WINTER WONDERLAND

~Let It Snow...LOL~

Oh my gosh!!! boy did we get snow last night it's everywere....Crazy!! The driveway has had too be done many times allready, it has fianlly stoped snowing....Well for now :) Not sure if we are sopsed to get more soon yet or not, Jarred loves it like crazy, Im probly gonna take him out after his nap, Him and Jack had a late nap today. We have downloaded some Christmas cartoon's there older ones that I used too watch when I was little in the 80's, I was happy to be able to find some of them, Im sure its something they will like. I just have too burn them onto Dvd so they can watch them on the t.v. insted of on the computer screen. My hole body is hurtting today and I have no idea, Im thinking becuse we went for such a long walk yesterday and my stroller is just about shot I think, for some resion the wheels were not working right, Im just lucky I have 2 smaller strollers if I have too go out, the one thats not working holds two kids at a time, I just dont have enough money too buy a new one there like 300.00......It's so crazy that there so costly, but thats ok were just lucky too have the other ones too use but now the snow is here, I dont think we will go out too much unless it's for something that we really need. Well just a small check in, I wish everyone a very blessed Sunday tomarrow........Rember too read the Word!

~Ruth

It's a wonderful life

I love the movie It's a wonderful life.  How a bout you?   I love the love story, faith, how people help one another out.   What made me and my best friend Janet laugh was how much the price of a home was.  In the movie they talked about a home costing $5000.00 !!  For some people that is just a monthly payment not the total price of a new home!!

What happened to those days??  When a neighbor cared and help out a neighbor??  When you broke down (cars) people would help.  Where you would share you blessing more, like the extra in your garden.  Where people really respected each other.  When it was safer for children to be children.  What do we have for the kids today?  On t.v we have sex, drugs, drinking violence , porn.  Do you know that some underwear adds would have been porn back then??  What happened???  We need to go back to stronger values , to what is really important.  God , family , friends, others.

Bring back the good old days......

God Bless, mj

Catching up

Where has this past week gone?  Time flies when you are having fun, right??  Well, I guess I have been having fun then.

The auction I talked about going to on Saturday was very cold!!  We got a truck load of stuff for a total of $12.  A large cooler we can use for Farmers Market, several boxes of canning jars, a table, and the best of all..........an arch way that I have been wanting for a long time.  This one had been used for wedding decorations, it has roses, tulle and lights on it, however those will come off and I will put it over the gate into the poulty yard and I will plant honeysuckle on it!  It cost a dollar!  Since it was so cold things went very cheap.

We stopped and got Kaylan and she came home with us to spend the night.  Then on Sunday there was a surprise party planned for Ryan celebrating him finishing his college class.  He still has some elective classes to finish up hours before he will actually graduate.  But he completed an 18 month business class and a huge paper.....so he deserved a party.  However, he was not particularly happy with the idea at first, I guess he doesn't like surprises, he was happy by the end.  Part of the problem was it was a beautiful day and he had plans to spend it outdoors.  Anyway, happy or not, we are very proud of you Ryan!

While in the area, Mom and I picked up pears.  I had wanted to get some and was afraid they may all be gone by then, but there were a lot of nice ones on the ground.  So, they are waiting on me to make something of them now.  I want to make pear honey for sure, maybe can some, not sure what all.

Monday I took Mom to see a very close friend that had a stroke about 3 months ago.  It was really hard to see her, but at the same time, she looked good and responded to some conversation.  She has come a long way and with therapy, and continued prayer she will improve.

Tuesday evening we attended a meeting in Emporia for local food providers.  I think they called it Growing Local Foods. Anyway, gardeners, livestock producers, etc. came together to talk about marketing ideas in our area.  It was a good meeting and we made a new acquaintance that lives near us and has many similar interests. 

Wednesday was the most perfect fall day, Thursday was winter!  Today not quite as cold.  We made a shopping trip today.  Stocked up on baking supplies mostly.  Sutherlands had their fruit sale today, so I got 15 pounds of Granny Smith apples, they were 69 cents a pound.

Speaking of bargains...........gas today in town was $1.65.......how about that!

Sunday we will celebrate Thanksgiving with a dinner following the service at church.  We are making a big pan of dressing, and I don't know for sure what else yet.  I suppose I should make deviled eggs as we have plenty right now. 

Well that about brings us up to date around the homestead.

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Finally I am back with the cinnamon roll recipe I mentioned.  I have made it 3 times now and it has turned out well.   They seem to stay soft for several days.  I am making them for the  same resturant that I make the pies for, so I wanted them to be really good!  Apparently they do like them as they have ordered them twice this week.   Thanks to LaJuan in Colorado for sending this to me and allowing me to share it here with you.

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This came from "Favorite Family Recipes - The Martin Family". They are a conservative (horse and buggy) Mennonite family out of Barnett, Missouri.

(Note: I baked them at 375 for 20 minutes)

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Our eyes were opened

Hubby and I talked last night about the girls and how spoiled they are.  How it came about was we had the roof repair man come over to look at the leak.  He asked why we wanted to build a large house at our ranch.  I told him the home that is there  is only 1082 square feet and this house we live in is feeling smaller to us because we would like the grand babies to have a room just for them.  How many square feet is this house he asked?  1500 square feet.  He said his family of 4 live in a 865 square foot home.  ( I feel bad for looking at a 4200 square foot home). 

