The Cole Homestead

RASHES AND MENOPAUSE

HI!  I WAS WONDERING IF ANY OF YOU LADIES OUT THERE HAVE EVER SUFFERED A RASH DUE TO MENOPAUSE OR PERIMENOPAUSE?  I CURRENTLY HAVE ONE JUST BELOW THE BRA LINE, BIKINI AREA, INSIDE ELBOWS AND ARMS.  ITCHY WITH LITTLE RED BUMPS.  I AM HOPING ANYONE OUT THERE WHO HAS EXPERIENCE THIS CAN SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE AND GIVE ADVICE.  THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANKS TO ALL WHO LEFT SUCH KIND COMMENTS ON MY LAST POST.

MELANIE

Ouch, that hurts

My  finger is really sore as one of our rabbits bit it this morning!  I didn't know rabbits would bite?  Well they do.  I guess the poor girl was hungry, I was filling her feeder when she decided to latch onto my little pinky.  It makes it hard to type........so this will be short.

The insurance adjuster came this morning.  The building that burned was not listed on the policy, so not covered, which we pretty much knew.  Only the garage and 2 open sided sheds were listed.  The other little buildings (misc. chicken houses and such) are really not worth enough to insure.  Until this happens, then you wish they were!  But the garage siding will have to be replaced and he said he would include the shingles on that side also. 

So, since we felt that we should wait until he came to start clean up, we did get a little done on that this afternoon.  We picked up all of the tin, which made a huge difference in the looks of things.  The roof was tin and also the sides were lined with tin inside the building, so quite a bit of tin was laying around.

No baking today, a little laundry, chores and just everyday things other than that.  Hubby has been promoted to dish washer for a few days!

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Shaun Groves- Song Called "Kingdom Come"

 I thought I'd share with you a raw draft of Shaun Groves new song.  Enjoy!

YUCKY DAYS

I WAS SICK BOTH YESTERDAY AND TODAY WITH "THE D WORD" AND SOME VOMITING.  I REALLY HATE IT WHEN I AM SICK...IT MAKES ME REALLY BEHIND ON EVERYTHING AND I FEEL REALLY DISCONNECTED FROM MY CHILDREN.  AND TO TOP IT OFF...TODAY WAS MY BIRTHDAY.  MY SWEET ANGEL YOUNGEST DAUGHTER MADE BREAKFAST IN BED FOR ME AND BROUGHT IT TO ME ON A TRAY AND I HAD TO TELL THE SWEETHEART THAT MOMMY COULDN'T EAT IT.  BUMMER!!!!!!  IT REALLY GETS ME DOWN EMOTIONALLY TO BE SICK AND OUT OF COMMISSION.  I REALLY USE THE WORD REALLY ALOT, DON'T I?  HERE'S HOPING THAT TOMORROW IS THE BEGINING OF BETTER DAYS.

MELANIE

The Homestead Carnival!

Update and My Wings

Today's thoughts

Thank you to everyone who visited and left such nice comments concerning our fire.  I appreciate your prayers!  Each day is getting a little better and I know that will continue.  Hard to believe it has been a week already tomorrow.  The insurance adjuster is coming in the morning, so then we can begin the clean up process, that will be fun........

With the beginning of the new year, I would like to try to make some changes in our schedule around here.  But with all of the other things going on, I feel like I just need to take a little time and chill out this week.  I hope to get to bed at a decent time, (I have been doing much better at that already) get up at a regular time, eat breakfast at a decent time, get out to do chores..........we seem to get started doing something and then it is late for breakfast.  Then it is should we eat breakfast or an early lunch? I also need to get a menu plan of some sort, I know that would be much easier than "what shall we eat?"  We have plenty of food in the freezer, but it seems like it is hard to think of what to fix or what sounds good.  When I have something in mind to fix I do not mind cooking at all, but it seems like we are in a rut as far as ideas.  And hubby being soooo picky doesn't make it any easier! 

Today we did roast one of our chickens and it was tasty.  So tomorrow will be chicken and noodles, one of our favorites.

There is a farm show in Topeka this week.  We usually go, don't ever buy anything and honestly there is very little of real interest to us as we are not official farmers, but it is kind of fun and we usually see some people we know.  I don't know if we will try to go or not yet.  We were waiting to see when the insurance adjuster would be coming.  We have not left here together yet since the fire except for about an hour last Friday.  One of the first things we said was now we will not be able to leave at the same time for a while.  I am not sure why we feel this way, as we were both home when it happened, so that didn't stop anything.  But, the fact that we were here to call for help was so important.  Anyway, the first  time we leave will be a little hard I believe, but it will have to be done sooner or later.

I baked a batch of cinnamon rolls today, I may have to make pies tomorrow, haven't heard yet.  I do have 1 pie to make for another lady on Friday.  I would really like to have some sort of schedule for baking, but right now it is just whenever?  I don't get a lot of other things done when I spend most of 2-3 days a week in the kitchen.

