It's eerily silent today
It's amazing how pleasant the sounds of happy animals are, and how much we miss them when they're gone. Normally, throughout the day we'll hear the rooster and cockerels having crowing contests, the hens clucking proudly when they lay their eggs, the guineas trilling or squawking as the group wanders the garden in search of bugs, the goats' bells ringing as they play about. Today, except for some crowing with the sunrise, the birds have been silent. There are no hens clucking. The one remaining guinea is sitting dumbly under a small shelter in the garden. Even the goats are moving so carefully their bells hardly ring.
The smell of blood is still in the air.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Life and death on the farm
On Valentine's Day, two of our does had kids - a pair each of the cutest little white kids you've ever seen. One doe didn't want to nurse her kids at first, but we've been holding her still so she will, and she's getting better about it. The other doe is a very good mama, and sometimes even nurses the bad mama's babies.
Last night a fox got into our chicken coop and killed nearly all our birds, taking one (one!) guinea with him. At least a dozen were dead when we found them this morning, and we had to kill another half dozen. Right now we have one guinea, one rooster, and (I think) five cockerels living, three of which might be injured too badly to survive. All the hens are dead.
The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
On Valentine's Day, two of our does had kids - a pair each of the cutest little white kids you've ever seen. One doe didn't want to nurse her kids at first, but we've been holding her still so she will, and she's getting better about it. The other doe is a very good mama, and sometimes even nurses the bad mama's babies.
Last night a fox got into our chicken coop and killed nearly all our birds, taking one (one!) guinea with him. At least a dozen were dead when we found them this morning, and we had to kill another half dozen. Right now we have one guinea, one rooster, and (I think) five cockerels living, three of which might be injured too badly to survive. All the hens are dead.
The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Restoring the Home Economy Essay Contest
Scott Terry of Homesteader Life is sponsoring an essay contest open to anyone 18 or younger on "why [a home economy is] important, what your family is doing to restore it and most important; what you plan to do to continue the restoration."
Scott is offering a $30 gift certificate to the winner, which is being matched by Pastor Thomas McConnell, aka The Missouri Rev, so that's $60 to spend at either Cumberland Books or Vision Harvest, winner's choice.
Scott Terry of Homesteader Life is sponsoring an essay contest open to anyone 18 or younger on "why [a home economy is] important, what your family is doing to restore it and most important; what you plan to do to continue the restoration."
Scott is offering a $30 gift certificate to the winner, which is being matched by Pastor Thomas McConnell, aka The Missouri Rev, so that's $60 to spend at either Cumberland Books or Vision Harvest, winner's choice.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
A little help for my friends
Valerie is putting on a blogathon next weekend to benefit a Christian school that many of her church family attend. Check it out, make a pledge, enjoy her return to blogging (if only temporarily), and be sure to keep her awake over the long, long night. :-)
Valerie is putting on a blogathon next weekend to benefit a Christian school that many of her church family attend. Check it out, make a pledge, enjoy her return to blogging (if only temporarily), and be sure to keep her awake over the long, long night. :-)
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Eleanor tagged me, asking for six odd things about me - having seven children and keeping goats is kind of odd, but I figured y'all already know about those things, so I tried to come up with things I've never blogged about before.
1. A fun date-night for us is driving into Fredericksburg to go to Lowe's, the Tractor Supply Store, Wal-Mart, or the health food store. We go into town two or three times a month, and really, it's a nice time because even though I don't much like shopping (a rather odd thing for a female!) we have a good two hours of driving time when we can talk about anything at all.
2. I can tell it's going to snow by the smell on the air up to a day before it arrives.
3. Speaking of smells, I often dream smells, though I've read that this doesn't happen.
4. Speaking of dreams, I'm a lucid dreamer, meaningmy dreams are very clear and detailed I know that I'm dreaming [thanks, Eleanor!]. They're nearly always in color and usually have too many people in them, but if something starts happening that I don't like, I can back up and make it go the way I want it to.
