Prairie Biscuit way of life

15 years!!!!

     Yesterday was our 15th anniversary!!!  I remember people thinking we were a little nutty and it was not going to last.....Then again...we had only known each other a couple of months...he was a sailor and I was a 19 year old working at a resort ....I could see where they might have thought something....heehee.  Bigdaddy and I knew better...we knew we would love each other through it all...the ups and downs.  And we have...What a ride it has been....I would not trade any of it...the good or the bad...It has all made us the family we are today.  We are opposite in so many ways but we have the same goal in mind...so it works wonderfully.  SO...if I could go back in time and talk to myself on that day I would have to say..."calm down girl...sure you will screw up on occassion but you will eventually learn to cook, you really do enjoy being a stay at home mommy and this man is the real thing, not an ounce of fake in him!!!"  God made no mistake putting me together with him....He has a plan!!!"  And what a beautiful life it has become!!!

My baby turns 4!!!!

deer camp, birthdays, and homecomings....

My diva turned 6 years old on the 8th!!!   It is amazing how time flies!!!  All of the kids birthdays are close together but we try to make each day special...Since her birthday was on a Saturday this year we took the Friday off of school...Everyone's birthday is a holiday!!!! 

To make her birthday even MORE amazing...we got to go greet the bus on Sunday...My nephew came home from Iraq....safe and sound!!!  He is an MP in the National Gaurd and has been gone for 90% of his 2 year olds life....They are settling in and getting to know each other.  I laugh at how my Great-nephew is jealous of that "strange man" hugging HIS mommy!!!  I can remember our oldest reacting to her daddy coming home from sea after being gone for looong periods of time...It takes patience but things will be "normal" again...soon....

And just where have I been this past week......In a tree staring at this sight....

My sweet/brave/wonderful/crazy mother stayed with our children for the week as we went off to deer camp to fill freezers....I got my FIRST doe!!!  5 grocery sacks full of meat for the freezer!!!  Yeah!!!  Bigdaddy went on to get more than me!   Which is fine because it all taste good!!!  It is always fun to get away.... getting up before dawn and sitting in the woods alone in the freezing cold is really much more fun and rewarding than it sounds!  It is good for the mind and soul....even when you don't see anything....

That about raps up my week and a half long madness....We have unloaded my SUV and it looks like deercamp exploded all over my house (thanks mom for all the hard work cleaning....and I apologize...heehee)  We are getting school work done and putting things back in order...time to recover from vacation!!!!

OOOHHHH......one more cool thing that happened this week...My Jack Russel...(J.R.) has a new trick...With the goats becoming escape artists J.R. has become a herding dog.  He rounds up the goats and runs them back in...he has sooo much fun!!!  I will have to get it on video!!!  He is so proud of himself and so am I..... 

Long weekend has come and gone....

I first want to thank all of the ladies that made comments on my halloween day blog!!  I could not agree more that everyone's salvation is "worked out" between them and God....noone else!  He is very good at whispering to us the ways we should go, things we should do, and even what we should wear....it is our job as Christian mothers to listen to that quiet voice...not shout so loud at others that we do not hear what God is telling US!!!!  We are all different and our salvations are not one size fits all....we have to pray for the knowledge to tell what is God and what is the world telling us what is right or wrong....That is why we should always pray daily, hourly even!!!!  Making sure to listen for that voice!!!

ANYHOW...did not mean to get off topic or anything....After taking the kids to the Trunk or treat at the local church I picked up nanny....Mom wanted to stay the weekend at my house to watch the kids while I ran off with bigdaddy to attempt to bowhunt....We did go a couple of times but seen nothing...guess I should have baited for them...they were not on the move like in gun season....But we did have fun having a kid-free weekend with friends...and going catfishing at night....of course they were not biting but again...we had a nice fire and good company.  We are now lounging around the house, recovering.  I hope everyone had a productive weekend....I plan on getting things done around the house and having a great week of school....

Of course Tuesday is election day....Don't forget to vote!!!!

Why shouldn't we commercialize halloween...they did it to our Savior's birth!!! heehee

I pray I do not offend my wonderful sisters in Christ here but I must let this out....We go trick or treating....there, I have said it.....hahaha.

