Winterpast Homestead

True Thanksgiving

{ Posted by Catherine Ann }
{ 2:32 PM, Monday, November 17, 2008 } { Posted in Quotes and Quips } { 0 comments } { Link }

He who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.
~J.A. Shedd

May we, who receive such glorious undeserved, gifts; not fail to give thanks, truly and from the heart, to Him who gave all for us.

Our computer crashed...

{ Posted by Lisa }
{ 04:54, 2008-Nov-15 } { 1 comments } { Link }

Well, I'm posting from my parent's house, as our computer crashed. I'm not sure what's wrong with it, but we decided not to have it fixed right now, so we just cancelled our internet. I'll post from here occasionally to keep the site updated.

A quick update:

Lilli is doing great. She had a horrible cough for almost two weeks, but finally kicked it on her own without meds. Yay on that. She was student of the month last month, and loves school. Dance is something she looks forward to each week.

Lauren is doing ok, but is a bit sick. She acquired Lilli's cough and then it went into her lungs. She ended up with a double ear infection and pneumonia. She is feeling better now, but isn't completely over it yet.

Lance is doing well, but still has a bit of pain from his hernia surgery. His job is keeping him busy, and he cuts wood on his 'off' days, when the weather cooperates.

I actually love the time change when it gets dark earlier. It means we actually get to eat supper together most nights. There is only so much Lance can do outside in the dark, so we see a lot more of him these days. That's good for us, AND for him!

It was our 9th anniversary on Thursday.

Our last 6 pigs went to the processor last weekend. Yay!

We are down to 7 steers, 2 goats, 12 chickens, 5 guineas, 2 dogs (our Great Pyrs went to new homes), and one barn cat.

We are looking forward to winter and the holidays.

I'll post another update when I can. I have internet access here at my parent's house and at the local library.

I can't seem to access my email, so if you need to get me, you can call me, or leave a comment on here and I'll probably get it quicker than an email at this point.

A Too Large Pot Roast...

{ Posted by HandsNHearts }
{ 01:29, Saturday, November 15, 2008 } { Posted in The Homestead Kitchen } { 5 comments } { Link }

Houston, we have a problem.

My 4 inch by, oh, maybe 14 inch, chuck roast won't fit in my roaster :o(

Well, let me rephrase myself. It fits...with some tucking in along the sides, and I do have a bit of space on the ends. But overall, my cast iron roaster is simply too small. My mother said cut it in half and use 2 pans. Oh, the indignity of whacking this wonderful, marbled roast in half! Isn't it a beauty?

No, I don't usually covet meat like this, but this is special :o) I'm used to rolled roasts, or rump roasts...something more akin to the size of a regulation football. In our area here, pork is the meat of choice it seems. Boston Butts, Loins, etc. They are more readily available in the stores. Beef roasts, even a simple chuck roast, just aren't what I think of as a roast. Most around here are what I'd consider more of a thick steak than anything of a roast.

But I got this at the butcher yesterday when I ordered my bulk meats. The owner was cutting up a half a steer and his wife brought out some small cuts to cut them down more. I saw this one on the table and asked about it. She was going to cut it at least in half, if not thirds. No way -- it was just perfect, I thought. So I bought it.

Me.

Home alone here with no husband, no eldest son and fiance, no eldest daughter. Just me and 7 children. Seven younger children.

This roast could last us most of the week if I play it right.

I managed to get about 4 potatoes cut in half alongside the roast on the ends, and maybe 3 or 4 carrots cut into lengths as well. But my usual broth/gravy concoction doesn't stand a chance of being in there. Not without a serious drip shield along that pan! I simply mixed a bit of stock with a touch of flour to thicken slightly and poured it over. It will be covered and cook all day now. Around 5 or 6 pm we'll eat dinner :o)

Can you imagine how tender this baby will be? I probably shouldn't have bought it, being here with just the children, but I lack self-restraint. It just looked too good to pass up.

I imagine when Dewey reads this his mouth will be watering all over the computer :o) I could FedEx a plate overnight to you honey....

We have a home !!!!

{ Posted by FaithfulAcres }
{ 11:07 AM, Saturday, November 15, 2008 } { Posted in From Our House to Yours } { 3 comments } { Link }

Well here we are...... Let me first say that moving or making the move does not come without trials....lol

Ya, now I can laugh about things but I can tell you that I wasn't laughing when they did happen.

Everyone is looking for thier perverbial " Garden of Eden" here on earth and or heaven on earth

to live peacably while we wait for the Lord's return. Perhaps if our little homestead was in heaven

we would all be happy and content right ?

While we found a 2 bedroom mobile home, 2 bathrooms 14 x 60. In the country of course.