5. Now I don't actually place any store in this stuff, but I always thought it was funny that the single verticle crease between my eyebrows, called "the suspended needle" by face-reading folks, signifies that I will most likely die young, but my life-line on my right hand runs all the way down to my wrist and wraps more than half way around the back of my hand, signifying extremely long life.
6. Hair oddities: I've had a grey streak in my hair since I was 13 years old and I started coloring it when I was 16 - using henna because I always wanted auburn hair, though I had to change to a regular semi-permanent color after a year or two because Daddy told me it was getting too brassy looking. I think Mike fell in love with me because he thought I really was a redhead, even though I told him I wasn't. I also learned to cut my hair myself when I was in my early teens. I had a very kind and understanding hairdresser who gave me tips on those rare occasions when I went to her. Just a couple of years after we married, Mike wanted me to start cutting his hair, so I got a book out of the library, bought some clippers and learned on him. Brave man, isn't he? Nowadays, I cut everyone's hair in my family except for my own. Four years ago I quit cutting it. Well, I've cut it once since then, but that's because two and a half years ago I quit coloring it, so in November of 2005 I cut off a foot and a half to get rid of the last of the color. I wear it in one kind of updo or another every day, and believe it or not it's so much easier to take care of this way than it was when I had to shampoo, blow-dry, and style it every day when it was chin- to shoulder-length. It's also prettier and healthier - no split ends. One more odd thing about my hair - the top layer is wavy, but the underneath layer is corkscrew curls.
I love being tagged, but I'm always afraid I'll bug other people if I tag them, so if you wanna be tagged post a comment and let me know. :-)
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Update - I just realized that the comments are still down, but I'm easily contacted by email. It's over there in the sidebar near the bottom - just be sure to take all the numbers out of the address.
1. A fun date-night for us is driving into Fredericksburg to go to Lowe's, the Tractor Supply Store, Wal-Mart, or the health food store. We go into town two or three times a month, and really, it's a nice time because even though I don't much like shopping (a rather odd thing for a female!) we have a good two hours of driving time when we can talk about anything at all.
2. I can tell it's going to snow by the smell on the air up to a day before it arrives.
3. Speaking of smells, I often dream smells, though I've read that this doesn't happen.
4. Speaking of dreams, I'm a lucid dreamer, meaning
5. Now I don't actually place any store in this stuff, but I always thought it was funny that the single verticle crease between my eyebrows, called "the suspended needle" by face-reading folks, signifies that I will most likely die young, but my life-line on my right hand runs all the way down to my wrist and wraps more than half way around the back of my hand, signifying extremely long life.
6. Hair oddities: I've had a grey streak in my hair since I was 13 years old and I started coloring it when I was 16 - using henna because I always wanted auburn hair, though I had to change to a regular semi-permanent color after a year or two because Daddy told me it was getting too brassy looking. I think Mike fell in love with me because he thought I really was a redhead, even though I told him I wasn't. I also learned to cut my hair myself when I was in my early teens. I had a very kind and understanding hairdresser who gave me tips on those rare occasions when I went to her. Just a couple of years after we married, Mike wanted me to start cutting his hair, so I got a book out of the library, bought some clippers and learned on him. Brave man, isn't he? Nowadays, I cut everyone's hair in my family except for my own. Four years ago I quit cutting it. Well, I've cut it once since then, but that's because two and a half years ago I quit coloring it, so in November of 2005 I cut off a foot and a half to get rid of the last of the color. I wear it in one kind of updo or another every day, and believe it or not it's so much easier to take care of this way than it was when I had to shampoo, blow-dry, and style it every day when it was chin- to shoulder-length. It's also prettier and healthier - no split ends. One more odd thing about my hair - the top layer is wavy, but the underneath layer is corkscrew curls.
