X day-(sort of) Downs Syndrome, That extra Chromosome

X day-(sort of) Downs Syndrome, That extra Chromosome

     I want to talk about Downs Syndrome today because I have worked with some of the most amazing, kind and loveable children. These children have found a spot in my heart that brings me such happiness to be a part of their lives.

Here are a few things you may not know about Downs.^

1.  One in every 691 babies in the US alone have been diagnosed with downs and that is even before them are born. That is approximately 400000 children. Wow that 460000+ in 2019.*

2. Did you know that downs is not inherited? Well now you know.

3. The risk for having a downs child goes up with age.  1-2000 will be born to mothers in their 20’s , Mothers older than that upward to 40 have a ratio of 1-900 and many over the age of 49 will have a chance of 1-10, but the age range of downs fall between 35 and under for the most born.

4. Some of the other health issue that downs children experience are dry skin, double jointedness, and flat feet. Some of the  more serious diagnoses can be leukemia which can take three different forms: Acute Lymphocytic leukemia, Acute  myeloid Leukemia which affects 3% and lastly Transient myclophiliferative disorder , but most Downs children  will show symptoms of this a one month and can clear up without hospitalization.

5. The life expectancy or these children have increased over the last century as they may not have lived passed their tenth birthday and today they may well exceed 50 years of age.

Hunter My # 1 Buddy!

6. Some many of these children who have gone on to see college and universities in their education due to the changes for special provision designed programs. Many hold down jobs, found love and married and even had children that were not Downs but normal children. Today you can find children that have become models and actors and so much more. (One of my favorite is Ansel Cole Sibus on Stumptown)**. My # 1 kiddo is Hunter and he won my heart the very first day I ever met him. He graduates this year!

     Like I said I have worked with some amazing children. They have a big place in my heart too. So maybe you too can find a special friend to nurture and help soar to higher and better things for them too.

Today's quote 

 “Dad they think she has Down Syndrome." He smiled genuinely as his eyes welled up with tears. "That's okay. We love her.”
― Kelle Hampton, Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected--A Memoir

How can you not love this  Quote!

Scripture of the day. I know He will heal them all and make them whole.

 Rev 21 :3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

  :

I credit my information to ^ (Actbeat,2020), also *(Atlantaregional.org.2020) ** IMDb.com, Inc.1990-2020 

W Day- Working on another Victorian Beauty

W Day- Working on another Victorian Beauty

     I love drawing pictures and I have been working on this beautiful Victorian beauty the last few days. After my last one I draw and used colored pencil I decided to just draw in pencil on this one. I love finding pictures of old houses and drawing them and then I can say ha I own that house even if it is just a drawing of it.

Work in progress.

The house I built

The Dorsey House

     I have always been fascinated with all the wonderful details that each house gives. The more detailed the better. I remember when I was younger and out looking for a house to live in We came across some amazing ones with all the frills and gingerbread. Some were in disrepair, the kind you would love to just fix up and make it your own. I know those houses are money pits and once your spent your fortune on fixing them up you just couldn’t put any old furniture into it, it had to be period pieces. Just as scroll and elegant as the house itself. Something I could only dream of. So I draw.

I did live in a grand house once and it is one that belonged to my hubby’s family. It was his great uncles home along with the neighbor’s houses that belonged to the other members of his family. Long before I found all this out I would never in my wildest dreams think I could say that house and I would always have a connection. Years after we moved and I went off to live in my little house on George Street in Findlay Ohio, (which had some gingerbread too it but was a small version) I met my hubby and that was when I found out the history to the house. Years later I said that house would be mine again and I built it. It took me while but it was the house I loved.

     I still love these grand houses and one day… well I can still draw them. I could even go into my architecture program and make up the plans for one. My fascination with these houses could have made me lots of money in the day if I was designing then. I love drawing the things I love the most that I know could only have on paper but it is something I will keep doing until my hands no longer can draw.

     I hope you check out some of the other things I do on my Facebook page Emma’s Scentsations https://www.facebook.com/EarthsBlessingFarm/

                                                       

My quote for the day:

My Scripture for the day:

Deut. 30:9 Jehovah your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hands

V-Day- Time to Think about Vegetables

V-Day- Time to Think about Vegetables

  

     Let’s talk planting season now. It is time to get started. I always get started in January with all the vegetables that need to a head start before them go into the ground such as tomatoes, eggplant, all the melon plants and vines plants like cukes and squashes. I also start my cabbage, pumpkins and peppers. Most of these vegetables need 6-8 weeks inside to be ready to go into the ground. Some of the other vegetables that I haven’t really tried to grow such as celery, and many herbs can be started early too.

