A Bungalow in Texas

• 2008-Oct-12 - I’m Back!

Posted By Crystal Miller
 
I am home from vacation.. have been for a few days now and just getting life up and running again. Hubby and I had a great time! We flew south to get some of the last rays of sunshine and heat before we burrow in for the winter months.  We spent a lot of time pool side and out and about in the sun  . When our time was up we felt ready to come home and enjoy kids and family and look ahead to school time, holidays and a few projects that need to get done.  
 
I spent a good portion of my afternoon packing orders. I said orders would go out tomorrow but did not realize until I got back home that tomorrow is a holiday. So if you ordered from me while I was on vacation your order will go out on Tuesday. 
 
Is it looking and feeling like fall on your homestead? It is on mine! On the last day of my vacation I left a 90 degree day and a couple hours later landed in the cool, damp, and cloudy Pacific Northwest.. I knew I was home! LOL.. and I knew fall had really started. The last couple of days have been cold at night.. almost 35 one night but warming up into the low to mid 60’s and sunny during the day. And there is that familiar October nip in the air. 
 
In the Home: I am currently working on refining my home organization notebook. I am working on the chores. I wrote a master list of all chores and now plan to put together a page for each day of the week showing what jobs need to be done for that day. Our school days take up a good portion of our day so it is nice to have to put a lot of thought into the house work that needs to be done each day. I won’t be trying to remember the last time the stairway was washed or the laundry room floor was mopped. What time is not spent doing school work and chores it is spent cooking and baking! .. and of course I have my little business to keep making products for. Nice to see and experience the blessings of children that know how to help around the house!  
 
On Budgets: Is everyone enjoying the drop in gas prices?? I know we are.  Has anyone seen it go below $3.00 a gallon?  A couple days ago I was in town and I saw it at $3.19. Who would have thought I would get so excited about paying  $3.19 a gallon for gas! LOL..  
 
Well I have a busy week ahead and I will be back blogging and sharing about it as the week goes by. For now I am happy to be and back to my little homestead and preparing for winter. 
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• 2008-Oct-12 - Don't Pull My Leg !!

Posted By GrannyG
This has been one of those weeks...I get myself into the oddest situations. Years ago, my daughter Karen tiled a  beautiful, large table. I have used it for years as my crafting table, and since I am fixing the new building into my craft area, I decided to move the table there as well. I can tell I am getting older, I get tired of hauling out boxes of rubber stamps, inks, tons of paper, punches of all kinds, I enjoy looking at them as they go up on the walls and into standing cabinets for me to look at, and count my blessings that I can do this. I had moved everything off the table, it is in my house next to the portable building. It is a very, very heavy table, and I managed to get it all the way to the door, but could go no farther with it...and I hate to ask Benny for help, but I had to....so he came out to help me move the table. I do not know HOW I got it in the house, but it would NOT go through the door. I finally decided we would have to take off the legs to get it out...this was a bigger chore than I expected. Needless to say, five HOURS later, after screws had been DRILLED OUT, and I hammered on the legs, we finally had them off...next job, get the tiled top out of the house in one piece. We strugged and managed to use the wagon with wheels to move it, then turned it upside down, tile side on the bottom, so we could  shove it inside with it on a carpet. Oh My Goodness !!! It is finally in the building, and tomorrow, new bolts will have to be put in the legs to help it stand in one piece. I love this table, it has always been one of my favorite pieces of furniture, and because of all the work Karen put into the beautiful tiles on top, I love to work at it, so maybe, this week, I can begin to get things straightened up...hope so...still have half a house of crafting supplies to move out...then comes all the stained glass stuff from another place....I need to be home playing...not working....maybe someday....
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• Sunday, October 12, 2008 - Doctor appointment

Posted By That Girl

I went  to my doctor Friday morning for a recheck on my ribs.  At that time I wasn`t feeling too awful sore, but today I hurt more than I have, even when it first happened.  The doc said that the emergency room phys. asst. sent me back to work too early and gave me a note to take to work that said I am required to work mornings only for all this week.  I am best in the morning after resting all night but I really hurt in the afternoon.  She wants me to take a 30 minute walk in the afternoon because I`m not going to Curves right now.  So, my neighbor is all set to start walking with me tomorrow.  The emergency room phys. asst. also said I could go back to Curves tomorrow.  My doc said "absolutly not!  You have 2 non-moveable fractures and need to heal.  It will take around 6 weeks, then you can go back to Curves".

