Homesteading: A Woman's Journey

It's December.......

Good morning everyone and Happy December 1st. Yesterday marked the first Sunday in Advent - what a joyous occasion. Our church is doing something new this year - our Christmas tree is being transformed to be a "family" tree. Each family will be bringing in an ornament representing the "true" meaning of Christmas - boughten, home made, ect... They will replace the Chrismons that have been placed on the tree for forever. I suggested using some of the prettier and smaller Chrismons too. It's in consideration. I'm thinking if they just stop using them there will be a division and that wouldn't be good.

I will be going to the storage unit on my way home this morning to pick up my holiday decorations. I'll get my tree this coming weekend - I'm off so will be perfect. I may suprise my niece and ask her to come along and help pick it out. I always go to a tree farm 15miles out - they have a nice variety, are fresh cut and if you don't find something you like that is already cut you can wander out to the field and he'll cut it for you on the spot. I've never paid more than $15 for any size tree. I'm going to go smaller this year as it's just me, the dog and the cat at home now.

I go for my diabetes check on Wednesday. I've a few things to talk over with my doctor. One of the things I've been researching is a low-no gluten diet. I'm thinking that may help my blood sugars since no matter what I eat seems to make them spike. I've totally banned white foods (breads, rice, ect) from my diet and it worked well for a while but the last 8 months it hasn't seemed to make much of a difference. I do have access to most all of the different things used in baking and cooking gluten free so won't have to order it from a company - that is fortunate and would make trying it much easier. To be honest, I'm also hoping it would help me feel better - I've been having stomach issues for about a year or more now and after reading up on this diet, I've been able to associate several issues to the gluten.  We'll see. The only down side if it were to be a permanant change is I've a LOT of whole wheat flours and such in my storage. Nobody in my family will use it so would have to find someone to give it to.

Well, it's order night so better get going. Wishing you all a blessed Advent season!

Update: Family Visits, Day after Thanksgiving and a Heads Up

Hello!

Whew, is it cold and RAINY!  I feel so badly for the poor chickens.  And maybe just a little bit for me.  I think even my dearest husband has taken pitty on me...he's downstairs making me hot chocolate!!!!

Yesterday SHOULD have been a pretty clear-cut day.  My brother was going to come through town on his way home from TN and stop for lunch.  Then, Mom and Dad would stop for hugs, kissed and for Mom to pick some things up.  They would go on their way, and we would keep cleaning.

Oh, first you should know.  My dad was ADAMANT about staying at a hotel.  Sure, it HAS turned out to be good...but oh, were my feelings hurt.

So yesterday morning, in the midst of organizing, my dad calls and says that he is coming up for the day.  OOOOOKKKKKK  He gets directions...and then we don't hear from him.  Meanwhile, the Boy calls and he is a little over an hour away.  then we call my dad...he decides to come on up.  SOOOOO, then we call Mom and Dad.  They decide NOT to stop.  Drama there.  Boy, Husband and I go to eat.  Just as Mom & Dad stop at Eatery, Bio Dad calls and is lost.  Husband goes to meet him.  Brother ends up driving me home, and he gets things for mom.

My dad stayed 45 MINUTES.  MINUTES.  He drove over 2 HOURS to stay 45 minutes.  I know that I SHOULD be flattered.  But.  Well, I'm not. 

I REALLY wanted to have them at teh house for supper.  Baked chicken, potatoes...yum.  NOPE...he was INSISTENT that his wife wanted to NOT eat at our house and wanted to eat out.  ANGER cannot express my feelings enough.  SURE, our house isn't big.  SURE, it's not even sparkling.  BUT, I have friends over all the time.  They OVER LOOK the messes because we are FRIENDS.  ugh

So they came.  We chatted awhile before going to the restaraunt.  And then went to eat.  My emotions are still so torn up, that I had just better not write about it now.  It WAS good.  And it WAS...oh, I don't know. 

We are SUPPOSED to get together tomorrow for breakfast.  I asked them to come here...buty they would never commit to a time in the morning.  We'll see.  I really love my dad.  I do.  I'm sure that you must be thinking....SURE she does.  But I DO!  I just always feel like I am on pins and needles around him.  Like he's never REALLY listening to what I have to say.  Anyway, enough of that.