       Once it is time to set them out to grow first set them in a protected area so they can harden off so they are not so spindly, just to give them some strength from wind. This year I hope to be able to spend more time getting things ready and have a bigger garden than last year.

      I have already gone out and pulled up all the old dead plants. I will be getting ready to add some more compost to stir in for nutrients I like to stir in some rabbit poo into it to add some fertilizer. I think it is the best way to enrich the soil and it is far less acid than hog  manure that needs to cool off period before you stir it.

     I order all my seeds from places that guarantee non GMO and I love the heirloom ones too. I have also saved my seeds from many of my foods for the next years plants each year. I freeze many of them as they need a freeze time and I can keep them longer too. We are going to have to get out and till up some more space this year and we need to do it sooner than later. I want to can a bunch this year and maybe even send some to farmers market if we do well. I want to get a fence around the garden this year too just in case we have pigs escape. They hit the garden first thing every time and that is what happened last year and I was glad it was still early enough to replant some things. 

      What will you plant in your garden this year? Anything new or fun? I am going to try and get some luffa planted earlier this year, and of course I have to plant my elderberry and Pawpaw trees. Who knows what else I will come up with?

      I will be going out soon to start cutting out all the oak trees and things not belonging in my blueberry bushes and cutting the bushes down again for a more manageable size to pick from. There is always something to get done around here on the farm so I can definitely stay busy. I am looking forward to this garden and warmer weather that is for sure.

  

U Day – Use and Reuse

U Day – Use and Reuse

     How many times have we bought something used it and threw away the package instead of recycling it? I am sure many have and never thought twice about the effects it has on our planet. Here on the farm I separate my garbage. Cans and plastic bottles have a recycle bag each as our dump or scrap has a recycle bin for each one. I save all my plastic bags and plastic wrappers and send them back to the grocery store.  We save aluminum to recycle too. I reuse as much glass as possible. I refill them with beans, rice, and other dry goods that come in bags, paper or boxes. This assures me that I will not have bugs or mice get into them.  I have even been saving my plastic rotisserie chicken packages for  starting my garden. I have had friend save egg cartons for me to share and sell eggs with them. It is always nice to share especially when are chickens have done a great job over this winter supplying us eggs. I also recycle things to create miniature stuff I never know what I might need to create something cool for that. I save all my deodorant containers for making salve. They work perfectly as you can roll them up as needed. I save medicine bottles too to save seeds in.

     There are many things that can be recycled like: toilet paper rolls. They can be reused for fire starters and seed starters. We have even used them for art projects for the kids. Magazines are a great thing to recycle too, pass them onto schools or thrift stores. I have a project bowl that I keep old wine corks for, I don’t drink, but my father-in-law bought them for me to use in art projects. I have made a few things from them. A heart trinket and a serving tray. I still have a lot left but one day I will use them. My cats love to use them for toys. I sometimes use old jeans to make comforters and pillows even lawn chair covers and placemats.  I even recovered a couch in jeans once.Tee shirt  for making rag rugs.  I love collecting flat glass to do my faux stained glass on. I have even found a tram to paint on.  You never know what things could end up being. If you just think about it . Me, I am always looking for cool things to make in my art work.

     We recycle all our leftovers to the pigs they love that, but I have found there are some foods that they refuse to eat and I put them in the worm compost. We even have a load of metal to be recycles such as refrigerator and stove that will be going to scrap for money in our pocket. That is where or tin cans and aluminum go too. I even recycle tree branches if I can find nicely shaped ones, they make great curtain rods or even furniture, but most of them end up in our wood burner. I have a stack of pallets I use for furniture, I made a nice swing and we have even used then to build a garage and barn. I want to make me a she shed from the ones I have now.

      I hope I have given you a few ideas on how to use or reuse stuff. There are many ways you can use and reuse things and cut down on your foot print. I hope you too find uses for things around your house to help. Even furniture can be recycled to another family in need or you can paint wooden furniture to upgrade to a new look. You just have to be resourceful. You never know hat used things can do. 