I love being tagged, but I'm always afraid I'll bug other people if I tag them, so if you wanna be tagged post a comment and let me know. :-)
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Update - I just realized that the comments are still down, but I'm easily contacted by email. It's over there in the sidebar near the bottom - just be sure to take all the numbers out of the address.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Putter's Wife
Heather P., who comments here on occasion has started a blog, Putter's Wife, a Reformed wife of a physicist and homeschooling mama sharing her "thoughts on motherhood, home-making and home-schooling."
Be sure to check her archives - there's a link there to a lady who sews modest clothing that Heather has been pleased with.
Heather P., who comments here on occasion has started a blog, Putter's Wife, a Reformed wife of a physicist and homeschooling mama sharing her "thoughts on motherhood, home-making and home-schooling."
Be sure to check her archives - there's a link there to a lady who sews modest clothing that Heather has been pleased with.
The Epiphany of Our Lord
in which we celebrate that Christ came, not only for the house of Israel, but for the Gentiles also.
in which we celebrate that Christ came, not only for the house of Israel, but for the Gentiles also.
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.
All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
Isaiah 60:1-9
Friday, January 5, 2007
Chicken quesadillas for lunch today
We favor Tex-Mex foods around here and today when trying to figure out how to use some leftovers for lunch, I came up with this, which turned out pretty good, so I'm sharing it.
:-)
-leftover roast chicken, cut up into tidbits
-leftover chili con queso, a tasty concoction Mike came up with trying to imitate the chili con queso sold at Mexico Chicito, a restaurant in Little Rock (it's cream cheese, chili powder, cumin, and I don't know what else, with a little milk added to make it softer)
-whole wheat tortillas
Mix chicken and cheese together. Melt a pat of butter in an iron skillet. Place in one tortilla, spread some of the chicken/cheese mix on it and cover with another tortilla. Cook till it starts browning on the bottom, then flip and cook on the other side. Remove, add more butter and make another one. Keep warm on a preheated plate in the oven if needed. Heat a can of black beans, and serve with sour cream and salsa on the side.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
When I first married I always needed to follow a recipe, make a shopping list, and buy all the ingredients in order to do meals. It's taken me a long time to get to the point of being able to use what I have on hand. I guess the first step was to learn how to make soups using leftovers - after making lots of soups following recipes I began to figure out what foods and seasonings work well together, but it took years, really. There's probably some way to teach young ladies how to cook like this, but I don't really know what it is.
Kelly M. told me once that sometimes her mom (maybe on the day before grocery shopping?) will point out that they have a little bit of this and can of that and dab of something else, and will tell Kelly to make a meal out of it. Sounds like a pretty good practice for full-time homemaking to me.
We favor Tex-Mex foods around here and today when trying to figure out how to use some leftovers for lunch, I came up with this, which turned out pretty good, so I'm sharing it.
:-)
-leftover roast chicken, cut up into tidbits
-leftover chili con queso, a tasty concoction Mike came up with trying to imitate the chili con queso sold at Mexico Chicito, a restaurant in Little Rock (it's cream cheese, chili powder, cumin, and I don't know what else, with a little milk added to make it softer)
-whole wheat tortillas
Mix chicken and cheese together. Melt a pat of butter in an iron skillet. Place in one tortilla, spread some of the chicken/cheese mix on it and cover with another tortilla. Cook till it starts browning on the bottom, then flip and cook on the other side. Remove, add more butter and make another one. Keep warm on a preheated plate in the oven if needed. Heat a can of black beans, and serve with sour cream and salsa on the side.
When I first married I always needed to follow a recipe, make a shopping list, and buy all the ingredients in order to do meals. It's taken me a long time to get to the point of being able to use what I have on hand. I guess the first step was to learn how to make soups using leftovers - after making lots of soups following recipes I began to figure out what foods and seasonings work well together, but it took years, really. There's probably some way to teach young ladies how to cook like this, but I don't really know what it is.
Kelly M. told me once that sometimes her mom (maybe on the day before grocery shopping?) will point out that they have a little bit of this and can of that and dab of something else, and will tell Kelly to make a meal out of it. Sounds like a pretty good practice for full-time homemaking to me.
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