   I told her I was no longer taking any big honkin` size pills, that includes my vitamin, calcuim and the glucosamine chondroitin.  She gave me some suggestions like putting them in applesauce or pudding or butter, but I won`t do it.  I am not ever going through that again.  So, we went shopping yesterday and found chewable Centrum 50+ vitamins, calcuim and glucosamine chondroinin.  Now I am all set.  I have limited mobility in my left shoulder because I stopped taking the glucosamine and haven`t been going to Curves.  I can`t wait till it kicks in and it dosen`t hurt to put my coat on or brush my hair or take a shower or.....

   We had a bunch of company today, that was nice, now I`m settling in for the night after a picture perfect beautiful fall day.  Hubby is snoozing in his recliner next to me.  All is well.

        That Girl

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• Sunday, October 12, 2008 - Photo's From The Pumpkin Patch

Posted By HandsNHearts in Around the Homestead
Ok...there are alot of photo's in this one, so bear with me if they load slow. We have an ancient dial-up connection here and trust me...they might load slowly for you, but that's nothing compared to uploading them on my end!

First off, Saturday we visited a pumpkin patch with the handful of children from our church. No, we don't do the whole halloween thing at all. Honestly, you can dress a pig in pretty clothes and take him to church, but it's still just a pig and he simply doesn't belong there....still, we went. I'm a hypocrit, I guess.

The 'patch' was a large farm with several fields of pumpkins you could select from yourself (do you know how long it takes children to select their own pumpkin???? It's a loonnggg time, trust me!)
They had a large, inflatible slide thing, a race track set up with peddle cars and tricycles and such, a ring for pony rides, a few animals for the petting zoo and a hay bale maze in a small barn.
We played a short while, then took the hay wagon out to the fields and everyone got a pumpkin to bring home -- we'll be canning ours this week.

I'll just share the pictures and you can look around with our family...
Here's my group...sitting on top inside the inflatible bouncer slide...they are trying to decide who gets to be the brave one and head out first. There's Jacob, David, Matthew turned around backwards and Miss KatiAnne (and Hunter, our Pastor's grandson). I noticed that most of the 'city kids' waited very patiently while the strange "amish" children tested themselves here. LOL...what those poor folks must have been thinking! I know...we do need to get out and about more, don't we?
The first ones out? Wild Child, of course...and Miss KatiAnne...


It was David's birthday and he was convinced the whole day was for him. The inflatible slide posed some issues for him, though. He simply doesn't have the weight to keep him on it -- he would bound over the top and begin to slide down, just to bounce most of the way down because it was more 'springy' than he was 'weighty'



And what happens when, as D at As Simply As We Can mentioned on her blog, when country goes to town?
The poor country children are duped by the city folk into milking a wooden cow....yes, apparently my children need to get out a bit more. I said that, didn't I? These are those moments when you do need a bit more of being 'of' the world and not just 'in' it I think ;o)

Here is eldest and youngest daughters, Miss Jennifer and Miss Emily. They look so impressed with the converted cotton wagon ride to the field, don't they? Honestly, Miss Emily about fell asleep with the motion of the wagon across those fields -- both on the way out and coming back in! It is a good picture of the two of them, though, even if Miss Jennifer didn't want her's taken.

And poor Miss Emily in the field...she was looking at me as though I had abandoned her to carry her pumpkin alone so I could take pictures of her misery. Note to other parents: Ok, I sort of did...but *Dad* wanted to see lots of pictures of the day...I had to be just a by-stander! He made me do it. It's all Dad's fault :o) Besides, doesn't carrying your own pumpkin, by yourself, across the whole field, promote character or something?
She made it about 5 steps toting that pumpkin before she put it back down and said she was too heavy to carry it.

