Lil' Patch

December

Posted by Shan (Sweetie)
01:25, Monday, December 1, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Someone asked me if everyone here has a perfect family. I want to say that, no, I don't think so, but we all try to make the best of it. In my own family, Thanksgiving brings trials of how to get a blended family to each of the family's gatherings, distance, and budget concerns for travelling. My mom died 4 years ago and while I love my father's new wife, home isn't home anymore...it looks different and is different, as it should be for the new bride of 75!

We have to choose as adults to be who it is we're looking for in our hearts. I want my children to know that it was more important to me for them to have all of us, than to make a big deal of not having my children home on this or that specific day. To willingly welcome their natural father in our lives and at our table at times, even if he's hostile alot of the time. This year I was reminded of why I do that as he introduced us to his new friend, and my children were not concerned how I would feel or how I would react to them liking her. I want them to, she is in their dad's life.

My Thanksgiving was difficult to be honest, we did alot of traveling and managed to all regather during the lunch hour at my father's who is 75 in Arkansas. The table was beautiful and Miss Virginia did try so hard to do nice things for us I appreciate her efforts. However, my father is a hard man, a retired doctor, and I am the disappointment of his children.....and he doesn't hold back on voicing that. It is his way, and I love him anyway. My world is not financially successful so I will never measure on his scale. One of my SIL is often offended at me, usually for things I am unaware of until someone else tells me...but she too has her own struggles and God didn't call me to make her life hard, but to love her. We all go through many things no one else ever knows of.....so to treat others kindly is my preferred path.

It is always the easy route to take offense and to blame others for our unhappiness. However, God asks us to love the unlovely, forgive others as we hope to be forgiven....and my faults are many I am sure of that...so its only my job to love those who make the path more difficult, not judge nor respond in kind to their brissley ways. I try very hard to focus on the things I have to be thankful for and not the unpleasant things in life.

We're not all from cookie cutter perfect families here at homesteadblogger, but I believe we're in a place where many do truly try to operate in love for others and their families....as God calls us to do.

Be blessed

Sweetie

A Thanksgiving Gift

Posted by Catherine Ann
1:16 PM, Monday, December 1, 2008 .. Posted in Random Ramblings .. 0 comments .. Link

We were blessed with a Thanksgiving day surprise....a new niece! Emma came a bit early according to the doctor's plans; but right on time in God's timing . We are giving thanks for her life, and continuing to pray and believe that God is still healing this little one. The doctor's are a bit "baffled" that she doesn't have all the complications that they originally predicted . My sister in law keeps telling them, "You just don't know my God!"

Please do pray for her as the sweet baby is still in ICU, and may possibly have a procedure done soon to widen her pulmonary artery. We are trusting and believing that she will be able to come home soon!

How to Make Hot Cocoa

Posted by Boltbabe
11:38, 2008-Dec-1 .. Posted in Kitchen .. 2 comments .. Link

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Can I Have Some More, Please?

Decadent Hot Cocoa

Hot cocoa is a winter drink that is not only comforting, but can create a wonderful setting for sharing memories with your family. A cup of cocoa gathered around the table while listening to an audio, cuddling on the sofa for a read aloud, or making breakfast a special time is some simple examples of the Hot Cocoa Effect. Our family really enjoys hot cocoa moments, so whenever we our headed out on an RV trip during I am sure to pack ingredients for hot cocoa. So over the past couple of weeks when I was checking my convenience inventory and found that I was running low it was time to re-stock. However, with my long To Do list and health issues on the forefront I decided to purchase this item in those little convenience packets. What a terrible costly mistake I made! Firstly, the cocoa tasted a bit like cardboard or something. Secondly, the cost per serving was astronomical compared with homemade. This is a mistake I won’t make again, especially since cocoa is SO easy to make. I have TWO tried and true recipes for hot cocoa; one instant (great for on the go) and one that is made stove top, for an absolutely decadent and rich cup of cocoa. Both of the recipes are ones you will want to make regularly and once you drink them, you will NOT want to go back to those pre-packaged types.

Back Online again....several updates here

Posted by HandsNHearts
11:29, Monday, December 1, 2008 .. Posted in Around the Homestead .. 1 comments .. Link

First off -- Ron & Jo...if you visit and read this, do email me! We've been worried about how you both are doing!

The computer went down again. Apparently, the first computer geek didn't do any sort of system diagnostics and simply wasted 3 days or so re0installing my modem driver.

Well, it went down on me again, 2 weeks ago now. Not that it didn't make for a quiet and peaceful Thanksgiving, and we did get many things accomplished, but still....

This time, I went to the original geek I had planned on using last time. They did a full system whatever and ran several diagnostics. They think the main issue I was having is that my BIOS system was rather outdated. There were 5 newer updates than I had, and they don't simply install with the regular system update stuff this thing does on it's own every so often. He updated me that way, installed another antivirus program then downloaded a new modem driver and viola...we have internet again.

