downsides. Number one...your cash cow is gone! The only people that benefit from the traditional insurance plans are the insurance providers and the healthcare industry!
I have no medical experience at all...but all of you Mom's know that when it comes to your children...you are the BEST doctor that your children will ever have. As a Mother, you KNOW when your kids are sick and you know the difference between a sickness and something that you need to take them to the doctor for.
So...yes we have a high deductible ($5000)...but we have more than enough in the HSA (after the first year) to cover that. We have taken charge of our insurance plan and it has paid off for our family. This year we will have saved around $4000 of OUR money.
So IF you really want to refrom the healthcare crisis...this is one way that we as everyday individuals can contribute to that. If your employer offers this plan...take it and keep the money where it belongs...in your pocket. If your employer does not offer this plan...ask them to look into the money-saving benefits that it could offer both of you.
Blessings,
MrsC
You must be nuts!
I hope you've been having a good nut year elsewhere as we have hear in southeastern Missouri. And I hope you've been making the most of it! As for us, we've been learning a lot. I thought I'd take a few minutes while I'm turning the summer's tomatoes into pasta sauce and share with you some of what we've learned. This won't be real thorough as there's tons of good information on the internet that covers the topic way better than I could.
We have hickories of all kinds on our several acres. Until we started harvesting, I didn't even know there were hickories other than the Shagbark (carya ovata) variety. I didn't know that pecans are of the hickory genus, or that all of them are of the walnut (juglandaceae) family. I don't think we have any Pecans (too bad, they're my favorite, and much easier to shell). Lucky for us we started with the shagbark that's right in the yard. If we'd tried nuts from the other trees I don't think we'd have been brave enough to try any others - some are so bitter! The Shagbark nuts are the sweetest (so I've read and so I've tasted).
We started foraging at the edge of the woods, but the squirrels were beating us to those nuts. Our dogs pretty much keep the squirrels out of the yard, so we get first pick from the tree there. We try to get out there every day or two. We've been collecting them for about a month now and they're still falling, and there's still a bunch up there. I read that they'll continue to fall until mid November. We're gonna need a bigger bucket (we've filled up a 5 gallon). When they first began to fall you had to peel the hull off. Most of them that fall now split open when they hit the ground. With my superior height I can see farther than all of my short people, so I point them out and they pick them up and plop them in their buckets. I personally find this a wonderful system as bending over repeatedly isn't exactly comfortable at six months pregnant.
Last week we noticed a variety of hickory across the driveway where we seldom venture. The nuts were covering the ground and we tried them. They're almost as sweet and flavorful as the shagbark, but not quite. The squirrels must notice the difference because they left all these and focused on the Shagbark. They're a little bigger and the hull is thinner. It may be the c. tomentosa, or Mockernut Hickory. I'll have to look closer at the rest of the tree.
The other day the kids found yet another variety. They recognized a hickory nut, so they started adding them to our collection. "Wait, let's taste it first," I suggested. So I did (I'm so brave). Wow! Like I said, good thing we didn't start with these! They were quite a bit smaller, rounder, and smoother looking. I believe the species is cordiformis, Bitternut Hickory. Boy, you ain't jokin'. We'll leave those for the really desperate squirrels.
Here's a page about hickories in general: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickory And here's a photo of some of the species' nuts side by side: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Carya_nuts.jpg#file
So what do you do with all these nuts??? Well, we're eating them, but I suppose you could throw them at wild critters, or incorperate them into your macrame as beads or paint them or something...
As for stoarge... I've read so many condradictory articles I hardly know what to think. Some say sealed containers, some say mesh bags, some say the freezer. Some say dry them, some say keep them moist. We bring in the day's haul and fill the bucket with water - whatever floats is more than likely rotten and we toss it to the squirrels. Then we spread them out in the sun to dry for a few days, toss them into our "eating" bucket, where we'll probably keep them all winter. Some articles say not to float them, rather to keep them absolutely dry. If things don't work out our way this year, then I'll try something else, should the Lord bless us so abundantly next year.
The hickories are notoriously difficult to shell. I personally don't think they're half as difficult as black walnuts, but I guess because the nut is so soft it's is hard to get the pieces out in big chunks. After crushing many with our nutcracker or hammer and digging pieces out with a pick, spitting out the shells that imbedded in the meat... I thought, "Maybe somebody's been down this road..." Hey, whadda ya know. There is a trick to opening them! This works! Check out this Mother Earth News article: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1980-09-01/Hickory-Nuts-The-Inside-Story.aspx
Another intersting thing I found out... Apparently Native Americans would grind the nut, shell and all, with a giant pestle and morter, then add water and cook for a few hours. The nut and shell would settle to the bottom and you could spoon off a nutritious and delicious broth. Go see: http://www.burntmud.com/hickorynuts.htm
Well, that's all for now. Looks like it's about to storm here so I'd better get off the PC.
Teaching the Word
The Lord is really, really stretching me right now. It's good. Somewhat painful, but good. I'd like to write about it but haven't seemed to be able to make time. Maybe I'm not suppose to share it yet. In the meantime, I thought I'd post this letter I wrote today to a friend who's "officially begun homeschooling" (though I suspect she started the day her first was born). She asked me about my particular method of teaching the Bible.