But, along came David to encourage her...he took a few steps with his pumpkin, then came back and carried hers...back and forth like that all the way out of the field (yes, so Mom could take pictures...LOL)


Here is KatiAnne with her pumpkin, Johanna with her choice, and way out there is Matthew, trying to help Miss Ashley from church select hers so he can help her carry it back to the wagon. Now, Miss Ashley comes from rather stout farm raised Southern stock...she really didn't need help carrying a pumpkin, but Matthew, well...always the gentleman :o)

After the pumpkin field, we stopped back at the farm kitchen and got some drinks before heading home. The children all played in the race track section. They had several different bicycles and tricycles and such.
Miss KatiAnne grabbed one of the large tricycles and took off -- with Abigail behind her telling her she needed to pick a different racer so her peddling wouldn't lift her skirt above her knees! She was right -- KatiAnne made about half a round on that track, with constant pulling on her skirt and apron, and chose a different ride. No one listens when Mom says to wear their bloomers.....


That was about it for the day. They had some huge, nice looking mum plants set out for sale...bright yellows, deep reds, oranges and some purple-shades. I almost bought a couple, but then I remembered the dogs...who would waste little time in dragging them off the porch; And the cats...who would waste little time in using them for a new litter box out there. They were better left where they were.

All in all, the day was fun for everyone. And I put gas in the van before heading out and paid $3.05 a gallon. Not a bad price, considering, but we get over to Blue Mountain and their gas was already down to $2.52 a gallon!!! I could have gotten 15 gallons instead of the 12 gallons I got for my $40. Ugh, ugh and ugh!!!! Still...all considered, the $3.05 was better than the $3.18 it was on Thursday, so I didn't suffer too terribly much. And those little 12 gallons was far more gas than my van has seen in a good 3 months now, so all was well.
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• Sun 12 Oct 2008 - Todays Quote....Alphonse de Lamartine

Posted By GrandmaRosie
If God is thy father, man is thy brother.

      -- Alphonse de Lamartine
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• Sun 12 Oct 2008 - Concerning Self Denial

Posted By GrandmaRosie in THE WORD
 

Concerning Self Denial

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:24-26 NIV

__________________

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Titus 2:11-13 KJV

__________________

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:24,25 NASB

__________________

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Romans 6:16-18 ESV

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• 2008-Oct-10 - Jalapeno's

Posted By GrannyG

Benny made his famous "Hotter than Hades" sauce this week....the recipe includes habanero and jalapeno peppers...Of course he uses every bowl in the house, the VitaMixer, and of course there is the cooking...now the tasting is something else, "taste this and see what you think".......I tasted it and immediately the fire began to start on my tongue and smoke came out my ears, I could hardly speak..."hot....hot.....hot.....WATER QUICK"..so he settled for that batch. We still had a bucket of jalapeno peppers left, so he reminded me we needed to do something with the peppers..I had to go to work, so I told him to make a T with a knife in each pepper, put them in a pot, add water, and bring to a boil, let them cook till they lost the green gloss on the peppers and shut off the stove. I walked into the house to the smell of hot peppers...I almost needed a gas mask....the smell was overpowering, my eyes were burning, but I managed to drain them and let them cool. I would start the deseeding in the morning, so that was my job today. The peppers are all deseeded, and they are stuffed with cheddar/colby cheese. I put them on a cookie sheet and froze them...tomorrow I will put them into bags to keep frozen till we grill them...I will then wrap a slice of bacon around each one before they go on the grill....wait for them to cook, and the feast will begin. Next will be Jalapeno Macaroni Salad...this is another one of our favorites...

JALAPENO MACARONI SALAD

12 oz. medium size macaroni shells or elbows,
cooked and drained

Fresh green onions --I use about 3 or 4

I also add a little sweet white onion to this,

4 jalapeno peppers (deseeded) and diced fine
I use more because we like ours hot to the taste

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste (just a dash )

1 pint Real Mayonnaise--make it good and moist

Dice onions fine (I cut mine with the scissors)
or chop onions and peppers till fine in a food processor.
You want these in small pieces, not liquid.
Mix all together and chill overnight. So good !

