Prairie Biscuit way of life

New goat, new glasses, MORE veggies...busy day

I started off the morning at a dead run.  Bigd called me to say my goat was waiting on me (at 6:30 am) SOOO took off to do that.  To my suprise he was more than twice the size of my girls...but beautiful (for a goat). 

After that I gathered kids and grandma and dropped them off at the lake while I tried to get some copies ready for the start of another school year.  After running to town to get my husbands' lunches...(yes I have a 2nd husband..no I am not a polygamist...it is a running joke about bigdaddy best freind..I slave him like a husband...hence 2nd husband...ANYHOW, now that I claryfied that.) I went to pick everyone back up and they called to say my glasses were in...my mother was so excited her baby was getting glasses we had to go right then and there....And for me...first time having glasses and it is something to get used to! 

The kids picked them out...They reminded me of my grandma R's horned rimmed glasses...hilarious.I am sure I will have a picture up of her in them soon to compare..haha

After everyone made it home and seen the weather report we went out to the garden to pick everything.  Today I have to can spagetti sauce and do SOMETHING with all of the cucumbers.  The picture of the wagon is just what we picked then, there is more that twice that waiting on me in the kitchen....

  My youngest, being very familiar with Vegie Tales said, "Look at all those Bobs and Larrys!!!"  If you like the HUGE cucumbers straight 8s are the way to go!!!!!!!I have to remember what tomato plants we bought because they have done EXTREMELY well....big big bunches!!!  Now to spend the raining friday canning...

How to can green tomatoes....

I have tried many things to keep green tomatoes because we love them so.  We have cleaned them, sliced them and vacuum sealed them and it works but the best ones have been canned.  Here is how it is done.....

Wash and slice your green tomatoes.  Gather up your clean jars.  I use wide mouth for the larger tomatoes but smaller one fit fine in the small mouth....as you see in the picture below.  Sprinkle a little salt in the bottom of the jars.  Place the sliced tomatoes in the jars, pour water over until covered.  Seal them up.  Make a water bath for the jars.  Bring the waterbath to a boil then shut off the heat.  Leave them in the waterbath for 10 minutes longer until the tomatoes turn a little pale..(as you see in the picture)  And there you have it...Set them out on the counter and they should seal nicely.  When you get ready to make your fried green tomatoes all you have to do is drain them and dunk them in your batter!  They will taste like you just picked them!!!

Gardening with nanny's help....

This is just half of the corn picked yesterday!  Peaches and cream are the favorite for us.  Nanny came over to help.  She and the little ones picked corn while I tamed the tomato jungle.  We  have about 40 plants.  We train them to grow in fence wire stretched from one end of the row to the other.  It really works great unless you go camping while the plants are still growing.  They must be trained often!  I had to trim off about 20 vines and as I did that I pulled the green tomatos on those vines.  I ended up with about 3 bushels of them just off of those 20.  The plants are really loaded this year!  My mom cans green tomatoes so that we can have them fried all year round.  It works great!!!  We worked for about 2 1/2 hours in the garden but had lots of fun doing it.  All of the kids enjoyed it.  The goats and sheep were especially happy to get the leftover shucks and branches. 

Well, it is past 7:30 and all of the kids are still in bed, time to get the day started or I will never get done!  I will try to post more picture of the garden soon!

Wow....it has been a while!!!

So much going on lately and my DSL down I havent taken much time to sit down at the computer...I do drive-by emailing and that is about it!  We have been camping off and on still...and I am preparing for an early start of our next homeschool year.  It is going to be hectic at first because all 4 of the children will be taking on a schedule.  My 3 year old is showing too much interest in learning not to go ahead with her preschool time.  And my 12 year old will be doing more computer learning this year.  My 5 year old LOVES writing and spelling so we are going to build on that too.  My 7 year old is taking on alot more responsiblities with chores and school....He has a bit of a lazy streak at times so the chores will be a daily grind I am sure...hahaha.  I will try to post more often and not slack so much.  I am going to add more pictures to the blog also but be patient with me....It may be a day or so......Later yall got to get busy!  Picture below is the kids goofing off at the Nature Center...S is about to get tossed into the turtle pond by big sister...My curly top 5 year old is the bossy one and big sister will tolerate it for only so long!!!  To the alligator turtles she will go!!!

funerals, camping, deer, life has been awful/ beautiful lately....like the song goes....

I had another death in the family....Another of my aunts passed away.  She left behind her husband whom seems lost without her...4 wonderful kids, several children and great grandchildren.  Seeing all the old pictures of her it seemed just like yesterday when they lived next door to us.  We had all been a close family for so long but it seemed that everyone is so wrapped up with their own families now that we never get together...I am just as guilty as the next, maybe even more so. 

