The Hunnicutt Homestead

Paid Family Workers

Today I got  to paint more honey supers with N.  He was thrilled to have an extra job to do and after he had cheerfully said he would help I gladly offered to pay him two dollars for his work.  He was very excited and cheerfully went to work.

When C heard that money was involved, I found that he had picked up the dogs'  little yard gifts, given the dogs baths and brushed out their fur, as well as began volunteering to do just about every chore under the sun, for a little bit of cash.

I am conflicted over how to handle this.  One the one hand, I want the kids to enjoy the accomplishment of work and feel like a contributing and valued member of the family without payment.  On the other, I would like them to have a tangible reward for hard, cheerful work that is beyond their normal chores.  I also think that when they earn money doing extra work, they appreciate how much things cost, and learn how to manage their time and money.

In any event I am out about $12 after all was said and done today.  I'm beginning to feel like a sucker who really needs to lower my wages as well as my job opportunities!

Our kids don't get a weekly allowance for doing chores, so currently the extra work they do is paid.  I would love to hear from other people how they manage this. 

Happy Working!

Hand Tilling the Garden

I spent this past week using the hand tiller to do several rows of additional planting.  The tiller is constructed in a triangle, similar to that of a wheelbarrow.  My hand on each handle form one side, the other two sides of the triangle being formed by the handles meeting to a single wheel which has tines directly behind it..  I push as I walk behind my tiller, I guide it, convinced I am tilling a straight row.  I stop to lift the tiller and turn it around to go over the row  a second time.  I brush the hair out of my eyes and look down to survey my work.  The breeze is blowing slightly on this sunny day.  People are driving quickly past our house and I can feel their inquisitive eyes inspecting my efforts.  Thank goodness my rows are parallel to them.  My row of soft brown earth veers off track.  Very slowly and gradually, my "straight" row has ended about 6 inches off to the right of where it should be.  I am reminded of the proverb that says "There is a way that seems right to a man but ends end death."  My row seemed right, it seemed straight, but it didn't end where it should have.

Isn't this typical,  I think.  Nevertheless, I continue with my plowing, determined that when I set up my stakes and string I will correct my row with the seeds I plant.  I use my string to guide me while I plant.  It is apparent that I need a solid reference point other than my own eyeballs!  And so it is with my own life.

I can't help but think that Christ knew that parables relating to agriculture would be so effective and so long lasting, despite all of our grocery stores, wholesale markets, and mass production.  Anyone who has ever attempted to garden, especially in a straight row, quickly realizes that it is very tempting to turn away from the plow and get a drink of lemonade, perhaps even wanting to give up completely.  After all, there is a store on the corner where I can buy whatever I want without all this hassle.  Is this really necessary?  How important to me is it that I work the soil with my own hands, while my children quickly grow tired and cranky after pulling weeds or are begging me to stop, tugging on my arm wanting to go "do" something.  There is also that nasty pile of laundry and dishes in the house, those unanswered phone messages and the paperwork needing to be filled out for a specialist or the school.  Life's demands are always calling us to turn away from the plow.  After all, isn't something in life always calling us to be more, do more, live more (especially for ourselves!).  I can see why Martha complained while Mary sat at Jesus feet.  That would most likely be me, complaining about the work instead of enjoying a relationship with THE GOD of heaven and earth. 

It can be tricky, trying to balance our own spiritual growth and relationships with the birds, weeds, and shallow roots of our lives.  Just like the birds that want my seeds and berries, there is someone who wants to come snatch my faith away, perhaps someone who wants to discount the reality of it.  There are weeds in life that choke out time for learning, living and growing with and through Jesus.  Kids, appointments, phone calls, acitivities, work, etc.  I think this can apply to having shallow roots as well, for when the dry spells come, we are tried or find ourselves dissatisfied, to whom or to what do we turn to to fill that need?  If it is not God then it may satisfy for a moment and then be gone.

Biblically speaking, we were given the task of tending God's garden even before sin entered the world.  Of course, at first  we didn't have any weeds or garden pests and we didn't need to pray for rain or sun.  Christ comes and admonishes us not to give up but to keep our hands to the plow, not turning to look back.  Paul in his letters to the Thessalonians admonishes us to work with our hands and lead a quiet life, that we would be dependant on no one, and able to help others.  Of course, one can take these things quite literally, but what I am getting at is that there is a hidden blessing when we look to God to guide us in our work.

I think that when we do choose to work the soil, whether it be the literal soil in our garden or the soil of our hearts,if we perserve against the odds, the distractions, and the hardships, we can actually see something positive occurring.  After all, it is not how perfectly I plow my rows, but the fact that I am making the effort to do it.  I am working as if it depended on me, but I am also wholeheartedly putting my faith in the Lord to bring the rain, the sun, to make things grow and be fruitful, whether on my insides or in my outdoor garden.  I am counting on Him to "guide my steps and make my path straight."

At the beginning side of my garden I have rocks, weeds, grubs.  If I perservere through the planting, the droughts, the pests, the poor germination and the plentiful weeds, I find that I have an abundance of food, and more to share with anyone than I can find enough people to share with!  I can work even harder to preserve food so that my family has fresh organic produce that is healthier and more flavorful than anything I find at the store.  There is also a satisfaction I feel, knowing I can visibly see the outcome of my hard work.  Knowing that I spent my time adding beauty and contributing to the health of my family and others feels good.

Time to get back to attacking those weeds!

News from the Hunnicutts

Our breathing hasn't yet slowed as we are running to plant our garden as soon as the rain stops.  It is not fun planting in mucky conditions.  We have had a very cold, wet May this year.  Supposedly that is unusual for Ohio.  Just when S thought he was done with burning wood, I inform him that the house is at 66 degrees which is WAY too cold for me.  It's a good thing I'm not married to the dairy farmer next door- he doesn't heat his upstairs in the winter time but turns the water off to his upstairs bathroom so that the pipes don't freeze!  Meanwhile he and his family sleep under many blankets!

We planted several cold weather things back in April.  Now we are racing to get the rest in.  I had to replant my onions.  Not a one came up!  I've decided to plant all my herbs inside the cold frames so that this fall when it begins to get chilly we can just pop the top onto them.  Only one of my lavender plants survived the Ohio winter (Hidcote for those of you who are interested).  We were late with the mulch and coldframes so hopefully we'll have better luck this year.

Something is already chewing up the leaves of my green beans, and a rabbit has eaten 12 strawberry plants.  I'm thinking rabbit stew again...

My bees are doing well.  Our friend, Tony, from the beekeepers meeting, spent two hours with us the other day inspecting our hives.  I learned so much!  Tony helped me find 2 of my queens, and we identified the nurse bees, the drones, and of course, the workers.  We identified drone brood, and queen cells.  I had a colony with plenty of queen cells as well as bees.  It was getting ready to swarm.  We had to find the queen and split the hive, killing all of the queen cells that would be in her hive box, and leaving the other queen cells in the remaining colony.  It took us a while but we found her.

Another hive I had split wasn't doing well.  They were queenless and deteriorating.  We ended up rejoining that split.  My new colony seems to be doing well.  I'm hoping to get lots more honey this year and I am already smacking my lips!

Hopefully I'll have something more interesting to say next time.  That's all for now!

A Bible Garden

The following article was taken from http://blossomfarm.hypermart.net/ .  They sell a garden kit if you are interested in planting a bible themed garden, along with several other garden themes.  I thought this was interesting; definitely a different aproach! 

