tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22875597035742173162024-03-13T12:52:02.065-07:00 Just Joiesearching for a new normalUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger213125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-51662377243008566862014-03-22T10:26:00.001-07:002017-08-18T16:59:14.755-07:00It's Been a Long Time<span style="font-size: large;">WOW! It's been SO long since I posted here. I think about it a lot and then give up before I start. It's overwhelming, to say the least. I did say that, after my precious Jim passed away last June, I'd keep this up. So... here we are.<br /><br />It's been a difficult 10 months. My loss is tremendous. I miss my husband in ways I can't even put into words. We were so close and shared everything. I'm a talker, and he was the best listener -- mostly because he loved me so much. I'd have to say that I miss talking with him the most. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />The boys are doing okay. They don't think about it nearly as much as I do -- which is completely normal. They stay busy playing video games, railfanning and following train stuff, and watching MeTV with me! I told them in the beginning that they'd feel the loss more as they reached milestones in their lives, and their dad wasn't there to share them with them. <br /><br />We are hoping to move in the next couple of months -- to start the farm (or homestead) that Jim and I dreamed of for so long. I'll keep you posted how that's coming along. The latest one we're considering has had a lot of snow that hasn't been cleared -- so we haven't been able to look at the barns and the property. We were able to get into the house a couple of weeks ago, but we're eager to see more before making any decisions. If the temperatures stay in the 40's, perhaps we'll be able to go out there again in a week or so. It's been a long, difficult winter for me. The boys are eager to get the farm started as well! We've all had serious 'cabin fever'! <br /><br />Here's our last family picture with Jim -- Christmas 2012.<br /><br />Until next time... <br /><br />blessings,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> joie</span></i></span></b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-11364322555599575372013-07-14T16:20:00.002-07:002013-07-14T16:22:25.513-07:00TESTING<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">testing, testing, 123 Just trying to see how the "new" blog looks.<span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;"></span></span></i></span></blockquote>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-9214689801410774122011-12-24T19:11:00.000-08:002011-12-24T19:15:52.195-08:00CHRISTMAS 2011Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZI_2LMbOhuo/TvaU9jud6yI/AAAAAAAACv0/6k5biuOIgcc/s1600/DSCF0667-8.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 238px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZI_2LMbOhuo/TvaU9jud6yI/AAAAAAAACv0/6k5biuOIgcc/s400/DSCF0667-8.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689898964512271138" border="0" /></a><br />Enjoy the Christmas music on the blog!<br /><br />Happy New Year! I hope to put together a year-end blog post (another name for a Christmas letter).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-3912557445832058692011-04-06T18:39:00.000-07:002011-04-06T19:56:46.774-07:00RECYCLE and REUSE!<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Please add yourself as a "follower" of my blog. I love to see new followers.</span> </span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 130%;">And PLEASE, PLEASE share a comment! We bloggers LOVE comments! They inspire us to continue blogging!</span><br /><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a5CQjtDNMvw/TZ0f2jbFwiI/AAAAAAAACts/VQNcTbUAyPo/s1600/DSCF1415-3.JPG"><br /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">I save EVERYTHING! Well, a LOT of stuff. I figure I can use "it" for <span style="font-style: italic;">something</span>! Some of my favorite things to save are jars and other containers<span style="text-decoration: underline;">. Here are just a few containers that I recycle/reuse!<br /><br /></span>These are glass peanut butter jars. I use these a LOT! Here I have pan drippings from Teriyaki Chicken. FYI, I refrigerate it, and the fat solidifies at the top. Then I just scoop it off and throw it out. What's left, I put in a plastic cottage cheese container--that I recycled-- and add more chicken pan drippings when I get more! Then I use it for soup stock! The second jar has Italian salad dressing in it</span>. <span style="font-size:130%;">These jars are also great for storing gifts like hot fudge sauce, flavored coffees, </span>etc.!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--LDO_Yt5rQY/TZ0fZxL_4tI/AAAAAAAACtU/eX4MSxEYbzs/s1600/DSCF2176-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 399px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--LDO_Yt5rQY/TZ0fZxL_4tI/AAAAAAAACtU/eX4MSxEYbzs/s400/DSCF2176-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592660839824876242" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;">pan d</span>rippings, Italian salad dressings</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">These brown bottles are a fairly new find. One of the supermarkets carries their soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce in these brown glass bottles! Hey! PERFECT for my homemade VANILLA!</span><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TOp3GC-t_cU/TZ0fZXPwiDI/AAAAAAAACtM/rAeUmYiI510/s1600/DSCF1454-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TOp3GC-t_cU/TZ0fZXPwiDI/AAAAAAAACtM/rAeUmYiI510/s400/DSCF1454-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592660832861325362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >homemade vanilla</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Next up we have recycled plastic Folger's coffee buckets. The crude labels (on blue painter's tape) are self explanatory! Since then we now get Maxwell House coffee because my husband prefers it. However, their containers are squarish. I don't like them nearly as much as these! It takes several times to clean the coffee smell out of these.</span><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RSa1ttENdTk/TZ0fY5G_hZI/AAAAAAAACtE/vMEt5woNhII/s1600/DSCF1421-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RSa1ttENdTk/TZ0fY5G_hZI/AAAAAAAACtE/vMEt5woNhII/s400/DSCF1421-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592660824771495314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">tea bags and oyster crackers (they are in a plastic bag)</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Now for my favorite find! </span> <span style="font-size:130%;">We seem to go through a lot of grated cheese! Nathan likes it on his popcorn; and, of course, we use it every time we have spaghetti and meat sauce/meatballs. Love that the lid has two sides--one with a few large holes it in, and the other side has a large open section--kind of like a spice bottle lid, except it's a larger lid with larger holes. I've used them for Grape Nuts cereal (to sprinkle on yogurt, ice cream), Panko bread crumbs, sugar, coarse salt, corn starch, cornmeal (since I use it every time I make artisan bread. I sprinkle it on the wooden peel) and cinnamon/sugar! I can think of even more things! I want to get herbs in bulk from the local co-op, and they're perfect for that--dill, parsley, etc.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FhzB74bS1AA/TZ0fYYn95rI/AAAAAAAACs8/uUQd_xTThJM/s1600/DSCF1419-3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FhzB74bS1AA/TZ0fYYn95rI/AAAAAAAACs8/uUQd_xTThJM/s400/DSCF1419-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592660816051431090" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Panko bread crumbs, coarse salt, cinnamon/sugar, sugar</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We LOVE to grind our own peppercorns. When we got married, we got an expensive set of salt and pepper grinder shakers. Well after several years, they fell apart. Then I discovered that you can find these in the grocery stores. BUT some of them are NOT refillable! Who wants that?! I think one that I bought was $4.50! Then I found this one at Big Lots for $1.00! It IS refillable! So I decided to soak the label off and now it's a nice, refillable pepper shaker! <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PjWuA35e27k/TZ0gRJizbAI/AAAAAAAACt0/_5UZXgGzbHA/s1600/DSCF1393-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PjWuA35e27k/TZ0gRJizbAI/AAAAAAAACt0/_5UZXgGzbHA/s400/DSCF1393-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592661791255784450" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a5CQjtDNMvw/TZ0f2jbFwiI/AAAAAAAACts/VQNcTbUAyPo/s1600/DSCF1415-3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a5CQjtDNMvw/TZ0f2jbFwiI/AAAAAAAACts/VQNcTbUAyPo/s400/DSCF1415-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592661334346285602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />I hope you found some of these recycling/reusing ideas helpful! Until next time...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">blessings, </span> <span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 51, 255);"> joie</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-57195872301961103832011-02-19T12:12:00.000-08:002011-02-19T12:31:41.053-08:00MOSTLY FOODS WE MADE<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Please add yourself as a "follower" of my blog. I love to see new followers.</span> </span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >And PLEASE, PLEASE share a comment! We bloggers LOVE comments--even just short ones! They inspire us to continue blogging!</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dL7EjGyc4oc/TWAgIt83xxI/AAAAAAAACs0/Qqi15_iqZQE/s1600/DSCF1467.JPG"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--4rJvR9lHnM/TWAbZIGpzTI/AAAAAAAACsM/stjvVfrVZzE/s1600/DSCF1454-1.JPG"><br /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Lately we've been motivated to try new things. I want to be more "homemade". Excited about my vanilla adventure! It's hard to wait 5-6 weeks! Since then, I learned that there are other ways to make vanilla. Another person uses less vanilla beans and let's it "steep" for several months longer. So I did that too--yesterday! I also saw a video last night where a<a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ironhead41#p/u/15/Oi8WM5YQ1vs"> guy was taste testing</a> several vanillas he made with different liquors. He decided the vanilla extra made with </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >gin</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> was his favorite. Hmmm... wonder which is cheaper gin or vodka.