Gonna Get There Someday

Log trucks and cinnamon rolls

We woke up to a cool day today! So far our high has been about 60 so while I had the opportunity I fired up the wood stove and baked! I made a batch of almond biscotti, bread, rolls and about 4 dozen gi-normous cinnamon rolls. I hope this holds us over for a bit.

Today is also a noisy day. We are select timbering two of our hills and so the logging equipment is out there making a ruckus. Hopefully after this, there will be enough light coming through so that the younger trees can grow big. Right now it is just too crowded out there.

I got outside for a minute and took some pictures today, but it looks like I am out of space here so I will have to go back and delete some old ones before I can put them up. Maybe later if I am not to lazy. I took a picture of the garden but I cropped out my tomatoes. I am so ashamed, I did not pinch off the suckers on my tomatoes like I should have and it seems that everyone notices... how embarassing.

Then yesterday I announced to Mark that I had not been able to go shopping for a month, we were on our last half roll of toilet paper, and I only had three pairs of underwear and they were coming apart. So, he came home early, loaded me and the little girls up and we went to Walmart. I was so excited, We got the enormous 24 pack of scott toilet paper. It is sitting in the outhouse right now. I was reading the packaging on it though, and it has a "Scott tissue community" advertised on it with a little picture of a steaming coffee cup, as if there are actually people who pour themselves a nice hot cup and want to chat about strength vs. softness. Give me a break! (But wait, what am I doing here....:)

I also was so excited about purchasing new chonies that had "do not ride up" on the packaging that I failed to notice that they come up to my armpits. I guess that is one way to get rid of panty lines, to have never ending panties. But alas I digress.

Mark is going to try to sell his tractor at an auction this weeked. I hope it goes well, if it doesn't look like it will bring enough, we will just buy it back ourselves. But it is just too light to pull the brush hog up into the hills and he REALLY wants to find something with a front loader on it. We shall see. The first step is to see what we can get out of the current one.

Well, I'm going to see about deleting some old photos. Have a great day!

~Marie

Ground Cherry Fruit

Good morning everyone,

I am slowly recovering.  I am still not sure what I have.  I am using coloidal Silver now and it seems to be helping.  I am up and around but on "limited duty" so to speak.  I went to two sewing classes this week.  I have learned so much!  So what if I had to rip out my side seams several times.  I had to get the tension set on my new machine and I had to sew straight!!  I have never had a problem sewing straight lines before..........hmmmmmm.  I learned plenty of things.  I am sure the things I learned are so easy for people who already sew.  However, they are very exciting to me.  I am learning to cut out a pattern, read a pattern and cut out a garment,  I am learning how to make a skirt!  This one is an A line skirt that includes a waist band, zipper and interfacing.  I bought enough material to make a matching shirt. Yesterday, I even learned how to change the foot on my new machine.  Everything is so much easier when you have someone to show you and let you just "do it".

Today, I must do housework, laundry and make bread. After two days if sewing classes and looking for a new washing machine...........I have things to do. Hubby is off work tomorrow for the holiday .  Our family plans to spend the 4th at the lake watching the fireworks display as we always do.

Here are the promised pictures of the ground cherries.  They are quite tasty!  They have a mild tropical flavor. 

May the Lord bless and keep you each and every one!

Thursday, 02 July 09

Good morning!  I hope anyone stopping by is doing well.

The strawberry farm is just opening this week. I've heard the berries are on the small side and not very sweet yet so I'm going to wait to pick until late next week. I've got 4-5 flats to pick - 2-3 for me and 2 for my mother. I'm told they are going for $1.30/lb this year which is still cheaper than getting a quart for $1.50 at the store. Anyway, I've still a bit of jam left but will make 1 batch to restock then dehydrate the rest. Gosh but I LOVE the dehydrated ones in my oatmeal or cream of wheat! Yummy! They are good in muffins too. I usually keep a gallon jar of dehydrated Strawberries which lasts close to 5 months if I'm careful. I'm considering on upping it to two gallons of them this year. Something is telling me to up my storage items this year.