Yes, some people may think I am a horrible mother....I let my children play dress up and beg strangers for candy once a year...I do tell them the true story of halloween just as I tell them the story of Christ's birth.  I see no harm in taking my children to the local churches for trunk or treat....it is lots of fun for them.  I think it is wonderful how the church has taken a holiday from pagan beginings and turned it into a fun time for the kids...hayrides, chili dinner, dressing up and playing games.   Over the years pagan people have done the same to our Christmas, even our Easter....you can not blame them though...it looks like so much fun...and they eventually hear the true meaning of Christmas and Easter especially when they celebrate around my kids!!!  I have a few pagan friends, I love them dearly... though we do not agree on everything I do not shun them and vice versa.  They are not offended at me taking my kids "trunk or treating" and I am not offended when they wish me a merry Christmas.  Am I wrong??????   

O.K....if you would like a few simple facts to explain to your kids about Halloween's pagan roots, here are a few.... Halloween is also known as the eve of All Hallows or Hallomas. The American celebration rests upon Scottish and Irish folk customs. The earliest Halloween celebrations were held by the Druids is honor of Samhain, the Lord of the Dead, on November 1. This was also the Celtic New Year's Day. There were sacrifices of horses and people . These people that were criminals were rounded up for the occasion. The victims were usually roasted alive. Black cats were also burned because there were thought to we witches.  The original ghosts thought to come out on Halloween were the ghosts of ancient kings and queens and heros. But after a while, the ghosts became goblins, witches, and fairies. Halloween became the night of the witches.  American colonists began a custom of holding gatherings at farmhouses on the night of October 31. This is when apples and nuts were ripe and they were given away. Halloween was often called 'Snap Apple Night' or 'Nitcracker Night'.   Trick or treat started in England with people asking for contributions to Muck Olla- which was probably an old god. Farmers would give to insure a good crop.  Carving a Jack-o-Lantern out of pumpkins is a tradition of Halloween. In 1900 in England, pumkins were called Lantern men, Hop' O Lantern, or Jack O' Lantern. These were spirits that appeared late at night with a lantern. A legend states that the devil turned a person that tricked him into a glowing coal and placed the person in a turnip. Scottish children still find large turnips to hollow out at Halloween. They put candles inside the turnips to scare away the witched. Irish children ise turnips or potatoes. When Scottish and Irish people came to the United States, they found pumpkins growning....And so on and so on.....you see what I mean.....So let it be let it be....I dont have a problem with saying Happy Halloween....and noone should complain when I start saying MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Celebrate you kid's childhood.....nothing more....have some fun, safely tonight and God Bless You!!!

It will really open your eyes!!!!!!!

I recieved this in an email and thought everyone should see it.....

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning 


Commentary.

My confession: 

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish.  And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees..  I don't feel threatened.  I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are:  Christmas trees. 

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me.  I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto.  In fact, I kind of like it  It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year... It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu .  If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. 

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians.  I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.  I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country.  I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. 

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?  I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.   But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to. 

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different:  This is not intended to be a joke;  it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. 

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.  She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.  And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out.  How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?' 

In light of recent events.... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc.  I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.  Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school.  The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself.  And we said OK. 

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide).  We said an expert should know what he's talking about.  And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out.  I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.' 

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell  Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.  Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.  Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. 

Are you laughing yet? 

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on 

your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they 

will think of you for sending it. 

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. 

Pass it on if you think it has merit.  If not then just discard it..... no one will know you did.  But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.  


My Best Regards,  Honestly and respectfully, 

Ben Stein

I could kiss the people that invented the slow~cooker and the bread machine!