<br /><br />I had recently used up soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce--in brown glass 10 oz. bottles. So needless to say I was tickled to save them and use them for more vanilla! I cleaned them and then I cleaned them again! They have snap-up caps too!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--4rJvR9lHnM/TWAbZIGpzTI/AAAAAAAACsM/stjvVfrVZzE/s1600/DSCF1454-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--4rJvR9lHnM/TWAbZIGpzTI/AAAAAAAACsM/stjvVfrVZzE/s400/DSCF1454-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575486457170742578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Recycled bottles--from soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I bought some more vanilla beans from<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> </span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;" ><a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" href="http://cgi.ebay.com/1-ONE-LB-Madagascar-Bourbon-Org-Extr-Vanilla-Beans-6-7-/230397336742?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35a4c05ca6">Vanilla Products USA</a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> </span>Ebay store. They need to be in an airtight container--resealable plastic bags don't seem to work well enough. So I wanted to put them in a quart canning jar. But they didn't fit, and I was bummed until I remembered my green glass canister set--I can put elbow macaroni in any other container. The vanilla beans altogether in their package were perfect for this taller jar! I get excited over the simplist things sometimes!</span><br /></div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b2F-Xgtsd-4/TWAS_waCRZI/AAAAAAAACrM/kFKS0wbe7WU/s1600/DSCF1317.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b2F-Xgtsd-4/TWAS_waCRZI/AAAAAAAACrM/kFKS0wbe7WU/s400/DSCF1317.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575477225219835282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xldo0ibX9cY/TWAS_uNX8zI/AAAAAAAACrE/QAZfAsk_PuI/s1600/DSCF1318.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xldo0ibX9cY/TWAS_uNX8zI/AAAAAAAACrE/QAZfAsk_PuI/s400/DSCF1318.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575477224629859122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I kept them in their original plastic bag and then bagged them in a </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">resealable gallon storage bag before putting in them in this canister. Now that I notice, I didn't have them in the resealable bag until after this photo was taken.</span><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Nathan found another "soft bread" recipe and tried this the other day. This is the one he made for friends of ours which we delivered that afternoon. Always a delightful visit!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tzaq63pxWd8/TWAYmKpilvI/AAAAAAAACr8/S8-cRKfCd88/s1600/DSCF1426-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tzaq63pxWd8/TWAYmKpilvI/AAAAAAAACr8/S8-cRKfCd88/s400/DSCF1426-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575483382657357554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">before</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ueSZj2cg67s/TWAYmeX3i8I/AAAAAAAACsE/m9t2z-rJ0r8/s1600/DSCF1429-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ueSZj2cg67s/TWAYmeX3i8I/AAAAAAAACsE/m9t2z-rJ0r8/s400/DSCF1429-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575483387951942594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">after</span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">with melted butter basted on the top</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FtQWAfoVwjQ/TWAbZZsfSyI/AAAAAAAACsU/8j1QaZJAZVo/s1600/DSCF1471-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FtQWAfoVwjQ/TWAbZZsfSyI/AAAAAAAACsU/8j1QaZJAZVo/s400/DSCF1471-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575486461892840226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">We're still LOVIN' our artisan bread. It's so easy to make! </span></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I also decided to make up Bisquick-type biscuit mix. It can be used for other things besides biscuits. Last night, I made up what is called "Impossible Cheeseburger Pie". I call mine just plain old "Cheeseburger Casserole". I like making it in a wider area-- in a 9 x 11 baking dish. I just add all the things we like on cheeseburgers (ketchup, mustard, pickle relish and onions) to 3-4 cups of already browned ground beef. I buy big packages of ground beef and brown the the same day. Then I store them in 2 cup portions in quart-sized freezer bags until I need them. That's what I used for the recipe. After spreading that in the pan, I place slices of American cheese across the top. I only remembered to take one picture of that. If forgot to take pictures after that! After making up the biscuit recipe, I drop small dollops of biscuit dough all over the top of the meat mixture. It's hard to spread the dough--so do what you can to cover the top. then bake for 1/2 hour--until biscuit topping is golden brown, like you would for biscuits!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dL7EjGyc4oc/TWAgIt83xxI/AAAAAAAACs0/Qqi15_iqZQE/s1600/DSCF1467.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dL7EjGyc4oc/TWAgIt83xxI/AAAAAAAACs0/Qqi15_iqZQE/s400/DSCF1467.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575491672830625554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Cheeseburger Casserole</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tzaq63pxWd8/TWAYmKpilvI/AAAAAAAACr8/S8-cRKfCd88/s1600/DSCF1426-1.JPG"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--0QxsBz3e7o/TWAYl2NTgzI/AAAAAAAACr0/8ae4Dvwg0n4/s1600/DSCF1476.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--0QxsBz3e7o/TWAYl2NTgzI/AAAAAAAACr0/8ae4Dvwg0n4/s400/DSCF1476.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575483377170219826" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nEBx7Jv_nEY/TWAYltiuQ3I/AAAAAAAACrs/2O_zuc7gyA4/s1600/DSCF1474.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nEBx7Jv_nEY/TWAYltiuQ3I/AAAAAAAACrs/2O_zuc7gyA4/s400/DSCF1474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575483374844134258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Bisquick-type Biscuit Mix</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_qtuiNfbg4/TWAYlfGDgBI/AAAAAAAACrk/0rI9xqW8fO0/s1600/DSCF1328.JPG"><br /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I week or so ago, I finally got around to making a recipe that I had for a while--</span><a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2008/12/candy-time-almost-almond-joy-bars.html">Almost Almond Joys</a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">. The recipe comes from one of my favorite websites called </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.mommyskitchen.net/">Mommy's Kitchen</a>. Tina is so nice and she has wonderful, well photographed recipes--with great tutorials. I'm sure I've said it many times before, but I'm a very visual person! I love photos!</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_qtuiNfbg4/TWAYlfGDgBI/AAAAAAAACrk/0rI9xqW8fO0/s1600/DSCF1328.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_qtuiNfbg4/TWAYlfGDgBI/AAAAAAAACrk/0rI9xqW8fO0/s400/DSCF1328.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575483370965794834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I mixed the ingredients together and pressed the mix into a baking pan. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">After letting it chill, I cut them up into rectangles. </span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dToWvLgXPdA/TWATAG51hrI/AAAAAAAACrU/gIFXEBhUZms/s1600/DSCF1330-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dToWvLgXPdA/TWATAG51hrI/AAAAAAAACrU/gIFXEBhUZms/s400/DSCF1330-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575477231258797746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I toasted the almonds in the oven. WOW! What a difference in the taste! </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">I loved them--just to munch on too!</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48ywwi3fph4/TWATAdR1ORI/AAAAAAAACrc/k9KCYYY4Ymc/s1600/DSCF1329-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48ywwi3fph4/TWATAdR1ORI/AAAAAAAACrc/k9KCYYY4Ymc/s400/DSCF1329-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575477237265021202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Melted milk chocolate chips for dipping!</span><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-evK02vaJ7Ss/TWAS_eMT3tI/AAAAAAAACq8/JfD3RN_lVz0/s1600/DSCF1332.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-evK02vaJ7Ss/TWAS_eMT3tI/AAAAAAAACq8/JfD3RN_lVz0/s400/DSCF1332.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575477220330430162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Finished product--Almost Almond Joys! </span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">They were </span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">DELICIOUS</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:180%;">!</span> I will be making them again! NEXT time I will cut them into 1" squares for bite sized pieces. They were hard to dip. Smaller will make it easier. AND they're very rich (I think)!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">More things to share, but I'll wait until next time!<br /><br />blessings, </span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><br /> joie</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b2F-Xgtsd-4/TWAS_waCRZI/AAAAAAAACrM/kFKS0wbe7WU/s1600/DSCF1317.JPG"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xldo0ibX9cY/TWAS_uNX8zI/AAAAAAAACrE/QAZfAsk_PuI/s1600/DSCF1318.JPG"><br /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wz4o82wbK6c/TWAbZ1UvJeI/AAAAAAAACss/0t09h3EZi_Y/s1600/DSCF1424.JPG"><br /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D6PXNNC_hq8/TWAbZW1GG8I/AAAAAAAACsc/-QuXDF6VLSQ/s1600/DSCF1419-1.JPG"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-evK02vaJ7Ss/TWAS_eMT3tI/AAAAAAAACq8/JfD3RN_lVz0/s1600/DSCF1332.JPG"><br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-75279850796792212292011-02-08T20:13:00.000-08:002011-02-09T13:08:46.524-08:00WOW! FEBRUARY 2011 ALREADY!<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Please add yourself as a "follower" of my blog. I love to see new followers.