                                         Here is my quote for the day and my scripture.

 Rev. 2:7 Let the one who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the congregations: To the one who conquers  I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

T-Day Time for a Break

T-Day Time for a Break

     Yesterday I took a bit of time for myself. Sometimes I just have to do that. I spent the day just listening to classic rock on Pandora and watched a few of my favorite Agatha Christie: Miss Marple.

     I sometimes need time to think about things and just enjoy a day away from the computer. One thing I did do was get my son Matt’s package ready to go in the mail. I did get laundry taken care of and just lazed a bit. I am sure that most of us can say they need a day for time out. Just a kind of mental break.  It always seems to rejuvenate me when I do.

     Today I am back at it and seriously thinking about my bookshelf. Thinking is a big thought too because I just don’t know where to start on it. There are many old books that need to be packed up and sent to the thrift store. My thought is how I can do this without my hubby saying oh I need that book, even though it has been on the shelf for more than 15 years. I do have a few books too, lots of them.  I just know it is cold outside and I have so much to do inside that I just need to get started. I want to down size and minimize. You see I really don't have a lot of space to waste on books that will never get read again or even once anymore at least not  sit on a shelf and collect dust. I have decided that books that are downloaded are far less work and I probably have close to 5000 or more on my kindle. I read a lot of books too. I have two huge book cases full of doubles and triples of some books that were my children' s books when they use to study with us.  Now days even our study books are on line and we don't seem to use the real thing anymore but I will keep at least one of each. Who knows someone may find the truth written in one somewhere along the way. Great thought.

.

Let’s see how much I can get accomplished today.

S Day- Scrub –a- dub I have Soap in My Tub

S Day- Scrub –a- dub I have Soap in My Tub

This is my label for my soap. I found it one day and I love it! I just added color to it!

     Soap making has been one of those things that has been made here on the homestead since 1998. It all started with a book I bought a few years before that. I had been in a book club and bought this book thinking I would love to try making it someday. When we moved to Georgia we went to the Hiawassee Mountain fair with the kids and watched a lady make a batch in a big old cauldron pot. We talked about how hard the soap was and I told her my kids kill bars of soap in one bath every night. She told me once you make your own soap you would never go back to store bought soap and that homemade soap is so much harder than store bought too. Well to me that sounded like a no brainer.

     My hubby and I went looking for all our supplies and started to make soap not much longer after we went to the fair. She was so right It seemed to last far longer with the kids. My kids didn’t destroy it as fast anymore. We started to make more soap through the year, and we started to take it to different health food stores in the area. We had so many different kinds of soap that we made just to find out which of the recipes in the books worked the best.  We made fruit and veggie soaps, we saved all our fat and rendered it and suet for the homestead soap recipe and we used honey and oats and so many different kinds of herbs. We had soap drying all over the house. I guess that the time we started not many folks really wanted to try it, but as the years have gone by we see so many places that sell it and I see a lot of recipes for melt and pour soaps but I just feel like that is cheating because that is all you do is melt someone else’s Glycerin soap to make some you add stuff too. I wanted to have the pleasure of saying I did it all.

      I made so much soap over the years for my family and even used my daughter’s breast milk to make some for her. My kids love the way it feels and how it prevents skin problems like zits. I love it because after all these years I have very few wrinkles and I know it is due to making and using my soap. No chemicals that can damage my skin. That is the best thing.

Patchouli and Homestead soap

      My favorite soap and the one and only one I use is patchouli. I mix the leaves into the soap and put essential oils of patchouli in it to add the best scent ever, it is a great exfoliator and it is great for aging skin, which I sure believe.

      My Hubby love the homestead soap it is a very hard bar and uses a huge amount of lard. He does add a scent to it sometimes like cedar wood or sandalwood.

     My son wants Lavender and cedar wood for him and his girlfriend so as soon as it warms up a bit we are making him some. I think he is trying to impress her because I had to make him some bath bombs too. He and his twin brother are getting a care package with soap, lip balm and arnica salve and a silver generator.

      I am a firm believer that homemade is the best and I do think it is safer for even the youngest ones. Very gentle and soothes the worst of skin. I am so glad I bought the book and tried to do it on my own, but I love teaching myself things I thought were cool anyways. I love to create natural spa stuff for myself and family and that is the way we should always think about our families.

