Muddy Boots

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ #11 ~ 12/1/08

FOR TODAY...

Prayers for Jeanine Taylor and Family

Could you all pray for Jeanine and her family, they were so kind to us when we were expecting Daniel and they are experiencing a miscarriage. This is so hard on the children as well they were so excited as they had lost one baby stillborn in 2007.  Their excitedness when we were expecting daniel was shown in pictures drawen and the gifts sent to us.  I can only imagine how hard this is on the whole family. Please pray for her to be able to pass everything on her own and that all will be well physically and that the Lord would heal their hearts.

Jeanine, I am here praying if you read this know that I am so sorry and yet I am so thankful to you Sis.

Your loved and cared for....

Linda, Mark, Faith, Hope, Daniel Josiah...

The Post-Thanksgiving Lull...

Thanksgiving is over and not only was it a day to be thankful, but I am thankful for how it went.  In this cold but sunny day, I am so grateful with how the Lord answered my prayers and calmed some odd family dynamics.

I awoke between 7-7:30a.m. and got a batch of fresh herb bread dough going and then prepared and set the turkey to baking.  As my family woke and after they had quick breakfasts of cereal, I set them to working!  lol  All the last-minute dusting, sweeping and toilet cleaning for my mom's inspection - er, uh - I mean, everyone's comfort and enjoyment!    

But we had a great day.  Some friends of ours who have to drive past our home to have their Thanksgiving at some relative's who live 1/2 hour past us came and visited us for about an hour.  I enjoy talking to friends while I cook, it makes the time go faster and more pleasant.  Just after they left, the first of our guests for the rest of the day arrived - a friend of our 2 dd's who has a new baby and our family (and another family from our church) are ministering/mentoring her, and other friend came, too.  Just after they arrived, my family - mom, brother and his girlfriend - came.  I have to say that - THANKFULLY - my brother was on very good behavior and only one quick little attempt at an opposing politcal comment was made but I told him that I didn't want to have those conversations today and (wow!) that was it.  PTL!! 

We had so much wonderful food - truly a feast:  I made the turkey, the obligatory green bean casserole, salad, homemade herb bread, cheesecake, veggies w/my homemade dill dip (better then store-bought, if I do say so myself!  lol), cheese tray and homemade punch.  My mom brought the stuffing, cornbread, mashed potatoes w/sour cream, chives and cheese (!), red velvet cake (homemade!), home-grown corn and sweet potatoes, while my brother brought shrimp and cocktail sauce.  It seems like I'm missing something, but believe me, we DID NOT lack anything good! 

I would also like to tell you all that I am thankful for all of you who take the time to read, to comment and to leave messages and/or e-mail me.  I praise the Lord for the miracle of the internet and the fun of blogs that have brought us together and the friendships made.  You have made such a precious, comforable nest in my heart.

Blessings to you all...

Kim Wolf<><

Happy Thanksgiving !

I wanted to stop in this mornin and tell everyone Happy Thanksgiving !!!!

We have alot to be thankful for today, I hope that everyone has a blessed day filled with love and the company of family and friends. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Blessings

Linda

Happy Thanksgiving!

To each and every one,
Happy Thanksgiving from our homestead to yours!
May God bless you today and always.
My Cup Runneth Over...
~Chas~
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger
Heritage Acres Farm

WFMW: Great Full Hearts Book

A Family Great Full Hearts book

This can be a fancy scrapbook, a photo album you slip papers into, a 3 ring binder full of paper . . . . even a simple spiral notebook.
No matter what it looks like it will become a treasure.
The purpose is to fill the book up with the great thanks that fill your heart. The only thing you absolutely need to make sure you do is note the year somewhere for the info you store in it. Set it out and add to it the whole month of November or simply pass it around on Thanksgiving Day- just make sure that everyone in your family writes something in it. Even little ones can dictate to parents or older siblings the things they are thankful for- or even draw a picture.
We often put up a Gratitude tree and fill it full of colorful leaves that we write our Thankful Things on- paste these in the book.
Have friends with you this year for Thanksgiving- encourage them to add a few lines to your book too- it will be a special reminder.
Add in quotes, scripture and poems about thankfulness.
Trace your child’s hand and help him make it into a turkey on one page.
Have an older child write an acrostic poem THANKSGIVING and date it.
Add a family picture taken on Thanksgiving day.
When the book gets filled up- start another one.
Pull out all your Great Full Heart books and read through them together as a family each year.