------------------------------
My particular method is found in the Word itself in Deut 6. Actually, this is the foundation of everything we teach in our home. Near as I can figure, if your children are good at math but miss this, they've missed everything.
1"Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, 2"that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3"Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—'a land flowing with milk and honey.'
4"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
6 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8"You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9"You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
The whole of scripture is now your curriculum! There's enough there to keep ya busy for a long, long time.
I guess it doesn't say it exactly in this verse but there are many others that explain we need to not only teach his ways to our children, but to teach our children to teach his ways to their children.
So, what does it looks like in our house? I take every opportunity to talk about the Lord and his righteous ways, sharing scripture word for word when I know it (and I try to know it!). Whether we walk and talk about his creation or sit and read the Word together. When I read something in my "quiet" time (which is not regular, though I pray for diligence to make it so - I get more in than I realize when I consider the unexpected moments that are scattered throughout the day) I share it with the children. If we hear something on the news (via friends and family or our favorite blogs, since we're otherwise seldom exposed) or see some note-worthy thing while we're out (immodest dress or behavior, for example) we talk right then and there about what God has to say about it. We don't have scheduled "family devotions" and probably never will. We try to make learning his ways the thread of every day life - I think that's the idea in verse 7. I take the same approach to all their school work. They do have some sit-down book work, but I don't want them to think learning is something they do for a few hours a day and then they're done! (Or something they can complete by age 17 or 18, God forbid!) I don't want them to think God's word is for Sunday school (or Sabbath school) or "devotional" time, then they can go play and forget about it.
We sometimes sit down with our Bibles and I'll ask the girls to find certian scriptures to familiarize them with the layout of the Bible. Sometimes randomly for fun, sometimes because we've been talking about a particular scripture. Seeing it written does us good, helps us learn it, I think. The girls each recieved their own bible for their birthdays last year and Bobby and I spent forever putting the little tabs in so they could find the books easily. I encourage them to read it in their free time. Sometimes I'll ask them to read a chapter of Proverbs and share their thoughts about something they read.
I hope that answers your question and maybe encourages you. Remember that you only have to know one thing more than your student in order to teach them something!
Happenings
Well, it rained today and so I didn't make it outside to take some pictures...maybe on Friday I will be able to squeeze in some time between library time and business stuff.Since it rained today...I took advantage of the indoor time and finished getting my son's winter clothes cleaned and ready for him to wear. It has been downright cold around here and my munchkins have been freezing! My daughter required some new clothing...but luckily my son still fit into most of his leftovers from last year (they were bought toward the end of the season and were kind of big on him last year). So that has been taken care of.
We also did a lot of school today...we were a little behind on some of our reading and things...so we took the time to get in some extra today. I also looked online for some literature units that I want to do with the kids...I think that I will also check on PaperBackSwap though because they are kind of expensive and the selection isn't great on Ebay.
Tomorrow is a jam packed day for me...so I will likely not be online at all. I have three new fall scents to pour for the soy candles (Autumn Harvest, Perfect Autumn Pear & Pumpkin Souffle), soap to make (Peppermint Perfection & Honey Oatmeal), Raspberry-Jalapeno Jam to make and also canning green tomato relish for the family. That is on top of school, ballet (I get to dance too, so please pray for me) and still working on my Organized Christmas projects...no I haven't fallen off of the wagon, I just forgot to post anything last week LOL. This is what comes from procrastinating though...while I have been very busy this week...there were times that I could have gotten the candles poured but read a book instead...shhh don't tell anyone though.
Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures on Friday! No...not of me dancing...you probably won't want to see that!
Blessings,
MrsC
Psst has a coupon for you!
Pssst... has sent me some coupons to pass out to my friends for the Chocolate Flaky Twists by Pillsbury. I have passed out all of the printed coupons...however...they have now given me the option to email coupons to those that are long distance.If I have you email address already...I probably have already sent you one. If you would like me to send you one and I don't have your email address...either PM me or leave me a comment with your email address and it will be on it's way to you ASAP.
BTW...I believe that these are $1 off of one tube coupons.
Blessings,
MrsC
wrecked car pics
Notice the front bumper lying beside it?
The driver's side tires were shot but we happened to have replacements and put those on it in order to get it on the trailer and get it home.
As Bobby was drifting off to sleep last night I guess he was thinking about the way the accident happened. He realized he may have flipped end over end once and sideways once, instead of sideways twice. Wow. No wonder his back hurts this morning.
Anyone wanna buy parts to a '89 Honda Accord LX? Or donate toward another $500 car?
I'm so thankful there were so many people we could (and did) call on for help. Everyone who heard immediately made themselves available. A strong, local church body (community, if you will) is something everyone should have, but I know not everyone does. I pity the one who falls and has no one to help him up.
One brother that Bobby called and didn't get was on his way home and starting to return the call on his cell when he came upon the scene of the accident. Being a pretty quick guy he figured that was probably why Bobby was calling him. =)
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