The Moreland's

News from the Snow Front

For anyone keeping up with the Hunnicutts, we'd like you to know we have been having a blast with the Ohio snow!  We've had 2 snow storms this month, both resulting in multiple inches of snow.  The boys (Shane included) have been sledding down the hill to the west side of the barn for afternoons at a time.  It is always amusing to watch N struggle with all of his snow gear to finally get suited up and ready for hours of fun outside.  He could barely see out from under his hat and hood, and his little fingers don't quite reach the fullness of his gloves.

The girls and I have mainly preferred to stay indoors by the fire, reading stories, or preparing hot chocolate.  We also sing Christmas songs A LOT.  What would Christmas be without the songs?  I also took the girls out for about 30 minutes while we made a snowbaby for the Mama and Daddy snowmen already in the yard.  Mia and I also made snow angels.

Along with singing songs, we've read several Christmas children's books that all have really enjoyed.  One we particularly enjoyed is The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, about a man who is the best wood carver in town, but he is extremely gruff and unsmiling because of losing his wife and baby to illness years before.  After a widow and her son come to request his services to carve a nativity set for them, Mr. Toomey's heart reluctantly begins to soften.  This book has beautiful pictures and many great talking points of how Jesus would have us spend our time demonstrating Christmas to others who need His love the most.

The second book we read was called The Keeper of the Flame, a book about how the town of Noel has an annual lighting of the "Christmas Flame", performed by the person the keeper chooses based on who gives the truest and best gift.  The moral in this story being that it is ourselves, our hearts, that are the most important gift we can give.

We've also been enjoying our 'Adornaments', an ornament with scripture for each of the twelve days of Christmas, as well as a small Advent treat.  We have had fun with the Advent this year, as we have turned it into a treasure hunt for candy based on the scriptures we read and the clues that come from it.  For example, we talked about Isaiah 7:14 which says: "Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel."  We discuss how the Lord provided a star to guide the magi as a sign; how the sign that Jesus was Messiah was the virgin birth and fulfillment of many prophecies.  We then talk about some signs that we observe today that the Christmas season is here (tree, lights, nativity, etc).  The children are given a clue such as ''your candy is hidden under a sign that Christmas is near..."  The kids search and love it when they find candy under the tree, or near some other "sign" of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Memory Tree and Community

Our bellies are full, our tree is up and our fires are burning bright.  We are excited for Christmas, cold weather, and the fun of our traditions.

Yesterday was spent rearranging furniture to try and make room for our Christmas tree.  I haven't necessarily been able to trim up the house in the way I would like to fully imagine.  I don't have a wreath or lights around each and every window, nor do I have beautiful centerpieces or garland within the house or on the mantles.  At least I know that I would not want my tree to look any other way.  I will take my tree of memories over any fancy, impersonal color coordinated tree at the department store any day!

Once again, most of our ornaments are towards the bottom half of the tree, those places where it is easier for the children to reach.  The kids seem to relish discussing the memory or meaning behind each ornament.  I think they love being able to participate in a family activity that is so special without being told, "No, you're too little", or receiving some type of correction.

The excitement in their eyes as they view each ornament from the past is contagious.  M and D were thrilled to see their "baby" picture ornaments from their first Christmas with us as a family.  N was very proud to hang each of his own making from every year prior to this.  "I've made the most!" he boasted.  C was able to help prepare and set the tree up prior to decorating.  Until now he was eager but in the way.  One thing still remains- C still begs to eat really old stale candy canes that we have kept from previous years!

M & D love babies so it was no surprise to hear them arguing over which of them would hang each and every "baby Jesus".  After each was hung they immediately went into the preschool version of "Away in a Manger" complete with motions.  How funny that the birth of Christ can cause so much dissension and unity in a 5 minute span!

We are mulling over the idea of having a Christmas party at our home with a few of the neighbors and friends we have met here this year.  I love the idea of having a roaring fire in the dining room, roasting chestnuts, having a kettle of apple cider and coming up with a few old fashioned parlor games to play.  I get the impression that for many people, parties are mostly limited to office parties, some school parties, but not the kind of true community or fellowship parties.  People are so busy these days that the school or work life they are involved in has become their community, replacing deep meaningful friendships as well as an escape from the many family stresses or responsibilities we all face.  I'm hoping that by opening our home people actually enjoy themselves and relax here.  I'm also hoping to slowly build a community for ourselves.