</span> </span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >And PLEASE, PLEASE share a comment! We bloggers LOVE comments--even just short ones! They inspire us to continue blogging!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIYeLrdaSI/AAAAAAAACp8/A32g0OnwZJM/s1600/DSCF1206.JPG"><br /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">It's been a snowy winter for us thus far. </span><span style="font-size:130%;">It's already February! </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Our biggest snow fall was about 15 inches, but it hasn't melted very much; and we keep getting a few more inches (or 12) here and there! Here are some pictures of this winter's snow AND ice!<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIauuwVWSI/AAAAAAAACqs/93YGbVHv8IA/s1600/DSCF9788.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIauuwVWSI/AAAAAAAACqs/93YGbVHv8IA/s400/DSCF9788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571545079137786146" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Snow play early in the season</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIYdqDgptI/AAAAAAAACps/Es8_tP38HeE/s1600/DSCF1189.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIYdqDgptI/AAAAAAAACps/Es8_tP38HeE/s400/DSCF1189.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571542586795009746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Jared and Owen cleaning the car</span><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIYd3ie1OI/AAAAAAAACp0/ZhPmC2SvuoQ/s1600/DSCF1192.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIYd3ie1OI/AAAAAAAACp0/ZhPmC2SvuoQ/s400/DSCF1192.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571542590414574818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan using the "new" snow blower that Nana gave us--she had it for years, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">but it's a John Deere!</span><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIYeLrdaSI/AAAAAAAACp8/A32g0OnwZJM/s1600/DSCF1206.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIYeLrdaSI/AAAAAAAACp8/A32g0OnwZJM/s400/DSCF1206.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571542595820939554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan and Jared working on snow removal</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIYesc_EkI/AAAAAAAACqM/n9_og2RSVXI/s1600/DSCF1207.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIYesc_EkI/AAAAAAAACqM/n9_og2RSVXI/s400/DSCF1207.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571542604618601026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Thankfully, Jim came home early and was able to help the boys out with snow removal. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">I can't remember what we got that time--last week--I think 10+ inches...?</span> </div><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIau_4rGHI/AAAAAAAACq0/url3K04LBSg/s1600/DSCF1256.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIau_4rGHI/AAAAAAAACq0/url3K04LBSg/s400/DSCF1256.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571545083736168562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Our latest few inches from this morning<span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-size:85%;">(Tues. 2/8/11)</span></span></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We've had a lot of ice build up this year as well. EVERYONE has. I don't think you go past a house that doesn't have icicles! Our neighbor has one that is probably 10' long.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIauZE7JyI/AAAAAAAACqk/dgrrUaBw3kk/s1600/DSCF0909.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIauZE7JyI/AAAAAAAACqk/dgrrUaBw3kk/s400/DSCF0909.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571545073318569762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This is what it does as it slowly slides down the roof!</span><br /></div><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIauDZcAPI/AAAAAAAACqc/oslex6FqshM/s1600/DSCF0906.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIauDZcAPI/AAAAAAAACqc/oslex6FqshM/s400/DSCF0906.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571545067499028722" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIat2HOVEI/AAAAAAAACqU/rFRhxG71yAY/s1600/DSCF0905.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIat2HOVEI/AAAAAAAACqU/rFRhxG71yAY/s400/DSCF0905.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571545063932974146" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Pretty wild, huh!</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br />I've been trying to be more of a creative, "from-scratch" homemaker. I've been wanting to make my own vanilla extract for a long time now. Finally I found a place on Ebay to get the vanilla beans , called <a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290379767374&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT">Vanilla Products USA</a>, at a reasonable price, so I ordered them last week and got them in a few days. Yesterday I ordered more, because the day before I made up my first jar of vanilla extract! Jim got more vodka today, so I made up another 4 jars.</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">I watched a</span> <span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9cSXKIQHQc">Youtube</a></span> <span style="font-size:130%;">video with instructions on this. I really like this woman, and I can't wait to watch more of her videos!</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVCrbputI/AAAAAAAACpE/MWWUU5X5MDo/s1600/DSCF1266.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVCrbputI/AAAAAAAACpE/MWWUU5X5MDo/s400/DSCF1266.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571538824773352146" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">First you cut up 6 vanilla beans per 8 oz. jar</span> </div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVC91OUzI/AAAAAAAACpM/DlIbRtVz24g/s1600/DSCF1267.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVC91OUzI/AAAAAAAACpM/DlIbRtVz24g/s400/DSCF1267.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571538829712446258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVDoK4JXI/AAAAAAAACpk/1EVrzmFv0j0/s1600/DSCF1274.JPG"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVDetGT4I/AAAAAAAACpU/qnrhUXc3NIE/s1600/DSCF1269.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVDetGT4I/AAAAAAAACpU/qnrhUXc3NIE/s400/DSCF1269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571538838536736642" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Fill the jar with vodka--this will NOT be 8 oz. of vodka</span><br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVDdHOS3I/AAAAAAAACpc/APE1NZpbtlY/s1600/DSCF1271.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVDdHOS3I/AAAAAAAACpc/APE1NZpbtlY/s400/DSCF1271.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571538838109440882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVC91OUzI/AAAAAAAACpM/DlIbRtVz24g/s1600/DSCF1267.JPG"><br /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVDoK4JXI/AAAAAAAACpk/1EVrzmFv0j0/s1600/DSCF1274.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TVIVDoK4JXI/AAAAAAAACpk/1EVrzmFv0j0/s400/DSCF1274.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571538841077556594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Close jars tightly and shake a little. Store in cool dark place. I put ours in the back of our pantry--behind the cereal. (the "pantry" has doors, so it stays dark) I will shake the jars every 3 days for 5 or 6 weeks! I even marked the calendar this morning when I should shake the jars and when they'll be read! I can't wait!<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I will be adding more pictures of foods we've made and things we've done in the past few months (I hope soon). I'm also wanting to change the name of my blog. But I have no idea of a creative name to give it. Still waiting for my creativity to come back! ALSO, I want to make a more craft, creative title. I don't do digital scrapbooking, so I don't know how to do it...then again, I should talk to my friend, Sunflower! She's always doing that kind of stuff on her blogs!<br /><br />Until next time....<br /><br />blessings,<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255); font-style: italic;">joie</span></span><br /></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-53573175217703519052011-01-13T16:18:00.001-08:002011-01-13T16:18:55.644-08:00HAPPY NEW YEAR!New Year blessings to everyone!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-6679048386005775902010-12-05T18:30:00.000-08:002010-12-05T21:00:54.826-08:00CHRISTMAS BAKING!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:180%;" >Please add yourself as a "follower" of my blog! </span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:180%;" >I love comments! They inspire me to keep blogging! </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Enjoy the Christmas music!</span></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" ><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >The last few years I haven't been doing a lot of decorating. I do, however, love to hang <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 204); font-style: italic;">colored</span> lights around the house. Of course, we always put a tree. With a small house and BOYS, I don't put out things like Nativity Scenes! I have a beautiful one that Jim's brother gave to me years ago--before children. Someday when I have a surface that's safe, I'll display it! Until then, colored lights and a few things we can hang, like wreaths, will suffice! </span></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPxpU9SXNgI/AAAAAAAACoU/YyAE4Bf6Qdg/s1600/DSCF9217.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPxpU9SXNgI/AAAAAAAACoU/YyAE4Bf6Qdg/s400/DSCF9217.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547424649783490050" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-style: italic;">Seems that the pink always stands out... :o(</span><br /></div> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Nathan took up birdwatching and feeding a couple of months ago. We're enjoying all the different birds that we've seen. We've taken several pictures from our kitchen window</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Here are just a couple.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPxpVAAkB5I/AAAAAAAACoc/-JhrUhsDTJw/s1600/DSCF9118.