Blueberries are begining to look better - It was so dry here I feared they wouldn't amount to anything. I've a couple bags in the freezer yet so am begining to feel the need for those too. It's too soon for the blackberries but hopefully will have a good crop of them too. They are good for jam and syrup - mmmmm.  For a special treat I enjoy taking a bit of syrup and mixing a bit of soda water. Very refreshing.

Now the strawberries are about the only one of the above mentioned I have to pay for. The wild ones aren't plentiful here unless you have a ton of acrage to roam around on.  The rest I have spots along back roads that I can go pick to my hearts content. One gentleman lets me pick blackberries down his mile long driveway in return for a couple jars of jelly.  His berries are always huge and very sweet and he doesn't do a thing to them.  Sometimes a friend of mine has a bunch of extra plums that I cook down into jam or sauce. mmmmmmm to that too.  The best ones are the ones that get a tad bigger than my thumb (trust me, I have chunky fingers so that's pretty good size lol). Nice and sweet. The bummer is the pits but can't have everything.

Well, I'd better go do some chores here at work. There's some cabinets that really need to be cleaned unless we get a patient then it'll have to wait.

Have a great day all!

Michele

Family, Friends and Food for the Fourth (nd an update too)

Well I just got notification that my side of the family is having a big BBQ at my brother's house on the evening of the Fourth.  I am thrilled since hubby's family is all busy and doing their own thing.  His mother and father will be at their church's 3 day meeting, his oldest sister is in Washington and unable to come home but will be home in a few weeks for Grandma's 90th bday, and his youngest sister and her hubby and daughter are in California at Disney!

Of course I asked what I could bring and my SIL told me maybe a salad or a dessert.  So I plan on taking both. LOL  Not sure what kind of salad to take, and I have a simple dessert recipe I will make (it is red white and blue).  Hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill sound so good right now.  And I know several of the other dishes will be potato salad and baked beans, etc.  One gal there doesn't cook, so she usually brings the pop, or ice and sometimes a large tub of icecream depending on what we are all having. 

We aren't shooting off any fireworks there though.  One of the twins is scared of fireworks, 2 of the other kids are with their dad for the weekend and won't be there either.  So it is the one if the twin who likes fireworks, and Noah, who is only 3 but loved them last year, so I unless he decides to change his mind, LOL, I think he will be ok with them again this year.  After the BBQ, several of us will drive back to town and watch the citywide fireworks display at the lake.  We won't buy much this year....maybe some snappers, some smoke bombs, and some other smaller items for Noah.   I just can't see spending alot of money on big bangs this year when we have so many things we could spend the money instead.

Matthew got called today for a small electrical job.  The guy wants an electrical hookup for a camper put in behid his barn by this weekend.  So Matthew is running a little late tonight getting that done.  He was hoping it was a 10 minute job, but knows things happen and it might take longer.  Oh well, we need the money to take care of part 2 of fixing my car's air conditioning.  (Part one was putting in a new fan, which he did last night.  Part 2 is???  LOL  I have no idea.  I know the fan works now but no cold air.  Maybe it needs freon?? Who knows.  That is hubby's job)

I have discussed having a yard/garage sale and then canceled it thinking I would just have an auction (a HS friend has an auction business and is going to hold a consignment auction), but now I am thinking I should just open up a Ebay shop, and possibly put some stuff on Etsy as well.I think in the long run I will end up getting more money for the items.  I will just advertise that I go to the post office once or twice a week, etc. so I don't have to go every single day.  That would be crazy. On days I have many packages, I will ask a girlfriend to watch Noah, or drop him off for an hour at grandma's shop.

Speaking of grandma's shop.....she has offered me one of her large display windows to put items in if wanted.  I told her I would speak to Matthew, pray about it and get back to her.  I know I won't make alot of money from it, because her shop is kind of out of the way, and not many people walk around there either.  However, the customers that come into her shop for Speech (She is a Speech Pathologist) might see something and buy it, or order one in a different color, tell their friends, etc.  I was thinking of putting some vintage items in the window, and making up some aprons and shaggy blankets to display and sell there.  I am getting excited about the opportunity to make some money to help with household items and Christmas, etc.  When I get the shops up and running, I will post the addresses here for all of you!!!