I have purchased many different books on soap making but this book I will show is the first and my number one go to for making my soap.

I have made shampoo bars and liquid laundry soap and liquid soap for the bath too. The more I can eliminate the bad chemicals like poly glycol (which is basically antifreeze which is just about everything from soap to shampoo to toothpaste) I didn’t think my babies needed that.

I will leave you with one recipe: Which soon I will tell you how to make. One batch or slab of soap makes about 30 bars of soap depending how you slice it.

The Quote for the day is

Let your light shine before men.​—Matt. 5:16.

R Day -Some of My favorite Recipes

R Day -Some of My favorite Recipes

     I know everyone has a favorite few recipes that they keep close at hand and they always seem to be the go to ones when you are just wanting to feel at home or close to family. I figured that I could share some of my recipes with you. I will start with breakfast.

     French toast

When I make French toast I always seem to use about a dozen eggs because everyone loves my French toast.

I am going to tell you right now that I am a dumper from the start and my hubby hates me for it too. But for this I will give you a guestament of how much on this recipe.

1/8-1/4 teaspoon each; cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg

A dash of vanilla

One dozen eggs

Your choice of bread several pieces depending on how many each person eats. I always give a choice of bread to everyone too. We always have wheat bread and I eat rye but my g kids like white bread.

Mix well I use the stick blender to mix mine.

Here is the part I love. I use a pie pan to set my bread in. I let it soak up a lot of egg mixture before I put it into the skillet. I use cast Iron to cook in and I think it is the best way to cook. I use coconut oil to coat the bottom of the pan and it does a great job keeping things from sticking. Make sure you heat the pan well first also. I place two slices in at a time. I brown them enough to make the egg not run. After I turn it I place a bit of butter on the top. Once the bread has toasted I plate them and powder them with powdered sugar. Mine on the other hand I soak until I can barely pick it up out of the pie plate. It is really gooey too. I don’t like for my inner parts of the toast to be dry and I cook it just enough to give the egg just enough to not to be running.

My g kids and my hubby use pancake syrup on theirs but I use brown sugar on mine. Sometime I end up having to add an egg or two just to stretch it out for seconds but usually one dozen eggs covers 12 pieces of bread and my soaking.  I would rather have French toast over pancakes any day, but there are days when I do make them too.

     Here are some other of my recipe for :

pancakes

Makes 6 I always have to double this recipe.

1 Cup milk

1 egg

 2 tablespoons of butter

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

I always try to make a change up with this recipe by adding fresh berries or fruit, chocolate or cinnamon and let the G kids guess what I used. I tell them it is my secret recipe.

Mix well all but fruits (I use the stick blender for this one too. Stir in fruits last with spoon. Make sure your skillet is very hot I spray my pan with olive oil this time and I drop just a small drop of mix on pan to make sure it is hot enough.

I use an ice cream scoop to measure out my cakes. I can usually get four in at the same time if I use the biggest skillet. I flip them right when they start golden brown. I put a bit of butter on and they are ready to go.

I don’t know if you like crepes or not but my family does

And that is something I can’t make fast enough. I will post it on a picture of one of my cupboards. And A few others too.

Crepes

Heat up the skillet and add butter to keep crepe from sticking make sure the pan is very hot. I use my smaller skillet for this. Once it pulls away from the pan nicely flip it for just a few seconds. Stack them on a plate when cooked.

When I make crepes I mix up a batch of cottage cheese or ricotta and yogurt and add fresh fruit with a bit of sugar to sweeten, then add to center of it and roll up in the crepes once they are cooked. Then I spread a bit more over the rolled up crepe. My g kids eat them faster than I can make them. But you can make then in advance and refrigerator them unto are ready for them. Reheat in microwave a few seconds to warm up.

     Main meal 

     Popeye 

My grand dad always made us this wonderful fat noodle dish we call popeye but I later found its name to be potpie. It is much like dumplings. He would always save a ham bone to make the broth. He would roll out the dough very thin and cut it into squares about 2x2 inches .When the broth was at a rolling boil he would drop the squares in a few at a time until the pot is full. I always add a bit of cold water mixture of flour to it to make it thick up. Granddad server his over mashed potatoes but that is over kill for us so we just eat it as a meal itself. Here is the recipe

2 eggs and milk enough to fill a 2 cup, cup together.