Unlike many families, we don't pretend to be Santa for our kids on Christmas by giving gifts "from Santa", etc.  Our kids know who Saint Nicholas was and why so many other families choose to play Santa.  S & I have chosen to focus on Christ as our giver of good gifts.  However, as Saint Nick dropped money and good things into the stockings warming by the fire of those who were poverty stricken in his day,  out of his love for God, we have hung a stocking upon our mantle with the intention of blessing someone else as a family.  We prayed together as a family asking the Lord to help show us whom He would like for us to help this Christmas.  As different ideas come to each of us, we write them down and put them in the stocking.  After two weeks we will review them together and decide what and how we can help.  We are excited to play Santa to someone who might actually need a Saint Nick at this stressful time of year.

Merry Christmas a month early!

Chestnuts & Chopping Wood

The boys are getting stronger each day, especially as we have them refilling the wood bins each morning now.  It is a part of their daily chores to go to the woodshed adjacent to our side porch, and carry in several thick logs to pile up in the log bins next to each wood stove and the dining room fireplace.  Additionally, they bring in kindling and newspaper.  Our stoves are heating our house very well.  We don't have a woodburning stove upstairs but it never gets colder than 65 upstairs so far, even on nights down in the 20's.  I love the smell of the fire and the coziness of it as well.

M & D are getting stronger and faster as well.  The girls are very helpful, especially with preparing and clearing the table, putting laundry away, and M has been feeding the cats and dogs once in awhile.  D recently got her ankle support braces and it has been interesting to see her get stronger and faster already.  Tomorrow I meet with their preschool teacher to see how they are doing in school.  I'm actually looking forward to it as I know they love school and the teachers are always so tickled to see them.

This evening I sent the boys out to gather chestnuts.  We finally managed to discover that the prickly balls falling from a large unidentifiable tree were actually Chinese Chestnuts.  C and I pried one open to reveal a large amount of moist yellow "meat" on the inside.  We each tasted it and it was slightly sweet.  I decided to buy a chestnut roaster for the fireplace as well as a chestnut knife to score them so they could expand while roasting.  It sounds as if we really need to buy another tree or two so that they can pollinate one another and thus perform better.

We've also discovered mice in the house.  Thankfully I am not one to freak out over mice, but I do not like being startled suddenly by an unknown critter.  I was laying on the couch in the living room talking with S the other night and noticed movement down on the floor behind him.  I yelled "mouse" and pointed towards it.  Shane jumped up and searched with a flashlight for awhile but it had already escaped.  We suspect that we really need to move filling the holes leftover from removing the old hot water boiler system to the top of our priority list now.  In the meantime we've set a couple of traps.  I long for an indoor cat but our allergies and asthma can't tolerate one indoors.

I baked a beautiful loaf of bread from scratch today using a sourdough starter.  It was called Pain de Campagne or French Country Style Bread.  It had a touch of rye flour in the recipe.  S & C loved it.  I'm not used to kneading anything for 10 minutes but I actually enjoyed the working of the dough in my hands.  It was kind of rhythmic as well as soothing.  My mind was able to relax and drift to different thoughts as the boys were outside and the girls were napping.  Making bread can be a relaxing past time as well as a wholesome addition to the table.  Plus it is just really cool to say, look what I made!

I am reading a book by Shane Claiborn called The Irresistable Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical.  I am enjoying this book so much more than many in the Christian genre because it is challenging many "Christianese" assumptions and ways of thinking.  It is also not a bunch of generalizations for someone who has been studying scripture for awhile.  Claiborn challenges those of us who are Christian and have assumed that to be Christian one must also fit into the labels of "conservative", "Republican", "decent", "patriotic", etc.  I enjoy being challenged to either change my perspective or defend the one I currently have.  This book is causing me to do that.  He also brings a lot of personal experiences and stories into the book so it is not a cliche' but very touching and eye opening to our Christian family cross-culturally.  If you haven't guessed, I recommend it.