And there are still some peppers left, so they will be used for breakfast, scrambled eggs, cheese,jalapenos, bacon and rolled in a warm flour tortilla.

You can also make Armadillo Eggs....a good recipe also..

Armadillo Eggs

1/2 pound grated Monterey Jack Cheese

(Strips of Cheddar cheese as well to stuff with)

1/2 pound bulk Hot Sausage (Owens)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk biscuit mix (Bisquick)

15 medium canned Jalapeno Peppers (or do your own)

Shake and Bake for Pork

2 beaten eggs

Slit and deseed the peppers. Mix together the cheese and sausage. To this, add the biscuit mix.  (It is easier to divide the biscuit mix into three parts, adding each part separately, as the dough becomes very thick and stiff, and will require some kneading). The cheese and sausage will hold the dough together.Set aside. Now, stuff each pepper with a piece of cheese and pinch the pepper  closed around the  cheese.Pinch off some of the sausage/cheese mixture and pat it into a flat little pancake. Put the stuffed pepper in the middle of the dough and wrap it completely with the dough, seal the edges.Roll the dough covered pepper back and forth in your hands and mold it into an egg shape. Roll the pepper  in Shake and Bake for Pork, coat it good, then dip it in the beaten eggs and put in back in the Shake and Bake mixture. Bake the "eggs" in a 300-325 degree oven for about 25 minutes. You can also freeze these till you are ready to bake them.

We never tire of Jalapeno Peppers......

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• Fri 10 Oct 2008 - Todays Great Quote......George Müller

Posted By GrandmaRosie in CLASSIC QUOTES

God delights to increase the faith of his children. We ought,
instead of wanting no trials before victory, no exercise for
patience, to be willing to take them from God's hands as a
means. Trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats,
are the very food of faith.

      -- George Müller


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• Thu 9 Oct 2008 - Hubby Found a Job

Posted By GrandmaRosie in ROSIES RAMBLINGS
It has been very hard on us the past 2 months. DH lost he job of almost 20 years. He is not a young man and  a job has been hard to find.  He has one starting Monday. The pay is not much, no insurance to speak of, it is hundreds of miles from home ( I miss him already!) But it is a job. It will do until God sends something better!
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• 2008-Oct-9 - The Pumpkin

Posted By GrannyG

 

I was on my way to the store today to buy some more California Plums...they are so big and so sweet...great taste, I have told all my friends to go to store and buy some..Thank you, California...for plums so large they are the size of a baseball, for the lovely juice that is so sweet and runs down your face when you bite into them...we just love them ! (And I have instructed Benny to save me the seeds, I want to take them to the greenhouse and see what I can do to start me this variety.)You rarely find a good plum in the store any more. Anyway, I always have to pass the farmer's fruit stand on my way to the store...in fact, we have two of them, right across from each other, but I am loyal to Taste of Texas, they were here for years and the other is just new. Outside, in several large piles, and on wooden stands, they stand alone, they beckon to me..those beautiful, orange pumpkins ! No Jack-o-Lantern for me....I want pumpkin pie...there is nothing better than fresh pumpkin pie. And the seeds will be baked and salted, so there will be more fiber in our diet..LOL...I go from one stack to the other, trying to decide which one I want...it must be very orange...the stem needs to be dry...I checked out the bottom, no soft spots, just some mud from where it sat in the field...big enough for me to lift into the back of the pick-up. Yes, it was just perfect, so I paid for it, as well as buying tomatoes, onions, and checking out all the flowers there. They know me, I have to see every new item in the store when I come down, they are my friends, and they put up with all my shenanagins.Sometimes, Donald even gives me free plants, he will laugh and say they are close to dying, so take them home and see what I can do with them, and we laugh. I have sat the pumpkin on a table in front of my new barn building....it looks so fallish.....it will keep till I am ready to use it...and I visualize to myself cutting it open, pulling out the strings, and seeds, steaming it, paring off the rind, then the eggs,milk,sugar, spices, and mixing it all up together....I am dreaming of Pumpkin Pie...Country Style !

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Musings of a wife and mother of three blessings who lives in a 1940's era Bungalow somewhere in N. Texas

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