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPxpVAAkB5I/AAAAAAAACoc/-JhrUhsDTJw/s400/DSCF9118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547424650514139026" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-style: italic;">Chickadee</span><br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPxpU9SXNgI/AAAAAAAACoU/YyAE4Bf6Qdg/s1600/DSCF9217.JPG"><br /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPxpUqTwhFI/AAAAAAAACoM/nM6zaONnGCM/s1600/DSCF9237.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPxpUqTwhFI/AAAAAAAACoM/nM6zaONnGCM/s400/DSCF9237.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547424644689069138" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">Downy Woodpecker</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Christmas cookies! We started baking yesterday. When I was growing up, we made a "butter cookie" that wasn't even made with butter. We used oleo. Since that was replaced with margarine, they didn't taste good to me anymore. As an adult, I've tried to find a cookie to replace it. Last year we found a recipe that we liked, but it was made with oil and was greasy. Yesterday Nathan found a sugar cookie called</span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-style: italic;" href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cracked-Sugar-Cookies-I/Detail.aspx">Cracked Sugar Cookies</a> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">on <a href="http://allrecipes.com/"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-style: italic;">www.allrecipes.com</span></a> . He made them, and they are delicious! It's a keeper! I think we'll leave off the word "cracked", though. Don't like it.</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPxpURF0bkI/AAAAAAAACoE/z3AZFEq5jI8/s1600/DSCF9225.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPxpURF0bkI/AAAAAAAACoE/z3AZFEq5jI8/s400/DSCF9225.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547424637919718978" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-style: italic;">Our latest find in Christmas sugar cookie recipes. </span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" ><br /></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPxpVg79FII/AAAAAAAACok/YTqxbxJut2I/s1600/DSCF9147.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPxpVg79FII/AAAAAAAACok/YTqxbxJut2I/s400/DSCF9147.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547424659353179266" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >"Amazing" pork roast</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:130%;">My son's words! (wasn't that good, but it was nice compliment!)</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">Tonight at bed time, Owen said to me, "Seriously, there isn't a girl beautifuller than you!" He's my cornball!</span></span></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">Until next time...</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >blessings,</span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-size:180%;" >joie</span></span></span></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" ><br /><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-46438841589242619192010-11-30T20:22:00.000-08:002010-11-30T20:38:47.952-08:00LAST DAY OF NOVEMBER 2010<div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Please add yourself as a "follower" of my blog! <br />I love comments! They inspire me to keep blogging! <br />Enjoy the Christmas music!<br /></span></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXQCHg-WMI/AAAAAAAACnM/SusssHHmSqo/s1600/DSCF8993-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXQCHg-WMI/AAAAAAAACnM/SusssHHmSqo/s400/DSCF8993-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545567250972301506" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Today we did some more outdoor work that we hadn't planned to do. I had thought we could just pile up leaves in our corral--that hasn't been built yet with pallets. But I learned that they'll just mat and mold. You have to chop them up. So that's what the boys did today down the hill--with the mower. We didn't get as much done as we wanted before the rain...</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXPCRmEBOI/AAAAAAAACms/JuYHCW7_0OQ/s1600/DSCF9030.JPG"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXPCLq8cwI/AAAAAAAACmk/bmIXjlq3GPI/s1600/DSCF8998.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXPCLq8cwI/AAAAAAAACmk/bmIXjlq3GPI/s400/DSCF8998.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545566152576234242" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXPCRmEBOI/AAAAAAAACms/JuYHCW7_0OQ/s1600/DSCF9030.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXPCRmEBOI/AAAAAAAACms/JuYHCW7_0OQ/s400/DSCF9030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545566154166371554" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXQFrqz7kI/AAAAAAAACnU/T9eAK20El50/s1600/DSCF9025.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXQFrqz7kI/AAAAAAAACnU/T9eAK20El50/s400/DSCF9025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545567312216845890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">It was a quick and easy process--even though it was awfully windy!</span><br /></span></div><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXPDRTcKvI/AAAAAAAACm8/jE0O3gzTdvY/s1600/DSCF8995.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXPDRTcKvI/AAAAAAAACm8/jE0O3gzTdvY/s400/DSCF8995.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545566171268131570" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXPDsVOgOI/AAAAAAAACnE/Hh5QkDi8dE0/s1600/DSCF8997.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPXPDsVOgOI/AAAAAAAACnE/Hh5QkDi8dE0/s400/DSCF8997.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545566178523381986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >We have many leaves left! </span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Until next time...</span><br /><br /> <span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> joie</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-87687565797484731582010-11-29T12:21:00.001-08:002010-11-29T12:22:12.995-08:00HOW TO WRAP A CAT FOR CHRISTMAS!<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jm3dm5J5r0A?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jm3dm5J5r0A?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-5246430875320932162010-11-29T08:44:00.001-08:002010-11-29T09:24:25.255-08:00I AM STILL HERE!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Please add yourself as a "follower" of my blog. And I love comments! They inspire me to keep blogging!!!</span></span></span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I'm sorry that I haven't put up a new post in 5+ MONTHS! Shame on me. No excuses. Now it's Christmas time--well actually it's not even December. Every time I advise anyone on starting a blog, I tell them: DON'T put off posting because it'll just get overwhelming and you'll shut down! That's what I did here! For now, I'll post some recent pictures. Of course, we took SO MANY pictures over the summer --garden, playing, etc. Maybe if I didn't take SO many pictures, I wouldn't feel that I had to include so many, and then I might not feel so overwhelmed!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I apologize to those of you who aren't on Facebook to follow my daily life! My blog looks like I dropped off the face of the earth!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">This post will be the first of many throughout the holidays! I have loads of pictures to post since JUNE! I have to start slow though--overwhelming!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I have my Christmas music up now, so I want to have some holiday pictures!!</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >I keep my blog up often listening to the music while I work around the house or do other things on the internet! </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPPaEG7yJrI/AAAAAAAACmc/ZynoXltbFZk/s1600/DSCF8991.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPPaEG7yJrI/AAAAAAAACmc/ZynoXltbFZk/s400/DSCF8991.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545015330338907826" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">This was made for me by my friend Chrissy YEARS ago!</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPPaDby1uaI/AAAAAAAACmU/nt4N9DWfaIs/s1600/DSCF8990.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPPaDby1uaI/AAAAAAAACmU/nt4N9DWfaIs/s400/DSCF8990.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545015318758668706" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPPaBIEhlhI/AAAAAAAACmM/7MzgvbKMy3E/s1600/DSCF8987.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPPaBIEhlhI/AAAAAAAACmM/7MzgvbKMy3E/s400/DSCF8987.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545015279104398866" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPPaAEf3iVI/AAAAAAAACmE/PYaMSjCvqZE/s1600/DSCF8986.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPPaAEf3iVI/AAAAAAAACmE/PYaMSjCvqZE/s400/DSCF8986.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545015260965472594" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPPZ_YMPmKI/AAAAAAAACl8/rSB4Qt0Z424/s1600/DSCF8984.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TPPZ_YMPmKI/AAAAAAAACl8/rSB4Qt0Z424/s400/DSCF8984.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545015249072003234" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >Daytime pictures don't look so great!<br />Owen wants to put strands of shiny red beads on the tree. He said we did last year.</span><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >More pictures to come soon. I promised Jim I'd get stuff done while he and the boys ran errands!<br /><br />Until next time...<br /><br />blessings,</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"> joie</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-16369032572477976452010-06-28T11:30:00.001-07:002010-07-04T14:22:50.034-07:00SUMMER UPDATE<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Please add yourself as a follower of my blog! I love followers, and a I love comments. They inspire me to keep blogging! Many a blogger has given up because they don't think anyone is reading it!</span></span></span></span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj3tFd4QuI/AAAAAAAACjk/sAZCwg5YHTE/s1600/DSCF2815.JPG"><br /></a>I started this blog last weekend:<br /><br />Yesterday we spent the afternoon at my sister Brenda's for my niece's Sweet 16 birthday party! It's always a good time to talk with relatives and friends that we only see a few times a year. We let Nathan and Jared spend the night afterward. Turns out, they hardly slept! I really didn't expect them to. They did, however, have fun! Explains why they're napping this afternoon! I hope they don't stay up late tonight! (They didn't! They were asleep by 11:00!)