The girls are happy the landlords daughter has 2 horses pastured out here behind our place.

They are ok with us having our goats and fencing in an area for them here. We have a nice sized

porch to sit out on , so that is good . Have to watch out for the fire ant hills but that is part of TN.

OK so for the trials.... The Second night we had a electrical fire in the furnace, house was filling with smoke

we got out and tried to wake up neighbours and no luck. Well the guy up the road was up shotting cyottes

so he called the landlord for us. We aired out the house and then slept well , after the landlord brought us space heaters to use.

What a House Warming !!!

Linda

Random Ramblings for Today...

{ Posted by Catherine Ann }
{ 11:50 AM, Friday, November 14, 2008 } { Posted in Random Ramblings } { 1 comments } { Link }

Egg yolks and lemon juice "shampoo" make hair look and feel fabulous....but, oh the smell is disgusting! It even overpowers the smell of the Apple Cider vinegar rinse. Yucky, that's putting it mildly. So, any ideas for getting the nasty eggy smell out of my freshly washed, shiny hair??? I think I'll go sit in the sunshine for a while and see if that helps.

UPDATE on bread bowls and potato bean soup.

{ Posted by Donna }
{ 10:57, Friday, November 14, 2008 } { 0 comments } { Link }

Just saw my earlier post when posting the last one! If you want the recipe, it is going out in our newsletter this Monday (11/17) with pictures and all! So go sign up at: http://www.eatgrains.com to get your FREE monthly recipes!

Blessed are those who mourn....for they shall be comforted.

{ Posted by Donna }
{ 10:36, Friday, November 14, 2008 } { 0 comments } { Link }

True mourning. Just what is that?

This conversation came up with two of my adult children today and not because of any topic other than the oldest actually thought it was a state of being sad or melancholy. Being older and having known what it is to lose a loved one before *I* thought it was "time" - I have a totally different sense of what mourning is. My kids have not had to truly mourn. In a way I am thankful for that. In a way, they have not known deep comfort because they have not mourned at the depth it is to mourn over a loved one. So in a way they have missed out.

This process of mourning and comforting, like much in our walk with the Lord is not a light switch. The deep mourning and peaceful comforting the Holy Spirit brings are often very very passionate at the onset and we would like to thing - "Well, there you go. It's done." That is not the case.

Tomorrow is the 7 year anniversary of my father's sudden death. Each year I remember the phone call and the absolute shock and emptiness.

The old adage of 'time healing all wounds' does not apply to the totality of mourning.

While shopping for holiday gifts with my all adult children I came across my 'Daddy's' after shave. I wanted them to smell it. Remember him (even though they had very little time with him) and they knew it was Grandpa's smell. Then - I held it to my nose and breathed deep - and 'lost it' in Walmart.

Our kids knew my hurt but could not identify the same with it, Their mourning was not the same for my Daddy.

As I stood there weeping in the fragrance isle, I was mourning and comforted at the same time. This is the Greatness of our God - He is capable of being Paradoxical and still being Stable. He IS God. He does not have to ‘make sense.’

I am blessed because I am comforted by the One who knew the time to take my Father, even if I don't understand, and He knows that mourning is a life of remembering, which allows Him to comfort often. If we let Him.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they SHALL be comforted. I am blessed.

Thought for Today

{ Posted by Catherine Ann }
{ 9:05 AM, Friday, November 14, 2008 } { Posted in Quotes and Quips } { 1 comments } { Link }

Simplicity is the essence of happiness. ~Cedric Bledsoe

I like that!

You are my Peace

{ Posted by Kayinpa }
{ 5:34, Nov. 13, 2008 } { 1 comments } { Link }

During these turbulent times, it is good to remember where our source of peace comes from. This music video have family pictures set to music that the Lord inspired my sister to write.

A Poem of Thanksgiving

{ Posted by Catherine Ann }
{ 2:02 PM, Wednesday, November 12, 2008 } { Posted in Quotes and Quips } { 0 comments } { Link }

I Thank Thee

O Thou whose bounty fills my cup,
With every blessing meet!
I give Thee thanks for every drop—
The bitter and the sweet.

I praise Thee for the desert road,
And for the riverside;
For all Thy goodness hath bestowed,
And all Thy grace denied.

I thank Thee for both smile and frown,
And for the gain and loss;
I praise Thee for the future crown
And for the present cross.

I thank Thee for both wings of love
Which stirred my worldly nest;
And for the stormy clouds which drove
Me, trembling, to Thy breast.

I bless Thee for the glad increase,
And for the waning joy;
And for this strange, this settled peace
Which nothing can destroy.

--Jane Crewdson (1860)

I am printing this one for my notebook, and I think we will use this for copywork in the coming weeks as well.

Blessings,

Catherine

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