Herbs of the Bible
     In the Bible the importance of plants were mention in numerous scriptures. Vegetables such as: onions, cucumbers and beans. Fruit and nut trees such as: walnut, apricot, black mulberry and almonds. Ornamental trees such as: willow, oleander, popular, cypress, cedar, pine, tamarix, acacia and many, many more. But my interest is the study of historical uses of herbaceous plants.
I narrowed down the plants that are mostly winter hardy in our area in case you are interested starting your own bible garden. Most of the following plants are the real thing but as always there is question and much debate among scholars.
People who lived in Jesus' time were wonderful herbalists. Many herbal plants are mentioned in the bible. They used the herbs not only for food, but to flavor food and also for medicinal purposes. They did not visit the doctor around the corner or the hospital.
We know that biblical people set aside plots specifically for herbs: Kings 21:2
[And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.]
We can start with Adam and Eve. On day three of creation, we read about the earth bringing forth herbs. Genesis 1:11-12 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. Here we read that the Lord says for the earth to bring forth herbs. The garden is such that nothing needs to be planted because the Lord has already set everything in motion. On day six, God creates Adam and Eve and brings them into the garden. The Lord tells Adam that He has given him every green herb for meat. All Adam has to do is walk through the garden and pick some herbs and eat. Adam and Eve have it made in the garden, but it will not last long. In Genesis 3:1-7 we can read about the temptation and fall.
The following plants are a few found in scriptures in the bible and a few are just for fun.

Hyssop (Hyssops officinalis)
A lovely, shrubby low evergreen plant with blue summer flowers. Hyssop as we know it may or may not be the hyssop mentioned by David. Was once referred to as the herb used in purification: Psalms 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. It was also used for ritual cleansing and sprinkling of blood in the tabernacle Lev. 14:4,49 Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive [and] clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.
The medicinal use of Hyssop can be found in John 19:29. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. Today we know it has mild germ killing properties. A poultice of hyssop is said to help heal wounds and bruises. Teas have been used historically to treat fever, colds, indigestion and asthma and was most likely used for this back then. In Medieval monastery gardens all contained hyssop, which was believed to ward off the evil eye.

Sweet Flag or Calamus Root (Acorus calamus)
Sweet smelling Calamus refers to the many aromatic grasses found growing in abundance in the Holy Land. Iris like leaves similar to cattails but yellow green in color and very aromatic. Once used as a strewing herb on floors in churches, as people crunched the rushes underfoot, the fragrance was released.
In the scripture the Lord delivers instructions to Moses for the proper way to make and use a holy anointing oil Exodus 30:25. “Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,”
Calamus leaves were also used in Native American Indian purification rituals and historically used to dispel worms. Roots can be eaten raw or candied to soothe indigestion, coughs, and headaches. Until the late 1960s it was found in hair and tooth powders as well as bitters, tonics and liqueurs. Roots are used as a fragrance fixative in potpourri. Many people use the plant today for scenting linens; collect the rhizome in late fall and wash off the mud, chop up and dry well on screens, then place in little cotton muslin bags among you linens. It is also used in Asia to deter ants.

Rue (Ruta chalepensis)
Shrubby evergreen with an unusual blue green fern-like foliage, grows on the hills of the Holy Land as a low straggling shrub (because of the desert like weather) with pungent smelling leaves. Jesus referred to it being tithed Luke 11:42. "But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others."
An ancient symbol of sorrow, in Christian times it was nicknamed "Herb of Grace" for the grace given by God following repentance of ones sins. Brushes were made of the plant to sprinkle holy water before a Roman Catholic High Mass.
During the middle ages it was added to exorcism mixes to offer protection against evil spells and to ward off the plague. Historically, ointments were used to treat gout, rheumatism and sprains. Rue can cause photosensitivity when handle fresh with very unsightly dark pigments that take many months to go away. Ask me how I know!

Lavender (Lavendula angustiofolia)
Has been a favorite herb for centuries and my favorite as well.  The historic use and recognition of lavender is almost as old the history of man. As an herb, lavender has been documented in use for over 2,500 years. In ancient times lavender was used for mummification and perfume by the Egyptians and peoples of Arabia. The Greeks and the Romans bathed in lavender scented water and it was from the Latin word "lavo" meaning "to wash" that the herb took it's name.
Lavender is often mentioned in the Bible, not by the name lavender but rather by the name used at that time, spikenard. In the gospel of Luke the writer reports: "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment."
Another ancient Christian reference to lavender involves how it got its scent. The plant is believed to have been taken from the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve. However, the powerful perfume came later. According to legend the clothing of baby Jesus when laid upon a bush to dry by Mother Mary bestowed the scent. This may explain why the plant is also regarded as a holy safeguard against evil. In many Christian houses a cross of lavender was hung over the door for protection

St. Johns Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
We are all familiar with the popularity of St Johns wort used by herbalist as ‘Natures Prozac’. But historically, with the spread of Christianity the plant was associated with John the Baptist; it was said that it flowers on his birthday June 24 and bleeds red oil from its leaf glands on August 29 the day he was beheaded. But wether this is true or not I alway forget to pay attention that week. But I have actually notice red spot showing up later in the season. It is said harvesting on St Johns Birthday it is the most potent. It's ancient name, Fuga Daemonum, referred to it's power of driving away evil spirits. The night of St. John has been celebrated all over the world by peasant girls who hang the plant over their doors, and sleep with it under their pillows, to get rid of evil spells, or to foretell who their future husbands will be.

Rosemary
(Rosmarinus officinalis)
Has a pine-y aroma and dark green needle-like leaves, very rarely returning after our long wet springs. For centuries people thought that rosemary plants would grow no higher than 6 feet in 33 years so as not to stand taller than Christ. Another Story tells that the flowers were all originally white but changed to blue when the Virgin Mary hung her cloak on a bush while fleeing from Herod’s soldiers with the Christ child.
In medieval times it was burned to cleanse the altar. And was added to love sachets or place under the bed and above the door to protect from harm. Besides the historic uses, rosemary is best known for remembrance and friendship. At one time rosemary was in every wedding, and at funerals mourners tossed fresh sprigs into the grave as a sign that the dearly departed would not be forgotten. Even today rosemary signifies love, friendship and remembrance.

Costmary or Bible-leaf (Chrysanthemum balsamita)
This whole plant emits a soft balsamic aroma. Since colonial days, the leaves marked the pages of bible verses; however it did not serve as just an innocent bookmark. Sleepy churchgoers would sniff and nibble on the edges and they would be revived during long, boring sermons. I wonder if it could be determined which parish had the most boring clergy by the amount of Costmary grown in the area? Since it also has insect repelling properties I also believe they used as book marks to keep bugs at bay.


Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum)
Light green sprawling fluffy herb with clusters of airy yellow flowers. Mary is said to have prepared the Christ child's bed with this herb. Thereafter it was known as Our Lady’s Bedstraw, and the formerly white flower-heads turned to a golden hue. “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger... Colonials would also stuff pillows with Lady's Bedstraw to induces sleep with the honey-like vapors.

BITTER HERBS
Bitter Herbs are often mentioned in the Bible with sharp tasting bitter leaves. Considering the quality of their food, these digestive aids were probably very necessary for good intestinal bacteria and health. It is thought, by the scholars of the Bible, that many herbs were used in this manner, including dandelion, sorrel, hawkweed, sow-thistle, wild lettuce, mint, wormwood and chicory, which grow abundantly in the peninsula of Sinai, in Palestine and in Egypt.
Ex 12:8 The Israelites were commanded to eat the Paschal lamb "with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs".

Mint (Mentha species)
Mint was well known as being used for flavoring food as it still is today. Some bible experts say mint was among the "bitter herbs" mentioned. Mint was valued for its fresh aroma and sweet taste and often used to flavor meat. Also an important “strewing” herb, mint stems were hung in doorways and thrown on dirt floors to mask the effects of inadequate sanitation. Scholars disagree on which mint was actually the mint of the Bible. There were probably many mints then, as there are today. It freely crosses pollenates and produces great differences.
Luke 11:42 “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” .