<br /><br />My nephew (17) enjoys making videos/movies. Last year he made a short western movie here at my house. The boys loved being part of it. Yesterday they did it again. We saw the edited version today. It was really neat and fun! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">TJ</span> does a great job editing. Now we'll just have to get them in full costume and do another one!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCkAO5dYYkI/AAAAAAAACk0/owsQ-BRwDJI/s1600/DSCF2905.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCkAO5dYYkI/AAAAAAAACk0/owsQ-BRwDJI/s400/DSCF2905.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487917876869882434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Owen</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCkAPaqcLRI/AAAAAAAACk8/RxlrwqDr3M8/s1600/DSCF2907.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCkAPaqcLRI/AAAAAAAACk8/RxlrwqDr3M8/s400/DSCF2907.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487917885783026962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">TJ</span> with Owen</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">During this past week, the boys start video taping themselves again. I suggested they make a slap stick "movie". That way, it's more fun and they can laugh at themselves as they're learning! They love Buster Keaton movies. However, I hope they don't try the stunts that he did! He was a master! Nathan was able to show me on the camera Jared's video taping in fast motion. It was hysterical! I'm sure they can do that with a video editing program. I suggested they make it black and white or sepia for added effect!<br /></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj8fhWGYeI/AAAAAAAACkk/vOvgCGm_Ui0/s1600/DSCF2865.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj8fhWGYeI/AAAAAAAACkk/vOvgCGm_Ui0/s400/DSCF2865.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487913764408156642" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj8f1CUHzI/AAAAAAAACks/zFqdd4--2h0/s1600/DSCF2870.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj8f1CUHzI/AAAAAAAACks/zFqdd4--2h0/s400/DSCF2870.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487913769693880114" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This moth was on my parents' porch.</span><br /></div><br /><br />I love to watch the day-to-day progress of our garden. Nathan said the tomato plants have flowers! So exciting! This isn't the first time we've had a garden, but we're much more serious this year! It's important! We're praying for a good harvest so we can do some canning!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj8eGNyuTI/AAAAAAAACkM/ljo7gUDhs7s/s1600/DSCF2854.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj8eGNyuTI/AAAAAAAACkM/ljo7gUDhs7s/s400/DSCF2854.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487913739945687346" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">peas</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj3tFd4QuI/AAAAAAAACjk/sAZCwg5YHTE/s1600/DSCF2815.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj3tFd4QuI/AAAAAAAACjk/sAZCwg5YHTE/s400/DSCF2815.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487908499884622562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Jared with one of the lower boxes</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj8en7mABI/AAAAAAAACkU/RcwpPDPsgao/s1600/DSCF2860.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj8en7mABI/AAAAAAAACkU/RcwpPDPsgao/s400/DSCF2860.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487913748996161554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Not sure if this is a cucumber, pumpkin, or zucchini plant! They all look the same at this size! Actually, this photo was taken almost a week ago! They look different now!</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Ever heard of <a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_401_make-bangers-mash.html">Bangers and Mash</a>? It's a traditional British meal. We've made it a couple of times, but we haven't found the right tasting sausage. It should be a mild NON-Italian flavored beef sausage. The gravy is outstanding--you fry up onions and caramelize them! The recipe we used was from an <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-style: italic;" href="http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_401_make-bangers-mash.html">e-how video</a> .<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCkAQfSSXdI/AAAAAAAAClM/N8qD03iy7GQ/s1600/DSCF2809.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCkAQfSSXdI/AAAAAAAAClM/N8qD03iy7GQ/s400/DSCF2809.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487917904203767250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I love making greeting cards, and now that I have good ink for my photo printer, I'm having a blast printing photos for cards! It's always great when you can use your own photos, but it's handy that we can print out any image from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">internet</span> and work with it! Yesterday, I had Nathan find me an image of a horse --my niece loves horses. So we found a beautiful picture of a horse's face, and I printed it out for a card! Now I'm not selling these cards, so I'm pretty sure I'm not violating anything. I forgot to scan the card. But I mounted it like the card you see below. The picture of the dandelion I took a couple of years ago! So a couple of weeks ago, I made it into a card for a friend!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj3tulFt_I/AAAAAAAACjs/Rj_7QJy8j1o/s1600/DSCF2830.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj3tulFt_I/AAAAAAAACjs/Rj_7QJy8j1o/s400/DSCF2830.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487908510920718322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCkAQqSTO4I/AAAAAAAAClU/_je2B2MedYE/s1600/SD530004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCkAQqSTO4I/AAAAAAAAClU/_je2B2MedYE/s400/SD530004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487917907156614018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A photo that I'm considering using for making note cards.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj3uCuDfCI/AAAAAAAACj0/XkPvns2-fJI/s1600/DSCF2848.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj3uCuDfCI/AAAAAAAACj0/XkPvns2-fJI/s400/DSCF2848.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487908516327029794" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj3u22w6fI/AAAAAAAACj8/IjIuRMqxwCg/s1600/DSCF2850.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj3u22w6fI/AAAAAAAACj8/IjIuRMqxwCg/s400/DSCF2850.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487908530322205170" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj3vetEabI/AAAAAAAACkE/FlGtF52gRVs/s1600/DSCF2847.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TCj3vetEabI/AAAAAAAACkE/FlGtF52gRVs/s400/DSCF2847.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487908541018958258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Just having fun playing with the camera!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Until next time...<br /><br />blessings, <span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0); font-style: italic;"> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">joie</span></span></span><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-30076400915441415272010-06-17T17:21:00.001-07:002010-06-20T10:27:37.553-07:00PHOTO UPDATEI'm going to make this post mostly about the pictures this time. I'm so far behind, so this is the quickest way to catch up! Not sure I like my new blog layout and design, but I'd rather update it than spend time playing with the design layout!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzbcNdhBAI/AAAAAAAACjE/YcHDb-2E1bA/s1600/DSCF2341.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzbcNdhBAI/AAAAAAAACjE/YcHDb-2E1bA/s400/DSCF2341.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484499723926701058" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The boys always love hanging out with Dad at his truck!</span><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzbbsrrINI/AAAAAAAACi8/qVcpWojOrYI/s1600/DSCF2297.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzbbsrrINI/AAAAAAAACi8/qVcpWojOrYI/s400/DSCF2297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484499715127714002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Owen "driving"</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzbbfLdXqI/AAAAAAAACi0/VZD9-SQZP5M/s1600/DSCF2294.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzbbfLdXqI/AAAAAAAACi0/VZD9-SQZP5M/s400/DSCF2294.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484499711502933666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Jared helping with the landing gear</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzba4ziLAI/AAAAAAAACis/0SzNVWIRsng/s1600/DSCF2290.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzba4ziLAI/AAAAAAAACis/0SzNVWIRsng/s400/DSCF2290.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484499701202037762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan helping with the landing gear</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzbafiuslI/AAAAAAAACik/2rKRP8Cjy3E/s1600/DSCF2282.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzbafiuslI/AAAAAAAACik/2rKRP8Cjy3E/s400/DSCF2282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484499694420669010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Jim picking up his truck after having it serviced.</span> </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIr4nJX6I/AAAAAAAACiM/pGhlUJ4yi74/s1600/DSCF2260.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIr4nJX6I/AAAAAAAACiM/pGhlUJ4yi74/s400/DSCF2260.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484479102486929314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">We went to Massachusetts to get pure maple syrup--got some there in March</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Ioka Valley Farms</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIsACWQfI/AAAAAAAACiU/99sCTLy0o64/s1600/DSCF2261.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIsACWQfI/AAAAAAAACiU/99sCTLy0o64/s400/DSCF2261.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484479104480068082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">We also went to buy strawberries at Ioka Valley Farms. They were $5/quart, but they are organic (I think!)