Salt and (garlic  optional)

4 tablespoons lard (no other option)

Flour – this is something I just add a bit at a time to make a dough.

Roll it thinly as possible I use a pizza cutter to cut my noodles. This is a wonderful meal and it keeps me grounded to my family. I know my great-grandmother passed this one down. Just like she passed down this one.  

     Homemade egg noodles

This recipe is easy too.

 1 cup Flour in a pile with center made into crater.

 2 Eggs add to center of flour

½ teaspoon Salt mix in flour mixture.

Use fork to start mixing egg into flour unto it is well mixed. Roll into ball. Put into refrigerator about  30 minutes in a covered bowl. Split ball in two. Roll onto a well-floured spot, roll some and lift as you roll add flour to keep from sticking. Make the dough ¼ in thick. Cut your noodles. I use the pizza cutter for this too, hang on rack or somewhere where they can dry.  Cook in boiling salted water till firm. You can freeze your noodles too.

I will add a few more pictures of my cupboard doors. Just to show you I keep them close.  

I hope you enjoy some of my family recipes as much as we do.

 Here is a good quote today.

“Food is the ingredient that binds us together.” Amit Singh

Lastly, I will be adding a scripture a day for now one.

“It is written: ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from Jehovah’s mouth.’” Matt. 4:4

Q Day- Quiche

Today I made a couple quiche just for q day. I Love quiche and it is one way for me to use up a few eggs while I am at it. My hubby is not as keen on all the goodies that I love in mine so that is why I baked two. His is the basic quiche with onion, bacon, ham, garlic and lots of cheese. Mine on the other hand has bacon, ham, onion, garlic, homemade dried mushrooms, and greens with lots of cheese.

Making quiche is very easy. For starters I made my no fail pie crust. Makes 2 - 12” pie crust

3 cups flour

1 cup lard (from one of our Hogs)

1 egg (from our Chickens)

5 tablespoons. Of cold water

1 Tablespoons vinegar

Salt

Mix well and roll out on lightly dusted area.

To make the quiche I used

4 fresh eggs beaten well

1 cup of milk (for his and 1 Cup Coconut milk for mine.)

1 cup of shredded cheese Cheddar (I had mozzarella)

1 cup Parmesan grated

Salt and pepper

2 finely chopped cloves garlic

¼ cup finely chopped Onion

4 crisp pieces of bacon crushed up

½ cup ham

Mix well

Mine I added the mushrooms (some I dehydrated) and greens. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake for 50 minutes.

Yummy! Bon Appetite!

Hubby's Quiche

My  Quiche

     I enjoy baking and cooking, so when I can use the fresh stuff we have here it is always a good thing. Sometimes I have to make two just so I can make sure my hubby will eat it.

I hope some of you would love to try making your own Quiche or just use my pie crust recipe for making pies. Pies are my thing. I keep my recipe written in the inside of my cupboard door just in case my g daughter comes over because she loves baking pies as much as I do and I have to say she can make a mean crust too.

I have written several recipes on the cupboard doors just because I use them so much but most have been passed down from one generation to the next and I don’t want to lose them. If I ever move out of this house I will have to take the doors with me lol. But that is the best way I know to keep track of my favorites.   Have a great Q day!

P day- Prevention is the perfect remedy

Please be a friend and help prevent suicide Call on a friend you haven’t heard from in a while! 

P day- Prevention is the perfect remedy 

This was posted by a friend and I thought it would be a great post to pass on to all. Make your EEyore friends day today!

 

, It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn't heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore's stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.

"Hello Eeyore," said Pooh.

"Hello Pooh. Hello Piglet," said Eeyore, in a Glum Sounding Voice.

"We just thought we'd check in on you," said Piglet, "because we hadn't heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay."

Eeyore was silent for a moment. "Am I okay?" he asked, eventually. "Well, I don't know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That's what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. Which is why I haven't bothered you. Because you wouldn't want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All, would you now."

Pooh looked at Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.

Eeyore looked at them in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"We're sitting here with you," said Pooh, "because we are your friends. And true friends don't care if someone is feeling Sad, or Alone, or Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are."

"Oh," said Eeyore. "Oh." And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all; somehow almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.

Because Pooh and Piglet were There. No more; no less.