HEADS-UP!  CYBER MONDAY is upon us and I am doing a SECRET SALE!!!!  It's still a secret because I have NO IDEA WHAT the sale is going to be!!!   I am FULLY open to suggestions!  Check in the morning or on the homepage of www.littlestpetshopfigures.com and www.forthekeeperathome.com for details!

Thanks y'all for "listening".

Your Heart-torn Sister in Christ,

Avery

What’s Been Coking in my Kitchen?

 

 

While I was cooking up my soups Leanne and Sierra made a triple batch of apple cinnamon muffins. I bought a 20lb box of organic Fuji apples on my last Azure order and have been working to use them up. We have eaten a lot of apples, made 3 apple pies and now 3 dozen muffins. The box is almost gone now..  

 

I don’t have a recipe for her coffee creations printed down yet.. maybe someday! 

That is all the cooking for today!!  Hope you all have had a pleasant and blessed Sunday on your homesteads!

First Day of Advent

Advent is a term from the Latin word "adventus" which means "arrival".  It is a time of waiting for the arrival of Christmas, the coming of Jesus to earth when he was born as a baby at Bethlehem about two thousand years ago.

Advent is the new year of the Christian Church and the church season that leads to Christmas Day.  Advent is the time when Christians remember that Jesus came into the world 2000 pears ago and that Jesus also promised one day to return in all His glory.

I'm not sure where this year has gone, it seems like only yesterday that we brought out our Advent wreath and lit the first candle.  And here we are one year later....so much to be thankful for.  And now the anticipation of Christmas.  This is one of the most exciting times for our family...we enjoy all our usual traditions and the preparation leading up to Christmas Eve is an especially wonderful time.  

I would like to hear how each of you begin to prepare for Christmas...and what do you do for each Sunday of Advent? 

Here piggy ,piggy, Kristi and Ee

I am sharing pictures of Kristi and her pet sow Ee.  Ee is from our old sow Tuna.  Kristi picked Ee out as soon as she was born.  She told us with her cute little smile and batting her eyelashes " this is my baby".   With that cute look how could we say no.   Her brother begged Kristi so much to let him have her, but Kristi held firm on it, NO!!

This is Kristi and Ee when Ee was about 3 weeks old:

Don't they look cute!!

Here is Ee on her 1st birthday.  Kristi made her a birthday cake :

Here is Kristi playing with Ee at night:

Here is a head shot of Ee next to Kristi:

Kristi hurt her knee one day and the Dr told her no horse back riding for 2 weeks.  So what does she do??? See for your self :

A real piggy back ride!!  We took a picture to show her Dr. her "New ride".   Our Dr. knowing our family ( a bunch of smart butts, Dr. is also one)  just laughed and went around showing the nurses and other Dr.'s her new ride!!!

Here is Ee's mom Tuna:

Last we have some of Ee's puppies (babies I every baby a puppy)

One more. This is Ee with her children Tommie and Heffa:

We still have Ee and Tommi , but we sold Heffa to a neighbor.  We did not have enough room in our freezer for her.

God Bless, mj

~Frist Day Of Advent~

Well here we are the frist day of Advent and I just can not wate too light our frist Candle tonight and I just can not wate!! This is the frist year me and dh and the boy's will be doing it as a family, I just am so overjoyed of the blessing's the Lord has givein us over this past year....Number one being Dh giveing his life too the Lord!! Right now as I type I can hardly hold back the tears of how happy I am!! Jackie is sleeping right now and me and Jarred are watching a Christmas movie on t.v., dh it out for abit with our friend Sara returing some lovely church shoes that dh had bought me but sadly they did not fit...So he going too get the money back for them, I told him too pick something up for  the boy's. Well I dont really have a long post today....I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful frist night of Advent and know that I will be praying for you all!

Blessings

~Ruth

Mixed bag of blatherings and emotions

ISO Jelly Jars

I'm in need of some 4 oz Jelly Jars for making Christmas gifts of jelly.  Can't find them anywhere around here, just 8 oz jars.