 It seems we went over 20 years with noone leaving us and now...well....Anyhow...She died the evening before the "anniversary" of my dad's death on Friday.  We spent the weekend going to the lake to celebrate dad's life.  He spent most of it in that area....he is buried there...and all of our favorite memories are there with him.  We had a good time being together my sisters, mom, and our family together yesterday.  I have plans of camping after we lay our aunt to rest this week.  It is a good time to build memories of our own and talk about how fragile life is and not taking each other for granted.  And I will try to have good pictures and happier stories than the ones of late.....geeezzzz we are dropping like flies around here, so my daughter says....sweet kids...haha  I went to school with the local funeral director and I love the sweet guy but I am getting tired of seeing him so much!!!! 

On a lighter note....another friend of mine is an wild animal rehab guru....she needed a vacation so I have been babysitting a 3 week old doe and buck....they are very cute and feeding them has been lots of fun.  The kids love learning more about the animals too.  Here is a picture of the pair....arent they tasty....I mean adorable...hahaha

The Two Great Dad's in my life....

I will start with my daddy...This is the first Father's day without him here...This time last year we were all at the hospital slowly realizing that we had to let him go.  I remember those days as if they were yesterday.  This man that was to live forever lay there so frail and ready to go to our heavenly Father.  I remember holding his hands and thinking back on all that he had taught us.  Everything we had was because of those freckled, wrinkled, boney, callused but soft, crooked, sweet, scarred, gentle, beautiful hands.  He worked with those hands all his life..from laborer to mechanic to fisherman to scrap man.  He prayed with those hands...as kids he would rub our aching legs with those hands all night if needed...until we would fall asleep.  One of the last thing those hands did under his power was reach out to God as our Pastors prayed over him before that life-flight to Nashville.  So many lessons can be learned by looking at your father's hands.  If your father is still here with you be sure to give those hands a little squeeze and give him a big hug.  I was blessed to have that man in my life for 33 years but his love and lessons will stay with me and be passed on and on...Dad's may not be perfect all of the time be they are learning and teaching everyday...

And with that I want to talk about another great dad in my life....my children's daddy, my husband, and my best friend of 15 years.  In those 15 years we have grown up together.  When I first met him I fell in love with the same traits that can drive me crazy at times..haha...he was smart, strong, couragous, determined and full of faith.  Fatherhood has only improved those qualities.  Each child has done their own part... In 1995, nearly 10 months after losing his own father, he became a father for the first time.   With M his knowledge grew...first time dad learns alot by trial and error.  With our 2nd came his boy...and also scary times after our baby W suffered a stroke at 2 days of age....(he is just fine now! praise God)  The lesson that W gave bigdaddy was of strength.  You never know what you can go through until something like that hits you.  And as W grew stronger so did bigdaddy...in every way.  Our third child was a bit of a suprise for us...we were so afraid of what could happen after the last time.  We had to muster up more courage than we thought we had..S is a blessing (they all are)  Our fourth pregnancy (another suprise) ended in miscarriage at 16 weeks.  A tiny, beautiful little boy that taught us what faith and God's grace truely means.  And last but never least was deciding to try again and have baby number 5.  The families determination to have P spilled over to her because she gives bigdaddy a run for the money still...haha.  None of our children are alike...they teach us lessons everyday.  They are so very lucky to have a dad as great as my dad was.  He has worked hard all his life and will continue to...He teaches our children life lessons through example and hands on experience.  They love and respect him and you can see it in their eyes.  You can also see it in the way they treat others.  He is an awesome daddy!  Happy Father's day yall!!!

A loss of a dear old friend...

My wonderful neighbor and good friend past away last night.  He was a good man that had many trials and tridulations in life.  He never had alot but what he had he would gladly give to you if you needed it.  He lost his battle with COPD and leukimia and leaves behind many freinds family, children and grandchildren...even a great grand on the way.  I hate that he had to leave this world the way he did but I pray that he has found peace and that God's grace is upon him now...never to struggle for breath again and never to be bound by a body that was failing him.  It brought alot of old feelings up for me when we were there waiting for the coroner to carry his body away.   I kept thinking back to my daddy and how hard it was to let him go.  It was even harder to watch him suffer for those few short days though.  My neighbor was alot like a father to my husband and I.  He loved our kids like his own grandchildren. This afternoon my children spoke so sweetly to his 5 year old granddaughter, explaining to her that he had passed on from this life and now was up in heaven with their pa.  Listening to them gave me hope.  I would love to know that he was up in heaven now with a new body that will never fail him or bind him again.  I pray his family will feel God's love and that He will touch their hearts and mind and give them peace.    