Matthew (who is the king of putting things off, starting projects and then not finishing them, etc.) has turned a new leaf.  I am not sure what happened, but I am not about to ask and screw this up.  LOL  Projects like Noah's bedroom upstairs that have sat for over 3 years without being finished are now being worked on!  He comes home from work and instead of colasping in his chair with the laptop, he asks if there is anything I need him to do!  Mostly it is small stuff like, take out the trash, take this box upstairs, etc.  But recently he has fixed part of the air conditioning on the car, fixed the leaky roof, replaces a filter on the furnace/air conditioner, and my favorite, bought and hung a ceiling fan in Noah's new bedroom!!!  The later was all his idea and he was so pleased to be able to buy the fan with his extra money coming in from electrical jobs.  :)  Makes me smile to see this part of Matthew blossoming. 

Noah has been talking up a storm!!!  I can't believe in the last couple of months since his birthday screening in April, how much he has developed.  He is definately not the same little boy.  He is doing better every day.  Last night I told Matthew that he had been talking up a storm all day long and learning new words every day.  Later on Matthew said, how do you turn HIM off??  LOL  We both had a great laugh over that one.  The little boy that wouldn't talk earlier except for mom, dad, cookie, candy, etc. little words, is now talking 4 word sentences, answering questions with words instead of sign language, and asking for items instead of pointing and grunting.  God is so good to us.  I love this little guy.  And yes, there are times you want to turn him off still.  LOL  But most of the time, I love hearing him talk (now not only in English but a little Spanish and Chinese due to a few tv shows he watches)

Well, that's all for now.  I should go. 

Excellent Home Making Article

When I read the following excerpt from Managing A Home by Crystal Miller in the Homestead Happenings newsletter this morning, I just had to e-mail her and ask permission to post it here on the Front Porch.  Some of our new bloggers may not be familiar with Crystal's newletter or her Country Store, and I don't want anyone to miss out on the blessing of what she has to offer!  The article spoke to my home-maker's heart and was both an encouragement and a reminder that I need to be diligent in caring for my home and family.  Hope you enjoy the article as much as I did.

Blessings,

Catherine

Home Management and Making a Home
By Crystal Miller

When I think of the word “Homemaking” I think of the word as “Making a Home”. Homemaking is all that goes into making my house a home. Due to my home being a priority to me and perhaps because I have a large family I feel like much of homemaking is good home management. I have felt that it takes a well functioning home to feel like a comfortable home. A home where your family enjoys the time spent and others like to come to your home for refreshment and encouragement. I personally feel like it is hard for me to nurture my family and reach out to others if my life and home are not functioning as they should.

In order to manage a home you have to have a plan. You have to have a basic daily plan on how to keep the home flowing and the work done. A plan consists of routines, good time management, chores maintained, systems of organization, and tools to help you keep it all in order and keep the wheels moving forward in your home. Remember that one of the most important aspects of being a homemaker is creating a loving and peaceful environment for your family.

The housekeeping plan you use needs to be one that works for you and your life. I have read lots of books and read many ideas and used different plans, but ultimately these plans and ideas were not the end in themselves, they were the means to creating my own plan. My home is unique and so is yours. I don’t believe we could follow someone else’s plan exactly and have it work for us. We will tweak it and modify and then find something else and say, “Oh that might work” and try it and tweak that, etc., until after a time what you have is “your” plan.

Obstacles to Planning

Our Attitude
There are obstacles that can make a home management plan difficult. One is our attitude about cleaning a house. Being a homemaker is hard work and it takes a positive attitude and a lot of energy and determination each day. The beauty of it all is that with the right attitude caring for our home can be one of those areas in life where we can learn to get into the rhythm of the tasks and learn to appreciate things like warm soapy dishwater on our cold winter-time hands, the soothing hum of a washing machine going, the smell of dinner wafting through the home, the beauty of a shiny clean kitchen floor, the peace that comes from a home where all is clean and in order.