Does anyone know of some good websites where I can find reasonably priced jelly jars with reasonable shipping?

Thanks!
Jamie

Black Friday- The Day After The Insanity

 & Family!

Well, its the day after the Black Friday madness. From what I read online about the crowds in other areas, I'd say we fared pretty well here in NC. Not to say that there were no problems, just not the crowds and ugliness that seems to have prevailed elsewhere.

We got to the mall at 3:45 in the morning. The crowds were already wrapped around Penny's. I told the girls we would wait until that mob got in, then we would get out of the car and into the store. The people were calm and considerate where I was. Although Dd (18) said she heard some people (families maybe?) being really hateful to one another. She got away from that crowd fast.

We didn't venture into the kitchen/electronic area, no need to. We went to looking for coats and clothes. Those areas were pretty calm. DD gotn herself a new coat that was on sale at $50 usually $250. That was a great deal. She also picked up 2 skirts for church at $13 regularly $40.

I am proud of her choices. She had her entire Black Friday trip planned out to a "T." She knew what she was looking for and where to find it. We were in and out of Penny's in 40 minutes. Had she not tried the clothes on, we would have been out sooner.

A lot of people were lined up at Belk's to get a free gift card. We chose to forgo that line. There is nothing in Belk's that I needed nor wanted. A free $5 gift card was not an incentive to deal with the crowd that was wrapped around the store.

We then headed to Sears and Rack Room. DD got some new boots and 2 shirts for work. We then wanted to just see what Wal Mart had on sale. We got there, went in and immediately decided to LEAVE! Those people were crazy in there. No room to walk without getting shoved against someone. YUCK! And that was at 5:45 in the morning.

We finally ended up the day at another Wally World for groceries.(the ONLY place that was totally empty!) Got home at 11, unloaded the groceries and took a nap for an hour. After the nap, it was a deep clean of the house. (it was really messy from the day before with everyone here for Thanksgiving.)

We didn't go shopping for "wants" yesterday, but for needs. I thank The Lord that DD was able to get the deals she did. I am also proud that DD didn't want all of that useless (IMHO) stuff. She was very careful with her money and her time. That says a lot for an 18 year old. (sorry, I had to brag a bit.)

Oh, I did get 2 things that were "wants" for myself. 2 apple cinnamon candles at $2 each, regularly $5 each.  What can I say, I splurged!

Have a blessed weekend in The Lord!

Amanda <><
II Corinthians 5:7

~Just A Check In~

It's a preatty chilly day....Brrrrrr....but the sun is out, I dont think it will last all that long though befor the snow hit's again, We had a freak snow fall last night it was so preatty, but Im sure anyone driveing in it didnt think so. Some stayed on the ground but not much, it looks though as if much more is on the way, Dh Bible study teacher said there was a storm on the way for him and I belive he is up in Tronto, so if he is going too get it, Im sure we will as well becuse we are only a couple of hours away from there, I really would love too see a white Christmas like the ones we had as kids (even though Im only 26) I do rember getting a ton of snow for Christmas, I think it just gives that extra little thing for Christmas. I printed out a craft out for Jarred too do tomarrow for the start of Advent, its paper candles and wreath...We will probly colour it tonight and I will cut it out befor tomarrow, also tomarrow we will light our frist candle, I printed out all the readings too go with this is the frist time I will be doing this for my family, even though I rember doing it many years in Church, but for dh and the boy's this is something too new for them, but dh seemed preatty excited about it and so am I *smiles*, Sence Jarred is abit older I think he will understand abit what is going on and we will do it after our supper when it get's dark, I think this is deffently something that will help our family draw closer too the Lord....Is that great or what??? When we got grocerys we got the stuff too make a gingerbread house with the boy's...ok ok so I cheated alittle I bought a pre-made one that we just have too put all the little candys on, I just thought that would be alittle more easyer for Jarred too help and I got a cookie kit too as well were you can decorate then hang them on the tree, but with dh in the house I know they wount make it there...he he, with him I have my very own cookie monster in this house, I think they will have fun doing that with dh and I, well just a short post for today :)

Blessing

~Ruth