Wormwood (Artemesia absinthum)
Moth repellent and excellent dried foliage used in herbal wreaths. A very lovely, silvery shrubby perennial that can be used in a shrub border. Once used to flavor alcohol; that use is now banned. The active ingredient, can lead to serious mental disorders if taken internally; do not, under any terms, use this herb internally!
Wormwood is frequently mentioned in Scripture, always for its bitterness, sorrow and suffering. According to legend, wormwood grew up in the trail left by the serpent’s tail as it slithered out of the Garden of Eden.
Jeremiah 9:13-15 And the LORD says: Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them... but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after [other gods]... Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I am feeding this people with wormwood, and giving them poisonous water to drink.”
Revelation 8:11
In John’s vision of the end of the world, a star fell from heaven. “The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many died from the water, because it was made bitter.”

In conclusion, all herbs are Biblical. However, we have come to think of some as more meaningful to Biblical times. The real beauty of the plants lies in the association with the inspiring stories of the Bible.
It is with a garden that the Bible begins....

Spring Update

I rolled the coarse dry dirt through my work golves and thought about how little rain we'd received the past two weeks.  I'm going to need to get the sprinklers out!  I am surprised because last year it rained so often and this year started out very wet.  We've gotten the following planted: lettuces, green beans, carrots, onions, sugar snap peas, and potatoes.  I should be transplanting my other herbs and veggies soon.  Our blackberries seem to be doing well.  I'm not so sure about our grapes.  They look rather slow to bud.

S has been busy splitting wood, mending the barn roof and raking the newly mowed yard.  I reseeded the yard and this weekend S will be seeding the field with wildflowers and clover.  We still have the fence to repair so that we can get 2 goats for the field.

Koshka had her kittens.  There are four of them and they are so tiny and dark grey.  She kicked fat Louie out of his cardboard box and took it over for her nest.  Unlike Bella she gets up and away from her kittens a bit more often, seeking a good stretch and rub one the back from one of the kids.  Koshka is a very mild mannered mama.  Like Bella, she will let us pick up her babies and pet her at any time.

I am sorry to admit that I couldn't eat the rabbit stew.  N and I just couldn't bring ourselves to taste it.  Shane and C ate most of it.  The girls ate some but as they really don't prefer stew of any kind it went hard with them.  I didn't let on that I wasn't going to eat it but S picked up on it right away.  I guess I've still got too much of the city in me!

Daffodils and tulips are abounding and our apple trees and redbuds are fragrantly blooming.  It is so wonderful to watch things change and spring from what appears to be a lifeless state.  Sometimes it seems as though I can literally observe the growth before my eyes!

Back to work...

Beekeeping

The springtime weather caused a little problem for me as a beekeeper.  I had received my package of bees on Saturday but had to keep them in the house until Tuesday due to the cold weather.  I sprayed them with sugar syrup twice per day to make sure they had plenty to eat.  There were a couple of "hitchhikers" on the outside of the package and I left them there.  This made S a bit nervous but they were fine and stayed close to their queen.  I loosely wrapped a piece of newspaper around them to help contain them as well as insulate them.

Finally Tuesday came and it was sunny and warm (approx. 55 degrees).  To help ensure a successful colony, I took 2 frames from an existing hive and placed it in the brood chamber for the new package.   When I was removing the queen cage from the box of bees I accidentally dropped it and she fell onto a nice pile of bees within the package box.  I had to reach my hand in there and retrieve her and it was wild to feel the vibration of hundreds of bees covering my gloved hand.   I then placed the queen in between the frames and shook the rest of the bees over her. 

I had spent 3 hours sanding and painting my new hive supers earlier in the week.  I had also made approximately 6 gallons of sugar syrup to feed to my two existing hives as well as the new package and for a split of one of the stronger hives.  So far both have gone off without a hitch.  I am also anxious to try placing a pollen catcher on the strong hive I didn't split.

Tomorrow I will be checking to see if the bees have eaten the queen out of her cage.  If not, I will just uncork the other end.  I noticed today that they had made a good dent in the candy but there was a ton of it in there.  My split hive seems to be doing well but doesn't seem to have raised many field bees and I'm also not sure of a queen.  I need to continue to observe it and will relax a bit more when I see more bees flying about the entrance and can observe some nice eggs in the frames.

Other than monitoring the bees I can rest a bit where they are concerned and let the bees do their thing...work work work!

A Rabbit in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush

Greetings!  We have had a very exciting week here.  Our cat, Bella, gave birth to 4 beautiful little kittens and is back to her skinny svelte self.  (I wish it was that easy for the rest of us!)  Two of the kittens look identical with mostly grey and a bit of white, just like their mama.  The third was a calico, and the fourth was all black.  We watched Bella give birth in the laundry basket of our laundry room.  She preferred for me to stay with her and pet her, for if I left the room she would follow me meowing until I returned to the laundry room with her!  I understand that this is unusual for cats as they typically hide and do not want to have anything to do with anyone during their queening process.  She was in labor for 4 hours and did a great job, meowing during the pushing but generally quiet and dignified. 

I had checked a book out from the library about cats as this was a first for me to see kittens born and I'm glad I did.  First, I learned that kittens are often not identical because a cat can mate with different males during the period she is in heat and thus have one litter with kittens from different fathers!

Second, I learned that after each kitten is birthed, the mother must lick the membrane surrounding her kitten open so that it can breathe.  She then must bite the umbilical cord and expel the after birth for each kitten, which she then eats.  It was important to make sure that for every kitten the afterbirth was expelled from her body.  By the fourth kitten, Bella was tired.  She wasn't licking the membrane open so I rubbed it open with a washcloth, fearing that if I didn't the kitten would die  She then finished cleaning him (or her) up.  The afterbirth was still connected to Bella's womb through the kittens umbilical cord and after waiting it wasn't being expelled.  I then had to take a clean rag and tug on it to pull it from her body.  As I began this she meowed and then pushed it the rest of the way out.  She took care of the rest.

On a different note, we managed to plant our 45 strawberry plants and get them covered before it started to rain very hard.  This morning as we were drinking our tea, S looked out the window and noticed a large rabbit hopping in the garden towards the strawberry plants.  I was amazed as our dogs were approximately 7 feet away.  This rabbit must have been very hungry!  Needless to say, the dogs couldn't stand it and broke through the electric fence to give chase.  We ran around to the front yard and opened the door to see just how far they were going.  To my surprise, Blackjack stood shaking with excitement at the glass door.  Lightning was a several feet behind him with the rabbit in his mouth.  They had returned to show us their prize!  We praised the dogs and told the kids how glad we were that the rabbit would not be eating up all of our hard work in the garden.

S is our in the barn now skinning the rabbit and I will be making a fresh rabbit stew for our lunch.  After digging through various books I thought it might be fun to use the following recipe taken from an antique book I had purchased.  The book was published in 1829 so the language is a bit outdated.  The book is titled MacKenzie's Five Thousand Receipts in all the Useful and Domestic Arts.   Here it is for your reading pleasure with identical spelling and wording from page 173:

A tureen of hodge-podge of all different sorts:

Take either a brisket of beef, mutton, steaks, whole pigeons, rabbits cut in quarters, veal or poultry; boil a long time over a slow fire in a short liquid, with some onions, carrots, parsnips,turnips, celery, a fagot of parsley, green shallots, one clove of garlick, 3 of spices, a laurel leaf, thyme, a little basil, large thick sausages, and thin broth or water; when done, drain the meat, and place it upon a dish intermixed with roots, sift and skim the sauce, reduce some of it to a glaze, if desired;glaze the meat with of it, then add some gravy on the same stew-pan and broth sufficient to make sauce enough with pepper and salt : sift it in a sieve, and serve upon the meat.  If brisket of beef is used, let it be half done before putting in the roots, which should be scalded first, as it makes the broth more palatable.