Tomorrow is another dentist day, M needs another crown and D has a cavity.  I had to rechedule N as he threw a big tantrum and refused to open his mouth.  His nexy visit is simply to be a "happy visit".  Fortunately they didn't charge me for his wasting everyone's time.  It was very strange, he was fine up until she was ready to use the polisher and then he freaked out.  I think maybe the 2 yr old screaming down the hall may have contributed to his reluctance.

Lots of love to you all who are taking the time to read this...keep in touch.

One of Those Days...

Do you ever feel like as a mom you will never to be able to fill the role you were placed in?  Thursday was one of those days for me.  At the end of an already long day which had been filled with homeschool, preschool, phone calls rearranging appointments, colds, dishes, temper tantrums, spankings, errands, and giving haircuts & baths to everyone in the family, I finished putting together my sourdough starter and settled down to peruse the latest catalogs which I have saved up over the last 2 weeks.  I had thought this would be a nice way to relax.  What I found instead was an overwhelming sense of how imperfect and full of struggle I am in so many areas of my life.  And that I don't have enough money or time to fill my library with every book I'll ever need to possibly fix it or help me to grow in knowledge, wisdom, kindness and patience.

The catalogs listed book after book about raising well mannered children, healthy living, whole grain meals, all natural cooking, and the like.  Books on homemaking, crafts to make your home more pleasant and enjoyable, how to clean and organize, homeschooling and its many benefits.  Bible studies on being a woman of God, a wonderful mother & wife.  Different books on every type of perspective regarding Christian theology, end times, Calvinism, Arminianism... pretty much whatever you are looking for.  After being accosted by all these choices I began to feel overwhelmed.  I mean, the authors of these books make it sound so easy.  Seven steps to accomplish this, the top three things to achieve that.  My imperfections seemed to jump out at me as I realized how many of these books were calling out to me like an eager student waiting to give me life's answers.  Pick me, pick me!  They all seemed to cry. 

Yep, I argued with my husband today.  Yep, I found myself disciplining in anger today.  Yep, I fed the family an hour later than normal, I failed to do one single load of 4 hampers full of laundry, we had the same meal for lunch and dinner as last night's dinner (stew).  I allowed myself to be manipulated by my children, I fussed at a driver in front of me while hypocritically telling my children that they should do all things without complaining.  I sent the kids away so I could finish listing and browsing stuff on Ebay.  And, believe it or not, I started out the day reading my bible and praying for myself and each of my family members.  I had started out feeling prepared.  What happened?  Does this sound familiar to anyone out there?

At times like this, I feel like throwing in the towel.  I mean, surely no positive change is going on in any of us!  I'm still failing left and right,  My kids are forgetting all that we've been striving to teach them regarding loving others, and being responsible, not fussing and using good manners, diligence and the like.  I am frustrated with the standard being so high.  But who has set the standard and how do we get there?

There seems to be a difference between God's standard of perfection and holiness and our human attempts to get ourselves as well as everyone else around us perfect in all areas of our lives right this second.  When I realize that it is God's job to change me and help me to meet His standard in His timing, I tend not to become quite so overwhelmed.  I recognize it is an ongoing process.  When I fall short of His standard I know I can pray and ask him to forgive me and change me to be more like Him. 

Maybe it is time for me to throw away the catalogs.  It is when I am confronted with every weakness, along with multiple opinions on "do this don't do that, let me give you advice and please repeat after me while I read the bible " kind of books that the overwhelming sinking feeling grips me on the inside and I begin to feel hopeless.  The only book I truly need after all,  is the bible.  And the best verse that comes to me now is that His grace is sufficient for me. 

With that in mind, I will be retiring to my bed, cup of hot decaf tea in hand and my bible in the other.  I'm ready for a love story...

Benefits of Diets against colds and 19th Century Living.

S and I are sick with colds.  Our family goes through 4 gallons of raw milk each week, we are daily eating fresh veggies from our organic garden, we also consume raw honey from our hives daily.  We've recently gone back to taking vitamins on top of this.  We are still dabbling in convenience and fast foods as well, so perhaps this needs to be eliminated?  We don't know anyone else who is ill.  I had supposed that healthy eating would make colds a very minor and short lived issue because it would help our bodies to fight them off much faster.  It has only been three days.  While I am most miserable today I'm hoping that tomorrow it will have quickly run it's course.  I know colds are viruses and as such catching one has nothing to do with diet, however after reading so much literature on the benefits of raw milk and fresh all natural local veggies I had somehow expected some type of major resistance to them.

