Homestead Dreams

Last week, while riding with my truck driver husband, I brought some yarn with me.  I decided to keep it simple and decided to make a potholder.  I made 2 squares and joined them together.  I finished it the night of 4th of July.  While I was finishing it, I had people watching me.  My mother's best friend said she wanted it(plus more) so I gave it to her that night. 

I have learned that they don't take very long to finish.  I started a set(2) the afternoon of the 5th for my stepbrother who was in for his dad's birthday and the 4th of July.  (He jokingly told me he wanted a set and I told him ok.  I guess he thought I was joking, too.)  The set was finished Monday morning, the 7th, the day he was flying back to California.   As I said earlier, I join two squares together, so I had 4 squares.  It makes for extra padding and protection.  Here is what that set looks like.  

This is the set I finished today.  I am keeping them for myself.  My 8yr old daughter is holding them up for me so you can see that they are pretty good sized.

I have come to the conclusion that a lot of the women on my Christmas list will be getting a set or 2 for gifts.  That way, everyone gets the same thing(different colors, though), so no fights that one got something better than another.

But sometimes I think it might be better if my father-in-law died.  You see, he suffers from Alzheimer’s, and it is tearing my husband apart.  Used to, my husband could call his dad and they would talk for hours.  Now, if my husband calls, his dad just sits there holding the phone and says very little if anything.  This man used to so active and into the outdoors and now sits in a chair all day or he is in bed. Sometimes, we think part of it is caused by my mother-in-law and one sister-in-law making all the decisions for him without asking what he thinks, all while he is sitting their listening to what they are saying.  The other sister-in-law and my husband will include him when they are there but as my husband and I and the second sister and her husband live a ways away from them it is hard to do at times. The first sister and her family lives with them. In all honesty, my husband and the second sister think that he has just give up on life.  And we don't know how to combat it.  So, if you would, please pray for my father-in-law and the situation he is in.  He is the only father figure I have left, since my father was killed in an accident 5 years ago.  And yes, I know the Father of us all is with me at all times.

Hi all.

I have had several people ask me about my homemade laundry soap. 

The recipe I used can be found on Crystals site, The Family Homestead under Homemaking and Home Management.  The link is as follows:  http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/index.html    The first time I used it, I followed it almost to the letter, except I used half a bar of Fels Naptha instead of 1/3.  Every other time I have made it, I have used 1/2 bar Fels Naptha, 1 cup washing soda, and 1 cup borax.  The cost does not change much.  It is still a lot cheaper than store bought.  Once it has cooled a little bit and starting to gel, I pour it into a detergent jug that I kept for that purpose once it was empty of the store bought stuff.  I hope this helps.

Well, we finally heard from the local company.  My husband had one too many moving violations. 

That just lets me know that God closed the door on that job.  It may not have been open for my husband anyways, it may have been us wanting it so badly.  All in God's time.  Maybe the door we need just hasn't shown up yet.   Or maybe it has.  My husband told me that the company his brother-in-law started working for may have an opening soon.  All we can do is wait and see what God has in store.  And pray.

We are in the process of looking for a mobile/modular home to put on the family farm.  My mother is getting to where she can't do alot of outside work.  That is where we come in.  For the most part, if she needs something done, she calls my husband and me because getting my brothers to do something is next to impossible.  Before we can do that though, we have to pay off a few bills.  At least we can look to see what we like and don't like.

In August, I went back to college.  I already have my associates degree.  Now, I am trying to get my bachelors degree in education.  I am studying to be a middle school math teacher.  So far, so good.  I know math teachers are needed almost everywhere.  One of my professors told the class that it is likely that we will have signed contracts before we even finish student teaching.  I know that teachers are not paid much, but i am not going into it for the money.  I am doing it for the students. 

Well, I guess that is it for now.  I need to get my kids in bed.

I know it has been a while, but I have been extremely busy these past few months.  My husband still has not heard from the local company, but his brother-in-law may have found him another one to check out.  We will just have to wait and see what happens.  For now, I am just praying something happens soon because my husband is not far from a nervous breakdown.  I have put the whole situation in God's hands because He knows what is going on and what is needed.

I am making bread today.  Here lately, it is on a weekly basis because my family prefers it over store bought.  I can understand why.   It is a recipe i got from my mother, and she probably got it from her mother.  My husbands family loves it when I cook and bake.  I would say that is because more often than not, most of them usually eat out or TV dinner type stuff.  When I make something to take to a family dinner, my bread or rolls are the first things gone.

My husband tells me all the time that my cooking is like his grandmothers, who happens to be in her 80's and still cooks and bakes, does canning and all the stuff that goes with a farm life.  I have started getting some of her recipes so that they will not be lost.  It is something that I can pass down to my kids when they are older.

Last week, I enrolled my kids in our library's summer reading program.  This year, the theme, is "Get A Clue".  Each week they have a different show or program for the kids.  This week, it was a ventriliquist.  He showed all the kids how they do some of the tricks of the trade.  My kids loved it!

Afterwards, the children's librarian read a book to go along with the theme.  This is when my kids went to get a drink of water.  Next week, it will be a magician which I know they will like.