I won't be using my fireplace today, but I can just picture a woman in a long sleeved dress with long skirts, stoking up a large fire with her iron pot hanging over the top, water boiling.  She would also have bread rising in front of the fire and perhaps a pie in the beehive oven!  Most of the receipts or recipes in this book measure ingredients in weight, so all of her dry goods would be stored in bulk, and likely she would be sending her children to fetch the various items she needed.  What a life!  I think I'll be using my crockpot today.....

Have a great week! 

Spring Planning

There is a proverb that says "If you are too lazy to plow in the right season, you will have no food at the harvest.."  Simple enough, but I wonder what would be said today in the wake of artificial sunlight bulbs, expensive planting mixes and heated seedling trays.  Our last day of frost here in Ohio is May 15th, but yesterday we began to till the compost we had collected into our garden.  We are getting ready to plant 45 strawberry plants which will also be under row covers.  I have started my seedlings and am looking forward to a fruitful season.  We have already had 13 inches of rain this year (the average is 8) and so I'm not too worried about drought.

Shane has finished the Waldorf-Astoria of chicken coops and we now have 15 chicks peeping under a heat lamp.  We purchased two different breeds: Rhode Island Reds and White Leghorns.  When they get old and are no longer laying well they can go in a pot of soup.  We've told the kids to give them names like "Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner" but the kids have opted for "Fluffy, Fooey, Beaky" and the like.

We have two female cats who are pregnant and two other males (neutered) living in the barn.  Both female cats have come from elsewhere and we are really looking forward to the kittens as none of us have ever had the full experience before.  The kids are very excited and love to watch Bella's tummy move.  Bella is kept in the laundry room so we won't miss anything.  Koshka showed up later and is not as far along.  She will probably hide them somewhere in the barn as that is her favorite place to be.  All our cats are extremely friendly and love to be pet by the kids.  Anyone out there need a cat?

My bees seem to be prolific.  This week I will be painting more supers and will go from 2 hives to four this spring.  I'm hoping to have a harvest of about 130+ pounds of honey this year.  I will also be trying my hand at raising honeycomb and may even enter it into the fair.

Shane needs to prune our apple trees and spray them with dormant oil, we need to fix our field fences for goats and continue to plan our garden.  Shane is also growing a window cleaning business which is looking promising.  He also has many tree branches to cut up for firewood as the ice storm we had a few weeks back left some damage.

It is quickly becoming a busy time of the year.  It is eagerly welcomed after such  a long dreary winter as it indicates that warmer sunnier days are just around the corner!

Parenting Special Needs Children

It is 24 degrees outside and snow is falling steadily.  School has been cancelled for the kids.  The girls are upstairs playing princess.  The boys have gone outside with S to split wood and carry it into the shed to dry.  I am blissfully left with time to contemplate all sorts of things, but today I will be confessing my difficulties in parenting children with learning issues.  As this is a confession, be prepared for some brutally honest feelings.  My point in sharing them with you is to show that I am human, and that my hope and my help comes from the God of creation.

Before becoming a parent, and even after having 2 biological children, I always envisioned my children as being extremely bright, clever, intelligent and resourceful.  After all, haven't we always been told that we can accomplish anything if we work hard and "believe in ourselves"?  Ah, but there is the deception!  You have heard me say this before; biblically we were never promised this.  While hard work is a virtue and comes with a blessing in and of itself, anyone who takes the time to think about it notices that while we are all created equal in God's eyes (He does not play favorites),  we are all given different abilities , different gifts, different trials and temptations.  Obviously some struggle with math, others with athletic ability, some are great at art and music, others excel in the area of conversation and making others feel welcome or included.  Some are beautiful, others, hideous to the human eye.  While these things are obvious, we still lay expectations on our children to be a certain way.  So what happens when our child doesn't fit our own expectations, nor meets the ability to learn the basic skills necessary to live what we think is a productive life?

Lately I am finding myself troubled over my relationship with one of my daughters.  With a special needs child who is currently undergoing evaluation for learning disabilities and cognitive delays, I find myself becoming easily frustrated as well as grieving over the loss of anticipated special moments that we would have shared over various milestones in our relationship, were the learning issues not present.

I had been looking forward to several things.  One was discussing great classical works of literature.  Another was sharing a love for learning, music, art, language, and culture.  However, this is proving to be moot.  At the age of five my daughter is unable to name her colors.  She is unable to recognize letters and numbers.  She can not make the connection between counting and identifying the result.  She is unable to follow two step directions.  So what do I do now?

Last week I was walking through a bookstore and picked up a beautiful illustrated copy of Jane Eyre.  This is a book I would be thrilled to read together with my daughters and discuss.  Now I am not sure she will even be able to learn to read.  The thought brought tears to my eyes and I reluctantly and sadly replaced the book back on the display shelf.  It would be something else altogether if my child was able to learn to read and preferred to do sports or music or some other talent.  I would wish to encourage her in whatever direction she was interested.  However, Iit is difficult to read a simple preschool book to her.  She will zone out, shaking her head and staring at some distant object.  I will ask her something about the story and she is at times able to answer, however usually I am prompting her to look at the pictures in the book and pay attention.  To have a child who is not able nor interested in learning is heart breaking to me.

Before bed last night S and I were discussing the difficulties of trying to impart learning and knowledge to this particular child.  It is exactly like banging one's head against the wall repeatedly and getting no different result other than the intensity of the headache.  The frustration and consternation of it is exasperating!  Some days I find myself giving up completely.  I notice myself keeping my distance, losing my self in my work or my other children, which is hardly fair.  Simply put, I am at a loss with what to do with this child. 

Obviously, it is sinful for me to write her off as useless or a waste of time.  At the same time I find myself thinking that to keep trying with no different result is insanity.  So, I keep contacting specialists.  I try to encourage her in the things she can do.  I try to remember the ways that she is able to bless others.  This is my challenge, to focus on the good things.  Some days this is very hard.  After 20 minutes of looking in her room my daughter is crying because she cannot find her shoes.  The shoes are in plain sight over by her play table. 

"Use your eyes!"  I exclaim.  "They are right here!  Why didn't you line them up in their place when you took them off so you could find them easily!?"  I know my tone and expression frightens her and causes distress in what is already a stressful situation for her.  I am filled with exasperation and feel the urge to yell, wanting to be able to physically do something to break through whatever it is that is blocking her ability to look for her shoes.  I don't.  Instead I tell her to go downstairs to breakfast.  She moves very slowly, heading for the far stairs instead of the ones in front of her that lead directly down to the kitchen.    I grab her arm and turn her towards the correct stairs, saying, "Quickly!  Everyone is already down there and ready to eat!"  On these difficult days I am not patient, I am not kind, and at the end of the moment or the day, I am full of sorrow for my sin. 

It is very humbling for me to think that God has given me this child and I am failing her!  It is often a prayer of mine to help me to love her and see her the way God sees her.  I know she is extremely special to Him.  I know there is a purpose for her here.  Additionally I know there is a purpose for me, but I am blind to what these purposes are and how to go about fulfilling them.  I feel as though I am in an invisible prison, feeling for a way out but only coming up against solid iron walls that have no windows, no doors.  So, I pray.  I trust in the faithfulness of God's word.  He is my hope, and the hope of my children.  I want Him to change me, to make me a better mother, one who is more able to understand and empathisize with her daughter's needs and difficulties in life, to be able to be her supporter, her encourager.  I am waiting to see the story unfold, to see the adventure and miracle of this lifetime.  I know I am unable to change myself, just as I am I am unable to change my children.  I can not remove myself or my daughter from this mental confinement.  I must lean on the Author of Life to be the Author of my life, to be my sustenance, my strength, as well as my refuge.