Any woman can choose to believe that their job is drudgery or they can choose to view it as a service to Christ. I believe that being a homemaker is a ministry of service and love unto Christ to those the Lord has given me to love, nurture and care for. My husband and family are the ones that mean the most to me; they are the closest to my heart. They are the first and foremost ministry in my life. If I begin to think of other things I would rather be doing then laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc., I realize that I have neglected to view my role from God’s perspective and that is as His servant. There is something humbling about serving others, washing the feet of our loved ones in these tasks; something that can, if we allow it, help to put our heart and attitudes in the right place. It can change our view of the work we do each day. If Jesus walked into your home you would do everything possible to serve Him while He was in your home. Well ladies, He IS in your home and you are serving Him each day as you go about your task of raising up godly children and caring for and keeping a home for you husband and family (Matt. 25:40 And the King will answer and say to them, ”Assuredly, I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me”).

Busyness
Many years ago when I began my quest to manage my home better I evaluated all the busyness in my life and looked at what things might be preventing me from managing my home better. I decided that if I am not able to take care of my home in such a way that shows that I have control over my domain then I may need to lessen what I currently have going on and not add any more to my schedule.

I have always been a person who would bite off more than I could chew so to speak. I don’t think I am alone with this either, as I talk to other women who deal with the same issue. I would take on more projects than I could handle, I volunteered for more than I should have, and I made plans that were beyond my abilities or time. The end result was always the same; something would suffer.

When I am too busy the first thing to suffer is always my home. It becomes a mess, laundry backs up, and clutter is a big problem. Then my children are next; attitude problems, discipline issues not being handled well, little ones not getting enough mommy time. Of course meals suffer; boxed cereal, instant, expensive and typically unhealthy food is served. All for the sake of not having my home under control.

The dividing line for outside busyness and effectively managing a home will be drawn in a different place for each of us. I am not saying that all outside activity needs to stop, that would be unrealistic. But rather when life has too much going on, it is much more difficult to manage a home as it should be managed. I had to make very different choices in my life in order to achieve my goals.

Time Management
Problems in good home management can also come from our time not being used as efficiently as possible. I know that it can be somewhat depressing for someone to look around and see that they don’t have control over their home or don’t have as much control as they feel they should and think it is hopeless, I might as well just continue on because I can’t ever get it under control. But let me encourage you that my experience is that as I have worked to organize, deal with clutter, create and implement systems of operation in my home and learn to use my time wisely that my skill level in these areas has increased, my efficiency has increased and I am able to train my children to work along side me and eventually move beyond the basics and accomplish other things in my life.

The first thing to remember is that there are only 24 hours in a day. We can’t expect to find anymore time available than this! We need to sleep a certain amount of those hours; we need wake up time and unwinding time and personal time. That calculates into only so many available hours to do all the other things we would like. These available hours should be viewed as precious time to accomplish the work the Lord has given us!

Be realistic about what you can do with the hours you have. Know your limits, your strengths and your weaknesses. I remember planting a huge garden one year. That was great except for the fact that I was due to have my 5th baby at the beginning of September. The same time all my tomatoes were ripe and ready. I personally did not have the energy to go from birth to canning in the same week! I was still struggling to care for my new baby (which was the 3rd baby in less in than 3 years) and recover and regain some energy. I was not very realistic about what I could accomplish. I wanted to do it all and I physically could not.

Recognize the things in our life that rob time from us. Over commitment, the telephone, the computer, laziness, hobbies that need to put off until the house is in order. Once you have a good handle on time management you will find it much simpler to accomplish the basic priorities.

In Summary
Time spent making and managing a home for my family will be a value passed on not only to my children but to future generations too. I think of the legacy left to me by my hard working, home loving, dedicated grandmothers and I know I can leave this same legacy for my grandchildren.

Managing my home is a mission that the Lord has given me. I always want to remember that homemaking is not a job to be avoided but a job to embrace and live to its’ full potential. This is one major area that is so easy to run from. It can be hard work to run a well managed home. This is a challenge that we as homemakers can embrace and be successful. It requires a determination to succeed and a plan. I don’t mind hard work and I don’t mind working towards these goals when I know that my hard work and my goals are for the purpose of something worthy. And certainly raising a family in such a way as to honor Christ is a worthy purpose.

An excerpt from:
Managing a Home: Tips, Organizational Advice and Practical
How-To’s from a Mother of 8
A new eBook from The Family Homestead

I'm Back.......

Good morning everyonem

I am better.  I am still struggling but I am better.  Our garden is still struggling too.  We received 1/4 inch of rain.  We need much more.  Please Lord!

