Life on our Farm

Pondering Palin

I was visiting over at here this morning and I was shocked at the number of "Palin Post' over here...I had no idea many were questioning as I am...BUT what I noticed was division among people....It shouldn't be that way...It made my heart sad, that so many cannot ponder their own thoughts or feeling with other "Christians" because they will be made to feel like 'freaks' or somehow unchristian if they disagree with a woman in office...One post even referred to people to think that the woman needs to home is a "know it all"....how very sad...Also one said those who 'question' Palin are for Obama...People just don't get it....Did any of us ever stop to think that this division is not of God?? That quite possibly Satan has jumped on the "Palin" bandwagon and is totally using this situation to divert our attention from what the real issue is?? and that is "What is best for our Country" weather it be McCain/Palin or the other the true heart of the matter is 'Who will uphold "YOUR" values, "YOUR" morals, "YOUR" liberities!! Period! If you do not feel either party will uphold "YOUR" values then you have a right to decide to not vote...that will NOT make you a bad "Christian" or a horrible "person" it just means you are exercising your God given freedoms...there may come a time when you cannot do that, you will not be given a choice...enjoy it now...We should ALL(including myself) pray about what we are to do..and after praying in earnest you are led to vote for Obama who I am to stand in your way? If you led to vote for McCain, Awesome! If you are led to not vote, so be it...its not my place to judge anyone...but I do have a right, just as you and everyone else in america has the right to his or her own opinion...and none of us have the right to attack the other just because our opinions differ...maybe, just maybe if we listen to the other side we might learn something! I am personally not a  fan of a woman being in the White House in a that position...before you gasp and choke on your coffe let me say this...I love the woman, she is kind, she is pro-life, she is sharp, BUT she has a family and in that family is a special needs child. As a mother of a special  needs child I personally know the amount of time it takes to raise a child like that...as much as we want things to be 'normal' they are not. I am sure she will make a great VP if elected along with McCain, however with that said...she needs to be home with her children...Example: Her baby is seriously ill, but she has peace talks with Iran...which gets neglected? The child or Iran peace talks? Kapish? Think about if McCain died in office Palin would be in line for the President, how will she balance home and office...I mean really, she will be running the U.S....our country is in perilous times we need someone who can be focused on this country...I don't know...its just silly the way this has become so divided...For those that are pondering Palin in office not being a good thing..I commend you for stating your opinion...Thank You...for those that think its ok...I have also read and considered your opinions...thank you...Who will I vote for...Certainly not Obama, but not sure for McCain either...Not voting does  NOT mean a vote for Obama....it means simply not voting! If you have comments you can either private message me here on blogger or you can use my email hs_fmly@,msn.com I have chosen not to allow comments on this post.

My .02---

~Kris

More recent news....

aka the Biggest Photo Blog EVER!!!! Haha!

You ever get so far behind on news that you end up skipping major things, otherwise you'd have to put up like 8 posts in one day?

I do that.

But not today! Here is the whole enchilada.

We celebrated my brother's 23rd birthday a while back. THAT IS CRAZY! I was married 6mo when I had my 23rd birthday! That mean's I've been married 4 years. Okay, I know, we celebrated our 4th anniversary in June but it's just different to watch a younger sibling hit that kind of milestone....

Happy Birthday, bro!

More pics from the farm....

We stayed late.

Oh, and before I forget, which I have forgot numerous times, here is my new sink:

And here is the $5 dresser after Jonathan finished working on it and moved it to the boy's room. I wonder if it will be my boy's and girl's room before long?

Then, Jonathan's brother and  his wife visited from Florida. We went to the Zoo together and hung around for an entire week generally making constant pests of ourselves. The boys really hit it off with their aunt & uncle!

Here is Elijah with his Aunt Clare. Clare is pregnant. A month ahead of me, but I'm the one getting the strangers asking about my pregnancy. I guess by #3 you don't have much left to hold it all in. Oh, well, Jay is thrilled that I'm "showing" this time around sooner. And it is fun telling people that it's our THIRD when they ask, of course, if it's our first. It makes it seem all that more real. Our third child!

Five years ago we had our picture taken "with the bear" and it was just the two of us. I love, love, LOVE having my lovely family doubled!!!

My boys really liked the zoo.

On Friday night, a soon-to-be Air Force .... guy. .... took us up on a Cessna 172. Did I mention he's 3 years younger than me and Jay? And that made me feel old to trust him to fly us up into the sky?

The airplane was ENTIRELY TOO SMALL. It made our car feel huge when I was back on the ground. Every little thing made it dip and buck in the sky. It was like a rollercoaster without anything beneath us. My stomach churned. Samuel freaked out. I had to comfort him by saying things like,

"The airplane is just bouncy! It's fine! Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy! Isn't this fun?"

.... while resisiting my urge to grab the pilot's shoulder and beg him not to kill us all.

Right before he freaked:

A field. Full of round bales. BIG BALES, folks!

My parent's farm. I tried to get Jonathan to take pictures. I really did. He said I would do "fine". Then, after we had circled and I took the camera full of pictures and we headed back, he turns in the seat and says:

"You took all the pictures zoomed in all the way, right?"