Later on, my daughter will suddenly come to me and gently rub my back while I am reading or working on the computer.  "I love you, Mama."  she tells me with a shy smile.  I stop what I am doing and tell her, "I love you, my sweet girl.  You are such a good girl, do you know that?  You work very hard and are a good helper.  I love you!"  I meet her little face with a smile and a kiss and I hold her for a while.  We sing songs or visit and snuggle, until the moment ends when someone else needs something or the phone rings.  At those times I can't help but think, why am I so blessed?  Life is so unfair to her, to me. 

Then I reluctantly remember "...we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perserverance; and perserverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."  Romans 5:4,5.  I encourage you to read the subsequent verses in Romans on your own, reflecting on God's love and our reconciliation to Him, especially when times seem difficult or discouraging.  It is my hope.

Comfort Food

It's the end of the day and I'm ready to relax.  After battling sibling rivalry, issues with dishonest defiance, and just plain overwhelming housework, I figure I'm ready for a special treat after the kids are in bed.  So, for the rest of you that want some good ol' warm sweet comfort food in the winter, here's my favorite:

1/2 cup of old fashioned (not quick) oats, raw

3 large spoonfuls of peanut butter

2 large spoonfuls of honey

Place all in a bowl and microwave for approx. 30 seconds.  Stir it up, add some chocolate chips on top and enjoy it with a huge glass of whole milk. 

I'm heading for my spot by the fire with a good book & my bowl of calories...see ya:)

Prayer Time

This morning driving home after dropping the boys off at school I enjoyed the snow and the quiet time to pray by myself, out loud, with no ears listening but God's.  We pray often as a family, or just with the kids, but I rarely have an uninterrupted moment to pray on my own.  Just the other night,  with the door closed after the kids had been tucked in, I was kneeling before my bed, head bowed and lips speaking my soul to the Lord.  S bursts in and I hear a "Oh, sorry", as he stumbles back out shutting the door behind him.  If I pray in bed I'm interrupted by my husband's wandering hand or a cry on the monitor from one of the kids rooms.  Peaceful interludes have not been found often in our home.  I find I treasure those quiet solitary moments when I can get them.

Despite my grumblings, I am more privileged than many.  I recently finished a book by Randy Alcorn called Safely Home (5 star rating by the way), which is a book regarding the persecuted underground Christian church in China.  With families living together in a one room home, there is no privacy.  With worship being unlawful in any group setting other than the governments few "registered" churches, it can be difficult for our brothers and sisters there to worship or pray together at all.  I'm sure the "in your head prayers" are the most common.

As I think of this I am glad that the Lord knows what we need before we even think or ask.  I am glad we are given the example of Daniel who, as he begins to pray the angel is sent to answer Daniel.  The angel says he was delayed....wow! and Daniel hasn't even finished praying yet!   I am also grateful that God's spirit intercedes for us.  I am thankful to live in a country where we are allowed to worship at home, in any church, that we are allowed to speak of our faith (although some may try to squelch this liberty). 

As everything we think ,do, or feel is noticed by our Creator, I am confident that He cares.  He knew we were going to have busy days and nights, persecution, as well as constant interruptions.  We only need to think our prayers and they are heard.  The next question is, are our hearts and heads filled with thoughts of seeking God?  Or, more commonly, are they consumed only with ourselves?  I pray that God's word would be hidden in my heart, that I would not sin against Him.  I pray that my heart would be filled with God's love so that what comes out of my mouth would be the overflowing love of God in my heart.  For me, this must be a daily prayer.  I can easily dwell on what is hindering me, what I can't do, or the obstacles in life.   Or, I can be consumed with ideas of what I would enjoy or what pleases me right now (instant gratification, anyone?  convenience?) instead of considering how I would best serve the God who loves me enough to die in shame for what I have done wrong. 

Now that I've had time for all of this written reflection, I better get off my duff and do some dishes!  It is also too easy to sit and ponder such lofty spiritual thoughts and not be a "doer of the word", actually following through on them.

Update on the Hunnicutts

Well, after much nervousness on my part, the boys did very well in testing to enter the local Christian school.  N was a joy to the teacher and C tried very hard.  C did get tired of sitting and writing for such a continuous period of time-something he is not used to at home.  So, much to the teacher's surprise, C got up during the middle of working on one of the worksheets to do hand and leg exercises.  I'm sure that that is not something she experiences everyday.  C is our one child who has difficulty keeping his rear in the seat for mealtimes.  It will be interesting to see what wins out in the classroom-pressure to conform to sitting or his need to move.  The nice thing is that his teacher is willing to let him stand while doing papers if he feels the need.

For those of you still very focused on homeschooling be encouraged- I was schooling the boys approximately 2 hours a day plus supplemental reading.  They were still ahead in many areas of learning than in the school.  I am amazed at how little is needed in order for them to learn.  Of course, I feel my boys are particularly bright (what mother can help thinking such a thing?), and even with all of the complaining and stresses of our changing lives, they have proven to be exceeding my expectations and adapting very well.

Additionally we have had our transition meeting for the girls to go to preschool.  There are multiple areas of concern with the girls pointing to possible cognitive delays in addition to delays in motor skills and language.  The girls will be going through more evaluations to see what additinonal services they may need to receive in the kindergarten classroom or if they will be better off attending a special ed school.  The girls will also be seeing the opthamologist in Feb to determine vision needs.  As some of you know, the girls have nystagmus and have been diagnosed with spasmus nutans.  We have also been told that D will probably always have depth perception issues due to her corrective eye surgeries.  We are not as pleased with the eye professional here as we were with our former dr. in ABQ, but specialists are hard to come by and you take what you can get. Note- I will be a bit pushier next visit to make sure the girls get the proper attention needed.  At times this physician can seem a bit too nonchalant regarding some of the girls' issues.  It is infuriating as a parent to hear some one treat your child's struggles as if they are not a big deal and as if I need to resign myself to accepting them without trying to improve or help the situation.  When you love your child you always continue to try to help them, to strengthen them for the adult life to come.

S has begun the paperwork for his window cleaning business, as well as becoming certified to be a substitute teacher when his schedule is slow.  We are also still planning out our 1/4 acre fruit and vegetable garden for the year.  I need to get my seedlings started very soon, however my home is a bit upside down right now due to a basement that is the process of being disinfected of mold and repaired for leaks.  Once all of the basement storage gets put away I will have the room needed to set up my seedling station.

I have decided to not pursue a Masters at this time.  The schedule is not conducive to our family life.  Instead, I am focusing on learning Russian on my own and have contacted several folks who can hopefully provide links to local persons with a Russian or Ukrainian background with which to practice speaking.  I will be continuing to write on my own as well.  We will see where all of this leads. 

The boys have started a Jiu Jitsu 8 week class at church with S.  The three of them love it.  I'm glad they have found an outlet outside of our living room for them to wrestle!  That is one thing I really dislike- lots of noise and rough-housing indoors.  I just don't understand all of the physical energy and rambunctiousness that seems to be a requirement in the life of a male.

Time for breakfast-have a great day!