We picked 1/2 bushel of green beans, a bag full of cucumbers and some squash.  We are getting  few huckleberies, ground cherries and the first of our red currant and Mattls Willd Cherry Tomatos!  We are picking a few banana peppers and cayenne peppers..  I do not believe we will get any sweet corn.  The wind broke alot of the field corn so if we get any it will be very little.  We are picking lots of purple hull peas.  The okra has bloomed. The Jalopeno and bell peppers should begin coming in today or tomorrow.  Everything is really slow because of the heat and lack of rain.  I am very thankful and downright grateful for the produce God is giving us.  He has answered so many of our prayers.  A) I havelearned an awful lot so far  B) He has sent rain   C)We are getting some produce  D) God sent the bees to pollinate  E)He gave us the strength and motivation to dig up the yard and start raising food!  There are many more prayers He has answered!  God is so good!

I went to my first sewing class yesterday.  It was a makeup class.  I was too sick to care last week.  I got my skirt cut out and the side seams sewn.  Today I have another class.  I am so blessed to be able to take these classes.

Well, thats all I have time for this morning.  I am off to my sewing  class in a few minutes.  I will post a picture of the ground cherries later this afternnon, God willing!  They taste good and are so unusual!

May the Lord of all creation bless you today as you seek His precious face!

Fourth of July.....Entryway Frippery

Dearest Readers,

It is time to celebrate America's Birthday!  Here at Honey Hill Farm, that means decorating our entryway......

Ribbons, vintage (and not so vintage) postcards, Holly Hobbie plates and flags all have pride of place....

A sunny and patriotic spot to welcome our guests...

Turn of the century Ladies' accoutrements wait patiently for a chance to go out and be seen...

A Liberty inspired vignette.....

The American Flag has never looked so lovely....

Every corner displays the American Spirit....

A truly delightful Fourth of July to share with family and friends...

 I hope that you are enjoying this wonderful holiday, Dear Readers...

Yours so kindredly,

Shan

oh me oh my

Well, it looks like we have been had. In all my years of used car buying it had never happened to us, so I suppose it was my turn. It looks like the engine has been sealed with a stop leak fluid... might even be a cracked head. Kind of like me? Cracked up?

Oh well. God is still in control and I still have more raspberries to pick. So pick I shall and pick I have. I pick  until my hands are covered in scratches and my fingers covered in juice, and my tummy is full of berries.One for me, one for the basket.... you get the picture :)

So, the blueberries aredisappearing off the bushes at an alarming number. I am afraid the birds are faster than I am so I have resported to picking them while they are still violet and leting them finish "bluing up" inside before freezing them. I can't wait for a cool day to bake blueberry muffins this winter. It is just so hot to fire up the wood stove or the old gas range in the summer, since we are still virtually electricity free and have no fans or AC (however we do have high speed wireless internet available in the outhouse. Ahhhh life if full of paradoxes such as these :)

I am going to head back out in a minute to milk the cows and bring in whatever other bounty the garden has for us tonight. Last night it was zucchini. We will see what tonight holds. Zuchini season is funny. By the end of it everyone is so tired of it, and if you leave your car door unlocked during church you may just find a bag of it left on your seat anonymously by some other person trying to figure out what in the world to do with all this squash. But for now, the season has just begun, and we are still very happy to bring the reen shiny guys into the house for supper.

I have a 1/2 bushel of pickle cucs soaking in sal water to pickle tomorrow. I am still out of dill, and honestly don't feel like going out in search of it today, so this may be another batch of bread and butters. But that is ok with me. I love the little guys.