Appearantly, he was so confident of my answer he turned back around without waiting for one. It was too noisey and I deemed it the wrong time to tell him . . . NO. I hadn't even thought of such a thing, while trying to take pictures out of the window over my son while bouncing through the sky. My bad.

I still contend that Jay is partly to blame. He should know I'm no photographer by now!

It was a good flight anyway.

And that is about all, except I wanted to share two pictures of my boys. This old picture of Samuel (he was 7mo):

And this one, of Elijah (he's 11mo but probably close to the same size his older brother was):

My little boys! They are growing up so fast! I'm so ready for a tiny little newborn that wants to snuggle and nurse, this tiny new person that is bumping me from the inside to get to know. A unique, different individual that will be somewhat like the rest of us yet totally different in a whole new way . . . .

Still no washer and dryer. I have some tile to walk on (ungrouted and unsealed) now but it's a big, big project. I probably won't be able to do laundry until Monday or Tuesday or possibly later. My hamper floweth over, but we haven't come close to running out of things to wear. So it's all good!  And when it's behind me, I shall have tile!!!

~Ashley~

A Thursday Morning

It's still early here and all is quiet. So far this morning I have gathered a couple of eggs (production is slow these days) enjoyed toast with blueberry lime jam, coffee with cream, and pulled my flip flop from the jaws of the puppy...twice.

Yesterday's labors produced twenty more quarts for storage. Ten quarts of tomato juice, ten quarts of pearsauce. Middle Son is under the weather and has been for a couple of days now. Seems it's just a cold, but that's enough to make anyone feel poorly. It reminded me that I need to start going through our medicine and remedy chest to make sure that we are prepared for winter. Winter. It's so hard to think of it when it's been ninety all week!

Tomorrow morning I go for tests. Two hours of MRI's. I am not looking forward to it, but trying to remember who will be right there with me in the room. Every test and trial I have had has made Jesus so real to me, as though he was right there holding my hand...

 "For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee." Isaiah 41:13

Well, I have several things to get accomplished today. There are lessons to teach, laundry to hang and a meal plan to make for the next two weeks. Once that is all done, there are pears, of course. And I just bet that if I walk back to the garden, there will be some tomatoes as well...

The First Day of September

"The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze."

John Updike, September

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I just love pears. They are one of my favorite things to paint! Most any of my folk paintings will have a bowl full if I can sneak it in. :-) I spent the morning making tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce and tomato juice. Tomorrow morning, we go pick up our new freezer and with a heart full of gratitude for the continued harvest, I'll begin to fill it.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

 

Please stop by to visit Peggy to peek into the lives of other "Simple Women," and to read the guidelines for creating your own Daybook!

Update!

We have had a lovely visit with Jonathan's brother and his wife . . . .

In the midst of this, partly because his brother does this for a living and is an expert, my laundry/kitchen/dining area flooring has been torn up to prepare for tile.

It is taking A LOT to level the floor. Step One was about 800lbs of some sort of concrete-like underlayment. Step Two, is some kind of concrete board. Step Two is today.

In the meantime, my refrigerator is in the living room, squished next to the bakers rack, I have a stack of concrete board to walk around (the boys love to play on it!) and the dining room table is of course, not in the dining room area, either. The washer and dryer are stuffed in our master bedroom for the time being.

It's . . . . quite cosy!

I would say I have experienced deep challenges but as I really can't cook or do laundry and barely can clean mostly I'm curling up on the couch with a stack of library books I got recently.

I should blog, we just aren't home very much and when we are, we either have company or I'm pretty busy. For not having a functioning house and all!

My Jonathan has two speeds of work: not working and full speed.  I know I will have tile and my appliances back as soon as one can resonably expect, and until then I'm biding my time. 

I hope everyone is having a great Labor Day!

~Ashley~ 

Pieces of the Past

"The true economy of housekeeping is simply the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost. I mean fragments of time, as well as materials. Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make any use of it, however trifling that use may be..."

--Lydia M. Childs, The American Frugal Housewife

I mentioned back in Spring that when we work ground, bits and pieces of the past resurface. Once a useful household saucer and cup, butter crock or bottle. Blue Willow, milk glass, Fine China and Mason jars now reduced to lovely bits...

It may be my sentimental nature, but I gathered them as we went along in hopes of creating something with them. This farm has been in our family for nearly seventy years, but was originally established in 1803. I can't help but wonder who these belonged to and what their lives were like. There are many years of occupants. Who were they? What was life like for them here? Perhaps someday, someone will find and gather the evidence of my days on this ground and treasure the fragments that remain of my life here.

You may obtain your own copy of The American Frugal Housewife here.

The Farmer's Market...In My Kitchen

It's been a nice Sunday. We attended church and then came home and had a fried chicken dinner with all of the trimmings. I spent some time in the garden this afternoon and picked six sacks full of tomatoes! In the beginning of the garden harvest, I would walk from row to row and fill my apron as I went along, but these days, my apron isn't large enough, so I have started carrying extra sacks and baskets in the truck. I was able to share with three friends and still had enough left over to make a batch of spaghetti sauce and ketchup this evening.