I LOVE MY BREADMACHINE!!!!  AND MY CROCKPOT IS MY BEST FRIEND!!!!!  There I admit it.  I have gone through some crockpots in my day...I wear them out, poor dears.  This new one bigdaddy bought me is the best one yet!!  It is Hamilton Beach Stay or Go.  It has a lid with a rubber seal that can be latched down.  It cooks perfectly and it is the perfect size...I have been using it every day this week.  With cold weather coming on fast it has been more than a little insane here.  My goats have found an electric fence is not so tough...and it is fun to play tag with the crazy lady that feeds them!  My tomato plants have finally been killed by jack frost....they were still putting out the tomatos until Monday....We did a blitz on the garden...Got baskets and buckets of peppers, sweet potato, and tomato....AT THE END OF OCTOBER!!!  My turnip greens are still out there doing great...I will have them put up on Friday...or at least that is the plan.  Today we will be pulling up those blessed tomato plants, doing the dance of joy and thanking God for all he gave us this year!  I could have canned forever with the amount that was on there...and many people helped out with it all.  Now we know...sweet potato and tomato grow well in the bottoms!  So come April when I am kicking myself for running out of veggies from our garden it will be my own fault!  With gardening coming to an end I am focusing on warmer things....I really really really want and need to get back to my sewing.  I have not made a real quilt in 2 years....I fired up the sewing machine a couple of weeks ago and made a Winnie the Pooh blanket....just to knock the cobwebs off and evict the dust bunnies from my sewing area.  Another shame on me....I have a great sewing machine, serger, and a chest full of fabric (some are cut out and ready to go fabric...tisk tisk)...I even have a couple of kids begging to learn to sew....Go ahead...kick me...I would if I could.  It has been so busy here lately I know but things are slowing down...steadily...Company is gone, garden is nearly gone, my excuses are fading...heehee.  Well, kids are nearly done with breakfast...time to start the day..Frost is thick outside this morning so....school until it warms up around noon...then out the door to get things done!!!   Later Taterz!!!!

BTW.....My pastor's wife is opening her own sewing shop...she has one online already...the link to it is under my links..  www.kathrynssewingkorner.com  I had taken my kids there the other day so she could use them as "models" for her cute ponchos..not sure that those pictures have made it to the website yet..With the store opening this Saturday I doubt they have had time!!!  I am amazed at all the work they have accomplished!  They are wonderful people and I know God will bless them abundantly!

Parker House Rolls...using the bread machine...Easy Easy!!

Add all liquid ingredients first...yeast last....as always

3/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup warm milk

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 C butter softened (I use Country Crock Spreadable butter)

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 3/4 C all~purpose flour

2 pkg active dry yeast

After the dough cycle is over your dough should be right at the top!  Remove dough to lightly floured surface, divide in half.  Roll each half to a 12 inch square, about 1/4 in thick.  With a dull edge of a knife crease the dough....cover and let rise to doubled (about 30-45 minutes) in a warm, draft~free place.

Bake at 400* for 15 minutes or until done.  Melt 2 tbls butter, brush top of bread.

Where has this month gone!?!?!

Our month started off slow enough....but a friend came in for a week from Montana, then our Mimi and Papa from Texas came down too...so we are all wild west here!  They brought them all boots and cowboy hats....too cute huh?!  In one week we celebrated birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas so that Mimi and pa could see them open presents.  My Nearly-4 year old had not seen them since she was a little over a year old....so it was nice to get to know each other again.  I really hope we never go that huge amount of time between visits again!  But now it is time to recover then back into our routines.  I hope to keep up with this blog a little bit better now.  I really didnt realize how long it had been....oopps....

The farm life is still going on...I am actually still picking tomatoes this late in the year!! Can you believe that?!  The goats are driving me crazy with becoming master escape artist!  So more fencing is in my immediate future it seems.  Well, got to run...my mom is on her way over to dig up some sweet taters!!!

Shocking I know!!!!

Lots of new things happening here...

My two husbands (j/k) and I took a trip to the other side of Louisville to pick up a tiny little camper (haha)...It is going to double as a guest house this month as company starts pouring in this coming Monday.  It was one of my uncle's unfinished projects so I got a good deal.  I am going to go finish the tile in the living area as soon as I am done here.....It is soooo nice and big...plenty of room for my family of 6.  Everything works great and it has 2 slideouts at the back so it really spreads out...I will post interior pictures later on.

Another addition to the farm is a 4 1/2 month old mountain cur pup we have named Shug....she is beautiful.  She hates my J.R. but I think they will tolerate each other.  Shw is warming up to Bigdaddy in this picture... 

We bought me a newer car...It is a really bright red durango....it has the third seat so we all fit very comfortably.  We figured with the dually in our lives we had no need for the suburaban....so out with the old in with the new.  My sweet suburban found a nice home with plenty of kids to haul...heehee.  It is a big change going from big white to sporty red but I can handle it... 

The husband even dyed my hair to match my new SUV....See...I am a red head now, kinda, with the attitude to match!  I still have my blonde moments too....Goes great with the carhartt bibs I am sure....lol