I guess it is time to rest and wait.  How funny that I was to start prepping the dining room and hallways to paint!  My plans have been foiled again!  As the weather today has taken a drastic change from the 90's earlier this week to 50 degrees, I am happy to sit by a cozy fire with a book and drink hot tea to warm my achey body.

I did attend my sheduled field trip to Carrillon Park this morning with the boys.  I was very loaded up on cold medicine.  We went inside the William Morris house.  Mr. Morris was a former Revolutionary War soldier who had moved his family to Ohio to start a new life when the war was over.  In this small home (about a 24ft by 20ft room for the first floor, which was then divided into two bedrooms and a kitchen area), were where his family of four had lived.  A servant lived in the loft above where food was also stored. 

Here we studied the various candles that people made in the 19th century.  Fat candles (made from pig's fat), Bayberry (usually bought from someone form the East Coast), and of course beeswax candles.  I preferred the beeswax candles as they had the brightest light and the pleasantest smell.  The kids then dipped their own candles in wax that had been melted over the fire and each took a homemade candle home.

The most interesting thing I learned was that the beds were short then, not because people were shorter than nowadays,as is so often thought, but rather because people had a fear of sleeping lying down flat on their backs.  It was believed that doing so would cause people to smother in their sleep!  The women had the job of chopping the wood and keeping the wood supply sufficient for the fireplace as they knew exactly how much wood it would take to keep it going for the week.  They primarily cooked one day per week, and recipe or "receipt" books would not tell you how to cook, just the general ingredients themselves as they assumed you already knew how to cook over a hearth.  As this is the case, I am finding a hard time finding instructions on how to use my own beehive oven! 

I have received the following information to research , however:

• Google "Feeding America" a site where they have scanned multitudes of historical receipt books and domestic manuals
• Google domestic manuals from Catherine Beecher (Harriet Beecher Stowe's sister)...those written 1860 or earlier may have references to beehive ovens or more specific instructions to hearth cooking
• Isabella Beeton- the young English woman who's publisher husband needed something to publish.  As she did not know domestics she wrote of these, and became the Martha Stewart of her day.  People assumed she was a 40 something domestic diva, when in fact she was a bumbling girl learning alongside her readers!

Thanks for reading my various interests and complaints.  Back to the fireplace for me...

Busy fall, Busy home

Today we managed to get 9 peonies in the ground, along with several wildflower seed packets, numerous daffodil, lily and hyancinth bulbs.  It should be neat to see what comes up next spring and summer.  I am disappointed that the first year we need to pinch off the flower buds of the peonies to ensure hearty growth and disease resistance, but I understand it is for the long run benefits.  I just love peonies!

We've also been busy cleaning and organizing closets.  We had a yard sale Saturday and ended up taking a whole truckload plus two other trips to Goodwill.  I hope someone benefits from all of our stuff.  As our kids are the only grandkids and we also have twin girls, there were a lot of clothing items they hardly wore!  I hated not being able to pass them on to another family directly.  Well, may God lead the right family to where they end up.

I baked a loaf of homemade bread.  It is in the oven now.  Whole wheat oatmeal.  I hope it turns out as good as it smells.

My laundry pile started over 3 baskets full today.  With N and D sometimes still wetting the bed (they are such deep sleepers!) laundry is a never ending saga.  I'm just about to pull my hair out over the filthy socks that I find balled up in thehamper as the kids have decided to run around outside with no shoes on.  I think they will be buying their next paair of socks!  I've been using Biz, Fels Naptha soap and Shout! to no avail.  Any suggestions?

Shane's sowing our cover crop in the garden today- hairy vetch.  Such an odd name.  Hopefully it will improve our soil for next year.  Springtime will be Milky Spore time-hopefully we will be able to kill all those Japanese Beetle grubs!  We had so many this year.

Tomorrow we are taking a homeschool field trip to Carrillon Park for a 19th century lighting workshop.  We will be learning about cottage industries and the kids will be making beeswax candles to take home.  I'm looking forward to this very much.  They have done such a good job recreating the living history at Carrillon Park.