(A.A. Milne, E.H. Shepard)

      Even I feel like Eeyore many days and I don’t hear from many. But I do call my dearest older friends, the ones who have lost all their friends of the age in death. It really does help both of us. Just to lend an ear makes a person happy especially when they get up in their years. I love to hear the stories of their life. Friendships shouldn't end just because you are many miles away from each other. there  is always a way to keep in contact. Maybe a surprise visit or  send a nice card or letter in the mail. You know so many of us don't write a hand written letter anymore because we just jump on the computer  or phone and text  We sometimes don't even call. Thinking of the littlest things can make a person's day. Don't get so set in your own schedule that you don't have the time to call and say hi or I love you. It just might mean the difference.

O Day- One, Looking for Serious Readers

 O Day- One, Looking for Serious Readers

     I have been blogging for a long time now and I have found that it is very discouraging to go check your stats only to find that no one has viewed your hard work or you have no followings or comments. I only ever wanted to share my writing to have some type of interaction with my readers. Some days subjects are harder than others to put together while creating a post. Some days it might not be anything you may want to read, but it does mean something to me or I might not find the need to write it. I love to share my experiences here on our farm.

     I have been doing some research and I hope this will help my readers to want to come back and read the next post. I am going to start incorporating more recipes of both food and soap, etc. and useful hints to make my page more reader friendly. I could give some great ideas for crafting with kids while homesteading. Sharing ideas on how much more growing your own food is better for you. There are so many things I could cover on my homestead life that you may want to know but didn’t think to ask about. All I ask of you is to follow me comment on things that concern you about what I write about and share it from time to time. I would love to have your input.

I thought I could get more people involved it I started an ABC blog to start out the year, I think it may have helped me a bit but still only one loyal follower and I thank her for that. I blog because I hope it will help someone who is looking for answers on how to start a farm or what happens when you have a birth on the farm, or just the crazy things that seem to happen while living on the farm.

     Homesteading is not just about farming, it is about surviving with the resources that you have and about the skills you may or may not have when you start your own homestead. Sometimes it is about dealing with death or natural disaster or just caring for the ones you love. There are lots of things I think of when I look at homesteading; creating things like artwork which can cover many things there too. Painting, refinishing old furniture, making beautiful art from old bits and pieces and even drawing. I have been a soap maker now for many years and reasons, one day I might cover some of these reasons. I love teaching others about all the great things that I have learned from things passed down to self-indulging myself to learn something new. I just want to know if you are interested enough to say wow or thanks.

     I would love to share my skills with folks that wants to know more. Soap making, crocheting, drawing, sewing or anything else that is included with crafts. Maybe I might post of video on how to clean a pig or chicken. Maybe teach you how to build a she shed out of pallets and scrape wood. Building a greenhouse out of old windows.  These are things I know and could tell you a lot about. I would love to learn more about building a root cellar or a smoke house. How many things I might just do here on the farm just to make things better and simpler in my life. I never know what I might write about from one day to the next but I would love to take you on that journey with me.

     One thing I know for sure I will keep on blogging about my farm and lifestyle and with or without followers I hope someone will read my posts. Maybe I can even inspire you to start your own blog just like I did for my daughter.

     One how to I will share with you before I go: How to make your own onion flakes or powder. If you are like me I use this staple every day the same with garlic or any spice for that matter.

Depending on what type of onion you like best finely slice them (one or two onions will create enough for a whole family). Using a dehydrator lay the onion slices around the trays avoiding overlap, plug in dehydrator. It doesn’t take long and you will know when it is done when you touch a piece and it crumbles. Depending on how you want to use it flake or powder you can use a grinder or just smash it a bit by hand. Place your freshly make onion powder in a mason jar and label it. You can even add some pink salt to it.  This should last you for a while. You can do this with garlic also. Just remember label, label, label! I just reuse my jars I had bought spices in from the store just to refill them.Oven version. Line pan with sliced onions and heat at 150 degrees until onion is dry.

     Now for the smell left in the dehydrator try dehydrating potatoes right after you dehydrate your onions. Potatoes always absorb the smell. Who knows it might end up being the p day post.

Happy dehydrating.