New Chapter

Well, it has been an exciting year.  Have we set out to do what we had wanted? Yes, if the main focus was to spend time together, all 6 of us, as a family.  We've strengthened relationships and learned new skills.  Here's a list of what we feel we have accomplished:

1. Increased our trust in God to provide and lead us in our lives.  Not too many people we know would quit their job and move to another part of the country where they didn't know anyone in the community to start their own business- and a laborious one at that.
2. We've learned the pleasure and value of hard work.  While we always like to think of ourselves as hard workers, we've really bitten off quite a bit this past year, tackling more than we imagined.  The boys in particular have learned a lot more about self discipline and the joy of working physically hard on something.
3. We managed to renovate a 180 year old home.
4. We've learned to get back to the basics, baking bread from scratch, organic gardening on a larger scale, putting food by for winter consumption, the benefits of raw milk, taking care of animals, heating our home with wood (which entails a whole other list of chores!), as well as beekeeping.
5. Learning more about ourselves, about the realities of homesteading and running a farm based business.

The last accomplishment has lead S and I to reexamine our goals, ideas, and realities, particularly in light of who we are.  Starting out we had made some assumptions that homesteading would be difficult, but worth it.  We figured that while we were expecting to give up  trips to town, nicer clothes, healthcare benefits, a more socially active lifestyle and vacations it would all be worth it in light of the benefits we would receive.  Well, I'm here to tell you that it isn't as rosy or romantic as some would think.

I have learned that I like to go to town for social reasons- eating out, visiting friends, attending plays, orchestras and the like.  I have always loved the arts and love to share that with my kids.  Just the gas alone calls for a higher level of disposable income.  Homestead farming doesn't exactly allow for that.

Additionally it has been difficult to break into the homeschooling group here.  I am feeling like we are schooling our kids in a bubble- in isolation from the rest of the world.  Not exactly ideal.

It would be nice to have family vacations other than at the coldest time of the year.  Plus, it seems that doing everything in moderation lends itself to a healthier state of being.  It is not good for all of us to be cooped up and idle from October to March!

There are some who may criticize our current state of mind but we feel that it is time to make some adjustments.  In our defense, let me just say that nothing we ever "do" can make us pleasing in sight of the Lord.  Our works are like rags to Him who is holy-filthy rags at that.  Trying to live a certain life can cause us to forget the gift of grace we have been given.  It can also cause us to look at ourselves as the source of any positive outcome.  For example- if my  kids are turning out wonderful (and yes, my kids are wonderful!), do I attribute that to the Lord's answer to prayer and Him blessing our family?  Or do I attribute that to my own doing?  Unfortunately for me I think I've been a bit too smug in my own self-righteousness.

We have decided to seek placement in our local Christian school for our children.  Gasp!  Oh, no!  We are being disobedient to the call of raising our children according to the Lord's will!  I think not.  Placement in school does not negate our home life or our worldview.  If anything, I am hoping it provides a bit more experience for my children to love others in a way that they would not have received in our homeschooled environment.  I have also seen too many kids as well as adults become prideful in homeschooling.  No one likes someone who is boastful or wise in their own eyes- regardless of their convictions.

I also haven't felt that I have been able to utilize the gifts God has given me as an individual according to His will.  Selfishness?  No- in my defense I am not running out there to try and earn more money at the expense of my family.  I am not seeking my own pleasure at my family's sacrifice.  I am trying to seek the route that God would have me follow in order to serve Him better.  I am seeking to find joy and happiness in the way He has created me versus trying to be someone I am not.  I don't feel I could have learned this any other way than attempting to live the lifestyle of farming and homeschooling in the country.

Thankfully, my husband and I have reached these revelations at the same time and are united.  Neither one of us is dragging the other down a road we are reluctant to travel.  As always, life is an adventure with God.  Whoever claims Christianity is boring hasn't really tried it to the level of full surrender.  Every new avenue can be exciting, like a new chapter in a thrilling book, one that you can't wait to see unfold.

News from the Snow Front

For anyone keeping up with the Hunnicutts, we'd like you to know we have been having a blast with the Ohio snow!  We've had 2 snow storms this month, both resulting in multiple inches of snow.  The boys (Shane included) have been sledding down the hill to the west side of the barn for afternoons at a time.  It is always amusing to watch N struggle with all of his snow gear to finally get suited up and ready for hours of fun outside.  He could barely see out from under his hat and hood, and his little fingers don't quite reach the fullness of his gloves.

The girls and I have mainly preferred to stay indoors by the fire, reading stories, or preparing hot chocolate.  We also sing Christmas songs A LOT.  What would Christmas be without the songs?  I also took the girls out for about 30 minutes while we made a snowbaby for the Mama and Daddy snowmen already in the yard.  Mia and I also made snow angels.

Along with singing songs, we've read several Christmas children's books that all have really enjoyed.  One we particularly enjoyed is The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, about a man who is the best wood carver in town, but he is extremely gruff and unsmiling because of losing his wife and baby to illness years before.  After a widow and her son come to request his services to carve a nativity set for them, Mr. Toomey's heart reluctantly begins to soften.  This book has beautiful pictures and many great talking points of how Jesus would have us spend our time demonstrating Christmas to others who need His love the most.

The second book we read was called The Keeper of the Flame, a book about how the town of Noel has an annual lighting of the "Christmas Flame", performed by the person the keeper chooses based on who gives the truest and best gift.  The moral in this story being that it is ourselves, our hearts, that are the most important gift we can give.

We've also been enjoying our 'Adornaments', an ornament with scripture for each of the twelve days of Christmas, as well as a small Advent treat.  We have had fun with the Advent this year, as we have turned it into a treasure hunt for candy based on the scriptures we read and the clues that come from it.  For example, we talked about Isaiah 7:14 which says: "Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel."  We discuss how the Lord provided a star to guide the magi as a sign; how the sign that Jesus was Messiah was the virgin birth and fulfillment of many prophecies.  We then talk about some signs that we observe today that the Christmas season is here (tree, lights, nativity, etc).  The children are given a clue such as ''your candy is hidden under a sign that Christmas is near..."  The kids search and love it when they find candy under the tree, or near some other "sign" of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Memory Tree and Community

Our bellies are full, our tree is up and our fires are burning bright.  We are excited for Christmas, cold weather, and the fun of our traditions.

Yesterday was spent rearranging furniture to try and make room for our Christmas tree.  I haven't necessarily been able to trim up the house in the way I would like to fully imagine.  I don't have a wreath or lights around each and every window, nor do I have beautiful centerpieces or garland within the house or on the mantles.  At least I know that I would not want my tree to look any other way.  I will take my tree of memories over any fancy, impersonal color coordinated tree at the department store any day!

Once again, most of our ornaments are towards the bottom half of the tree, those places where it is easier for the children to reach.  The kids seem to relish discussing the memory or meaning behind each ornament.  I think they love being able to participate in a family activity that is so special without being told, "No, you're too little", or receiving some type of correction.

The excitement in their eyes as they view each ornament from the past is contagious.  M and D were thrilled to see their "baby" picture ornaments from their first Christmas with us as a family.  N was very proud to hang each of his own making from every year prior to this.  "I've made the most!" he boasted.  C was able to help prepare and set the tree up prior to decorating.  Until now he was eager but in the way.  One thing still remains- C still begs to eat really old stale candy canes that we have kept from previous years!

M & D love babies so it was no surprise to hear them arguing over which of them would hang each and every "baby Jesus".  After each was hung they immediately went into the preschool version of "Away in a Manger" complete with motions.  How funny that the birth of Christ can cause so much dissension and unity in a 5 minute span!

We are mulling over the idea of having a Christmas party at our home with a few of the neighbors and friends we have met here this year.  I love the idea of having a roaring fire in the dining room, roasting chestnuts, having a kettle of apple cider and coming up with a few old fashioned parlor games to play.  I get the impression that for many people, parties are mostly limited to office parties, some school parties, but not the kind of true community or fellowship parties.  People are so busy these days that the school or work life they are involved in has become their community, replacing deep meaningful friendships as well as an escape from the many family stresses or responsibilities we all face.  I'm hoping that by opening our home people actually enjoy themselves and relax here.  I'm also hoping to slowly build a community for ourselves.