TIme to fold clothes once more....

Smiling over the bees and CSA info

I am extremely pleased with myself today.  Yesterday evening the state and county bee inspectors came by to inspect my 2 colonies.  I passed with flying colors and many complements on how well attended my hives were.  Additionally, I gained some new information.  Colony B is in the process of requeening.  They will also need to be fed 1-2 more times before winter as some of their frames have not been drawn out.  Plastic frames will often break when they become cold and brittle.  It is good to use plastic foundation but stick to the wooden frames.  No mites, and very healthy and busy populations.  S commented that he thought my great- grandmother would be proud.  I had also mentioned the 21 pounds ofhoney from one hive.  I was told that was pretty good for a newly established colony.  S and I have decided to go to 5 hives total for next year.  Note:  I bought my bees and equipment primarily from Simpson's Bee Supply in Ohio.

S & I have decided to go the CSA route for next year's farming plan.  Here is the info on CSA's that we are handing out along with our brochures:

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  CSA is a relationship of mutual support and commitment between local farmers and community members who pay the farmer an annual membership fee to cover the production costs of the farm. In turn, members receive a weekly share of the harvest during the local growing season. The arrangement guarantees the farmer financial support and enables many small- to moderate-scale organic and/or bio-intensive family farms to remain in business. Ultimately, CSA programs create "agriculture-supported communities" where members receive a wide variety of foods harvested at their peak of freshness, ripeness, flavor, vitamin and mineral content. 

The goals of Community Supported Agriculture support a sustainable agriculture system which:

·        Provides farmers with direct outlets for farm products and ensures fair compensation.

·        Encourages proper land stewardship by supporting farmers in transition toward low or no chemical inputs and utilization of energy saving technologies.

·        Strengthens local economies by keeping food dollars in local communities.

·        Directly links producers with consumers allowing people to have a personal connection with their food and the land on which it was produced.

·        Makes nutritious, affordable, wholesome foods accessible and widely available to community members.

·        Creates an atmosphere for learning about non-conventional agricultural, and alternative energy systems not only to the farmers but also to members of the community, and to students of all ages.

KIND OF CSA FARMS 

There are many kinds of CSA farms.  All include payment in advance at an agreed upon price. In ours, members of the community purchase a "share" of the anticipated harvest.  This commitment implies a willingness to share with the farmer both the bounty from the land and at least some of the risks involved with production. 

In return for fair and guaranteed compensation, consumers receive a variety of freshly picked, all naturally grown vegetables that are distributed in an economically viable and ecologically responsible manner. Fenner Farm also offers fruit, herbs, flowers and other products, such as eggs, honey, and baked goods.  

 One fact also to consider, organic food produced within local communities is not the same as organic food transported over long distances. When members obtain food from local farmers, environmental costs associated with the transport, processing and distribution of organic food and the consumption of fossil fuels are significantly reduced. Considering that the organic food available to members was produced locally rather than transported over long distances, the cost to the environment is significantly less.

We are praying for consumers to buy shares for next year.  God has blessed us with a wonderfully busy and successful season this year. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Beautiful Day

Today is just beautiful.  Sunny clear skies, mid 70's.  My bees were pretty mild and I was able to remove the apiguard tray as well as add some sugar syrup tokeep them strong this winter.  I was surprised to see how much syrup they had already consumed seeing how their are plenty of things still blooming this time of year; goldenrod, aster, flax.

 Fall is definitely here.  We have pumpkins decorating the front yard as we had grown about a dozen of them.  The air is crisp and cool in the mornings and we're seeing more leaves change and fall to the ground.  Tonight we are going to be having a bonfire out below the barn complete with s'mores.  The kids are excited  and the boys will be entertaining a friend. 

S and I have 6 blackberry bushes to plant, as well as seven rose bushes to hopefully start a front hedge for next year.  We're still waiting to plant bulbs, grapes and a couple more fruit trees.  It's definitely another good time for planting.  And weeding.  I weeded two rows this morning as I picked veggies for our salads to be eaten at lunch.  The dill and italian parsley is doing well, as is our lettuce, onions and tomatoes.  I'm really beginning to think there will be no end for the tomatoes!