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” – W. T. Purkiser

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. William Arthur Ward

There is always something for which to be thankful. – Charles Dickens

Photo: Cloth covered composition notebook (use fabric glue& add rickrack)
Find more tried and true, great tips every Wednesday at the home for Works for Me Wednesday- Rocks in My Dryer.

Homesteading

Well, it's official.  We have butchered the turkeys!  It was gross.  I'm not sure I want to do it again.  Not sure I won't but not sure I want to.   I butchered a nice small chicken first, and actually that wasn't so bad, what was really gross and awful was the turkeys, which are well over 25 lbs and probably over 30 - gotta weigh them so I know how early I have to get up to start baking!  I was able to find someone with experience on how to butcher a turkey and spent Sunday learning from Harvey.  His website is a font of information about homesteading and now we're learning from him about gardening and greenhouses!
His website is http://themodernhomestead.us/article/Home.html and I strongly recommend it for subjects from greenhouses to livestock to responsible use of what you have!  Impressive!

Now, to make my cranberry sauce.

Our Thankful Trees

We wanted to make a craft for school to help count our blessings.  I love the whole Thankful tree idea... but I am ready for Christmas around here.
So instead of a Autumnal tree, we made Christmas trees and on the ornaments we wrote what we were thankful for.

I know what *I* am thankful for... :)
From My Homestead to Yours,
~Chas~
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger
Heritage Acres Farm

Days Gone By...

Off and on something comes up about my modeling days and some of you will contact me by message or e-mail and ask about it.  I modeled from the time that I was 9 until - literally - days before I married at 25.  I also doubled as a make-up artist from 19 to around 32.  I know...if you know me now you'd think that was impossible!  lol  I often say that I'm rebelling as I've given up the suits and 4" heels for jeans and Burkenstocks!    And I'm MUCH happier now!!

But, I thought I'd share a few of my portfolio pics with you...

This is from my very first portfolio shot in 1969 at age 10.  I had done a couple of runway shows before I even had a portfolio.  I was with this agency until I was 16.

Different agency. This was from 1977, age 18, taken in Downtown Dayton, Ohio.  I always loved location shots and doing commercials.  I really enjoyed the switch on a 'formal' look by going w/a tux instead of a long gown.  I wish I could find a still of the "Arby's Days"...I used to do local Arby's commercials.

This was a fun headshot taken around 1980, age 21.  I actually had a MONSTEROUS stack perm and calmed it down for the day's work!    At this point I was also teaching at this particular agency part-time, working the Clinique counter at a dept. store full-time and trying to have a social life.  I made myself sick and was hospitalized shortly after this was taken.  That's when my modeling started to take a back seat ... my agency was NOT amused.  I wasn't there that much longer and ended up going free-lance, which actually paid more anyway.  So it worked out in the end. 

Well, there's the show.  It certainly seems like looking at a movie of another person's life now, and, in many ways, it is.  I wasn't a Christian until I was 23 and the Lord is SO gracious, forgiving and good to me!  I went through a broken engagement from an atheist, became a Christian in 1982 and married my wonderful Christian husband in 1984.  I am undeserving and grateful!

 As a side note...the last time I modeled were the last 2 months before we married, in 1984, in a wedding series that traveled to about 10 different stores.  The wedding gown I had picked out for our own wedding happened to be in the show and the coordinators let me wear it in the shows in one of my sets!!  My sweet Ty, when he would take me to some of the shows, knew which "bride's maids" walked out before me in the set when I wore my gown and he would lower his head and look at the floor until that set was over so that he wouldn't see me in my gown until I walked down OUR isle.  Wasn't that sweet?  He said that whenever I walked out in that gown the audience would ooo and ahhh and it was a terrible temptation to look.  lol 

So, there you have it.  Hope you enjoyed the journey.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

For Sale or Trade: Faithful Acres Benjamin (purebred reg. MDGA)

Faithful Acres Benjamin : 6th gen . reg. MDGA as one of the first Purebred Mini Nubians in the US.  Born 9/23/08.  He is eating grain and hay , drinking water so he is ready for his new home.  He has excellent breed character , long pendulous ears and is not disbudded.  Asking 250.00 with papers

Would trade him for the following :

LGDs, Fencing or stock panels,  Reg. Nubian Does

All serious offers considered

Linda

931-589-3823