Unlike many families, we don't pretend to be Santa for our kids on Christmas by giving gifts "from Santa", etc.  Our kids know who Saint Nicholas was and why so many other families choose to play Santa.  S & I have chosen to focus on Christ as our giver of good gifts.  However, as Saint Nick dropped money and good things into the stockings warming by the fire of those who were poverty stricken in his day,  out of his love for God, we have hung a stocking upon our mantle with the intention of blessing someone else as a family.  We prayed together as a family asking the Lord to help show us whom He would like for us to help this Christmas.  As different ideas come to each of us, we write them down and put them in the stocking.  After two weeks we will review them together and decide what and how we can help.  We are excited to play Santa to someone who might actually need a Saint Nick at this stressful time of year.

Merry Christmas a month early!

Chestnuts & Chopping Wood

The boys are getting stronger each day, especially as we have them refilling the wood bins each morning now.  It is a part of their daily chores to go to the woodshed adjacent to our side porch, and carry in several thick logs to pile up in the log bins next to each wood stove and the dining room fireplace.  Additionally, they bring in kindling and newspaper.  Our stoves are heating our house very well.  We don't have a woodburning stove upstairs but it never gets colder than 65 upstairs so far, even on nights down in the 20's.  I love the smell of the fire and the coziness of it as well.

M & D are getting stronger and faster as well.  The girls are very helpful, especially with preparing and clearing the table, putting laundry away, and M has been feeding the cats and dogs once in awhile.  D recently got her ankle support braces and it has been interesting to see her get stronger and faster already.  Tomorrow I meet with their preschool teacher to see how they are doing in school.  I'm actually looking forward to it as I know they love school and the teachers are always so tickled to see them.

This evening I sent the boys out to gather chestnuts.  We finally managed to discover that the prickly balls falling from a large unidentifiable tree were actually Chinese Chestnuts.  C and I pried one open to reveal a large amount of moist yellow "meat" on the inside.  We each tasted it and it was slightly sweet.  I decided to buy a chestnut roaster for the fireplace as well as a chestnut knife to score them so they could expand while roasting.  It sounds as if we really need to buy another tree or two so that they can pollinate one another and thus perform better.

We've also discovered mice in the house.  Thankfully I am not one to freak out over mice, but I do not like being startled suddenly by an unknown critter.  I was laying on the couch in the living room talking with S the other night and noticed movement down on the floor behind him.  I yelled "mouse" and pointed towards it.  Shane jumped up and searched with a flashlight for awhile but it had already escaped.  We suspect that we really need to move filling the holes leftover from removing the old hot water boiler system to the top of our priority list now.  In the meantime we've set a couple of traps.  I long for an indoor cat but our allergies and asthma can't tolerate one indoors.

I baked a beautiful loaf of bread from scratch today using a sourdough starter.  It was called Pain de Campagne or French Country Style Bread.  It had a touch of rye flour in the recipe.  S & C loved it.  I'm not used to kneading anything for 10 minutes but I actually enjoyed the working of the dough in my hands.  It was kind of rhythmic as well as soothing.  My mind was able to relax and drift to different thoughts as the boys were outside and the girls were napping.  Making bread can be a relaxing past time as well as a wholesome addition to the table.  Plus it is just really cool to say, look what I made!

I am reading a book by Shane Claiborn called The Irresistable Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical.  I am enjoying this book so much more than many in the Christian genre because it is challenging many "Christianese" assumptions and ways of thinking.  It is also not a bunch of generalizations for someone who has been studying scripture for awhile.  Claiborn challenges those of us who are Christian and have assumed that to be Christian one must also fit into the labels of "conservative", "Republican", "decent", "patriotic", etc.  I enjoy being challenged to either change my perspective or defend the one I currently have.  This book is causing me to do that.  He also brings a lot of personal experiences and stories into the book so it is not a cliche' but very touching and eye opening to our Christian family cross-culturally.  If you haven't guessed, I recommend it.

Tomorrow is another dentist day, M needs another crown and D has a cavity.  I had to rechedule N as he threw a big tantrum and refused to open his mouth.  His nexy visit is simply to be a "happy visit".  Fortunately they didn't charge me for his wasting everyone's time.  It was very strange, he was fine up until she was ready to use the polisher and then he freaked out.  I think maybe the 2 yr old screaming down the hall may have contributed to his reluctance.

Lots of love to you all who are taking the time to read this...keep in touch.

One of Those Days...

Do you ever feel like as a mom you will never to be able to fill the role you were placed in?  Thursday was one of those days for me.  At the end of an already long day which had been filled with homeschool, preschool, phone calls rearranging appointments, colds, dishes, temper tantrums, spankings, errands, and giving haircuts & baths to everyone in the family, I finished putting together my sourdough starter and settled down to peruse the latest catalogs which I have saved up over the last 2 weeks.  I had thought this would be a nice way to relax.  What I found instead was an overwhelming sense of how imperfect and full of struggle I am in so many areas of my life.  And that I don't have enough money or time to fill my library with every book I'll ever need to possibly fix it or help me to grow in knowledge, wisdom, kindness and patience.

The catalogs listed book after book about raising well mannered children, healthy living, whole grain meals, all natural cooking, and the like.  Books on homemaking, crafts to make your home more pleasant and enjoyable, how to clean and organize, homeschooling and its many benefits.  Bible studies on being a woman of God, a wonderful mother & wife.  Different books on every type of perspective regarding Christian theology, end times, Calvinism, Arminianism... pretty much whatever you are looking for.  After being accosted by all these choices I began to feel overwhelmed.  I mean, the authors of these books make it sound so easy.  Seven steps to accomplish this, the top three things to achieve that.  My imperfections seemed to jump out at me as I realized how many of these books were calling out to me like an eager student waiting to give me life's answers.  Pick me, pick me!  They all seemed to cry. 

Yep, I argued with my husband today.  Yep, I found myself disciplining in anger today.  Yep, I fed the family an hour later than normal, I failed to do one single load of 4 hampers full of laundry, we had the same meal for lunch and dinner as last night's dinner (stew).  I allowed myself to be manipulated by my children, I fussed at a driver in front of me while hypocritically telling my children that they should do all things without complaining.  I sent the kids away so I could finish listing and browsing stuff on Ebay.  And, believe it or not, I started out the day reading my bible and praying for myself and each of my family members.  I had started out feeling prepared.  What happened?  Does this sound familiar to anyone out there?

At times like this, I feel like throwing in the towel.  I mean, surely no positive change is going on in any of us!  I'm still failing left and right,  My kids are forgetting all that we've been striving to teach them regarding loving others, and being responsible, not fussing and using good manners, diligence and the like.  I am frustrated with the standard being so high.  But who has set the standard and how do we get there?

There seems to be a difference between God's standard of perfection and holiness and our human attempts to get ourselves as well as everyone else around us perfect in all areas of our lives right this second.  When I realize that it is God's job to change me and help me to meet His standard in His timing, I tend not to become quite so overwhelmed.  I recognize it is an ongoing process.  When I fall short of His standard I know I can pray and ask him to forgive me and change me to be more like Him. 

Maybe it is time for me to throw away the catalogs.  It is when I am confronted with every weakness, along with multiple opinions on "do this don't do that, let me give you advice and please repeat after me while I read the bible " kind of books that the overwhelming sinking feeling grips me on the inside and I begin to feel hopeless.  The only book I truly need after all,  is the bible.  And the best verse that comes to me now is that His grace is sufficient for me. 

With that in mind, I will be retiring to my bed, cup of hot decaf tea in hand and my bible in the other.  I'm ready for a love story...

Benefits of Diets against colds and 19th Century Living.