And life picks up with hectic busy-ness, of course.

Just to note: If you sent me an email over the past couple of weeks and haven't heard from me...don't expect to. Just email me again. I had a million emails in my inbox and they are all being deleted as I write here. Please, email again if you need me!

I have all 300# of meat in the freezer...well, minus the 50# of stewing chunks sitting in the kitchen waiting its turn in the canner. My pressure seems a bit off today -- it's taking forever to get up to pressure for some reason. But, it's all cut up, the packing juice blend prepared and jars scalded and waiting.

I am going to get very tired of looking at meat, I can tell that already, and it's just Day 1 of a long line of days to come! We may well turn vegetarian for a couple months once it's all said and done!

We have, aside from meat meat and more meat in the works here, fencing outside we are dealing with. Seems we are being over-run with wayward hunters. We knew they had been around the property, but they have found several signs of them running 4-wheelers clear up to the back of my barn! They are using our deer stands, running their dogs all over and apparently using our private property as their own personal hunting grounds.

That will come to a stop this week. We are getting the signs up so we are more properly POSTED everywhere, and I am setting up some wire along the back access where we know for a fact they are coming and going. If they damage a 4-wheeler with a slightly hidden barb wire fence, serves them right. It will be well inside the perimeter of my property line, where they don't belong. That and some bird shot peppering their hunting expedition should do the trick.

Before anyone takes issue to our methods here, we have a very good idea as to who the culprits are, and they know we don't want hunters here. They know we have young children who enjoy our property, and as they hunt with high powered rifles, they are definitely not welcome here. My own dogs stay on our property, and they are being annoyed with the constant traffic as well. I don't need the aggravation, or the worry of my children being shot while playing on their own land.

To give you some idea of the genius we are dealing with out here, this group was shooting targets last year in their own cleared plot just down from our line. It's their property, I have no concern there whatsoever. It's a free country.

However, they use high powered, long range shot guns/rifles whatever you call them. Where they were shooting from/at, in virtually every direction on the compas, they had nothing but timber land. Literally hundreds upon hundreds of acres going out in every direction. Nothing in line for miles and then some.

Every direction, that is, but they one they chose to shoot in. They set up just the other side of the creek and were shooting directly toward my house. Literally peppering my roof with their shot. Branches and leaves were falling after every shot. Genius, pure genius. In any other direction, they would have had nothing but trees for miles and miles, yet they picked the direction that went through my property straight to my house and animals....and children.

Running a 4-wheeler across a low-lying wire fence is going to be the least of their concerns if we actually catch them on the property hunting, instead of their leftovers and signs.

We also have a lengthy sewing list, as usual. And school work to catch back up on. We are having reading issues it seems. I need to determine where my cut-off needs to be. There is a point where not reading well is a problem, and I think we might be there. I know we took more time with our first reader learning, but I've 3 in the works now and they simply aren't coming along very quicky. I know, homeschooling certainly affords my time in that respect, no hard-lined schedules to adhere to and all, but still...we have been at this enough now there should be a bit more progress I think. Time to re-evaluate The Plan here.

As to the olders, Jennifer finished a decent amount while gone with Dewey the past couple weeks. And Johanna, well, she has her own agenda. She is set on graduating when she turns 15 years old...about 2 years or so from now. She blew right through one grade level already and is just about finished with the next set of math, language and science I bought a couple weeks ago. She definitely needs some more indepth work to keep her coccupied. She easily completes 4 or more lessons a day. Like I said, a girl with her own agenda.

I have a Christmas gift...yes, I know what I said about Christmas and all, but this is different, sort of. I came across a bargain and couldn't pass it up. Dewey said birthday and Christmas gift and I jumped on it! (my birthday is Christmas Eve...I tend to get those 'combined' gifts quite often!). I have a 20 quart Welbilt Varimixer sitting in my kitchen :o) It's huge. It's sitting on the floor right now -- there's no way my counters, besides being far too tall, would accommodate this machine. I'll have to build some sort of stand for it, but for now, it's just sitting there, waiting to be used. We will start selling bread and such soon, and much easier.

The man we bought it from buys out various businesses and such and resells the equipment. He thinks he knows of a commercial oven and stove and is checking on that for me. Dewey wasn't really in the mood to drag along with me to pick it up, but he wanted to check it out first. Well, he has found his new dream shopping warehouse now. This man has virtually everything. If he doesn't have it and doesn't know where to find it, you simply don't need it. He has all sorts of building materials and so on. Dewey enjoyed his trip more than I did I think!

I will get some pictures up this week, but today, the meat is calling!

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Lil' Patch

December

A Thanksgiving Gift

How to Make Hot Cocoa

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