</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I thought that was pricey, but then again I haven't bought strawberries from a stand in a long long time!</span><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIs3y3ysI/AAAAAAAACic/BTQsNa9UBoo/s1600/DSCF2263.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIs3y3ysI/AAAAAAAACic/BTQsNa9UBoo/s400/DSCF2263.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484479119447542466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Across from the farm on a hill are some wind turbines. They're huge!</span> </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIsACWQfI/AAAAAAAACiU/99sCTLy0o64/s1600/DSCF2261.JPG"><br /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIr4nJX6I/AAAAAAAACiM/pGhlUJ4yi74/s1600/DSCF2260.JPG"><br /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIra2Eu3I/AAAAAAAACiE/qfd4nzm0Q1w/s1600/SD530002-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIra2Eu3I/AAAAAAAACiE/qfd4nzm0Q1w/s400/SD530002-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484479094496476018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan's my bread baker! 4 16" loaves this time. He cuts them up and freezes them.</span> </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIqwYPWpI/AAAAAAAACh8/vAo_qACja08/s1600/DSCF2181.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TBzIqwYPWpI/AAAAAAAACh8/vAo_qACja08/s400/DSCF2181.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484479083097053842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I re-potted some herbs--basil and oregano and parsley. The latter two are a little straggly! </span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TB1EbPTYP6I/AAAAAAAACjc/A8Fu4TaclIk/s1600/DSCF2384.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TB1EbPTYP6I/AAAAAAAACjc/A8Fu4TaclIk/s400/DSCF2384.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484615155962101666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Somethin's got this one... not all of the broccoli are like this.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TB1EahYQuGI/AAAAAAAACjU/Sq_md82A3eQ/s1600/DSCF2376.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TB1EahYQuGI/AAAAAAAACjU/Sq_md82A3eQ/s400/DSCF2376.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484615143634548834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Llama bean tea! I read on the internet that it's most effective this way. Add 1 cup llama manure to 1 gallon water. Let it sit for a couple of days. We think it's helped our tomato plants come back to life!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TB1EZ1JXQeI/AAAAAAAACjM/DwZ9bQaUeao/s1600/DSCF2374.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TB1EZ1JXQeI/AAAAAAAACjM/DwZ9bQaUeao/s400/DSCF2374.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484615131760902626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Our bush beans have taken off, and the tomatoes are looking better!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I hope I didn't leave too much out! Until next time...<br /><br />blessings, <span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">joie</span></span><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-91316062824523964712010-06-04T19:29:00.000-07:002010-06-04T20:46:50.817-07:00SERIOUS CASE OF BARNHEART<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Please add yourself as a follower of my blog! I love followers, and a I love comments. They inspire me to keep blogging! Many a blogger has given up because they don't think anyone is reading it!</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" lang="EN"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><br /></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Today, I have a serious case of</span> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">Barnheart</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);font-size:180%;" >*</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. I thought we could bring the farm to us--at least for the time being...</span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;" lang="EN"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><br /><br /></span></span><span lang="EN"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153); font-weight: bold;">{<span style="font-size:180%;">*</span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;" lang="EN"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">Barnheart</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"> is that sudden overcast feeling that hits you while at work or in the middle of the grocery store checkout line. It’s unequivocally knowing you want to be a farmer — and for whatever personal circumstances — cannot be one just yet. So there you are, heartsick and confused in the passing lane, wondering why you cannot stop thinking about heritage livestock and electric fences. Do not be afraid. You have what I have. You are not alone. </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">(Jenna Woginrich)</span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">}</span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;" lang="EN"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Only this isn't sudden. I think about it all the time. Sometimes it makes me cry. This idea for making chickens work here, where we are, started when my brother-in-law decided to have chickens. I admit, I was envious. But I was happy for them too. But why couldn't we do it here? In a Google search for the</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);" href="http://www.homestead-blessings.com/products.html/">West Ladies' Homestead Blessings videos</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">,<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> I came across a</span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> </span><a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;" href="http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/">website of a family in Pasadena</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, California, homesteading on 1/5 of an acre. The story of the Dervaes family is so cool. They happened to be giving away the</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> </span><a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);" href="http://www.homestead-blessings.com/products.html/">Homestead Blessings videos</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">on their website, and that's why I found them in the Google search results. Then I started taking out books from the library about raising chickens and homesteading in cities and suburbs. People do it all the time! I read and learned about raising chickens in small areas. There are those who have cows and pigs, as well as chickens, and a big garden with less space than what we have! Then when Jim came on board, it was full sail! Until yesterday when the wind was taken out of our sail! Nathan has upped his internet search for real estate. There is a lot of beautiful land out there for decent prices--IF we don't want to have a house!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnBm5CSKAI/AAAAAAAACgk/83iXPJkIH18/s1600/DSCF1870.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnBm5CSKAI/AAAAAAAACgk/83iXPJkIH18/s320/DSCF1870.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479123295562508290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Yesterday, Nathan was practicing using this lamp and getting the temp right for the chicks that we almost bought! I since learned that we should use an infrared lamp...</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Yesterday, Nathan harvested our first salad greens! The garden's growing, that's for sure!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnEWJ9UgrI/AAAAAAAAChU/Af9scCmhL98/s1600/DSCF1960.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnEWJ9UgrI/AAAAAAAAChU/Af9scCmhL98/s320/DSCF1960.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479126306582201010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Nobody liked the arugula--the one with the oak-like leaves. It had a peculiar taste.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnBncl3ZLI/AAAAAAAACgs/NIrcmV11hSU/s1600/DSCF1850.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnBncl3ZLI/AAAAAAAACgs/NIrcmV11hSU/s320/DSCF1850.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479123305106990258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Potato plants coming up!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnEV2TNvoI/AAAAAAAAChM/Vl79SvHQT_0/s1600/.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnEV2TNvoI/AAAAAAAAChM/Vl79SvHQT_0/s320/.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479126301305323138" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan grew many marigold plants from seeds. Here are just a few that we re-potted so that we can take them to wherever we need them! Thanks, Tami, for the pots! They came in very handy!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnEVDr__NI/AAAAAAAAChE/boj7dibYLPg/s1600/DSCF1844.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnEVDr__NI/AAAAAAAAChE/boj7dibYLPg/s320/DSCF1844.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479126287719070930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The pea plants are growing fast! Nathan said he saw a flower today!</span> </div></div></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I tried something different for dinner last night. I had chicken tender strips. And I had a head of lettuce that I hadn't been using. So I looked up on the internet for a recipe for stir fry lettuce. Believe it or not, I found a recipe. So I tried it--but added the chicken and some chopped bacon. It was delicious! The flavor was "outstanding", my husband said. Jim's not a picky eater, but he reserves the big compliments for things that he really likes. I never make homemade Chinese food, so this was fun to try. I did NOT use any homegrown greens in the recipe.</span><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnEWtr7vkI/AAAAAAAAChc/zqPMhQKw_dA/s1600/DSCF1966.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnEWtr7vkI/AAAAAAAAChc/zqPMhQKw_dA/s320/DSCF1966.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479126316172951106" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The lettuce doesn't look so good, but it tasted delicious!