C mowed the field on the small riding mower for the first time this week.  He was quite impressed with himself.  I think N is jealous as he can't quite reach the pedals and wants so much to be big like daddy, too.  C is struggling each day for more independence.  We have to try to give him more responsibility while still reminding him that he is the child and that we are the parents.  I thought this wasn't supposed to happen until the teen years?

D saw a geneticist on Thurs. and he reccommended some ankle braces to support her walking.  She has an appointment the 2nd week in October to get these ordered.  She also gets eval'ed again at the eye dr. next week.  Not sure when M will be able to get in.

N is slowly but surely recovering from his tonsillectomy.  His voice is much higher pitched now.  At first this was cute.  Now it is starting to bug.  I'm beginning to think that he is trying to play up the cuteness factor with it so I'm downplaying it right now.

Time to fold clothes and sweep the kitchen floor post snack.

Checking the Bees

Is this really a homestead?

I am thankful for keyboards as I type today with a swollen hand.  One of the bees stung the outside of my right pinkie and my whole hand swelled up to look like it had on a boxing glove made of human skin.  Gripping a pencil becomes very uncomfortable very quickly.  Fortunately I know that within a day or two my hand will be back to a regular size and I can resume writing.

I attended the fall management of hives at Brukner Nature Center.  After becoming frustrated with my gloves making fine motor skills more difficult, I noticed that none of the other beekeepers had gloves on.  I figured if they can brave it why shouldn't I?  Famous last thoughts.  I ended up getting stung.  After scraping the stinger out it really wasn't troublesome, but the following day I had a hand which was 50% bigger due to swelling and it was itching and throbbing with heat.  Lots of Benadryl was taken yesterday to relieve this as well as my cold.

But, back to the title questioning our "homestead"...we've managed to move to the country, have a small 6 acre plot, began a garden, 2 colonies of bees, extracted 21 pounds of honey and frozen/canned tomatoes, peaches, carrots, and green beans.  We are still growing lettuce, cabbage, carrots, onions, and beans.  We have acquired 3 barn cats, a tractor and are currently getting our milk from the dairy farm up the road.  We will be heating our home with wood this winter (S has already been chopping wood to keep me warm by the dining room fireplace in the chilly autumn mornings).

We are still working on several other things.  We have yet to build a chicken coop, get our store set up, dig a pond, insulate the attic, build a bridge over the creek, finish painting and finish the floors.

The question is...are we a true homestead?  According to good ol' webster's, the first definition given is this:  "a dwelling with its land and buildings being occupied by the owner as a home and exempted by a homestead law for seizure or sale from debt."  The second definition given is thus: "any dwelling with its land and buildings where a family makes its home."

These definitions seem so general to me.  My idea of a homestead is much more historical, independent and large.  It also includes an air of self-sufficiency, which, I do not think we have attained.  Not only that, but who can really accomplish true self-sufficiency without isolation?  I would think that as a Christian with the command to "love your neighbor as yourself" you have to become an interdependent member of a community  in order to be a blessing to others.  Self sufficiency to the point of isolation certainly would not lend itself to accomplish such a command.  Additionally, I like to be needed, I like to know that I can call on others for help.  This world can be such an ugly place, who would ever want to be without human hands to help one through it?

While we may fit the definition in the dictionary, I think that I would not promote our family as homesteaders.  Instead I view us as a family simply trying to make our way together by our own discipline, industry  and management.  We still go to town for ice cream, shopping and various errands.  We still attend a church in town as well as various group activities.  We have friends who are not our immediate neighbors and do not share the same desire to live independent form corporate America.

In our trash you will still find a discarded cup from McDonald's that had been filled with Coca-cola, a to go pizza box.  Various evidences of convenient city-living.  But you would also find in the home a family who does not spend its time in front of tv, but rather outdoors exploring, creating, working, as well as indoors reading, playing, and of course, working.

While life has slowed down for us both by choice and by circumstances, we are finding that this lifestyle is suiting us despite all of the many transitions.  The children are playing together much nicer.  They are using their imaginations more as well as lending a hand to help the family and one another.  Without as many distractions it is amazing but understandable to see the transformation occur.

Is "homesteading" the answer to a happy family?  I don't think so, but fewer distractions and more family time working and playing together seem to be helping.  It is also very satisfying to see what a family can accomplish in life when working together.