N Day –Need To

N Day –Need To

     Have you ever thought about that? Need to know, to have, to feel, to meet, so many needs. I thought about this last night. I felt so many emotions as I did. I thought about the need to meet people. We all need to meet people, people who excite us, invite us, change us and even love us. People who are searching the same things as we are. Some may share happiness some may share sadness, some share bad, so many share energy. Did you ever look at those people and think how you were brought together or why? Were they there to connect you to something greater than that moment or was it just that moment you knew for sure? Was it something you needed, something they needed?

      I sometimes find myself at night in the quiet wondering, thinking too much or even lost in a prayer, asking for needs or searching for answers. I thought of friends I have made over the years and how they have connected me to some of the greatest things I could even imagine like my best friend Laurie. She insisted I needed to meet her friend and when I finally stopped saying no I found just what I needed, My husband.

      Sometimes I find a point in my life where I meet a person who needs me and I would have never thought I could help. Later finding that I needed them too. All the connection people make, I believe are somehow connected by powers way higher that we could ever see. Prayers may be answered or needs come just at that lowest times of a person’s life. Needs are met. Think about the people you have met only for a minute to connect with something even more important later. We are all connected somehow we all have a need for something. Do you think this is just by chance? I don’t, I know it is a spiritual connection, whether directly or indirect, But it is true. God has his hand in it. It is his plan.

     

     I know that many people think that I may be crazy, because I share my faith. Those who read a scripture for the day may have needed that and didn’t even know it. This world is crumbling so quickly and we need to be prepared for what is coming. It will be something far more badly than what man has ever seen in his existence and it is written for all to see. Yet the power of so many other things seem to blot out what is of the utmost importance. Entertainment, work and money. But will all those things save you in the end? I think not. What are your needs? Have you taken into account the word of God lately? Maybe you need to. It isn’t too late to ask. Start making connections with people you never thought you would, maybe one who knocks on your door  to share the good news or the kingdom or even blogs like me. We all need someone, something. We all need love. Try it.It truly is just what you need.

M day-Muddy Mucky Mess

Muddy, Mucky, Mess

Today and yesterday has been kind of a dry off few days, but the true is in the pictures that I am posting with this page.  Just telling you it is muddy is an understatement and doesn’t do justice. The weather guy have said we have more rain in the next two days again and then it will get cold. That is not good at all for my poor pigs.

I am so ready for spring to get here so we can resolve this whole crazy problem. Not much more to say but yuck!

L day is a sad day- Loss

L day is a sad day- Loss

     I went to the barn to check on Lucy today to see how she was doing. With all the rain we had in the last several days the barn has completely flooded and the mud was very deep. She came out of the barn and I heard a baby crying. I couldn’t even get to the barn side where she was because I didn’t have my boots on.  I came back up to the house to have Hubby come try to help create a dried place for Lucy and her babies. I grabbed the bedding bag and we both went down to the barn again. My hubby told me to wait outside the fence,while He went to the other side of the barn. he found about 10 babies all buried in the mud. All I wanted to do was cry. All I could think of was I wished we weren’t so sick this past week so we could have made sure the rain didn’t flood the barn again. It never fails it seems we always have a liter of pigs in the stormiest weather. The barn always floods too we have to figure a way to keep the barn from going under water every time we get such torrential downpours. It is crazy too because we built it right at the edge of the hillslope so it wouldn’t flood. But the damage the pigs have done here lately to the barn has not helped either, we really could use a lot of tlc to get the barn back to rain tight. I felt so bad for my poor Lucy. And to think the rain is to continue through Saturday here. This is a huge loss for the start of this year. I hate we started this way. Brokenhearted, Life on the farm.

K Day -Kindling

K Day- Kindling

    We have had our share of rain and storms here on the farm and many tree branches have come down in the yard because of it. When the rain finally stops I will have to get busy collecting all the branches to use as kindling for the wood stove. We heat our house mostly with wood here and a few oil radiators. I have been keeping the fire going even though it has been in the 60’s upwards to even 70 degrees because of the damp chill that seems to come when it rains in the winter.

     We have a good bit of fat lighter to get things going which makes my life a whole lot easier because I for one have really never been able to start a good fire, unlike my pyro children. I have always had that problem and end up having someone else start the darn fire for me. We really never seem to have much in way of kindling when I get to build a fire, so I figure it will be good to stock up for it now that we have some warmer winter weather. Whatever we don’t use this winter can always go for the fire pit in the warmer nights outside later. Since I am the one who mows the lawn here it is good to get a jump on cleaning up all the stuff that has broken out of all these old trees we have.