Today the weatherman said that we were exactly normal 37 for a high and 17 was the low.  Each day is supposed to be a little warmer, with Friday in the 50's.  Every day we have above freezing is a plus in my book.  I do not like to deal with frozen water tubs! Right now I only have a heater in one pen, but have figured out a way to easily fix one for another goat pen if it turns cold and stays that way for a while.

Time for bed.............

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Homeschool Record Keeping

I have been at this 10 years now?  And each year or every 6 months or so, I find something new to keep my progress recorded.  I do really REALLY love Homeschool Tracker, as I've stated on my homeschool blog, but in the current arrangement in the house, my computer is upstairs and we do most of our school downstairs.  I went back to paper record keeping.  I will use my Homeschool Tracker by recording our grades in that, so I can make up a transcript, quick and easy like, when the time comes. 

I was trying to find the perfect tool to record and to plan and I realized that what worked for some, didn't work for all classes.  I also had two notebooks and two children with two notebooks and it was getting to be a handful to carry around all these books.  I tried combining my record keeping with my home management binder, but I found I didn't use it at all because it was HUGE and cumbersome!   However, today, I decided just to put our study courses in a 3 ring binder.  I have dividers separating the different courses, and I made copies of one simple master sheet that works well.  The sheet is simple enough that I can modify it for both kids if they are studying the same material.  I can also add a column for listing grades on some assignments, when necessary. 

I like pretty.  I like unique and creative forms.  But when it really comes right down to it... I SOOOO love simple! Simple works.  Simple can be easily modified and still look uncluttered.  I've realized that I don't need fancy record keeping books.  But I do need to have records.  So, simple just seems to work all around. 

My plans are usually made on loose leaf paper, so sliding that in the appropriate course worked really well.  I've tried other planners, I actually like the CLASS record planner book and I like Rod and Staff's simple record keeping book, but with both books, I tend to get ahead in a subject or two and pretty soon I am flipping pages trying to keep track of a full day's work.  I've also tried a ring bound notebook or a ring bound project notebook.  Those work better, but when we change directions, it is hard to reorganize a ring bound plan.  I realized I needed a different system that worked with our style of learning. 

I like several things about the new record keeping book.  I have both students in ONE book.  Everything is clean, simple and clutter free; I have what I need and nothing more.  It is only the study subjects, so once books are put away, I put the record book away and it slides away in a drawer.  It is a small handy binder, only 1/2 inch wide.  I can see it will make school so much easier.  AND, I even allowed for some creativity.  I used a 1/2 inch 3 ring binder with the clear plastic pockets on the outside, so I can decorate and redecorate as I desire. 

I used it the first time today and my oh my did things run smoother and better.  I wasn't fumbling for a different book for a different subject.  When the girls asked a question, the book was handy for both of them.  If I was working on one subject and another came in to ask a question about another subject... I had the information right there...(each divider has the needed sheets filed with finished items filed to the back... so no flipping through all the pages to find the information I needed)... SOOOO NICE!  

I know it is hard to believe that I may have stumbled upon something that works, finally, especially since I've only used it one day.  But I have a hope and a peace about this that is different than other tries before.  Before I wanted something pretty, or something educational looking, something that was like what everyone else was using, or something that made me look intelligent if someone happened to snoop upon it.  LOL.  All the other ideas were motivated by selfish thoughts in some way or another.   I realized that isn't what I needed.  I simply needed a way to record our happenings that had some ability to shift and change when I did.  I was excited this morning to discover that something so simple can work. 

Now parts of my book are parts of systems that I have used in the past... the ones I tend to fall back on when I LOSE my book and when life is busy and I don't have time to fill in all the blank spots in the other planners and record keeping books.  That is likely the key to finding success in my record keeping system. They are tools I have used before, but ones I kept running away from because something new caught my eye!  When time was scrunched these simple pages worked.  When I misplaced my book, or my kids misplaced my book, I could grab a sheet and still work on some planning and add it to the notebook another time.  No more running to and fro looking for something better... may my heart be satisfied with simple! 

I'd post a picture, but thought that perhaps that wasn't best, afterall, what worked for me was finding those things that I needed to use for my specific area, for my specific family.  If you are searching for that perfect tool, consider the fact that perhaps, just perhaps you already have the materials to make your own simple record/planner book.  I just used the word processor on my computer to create a simple table that I could print out.  It included the items that I needed, period.  I placed it into a 3 ring binder, which worked best for me... what I discovered was that the size really made a difference.  I've used 1 inch, 1.5 inches, 2 inches, and even a 3 inch binder... but wow a small 1/2 inch binder feels JUST right for me!   May you find what works just right for YOU! 

Warmly, ~Melissa

2009 Goals

Some goals that need to be worked on this year:

1. Family goals: scriptures, praying together, family dinners, family meetings, worship, church functions, etc.

2. Personal goals: the list is too long.

3. Couple goals: conversation, spending, anticipating NEW babies, etc.  

I just saw a commercial on Plan B ?

What do you guys think about that?

It stops pregnancy if you forgotten to take your pills and had unprotected sex. 

[one night stand?]

No such thing as abstinance right?  Waiting for your husband? 

Maybe that's just me......