Mark is off hauling a buggy horse up to Schwartzentruber land to get bred. I hope it is romantic for everyone. My cows are getting larger, Mrs Calloway is due in 3 months so she will really start to get wide here in a bit. It makes it mighty cozy in the little milking stall with a big pregnant cow, let me tell you. They have this awful habit of having to ... um... relieve themselves as soon as I am done milking. So I have anout 90 seconds from the time I make the last squirt until I have to get them out the door of the barn unless I really feel like shoveling up a ton of yuck. (which I don't) I can guide them out with a stick, but that is too slow, it is not always time efficient..... So I have a system that is a combination garden hose water and fly spray and I can have them turned around and headed out the door in record time (and get the stanchion area clean) however, the water hydrant is outside the barn's front door, so I have to make one really quick mad dash, unlatch the back door (that they will leave through) (If I leave it open all the sheep will wander in while I'm milking just to check things out and really complicate things even more) run to the front door, push the dog out of the way(remember I am working on desensitizing Jake with the livestock :) throw up the hydrant lever grab the hose, jump back in the barn and spray the stanchion floor and the cow with the fly spray in about 20 seconds or less. I am working to improve my time. Do you think it could be an olympic event?

Wel, have a wonderful night. I will be here, typing with purple fingers. Ta Ta!

~Marie

Summer is here!

Gianni finally heard that the contract was finalized yesterday! He will be back to work in Bulgaria the end of July! What a relief! The kids and I will join him for the month of August and part of September (until school starts the 15^th). He’ll probably work until November. This is a great opportunity for him to work part of the year and be home the rest of the year. It has been part of our simplicity plan to do this (no need to chase the mighty dollar like we used to and live on less). He is feeling well enough to work now. His recovery has plateaued but we still have hope for a full recovery.

Sad news- My new horse, Golden Girl, died of a heart attack a couple of weeks ago. It was quite a shock! She was fine in the morning and we found her dead in the afternoon, with her buddy, Aki, standing next to her. She was 22 years old. We will miss her!

My oldest daughter, Stephanie, had just gotten a new horse a few days before. Dias is a sweet, gentle ½ Haflinger 6 year old stallion. I can’t believe I have another stallion. He really is like no other stallion I have ever been around. Steph took him on two large organized trail rides and camped out with him. He was a perfect gentleman even while surrounded by assorted mares in heat and other stallions. She is doing very well with him and I ride him occasionally, as well.

I have time to sit and update everyone because I sent my DH and kids to the beach for a few days for MY holiday! I was supposed to go, too, but I could really use the peace & quiet! It is working out nicely. They are having fun and I am getting a break! My 9 yr old, mildly retarded, niece will be coming to stay with us for ten days on Friday to give her parents a vacation. We enjoy her visits, but I am glad to have some time to recharge my batteries before she gets here! We plan to go camping on my favorite island for a week after she goes home. I hope everyone has a great summer! My prayers are going out for everyone.

Poison Ivy and the Outback

Hello All!

What a busy time of the year. I suppose it doesn't help that Krissy picked NOW to be covered with poison ivy skin eruptions (EWWWW) But such is life. I can offer my advice, take a benedryl and go to sleep. Our amish neighbors suggested that she dab bleach on her wounds. One neighbor said that he even scrubbed his down with steel wool first and then put the bleach. I asked if her was kidding, but no, he was serious. I don't think she will take it to that extreeme. She is also taking goldenseal. We shall see how long it lasts. Calamine lotion is a good color on her though.  

We are putting up more and more raspberries. I have been making a lot of raspberry yogurt. So yummy. The seeds are a little iffy, but it still tastes really good.

So, more big news. We bought another car today, a little Subaro Outback. Everything works great, except the windshield wipers. They don't work at all. Mark is taking it into our favorite mechanic tomorrow to see what they can do, so that I can see where I am going.

The little chicks are still in the pen upstairs in the cow barn. Yesterday Morgan spilled the chick water while she was changing it up there and it dripped down, right on top of the cows rear end that I was milking. And every time the a drop hit, she thought it was a big fly and whapped it with her tail, which also hit me in the face on the way to her rear end. Now I have also been bringing Jake into the barn with me whenever I milk to get him used to the routines. Yesterday, Mrs Calloway was in the holding pen waiting to be milked and she decided that she didn't like the way the dog was looking at her so she kept trying to lift up the divider to get to him, which of course made the dog bark, which made the cow more determined to show that dog a thing or two, which mad Josephine (who I was milking) even more anxious to attack whatever kept hitting her on the back, which meant more tail wacks in my face. Ahhh the quiet country life.  

Well, have a great evening (Oh and Mark wanted me to be sure to tell everyone that I have the greatest husband in the world :) ~Marie