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Today we took a little break from our disappointment [losing approval from the neighbors to have chickens--see my last post] by going "train watching" The place we usually go to had some work being done on the tracks, so we went further out--to the boys' favorite place. I don't like going that far since it's a half hour away, so more gas is used. But Jim had taken them before and they love this place. Plus we hadn't gone train watching in a while. We ended up seeing 3 freight trains in less than 15 minutes!! THAT was cool! Nathan took some videos and I got some neat shots of the tracks. Then we stopped at Stewarts to get gas--so we had ice cream cones too!<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAm_MuxfI6I/AAAAAAAACf0/tUa3axb3CMY/s1600/DSCF1981.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAm_MuxfI6I/AAAAAAAACf0/tUa3axb3CMY/s320/DSCF1981.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479120647107847074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">My guys</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnBmsdEmSI/AAAAAAAACgc/Z4gm8YoOxIc/s1600/DSCF1977.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnBmsdEmSI/AAAAAAAACgc/Z4gm8YoOxIc/s320/DSCF1977.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479123292185205026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">It was fun to take pictures of the tracks! This is one of several.</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When we got home, the boys went in the pool. The weather has been hot enough in May and early June to warrant going in the pool! It's still unseasonably warm--80's to 90's. The average for this time of year is mid- 70's.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAm_OYJYpJI/AAAAAAAACgU/tZhJ9GLZ9eE/s1600/DSCF2013.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAm_OYJYpJI/AAAAAAAACgU/tZhJ9GLZ9eE/s320/DSCF2013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479120675393807506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I call them my "goggle geeks"!</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnGkB-A9sI/AAAAAAAAChs/6jStyENUYRY/s1600/DSCF2026.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnGkB-A9sI/AAAAAAAAChs/6jStyENUYRY/s320/DSCF2026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479128743979054786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnGjkX7o_I/AAAAAAAAChk/mvt72C-UTZo/s1600/DSCF2006.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnGjkX7o_I/AAAAAAAAChk/mvt72C-UTZo/s320/DSCF2006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479128736034694130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAm_NbaK48I/AAAAAAAACgE/PULCW1uGTms/s1600/DSCF1846.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAm_NbaK48I/AAAAAAAACgE/PULCW1uGTms/s320/DSCF1846.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479120659089646530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Here's a better look a the blue tarp where the boys put grass clippings and mowed-over leaves. The worms living and working in there are incredible!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnBoSRR9FI/AAAAAAAACg8/yFh9mVvGnwk/s1600/DSCF1958.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnBoSRR9FI/AAAAAAAACg8/yFh9mVvGnwk/s320/DSCF1958.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479123319516165202" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My sweet and adorable Owen!</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnBnifm8xI/AAAAAAAACg0/aPceQytyJGs/s1600/DSCF1927.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAnBnifm8xI/AAAAAAAACg0/aPceQytyJGs/s320/DSCF1927.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479123306691359506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Owen has gotten so good on the rope swing!</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Until next time...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">blessings, <span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51); font-style: italic;"> joie</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-8777521545763177482010-06-03T09:29:00.000-07:002010-06-03T18:01:37.757-07:00CHICKENS. TO BE OR NOT TO BE.<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Please add yourself as a follower of my blog! I love followers, and a I love comments. They inspire me to keep blogging! Many a blogger has given up because they don't think anyone is reading it!</span></span></span><br /></div><br />Yesterday we did more gardening--16 tomato plants [10 Romas--for canning, and 6 beefsteaks], rainbow peppers, and bush beans in the 16' x 2' box down the hill. This is <a style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.heartofwisdom.com/heartathome/2010/02/25/benefits-of-a-square-foot-garden/">Square Foot Gardening</a>. We choose the size of our boxes based on what our space needs are. It's still <a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);" href="http://www.heartofwisdom.com/heartathome/2010/02/25/benefits-of-a-square-foot-garden/">Square Foot Gardening</a>. It took me a while to convince Nathan that we're not going against anything that Mel, the creator of this system, says.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAfar2xMNeI/AAAAAAAACfc/-hK6daDgV3Q/s1600/DSCF1788.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAfar2xMNeI/AAAAAAAACfc/-hK6daDgV3Q/s320/DSCF1788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478587918690563554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I love to see Nathan tending to the garden. He's planting the tomato plants that he grew from seed. He loves it.</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAfaseZvw1I/AAAAAAAACfk/LHNiH0ztnFE/s1600/DSCF1797.JPG"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAfasiB_f5I/AAAAAAAACfs/maAYaO_jf88/s1600/DSCF1805.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAfasiB_f5I/AAAAAAAACfs/maAYaO_jf88/s320/DSCF1805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478587930303758226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Jared talking with the neighbor boys about gardening.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">See that blue tarp in the background? It's loaded with grass clippings and chopped up leaves--it's damp because of past rainfalls. If you push over a corner of that pile, you find LOADS of red wiggler worms! Did I ever think I'd get excited over worms?? Nope! But I do now!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The boys played in the pool with the neighbor boys, Anthony and Alex. Actually it went better than I expected--FIVE boys in a small 12' pool! They listened to me when I told them a few simple rules, and I only had to remind ALL of them a few times!<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAfarSXBbmI/AAAAAAAACfU/xk9Es_lI2zM/s1600/DSCF1770.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAfarSXBbmI/AAAAAAAACfU/xk9Es_lI2zM/s320/DSCF1770.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478587908917128802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Having fun with the neighbor boys</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAfarJpWtLI/AAAAAAAACfM/KXDG8ucjqgc/s1600/DSCF1769.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TAfarJpWtLI/AAAAAAAACfM/KXDG8ucjqgc/s320/DSCF1769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478587906578101426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Jared and Owen</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Busy planning for our 16 chickens! I ordered them today. They should be in June 24th. It's hard to wait 3 weeks, but it's best to get them all together instead of 8 today--which we could've picked up--and 8 more in 3 weeks. What to build for a coop? How to configure the yard?<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >UPDATE:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" > </span> Jim found out this evening that our <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">other</span> neighbors are NOT okay with us getting chickens like they had told us 8 days ago. When were they going to tell us?! Did they not think about us having to order chicks and supplies?! Jim walked outside to hear the two neighbor ladies talking to each other about it on the sidewalk! When he approached them, the other neighbor lady said to him that both couples were going to have dinner together tomorrow night to discuss our chicken situation. She went on and on to him about how bad having chickens next door would be. I'm thinking Twilight Zone here! She said "well <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">I </span></span>did some checking and found out that you can't have chickens unless your neighbors agree." Okay... now I know we're in the Twilight Zone?! Jim explained that to both of them last week (because both couples had asked!)--he graciously reminded her of that. Then he came right in to talk to me. After a short discussion with me, he went back to them and told them that we had decided not to pursue the chickens--if they didn't want us to. Can you imagine living under their scrutiny if they had reluctantly agreed?! I'm very sad about all this, and so are the boys. I know God has a better plan; I'm just trying to be patient waiting for it. SO glad that He stopped us from picking up day-old chicks today! I'll have to cancel the chick order tomorrow... :o(<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">That's all for now...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">blessings, <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"> joie</span></span><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-52812948660812083642010-05-23T19:44:00.000-07:002010-05-31T20:21:18.002-07:00Happy Memorial Day!<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Please add yourself as a follower of my blog! I love followers, and a I love comments. They inspire me to keep blogging! Many a blogger has given up because they don't think anyone is reading it!</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /><br />Today was officially Memorial Day. Every other year the local parade goes by our house. This was our year! A half dozen fire companies came through--of course the boys LOVE it!</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">Jim has worked the last 2 years on Memorial Day, but this year, Monday was his day off. So it was nice that he could enjoy the holiday with us.</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARu5SYTc4I/AAAAAAAACeE/49M6ncEp-ik/s1600/DSCF1720.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARu5SYTc4I/AAAAAAAACeE/49M6ncEp-ik/s320/DSCF1720.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477624977254740866" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARu57S4hPI/AAAAAAAACeM/14ya_N0ics8/s1600/DSCF1728.