S and I are sick with colds.  Our family goes through 4 gallons of raw milk each week, we are daily eating fresh veggies from our organic garden, we also consume raw honey from our hives daily.  We've recently gone back to taking vitamins on top of this.  We are still dabbling in convenience and fast foods as well, so perhaps this needs to be eliminated?  We don't know anyone else who is ill.  I had supposed that healthy eating would make colds a very minor and short lived issue because it would help our bodies to fight them off much faster.  It has only been three days.  While I am most miserable today I'm hoping that tomorrow it will have quickly run it's course.  I know colds are viruses and as such catching one has nothing to do with diet, however after reading so much literature on the benefits of raw milk and fresh all natural local veggies I had somehow expected some type of major resistance to them.

I guess it is time to rest and wait.  How funny that I was to start prepping the dining room and hallways to paint!  My plans have been foiled again!  As the weather today has taken a drastic change from the 90's earlier this week to 50 degrees, I am happy to sit by a cozy fire with a book and drink hot tea to warm my achey body.

I did attend my sheduled field trip to Carrillon Park this morning with the boys.  I was very loaded up on cold medicine.  We went inside the William Morris house.  Mr. Morris was a former Revolutionary War soldier who had moved his family to Ohio to start a new life when the war was over.  In this small home (about a 24ft by 20ft room for the first floor, which was then divided into two bedrooms and a kitchen area), were where his family of four had lived.  A servant lived in the loft above where food was also stored. 

Here we studied the various candles that people made in the 19th century.  Fat candles (made from pig's fat), Bayberry (usually bought from someone form the East Coast), and of course beeswax candles.  I preferred the beeswax candles as they had the brightest light and the pleasantest smell.  The kids then dipped their own candles in wax that had been melted over the fire and each took a homemade candle home.

The most interesting thing I learned was that the beds were short then, not because people were shorter than nowadays,as is so often thought, but rather because people had a fear of sleeping lying down flat on their backs.  It was believed that doing so would cause people to smother in their sleep!  The women had the job of chopping the wood and keeping the wood supply sufficient for the fireplace as they knew exactly how much wood it would take to keep it going for the week.  They primarily cooked one day per week, and recipe or "receipt" books would not tell you how to cook, just the general ingredients themselves as they assumed you already knew how to cook over a hearth.  As this is the case, I am finding a hard time finding instructions on how to use my own beehive oven! 

I have received the following information to research , however:

• Google "Feeding America" a site where they have scanned multitudes of historical receipt books and domestic manuals
• Google domestic manuals from Catherine Beecher (Harriet Beecher Stowe's sister)...those written 1860 or earlier may have references to beehive ovens or more specific instructions to hearth cooking
• Isabella Beeton- the young English woman who's publisher husband needed something to publish.  As she did not know domestics she wrote of these, and became the Martha Stewart of her day.  People assumed she was a 40 something domestic diva, when in fact she was a bumbling girl learning alongside her readers!

Thanks for reading my various interests and complaints.  Back to the fireplace for me...

Busy fall, Busy home

Today we managed to get 9 peonies in the ground, along with several wildflower seed packets, numerous daffodil, lily and hyancinth bulbs.  It should be neat to see what comes up next spring and summer.  I am disappointed that the first year we need to pinch off the flower buds of the peonies to ensure hearty growth and disease resistance, but I understand it is for the long run benefits.  I just love peonies!

We've also been busy cleaning and organizing closets.  We had a yard sale Saturday and ended up taking a whole truckload plus two other trips to Goodwill.  I hope someone benefits from all of our stuff.  As our kids are the only grandkids and we also have twin girls, there were a lot of clothing items they hardly wore!  I hated not being able to pass them on to another family directly.  Well, may God lead the right family to where they end up.

I baked a loaf of homemade bread.  It is in the oven now.  Whole wheat oatmeal.  I hope it turns out as good as it smells.

My laundry pile started over 3 baskets full today.  With N and D sometimes still wetting the bed (they are such deep sleepers!) laundry is a never ending saga.  I'm just about to pull my hair out over the filthy socks that I find balled up in thehamper as the kids have decided to run around outside with no shoes on.  I think they will be buying their next paair of socks!  I've been using Biz, Fels Naptha soap and Shout! to no avail.  Any suggestions?

Shane's sowing our cover crop in the garden today- hairy vetch.  Such an odd name.  Hopefully it will improve our soil for next year.  Springtime will be Milky Spore time-hopefully we will be able to kill all those Japanese Beetle grubs!  We had so many this year.

Tomorrow we are taking a homeschool field trip to Carrillon Park for a 19th century lighting workshop.  We will be learning about cottage industries and the kids will be making beeswax candles to take home.  I'm looking forward to this very much.  They have done such a good job recreating the living history at Carrillon Park.

TIme to fold clothes once more....

Smiling over the bees and CSA info

I am extremely pleased with myself today.  Yesterday evening the state and county bee inspectors came by to inspect my 2 colonies.  I passed with flying colors and many complements on how well attended my hives were.  Additionally, I gained some new information.  Colony B is in the process of requeening.  They will also need to be fed 1-2 more times before winter as some of their frames have not been drawn out.  Plastic frames will often break when they become cold and brittle.  It is good to use plastic foundation but stick to the wooden frames.  No mites, and very healthy and busy populations.  S commented that he thought my great- grandmother would be proud.  I had also mentioned the 21 pounds ofhoney from one hive.  I was told that was pretty good for a newly established colony.  S and I have decided to go to 5 hives total for next year.  Note:  I bought my bees and equipment primarily from Simpson's Bee Supply in Ohio.

S & I have decided to go the CSA route for next year's farming plan.  Here is the info on CSA's that we are handing out along with our brochures:

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  CSA is a relationship of mutual support and commitment between local farmers and community members who pay the farmer an annual membership fee to cover the production costs of the farm. In turn, members receive a weekly share of the harvest during the local growing season. The arrangement guarantees the farmer financial support and enables many small- to moderate-scale organic and/or bio-intensive family farms to remain in business. Ultimately, CSA programs create "agriculture-supported communities" where members receive a wide variety of foods harvested at their peak of freshness, ripeness, flavor, vitamin and mineral content. 

The goals of Community Supported Agriculture support a sustainable agriculture system which:

·        Provides farmers with direct outlets for farm products and ensures fair compensation.

·        Encourages proper land stewardship by supporting farmers in transition toward low or no chemical inputs and utilization of energy saving technologies.

·        Strengthens local economies by keeping food dollars in local communities.

·        Directly links producers with consumers allowing people to have a personal connection with their food and the land on which it was produced.

·        Makes nutritious, affordable, wholesome foods accessible and widely available to community members.

·        Creates an atmosphere for learning about non-conventional agricultural, and alternative energy systems not only to the farmers but also to members of the community, and to students of all ages.

KIND OF CSA FARMS 

There are many kinds of CSA farms.  All include payment in advance at an agreed upon price. In ours, members of the community purchase a "share" of the anticipated harvest.  This commitment implies a willingness to share with the farmer both the bounty from the land and at least some of the risks involved with production. 

In return for fair and guaranteed compensation, consumers receive a variety of freshly picked, all naturally grown vegetables that are distributed in an economically viable and ecologically responsible manner. Fenner Farm also offers fruit, herbs, flowers and other products, such as eggs, honey, and baked goods.  

 One fact also to consider, organic food produced within local communities is not the same as organic food transported over long distances. When members obtain food from local farmers, environmental costs associated with the transport, processing and distribution of organic food and the consumption of fossil fuels are significantly reduced. Considering that the organic food available to members was produced locally rather than transported over long distances, the cost to the environment is significantly less.

We are praying for consumers to buy shares for next year.  God has blessed us with a wonderfully busy and successful season this year. 

Have a great weekend everyone!