     I did save some kindling from my daughter’s home but I want to make something out of it.  It is birch and I love the look of it. She was ever so glad that I asked to haul the branches all away for her. One of these days I will get around to digging them out and building something really cool but for now they will just have to be in storage. I also have a lovely bunch of straight red bud branches I might just use along with them. I know I might sound a bit crazy but sometimes I have cool visions of beautiful art work I can create so who knows one day this summer I might just have built something I might even sell.

     Anyway this is my k word for this week.

On a short note my Lucy had her kids in the crazy storming weather we have had last night. The pig pen was really muddy and we couldn’t get out there to see how many but my hubby did see two. Since we have both been sick we didn’t want to chance getting stuck in the mud and falling. Hopefully the rains will pass and we can see how many she really had.

JDay up date -Jot it down

J- Day

      Do you ever find yourself wondering what exactly you went to the store for and just couldn't remember to save you? If you are like me, if I don’t write a list of make a note of something I need to remember, well I forget. I can even take a note of something and put it somewhere so I can remember it later and lose it only to find it something later when I don’t need it. 

     I write post its for so many things these days. Dates of family member’s birthdays, names, families to which they belong, deaths  to add to the genealogy that my father-in –law has passed on to me. Notes of when we bred animals and when they should be due. All kinds of things I seem to write down and still I forget where I might have put the note when I need it (Stressing this point!). I even keep a journal and have been for as long as I can remember. In fact if someone wanted to know more about my life they could pick a year and read all about it. I have book after book written about my life.

     I found that documentation is a good rule of thumb and we have proved that too. We use to foster years ago. I kept everything written down about the child we had taken in when his mom left him the same day he was born. When the time came to go to court to get custody, I had it all written down and his mom couldn’t dispute it. The Judge gave us custody hands down. That judge told me I was a very smart person to have kept track of the happenings and that has stayed with me even that much more when it comes to jotting things down. You never know when it may come in handy.  

     I have become a record keeper for a lot of things on this farm, births, deaths, shots, babies, and much more that is one things I do well. I hope you also have a good system of remembering things. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate thing just a note or two to start. that goes for anything thing you might do. I even dot down scriptures from the Bible so I can recall them when I need them most.  I love to bake and cook I am always writing down recipes. I think jotting down stuff   can make it easier to keep track of life events that you someday might want to pass down to children or grandchildren. Who knows it may be a starting point for a young mind to want to learn more about you in the long run.

     It reminds me of one of my favorite songs by George straight- Write this down. Now that brings back great memories of when my kids were younger and we use to sing this song together.  Create a memory, pass it along and have a great time doing it.

J Day

Please Just give me a day longer to get well I need my rest. I will be back I hope to post a true J day. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I day- I am

I day- I am 

   I am the I day today because I am a bit under the weather. See my hubby got sick earlier this week and I have tried to stay away from him as much as possible. He ran a fever, was dizzy and coughs and aches came with it. I did all the chores and brought in the wood and kept the fire going all by myself for a change.

     Yesterday while feeding the animals I found one of the escapees in the coyote trap and my daughter and her hubby came to help me get him in the pen. Pigs are stronger than we thought. He was dragging my son-in-law down the hill. We tried to get him moved but he busted out of the trap and took off running. I had just picked up the rollers that we tried moving him with when he busted out and I dropped it on my foot and ankle, that left a mark!. My son-in-law said he would come up and take care of both the pigs this week! He also said he had a tree come down in their yard and asked to barrow the chain saw and he would chop it up and bring us the wood. That in itself is a blessing because we are just about out of wood again.

     Today I woke up coughing and feeling a bit bad myself. I cannot get sick there are too many things I have to take care of. I have an autoimmune lung disease that lessens my ability to heal easily and I cannot take just anything because of allergies. When I get sick it can be bad. So today I am going to behave and slow the pace just a bit. I already started drinking ginger tea, eat my pineapple (to fight mucus) and preparing silver water (my antibiotic) just to fight off any bad bug. I hope I don’t end up too sick. At least I have a warm house and lots of soup on hand. I will double up on my c’s and maybe that will save me. I hope my hubby feels better soon. When he gets sick he is the weaker of the two of us. I always keep moving.