Family past, present and future.....

Yesterday was my mom's birthday....Today we celebrated.  We also celebrated my oldest nephew coming home on leave from Iraq and my younger nephew going away to school.  It is was a very sentimental time watching old home video from past Christmas's...I even played with my great-nephew...growing like a weed.  Watching those videos made me realize just how fast time is flying past and how we take our family for granted.  In a matter of a year we lost our cornerstone, dad...my friend of 18 years became my ex-brother-in-law and is now in Iraq as a contract worker....my oldest nephew (now with a sweet little boy and wife) joined the Gaurd and is off to war...a neice gets engaged...another neice grows up ...and my baby nephew, fleabite graduates and follows in pa's footsteps as a grease monkey...and I couldnt be more proud!!!  Looking back at those videos it is the small "unimportant" parts that we pick up on and miss.  You know what I mean....like the laughter of someone gone...Those baby faces, on all of us..haha  I looked around while watching these videos and had to smile...I could have cried because so much time has past and all of my babies (neices and nephews included) are growing up so fast and because I miss dad so much.  But  I am learning as I grow up (a inevitable and never-ending process) that time marches on and like a tree our family must grow up to our potential, bend with the weather, and as we spread our branches out to all corners of the world we must dig our roots in deeper with our family and keep those bonds tight.  Even when we are spread so far apart from one side of the world to the other and from earth to heaven, with a strong foundation we can survive any storm of life.  So many changes we have all went through separately and together in just a few short years...but here we are celebrating our milestones and birthdays all together if just for a little while.  The saying really is true....what does not kill us makes us stronger!!!  I am so proud of my whole family...Sure we are embarassing and a little on the redneck side at times but we can laugh together, work together, cry together, and just be together and not kill each other!  Not many can say that!!!  Anyhow....dont know what got me on that long rant but there it is...take it as you will....  Now, go love on those people that have dealt with your insanity, drama and you in general all your life...your family!!!

Some of M's photographs....

My 12 year old daughter has really taken a shine to taking pictures...Of everything and everyone.  She is so excited to put them on here.  We are thinking of making a site if her very own as a great summer project....Here's just a couple of her most recent....

 This is our rescue kitty...Nemo (because of her front leg)  She is doing really well...She is keeping up with all of the other animals wonderfully!!  And Jackson (big kitty) has realized she is not edible and may someday be worthy of his company.

Here is a picture of me that she took a couple of days ago.  She posed me and made me laugh talking about my "crow's feet"  Always a pleasure helping her with a hobby...haha.  I explained to her that any fine line on my face won't bother me because they were put there by the smiles she puts on my face....The deep wrinkles and gray hair will come in a few short years when she is 16....This was picture 30 of me...I hate having pictures taken so the look on my face was me saying hurry up!!!!  haha 

I'm back....finally...

First of all I hope everyone had a wonderful mothers day.  I spent mine with the kids hiding in the house from the gusty winds....They all made me cute cards and we had my favorite dinner so it was a great day!!!  My plan was to go the "homecoming" at my dad's cemetary but since it was mother's day I thought I should spend some time with my mom instead.  We will head out to the cemetary one day this week just to check on things.  It is a long but scenic drive through Land Between the Lakes.  We spent alot of my childhood driving around there with dad telling stories of growing up "Between the Rivers".  I love being able to show my children too.  And there are lots of trails to walk, places to see, and little adventure stops here and there.  ANYHOW>>>> 

Now that my phonelines are finally fixed after 2 weeks of complaining and 4 hours of hard labor...back to the blog....I know ya'll missed me...lol.  It has been pretty uneventful these past two weeks.  The little boer goats are doing very well...as all the animals.  My kitty is finally getting big enough that Jackson (my BIG kitty) realizes that she is not food.  The farm is getting back into shape now that pretty weather is back.  We cleared up a good part of the other side of the creek.  All 9+ acres have been mowed (except for small patch behind the barn).  I was so excited that I only seen one snake the whole time I was mowing!!!!  A few wild bunny sightings...and now I can see the blackberries are in bloom again!!!  Everything is green again!!!  WOOHOO!!!  And now that I can see the snakes I don't mind walking around the field again.  We also took time to plant some pecan trees and pine trees...LOTS OF THEM!!!  Well, now that my rambling is over I must get back to work....