Then our daughter Shayna drove up, he asked if that was her truck? I looked at him and said yes.  He just looked at me.  He then asked if Kristi will be getting her own car?  I said yes ,as soon as we can find the truck we are looking for.  Then the girls started talking about what kind of 2 horse trailer they want because our 4 horse is to much from them to  haul just 2 horse or pigs.  The man asked me if we were going to buy them a 2 horse trailer?  I said yes.  He then had a look on his face that said they are spoiled.

It really open my eyes!!  They are really spoiled!!  Most children in a family do not each get their own trucks or a horse trailer.  They would use mom and dads.  They will share a horse trailer though. We do need a two horse trailer, it is not just for them.  When we go to horse shows it is a waste of gas to haul a huge 4 horse trailer with just an Arabian and a pony.

So last night we talked and it was really an eye opener for us both to see that our children have never wanted for anything.  My husband has worked very hard to give us what we need and more.  But we realize we need to change some things.  To see it through some ones else's eyes was the opener.   We are going to change some things.    I am not bragging or anything like that just sharing my growing some more.  It was just a real eye opener.  I mean a real eye opener !! 

God Bless, mj

~Lovely Day~

Well today was a really nice day we took the boys too a craft/bake sale....The moved it from the nurseing home too up-town so we desided too take the boy's up-town too go and we took them too the doller store as well, I got some lovely garlend that has like shiney holly leaves and barries on it, cant beat the good old doller store, we needed it we didnt have any, We went too another store and they had some christmas ordents as low as 50 cents eatch so we got a couple, Jarred just had too have this blue start decration that was only a doller so we got it for him, Is hanging in our window buy are paper snowflakes, Im just glad we got home when we did, it was a cool sunny day but now its snowing so much you cant even see across the road, Kinda scary...I hope everyone keeps safe out there, but we really did have fun it was nice too go out as a family thats for sure.

The boy's are preatty good, Silly as most day's!! Jack was so tired when he got home he was in trears, I felt so bad but he had a lovely nap after we got home, Jarred did too.....but I just love those little boy's!! At the craft show we got some cookies for them, Jack really liked that.

Well thats all for now...Blessings to you all!

~Ruth

Thanksgiving Wishes

Nothing purchased can come close to the renewed sense of gratitude for having family and friends.   ~Courtland Milloy

This season, I am increasingly aware of the blessing of family and friends.  And you wonderful folks here are some of those I feel priveleged to count among my friends; though our connection is just a "cyber" one, I feel a kinship with many of you who are part of this little community. 

I received this little poem in my inbox from another dear friend, and would like to share it with you:

I pray you have a lovely Thanksgiving holiday, surrounded by the the blessing of family and friends, enjoying some of the bountiful harvest from your gardens! 

I will be back visiting with you on the Front Porch soon.   Our family is once again "on the move", so it may be a few days until the computer has a new spot in our little nest, and is set up and ready to go.  First must come other things...the kitchen, the bedrooms, the bathrooms (oh, they need some serious attention), and of course, a nice sunny spot indoors for my potted herbs. 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!!!

Blessings to you and yours,

Catherine

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Oh my goodness. I woke this morning to find SNOW SNOW SNOW all over the place. I am just gathering the harvest for Thanksgiving and already we have snow. Geesh!

It is beautiful though, to look out at and see all the horse hoof prints and doggie prints all over. I bet if I looked close enough I would even find prints from lil mousies.  

I hated to have to go out in it but I did. I had groceries to get, things to take to the postoffice, and meds to pick up at the pharmacy. I am so proud of my grocery shopping today as I actually looked at the sales paper and with the help of coupons, a $25 gift certificate and a little planning, I was able to get $134.00 worth of groceries for $62.00. Now for some of you that may not be a big deal but for ME, the quick spender, it really is a mile stone. I am trying so hard to focus more and keep our grocery bill down to the minimun. Today, I DID GOOD!

I am home again and nice and warm, viewing the snow from my favorite place.... INSIDE!  I pray you are all warm too. Have a blessed day and drop a comment or two. heheee

It's Hard to Know Where to Begin

Thanksgiving Trouble

Do you think a husband should talk to his wife about who is coming to Thanksgiving  dinner before anyone else(his mom)??    I found out from my mother-in-law that my husbands cousin , her hubby and 3 children are coming to dinner.   I asked hubby why did he not tell me me?   He told me I was making a big deal over nothing.   I said no ,but as your wife I should find out from you not your mom leaving a message as to who is coming to dinner.   As it is his mom is telling me when she will be here staying in a hotel , for how many days and when hubbies grandma will be here(our house) and how many days she will stay with us for me to care for !! 

  I can not care for his grandma by my self, the girls will have to help.  My leg is still broken after 11 months, I have to have more surgery, I walk with a limp and am not anywhere near as strong as I was.  How am I to pick up and carry his grandma in and out of the tub to giver her a bath and pick her up when she falls??    I love his grandma , and will do my best.

Oh well, God Bless, mj