I picked some lovely basil and harvested my garlic and hung it to cure. I also picked some bell peppers, pears, and a large basket full of pie pumpkins. The kitchen looks so beautiful with all of the bowls and baskets full of colorful fruits and vegetables. When my husband walked in, I welcomed him to our "farmer's market." :-) If only it could be like this all year long!

Tomorrow is Labor Day and we are planning a little "Farewell Summer" get-together. The boys and their cousins want to take "one last swim" before the pool is closed for the season. Personally, I think the water is a bit too chilly even now (we've had such cool nights) but that will not stop a bunch of boys. In fact, of anything, it encourages them! 

My heart is heavy tonight and with those in the South who are facing the storm. I am especially concerned for Kitty and her family who are unable to evacuate due to her mother's health, and also for Karen and Shaune. I pray the Lord's protection over them and that they will have the "peace that passes all understanding" in the midst of this storm.

OK I am going off line for not sure how long!

First let me say a big THANK YOU to all who are keeping us in their prayers.  I had a wonderful response and feel warmly safer for it. I was even surprised with a phone call from a wonderful blogger from here who offered me and my family a safe place in her home in a near to us state. I love you K and thank you again. Will call as soon as I am able.

  The storm still continues to head directly for us. We are under a mandatory evacuation but due to my mom's inability to travel, we are staying put. I am on a roller coaster ride with my emotions these last couple of days.  They are saying that it will hit us sooner than they first expected, which brings it up to tomorrow morning.

 I have as much as I could carry packed up in the trunk of my car. We are planing to go under the sugar mill for safety around midnight tonight. I hate that it has to be that way, mostly for my mom. We have spent several storms in the mill and it's a somewhat dirty place, which we have learned to make due of. But with mom not being about to move or care for herself, I worry.

I spent several hours in the my bible this afternoon looking for peace of mind for our wellbeing. I read many great protective passages and feel confindent that we will be OK. BUT PLEASE continue to pray for me and my family over the next 24 hours. And as I said before, it may be days, even weeks, before I will be able to get back on line for an update.

Thanks again and I love you all................warmly, Kitty

Leanne’s Mission Trip, Part Four

Leanne and her team members spent some time (while not doing concrete work ~smile~) with the children of the orphanage.  Here are a few pictures…

They made a trip into the town of Assuit, where the orphanage is located, and it was quite an experience.  They had to have "tourist police" escort them.  Here are some pictures of the town.  The water you is the Nile River.

Transportation varied quite a bit!  In the pictures below you can see a cart being pulled by a donkey and cars driving along side!

Assuit is an agricultural area and there was lots of green fields Leanne said it was obvious to see where the farm land ended.. everything beyond was brown.

I have more pictures to share from the orphange, other sites they saw in Assuit as well as the pyrimids and Cairo.  I hope to be able to get those in the next "mission trip" blog posting.. 

Leanne has a bit more to share with you about her time at the orphanage … 

Egypt
Leanne Miller 

     Once again we were up at five thirty every morning in Egypt. We had ten minutes to get ready and be outside, where we then waited for the boys (they slept on the other side in the boys’ dorms), who were always late. We worked until eight and then stopped for breakfast. It was a nice break with our thirty minutes of quiet Bible reading time included. Then it was back out to work. We worked for about four hours until lunch break came around. The last part of our workday was never steady in how many more hours we were going to work because you can’t leave an almost finished slab of concrete to dry. That is why sometimes we worked nine hour days. We had another Bible study when we were done working, then bath and laundry time, and sometimes we had another Bible study, though this one the boys and girls separated. Dinner followed shortly, we had a little bit of free time, and then one of the team members, whoever had kitchen duty that day, would lead another Bible study at night. We had library reading time after that and then it was off to bed.

   The Orphanage hired a man to do the finishing touches, like smoothing out the top so when it dries it is nice and smooth. His name was Niem. He believed there was a God but that was the extent of his faith. He had a bad opinion of Americans because he’d worked in a lot of touristy places where he’d met a lot of Americans, who didn’t talk, act or dress in any way that would give him any other kind of opinion. The way we dressed (as do most Christian organizations we had a dress code we followed) especially caught his attention, and when he asked one of our Egyptian leaders, who oversaw our work, why we dress like we do he was able to say we dress modestly because of our God. Anyway, his opinion of Americans was completely changed and it was an opportunity for someone to share Christianity with him. It was really neat.

   As well as working we also put together presentations for the children.  On Sundays we had two presentations we did. One in the morning and one in the evening, and we also had one on Wednesday’s in the evening. A presentation consisted of around eight songs (we even learned how to sing a song in Arabic!), a puppet show, and two testimonies. Once in a while we would even do a skit. One of our leaders would then give a massage. Everything, except the songs we sang, was done through a translator. It only got complicated when our translator (we had more then one) didn’t know what a word meant and then one of our leaders or team members would have to find a way to describe the word. I never spoke through a translator, but I have played games where you have to describe a word and it isn’t always easy to do.

More to come…