Johnny Cakes a la Matthew!

Well, good afternoon! You're just in time for lunch. Matt's making johnny cakes. Today's his first lesson on johnny cakes. For today's recipe he mixed a can of corn, 2 fresh eggs, a box of Jiffy corn bread mix and some milk. One recipe at a time Matt is learning to be a self-sufficient adult. The goal is to be able to completely care for himself by the time he is 18-years-old. We're off to a great start!

A Quiet Sunday at Home

Hi! Glad to see you! I'm still coughing, but you can come in if you dare. Today I'm primarily resting. No church :( and only really supervising cleaning. Matt made eggs and toast with apple butter for breakfast. Then he let the chickens out and got them clean, warm water. After that Matt and Mr McDoodle went for a jog around the block, a recent excercise he added on his own that completely exhausts Mr McDoodle! Then Matt hauled in a bit of firewood and kindling, stripped his bed and collapsed on the family room floor next to Mr McDoodle! Me? I'm knitting and trying to decide which 2-4 loads of laundry we should wash tomorrow and keeping the fire going. Happy Sunday and talk to you later!

New Beginnings

Hi, all! Welcome back. As you can tell, I am making a new beginning. Sometimes one just has to start over... rethink their direction on this planet... and begin again. 

My new slogan for my life is 'back to basics', something my boss says a lot! Don't tell him I'm using his slogan~ we just don't want him that happy, now do we?! 

All joking aside, I am thinking about a more real-life touch to our relationship... keeping you more up to date on our daily lives... are you ready for reality? 

Okay, so today being my one day off and Sunday, there should have been prescribed activities... but, as it turns out, I am dealing with a cold and didn't feel like sharing it with everyone at church... I know, I'm selfish not to share, but what can I say? 

Instead Matt and I slept in... ah the luxury... Matt cooked a breakfast of scrambled eggs with bits of beef stick and cheese... then we watched a Christmas movie on the Hallmark Movie Channel, lost a few rounds of Super Mario on Wii to Matt then washed 3 loads of laundry (not making a dent in the laundry still needing washing!). Now we are home... Matt hauled in firewood, played in the ashes of the grill (guy thing?), took a full bath and is playing Wii again... 

I have a dinner of dehydrated ham, mustard greens and squash in the crock pot... hopefully done soon! 

Life is good... sometimes a day that doesn't go according to plan is the best kind of day!  

This is Fresh and We are Blessed!

Breakfast Treat!

Good morning! Such a beautiful crisp fall morning for company. Come on around back and see my feathered children. This morning I gave them a snack of popcorn with a bit of leftover spaghetti. Of course someone always has to jump up into the middle of the platter and kick food everywhere! Why do feathered children do this? I have to tell you that they were so sweet last night. When I went out to check their dishes and put them to bed, they let me pet them. They were even purring softly~ or making whatever soft pleasure noise feathered children make when they are happy! Regardless, it was nice to have the opportunity to pet each one and tame them a little! How are your feathered children today?!

My Chickens are Happy!

Hi! I came home to find my feathered children had turned their water tub over. That's their way of saying, "Fill it now, please!" So I scrubbed it out with dish soap (Ajax) and bleach (Clorox) and filled it with fresh water and vitamins. Look how happy those children are to have fresh, cool water to drink!

21 Hats for Food Pantry!

Good evening! So glad to see you! Come on in and put up your feet. Would you like a soda? What do you think of the hats I've knitted for food pantry at our church? I'm so excited! I was planning to have 40 completed and dropped off by Christmas. By having 21 ready to drop off now, I am over half done! This is so exciting as I will easily be able to make more than 40 in time. More than 40 people will have warm heads this winter. A warm head can keep someone alive when they're sleeping outside. I have 2 more half knitted and need to get back to work. Do mind if I knit while we chat?

My Hungry Children!

Hey! Come around back and watch my hungry children eat! Let's put out a fresh platter of leftovers and watch them wrestle over each morsel!

5 Minute Break to Knit

Hi! Glad to see you! Would you like to sit a spell out front with me? Did you bring you knitting? I love to take five minute breaks to sit in the hammock chair and knit.

Sabrina Guards the Back Door!

Leaves are Falling!

Hello! How are you this lovely afternoon? Such a beautiful day! Have you noticed the leaves falling yet? Some of my Mulberry leaves, out front, turned brown a few weeks ago and fell. Now I am noticing my Peach leaves are turning a bright golden-yellow and falling. It's fun to watch the colors unfold, and, although I'll miss all the outdoor summer activities, it just feels right for the seasons to change. Time for home canning, stacking firewwod, halloween costumes and Christmas surprises!

What is it?

FW: My Doorman~ dare to knock?

This fellow seems to be part of an overall omen of an early winter. He and his mates have decided to take over my home with oversized webs.

Matt put it up himself!

Our First Slaughter!

Hi all! Well, I thought this was gonna be tough to do, even though I'd seen my Dad do it as a child, but it was remarkably easy! I have to admit I am bad at cutting heads off. Have to learn to swing harder. And, don't behead near the coop as they run under it afterward! So glad he came out the other side before he died!! Otherwise I'd have been fishing him out with a broom handle. So now we have a rooster hanging upside down in a tree out back. Not the noisiest, but the one who was attacking hens when Candi put the leftovers in. Candi, Matt and Aiden all watched. No tears, but there was some cheering!

Not Enough Wood?!

Hi! Are you enjoying this beautiful warm weather? 

Have you thought ahead about winter winds to come? 

 I'm afraid I spent my summer on many things that did not prepare me for winter. 

Now, as I look at my pitiful wood pile, I wonder where I can gather more wood?

 It is definitely time to restack for hauling efficiency, then load the Jeep anywhere we see wood piled at the curb!

Damage from Neighbor Kids

Hello! Glad you came by!
 Sorry to say, but I'm stuck at the end of my drive amazed at the deliberate damage to my landscaping by the neighbor's children. 
Funny how people can watch you spend hours improving your property then allow their children to destroy it! 
 I was so upset to arrive home from work to find my landscaping rocks were missing! Then the kids told me they took them and refused to return them.
 I've now planted several Prickly Pear plants between the remaining rocks.

My Feathered Children!

Morning! How are you this lovely day? 

 I popped out to check the food and water for my feathered children and found the water was empty! After cleaning and filling it, with much coaching from the recipients, they flocked around to wet their collective whistles! This is the waterer I bought at 'Big R' in Morris when I first got them as chicks. It is, sadly, rusting already and will be replaced soon.

 Clean rust-free water is essential.

Hanging laundry... 0:)

Our campsite @ Silver Cross Field

Tonight is Rainbow Council Jackhammers Overnight! 

Candace, Matthew, Aiden and I watched the game against Kansas City. 

It was the slowest, longest game ever (or so it seemed), but we won! 

 After the game Matt and I gathered our camping stuff from the Jeep and set up our camp. 

He and I decided to sleep under the stars like a Webelo as we can always use more practice, but we did bring the 2-man tent in case of rain. 

 Well, no stars in the sky, but no hint of rain either. 

The movie, "The Sandlot", is starting. 

I need to relax with the best son in the world in the outfield. 

Have a blessed night all!