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARu57S4hPI/AAAAAAAACeM/14ya_N0ics8/s320/DSCF1728.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477624988237858034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx7vZQlCI/AAAAAAAACfE/CG3eddQcFE0/s1600/DSCF1388.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx7vZQlCI/AAAAAAAACfE/CG3eddQcFE0/s320/DSCF1388.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477628317937996834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A favorite past time--jumping off the swing!</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Love trying to catch those mid-air shots!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx7CM3vlI/AAAAAAAACe8/d2vW9JRPlgA/s1600/DSCF1387.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx7CM3vlI/AAAAAAAACe8/d2vW9JRPlgA/s320/DSCF1387.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477628305806442066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Catching Jared in mid air!</span><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx6q4B7YI/AAAAAAAACe0/MxWr5qoQevs/s1600/DSCF1595.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx6q4B7YI/AAAAAAAACe0/MxWr5qoQevs/s320/DSCF1595.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477628299545013634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Occasionally, my boys will work cooperatively together...</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx6FrCaWI/AAAAAAAACes/-3Uy8kCC9mQ/s1600/DSCF1295.JPG"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx5nAQxaI/AAAAAAAACek/chsPNjp3334/s1600/DSCF1296.JPG"><br /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="font-size:130%;">A week ago, Jim and the boys started putting up the pool. It went very slowly because we were using creek water using a sump pump that uses a regular garden hose. Since we were taking it UP the hill, it came out of the hose at about 1/4 of it's regular force. </span><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">After about 6 inches and 5 hours, we shut the pump down for the night. In the morning when the boys went to plug the pump back in, they found an empty pool! Nobody thought to take the hose out of the pool, and gravity took care of the rest! Who knew!</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">After running all day on Monday, the pool was full. We threw some bleach in that night and the boys got to play in it the next afternoon! </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARsSiycdjI/AAAAAAAACdk/-9tAEYyjTUc/s1600/DSCF1420.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARsSiycdjI/AAAAAAAACdk/-9tAEYyjTUc/s320/DSCF1420.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477622112621196850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Preparing for the mats to put under the pool</span><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARsTKlyzKI/AAAAAAAACds/JDocpzLzIn4/s1600/DSCF1424.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARsTKlyzKI/AAAAAAAACds/JDocpzLzIn4/s320/DSCF1424.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477622123305553058" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">We found use for the trampoline that broke last year. We used the jumping surface to put under the pool! Jared is cutting the rings off!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARsSLO6LqI/AAAAAAAACdc/9--N06ZRzdk/s1600/DSCF1481.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARsSLO6LqI/AAAAAAAACdc/9--N06ZRzdk/s320/DSCF1481.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477622106298134178" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARu459Uy4I/AAAAAAAACd8/32PrAR_Rgo0/s1600/DSCF1572.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARu459Uy4I/AAAAAAAACd8/32PrAR_Rgo0/s320/DSCF1572.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477624970699131778" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARsTgUih5I/AAAAAAAACd0/zSM7_wzkjNY/s1600/DSCF1594.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARsTgUih5I/AAAAAAAACd0/zSM7_wzkjNY/s320/DSCF1594.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477622129138763666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The distorted "goggle face" makes me laugh, but at the same time it creeps me out!</span><br /><br /></div><br />Last week we took the boys to Fun <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Plex</span>. Their 2 aunts, my sisters--gave them gift cards LAST year for their birthdays. They played mini-golf and went on the go-karts.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARu6mZTS3I/AAAAAAAACec/LwR7z7xmUYw/s1600/DSCF1282.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARu6mZTS3I/AAAAAAAACec/LwR7z7xmUYw/s320/DSCF1282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477624999807503218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Jim with Owen. In these go-karts, Owen has a steering wheel so he can also "drive", but he really has no control</span>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx6FrCaWI/AAAAAAAACes/-3Uy8kCC9mQ/s1600/DSCF1295.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx6FrCaWI/AAAAAAAACes/-3Uy8kCC9mQ/s320/DSCF1295.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477628289558407522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan speeding by!</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx5nAQxaI/AAAAAAAACek/chsPNjp3334/s1600/DSCF1296.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARx5nAQxaI/AAAAAAAACek/chsPNjp3334/s320/DSCF1296.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477628281325929890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Jared speeding by!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">We're still working on getting boxes made for our <a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 255);" href="http://www.heartofwisdom.com/heartathome/2010/02/25/benefits-of-a-square-foot-garden/">Square Foot Gardening</a> method. Things had to wait until we knew for sure where we wanted to put them. After knowing that, we'd know what size to make. Jim had made a 16 x 2, but we didn't have a place to put it, yet...</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">This section I wrote last Monday 5/24. I'm telling you the date for a reason:</span> I've been reading a LOT about raising laying hens. Still working on Jim. He's been very skeptical about it because we don't have much room and he wants to move. So do I, but I think we should do something NOW, if we can! Most of the books I've been reading deal directly with small urban or suburban flocks. It <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> be done here, but we'd have to check with our neighbors to see if they're okay with it since we're not in an agricultural zone. They say that chickens are less intrusive and less of a problem than many neighborhood dogs! You just have to take care of them and keep their living quarters cleaned! We'd love to do meat birds, but we definitely don't have the room for that. I'm trying not to bug Jim about this.<span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);"><br /><br />Now here's the update:</span> </span><span>On Wednesday, Jim got home from work early. We walked around outside and talked about where we were going to put garden boxes. After a while he went inside. When I came in, he wanted me to see something on the computer. He'd been looking for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Youtube</span> videos about raising chickens. He explained to me that God had been working on his heart about doing it here and now. He REALLY wanted to do it now. So that evening, he spoke with our neighbors on both sides. One couple reluctantly agreed, and the other couple was all for it. We were very thankful. The next day, I was itching to get started and order "stuff" related to our chicken project. But thankfully, I didn't. Later that night, Jim opened an email from our neighbors--the ones who weren't thrilled about our idea-- explaining that they had to reconsider and do some research on their own before agreeing--they were concerned about the noise, the husband's allergies, etc. That was Thursday night. For 3 days, it really brought me down. And yesterday afternoon, I was a nervous wreck--not having any idea what the final answer would be. S0 last night (Sunday) Jim re-visited with them, and they said yes--with conditions. Oh well...</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span><br />We ended up putting the 16' x 2' box up along the property line between us and our "reluctant" neighbors. This way, I can TRY to hide our chicken yard with climbing/vining plants that we'll trellis. They live in the upstairs of their house, and they can see EVERYTHING on our property. Even with an 8 ft. fence between our back yards, they can see it all because they're above it. It's frustrating. But I can only do so much.</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_noAikelfI/AAAAAAAACc8/po8TW5jp3z8/s1600/DSCF1457.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_noAikelfI/AAAAAAAACc8/po8TW5jp3z8/s320/DSCF1457.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Just a couple of the books I've read about the subject</span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_noAaRaRZI/AAAAAAAACc0/AMKASpKF68k/s1600/DSCF1434.JPG"></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_noAaRaRZI/AAAAAAAACc0/AMKASpKF68k/s1600/DSCF1434.JPG"></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_noBBen7SI/AAAAAAAACdE/hDPSTsWAbuU/s1600/DSCF1459.JPG"><img alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_noBBen7SI/AAAAAAAACdE/hDPSTsWAbuU/s320/DSCF1459.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Every few days, I take our kitchen scraps and put them through the food processor to break them down for our compost bins. If we didn't need it ASAP, I wouldn't take the time to do this step. Wish we had started this 6 months ago!<br />Chickens are going to love kitchen scraps too!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARsR8b0m8I/AAAAAAAACdU/_3FxT6fY6dI/s1600/DSCF1483.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/TARsR8b0m8I/AAAAAAAACdU/_3FxT6fY6dI/s320/DSCF1483.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477622102325763010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My beautiful friend Tami and her youngest of 8, Levi!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">That's all for now. Until next time...</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">blessings, <span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">joie</span></span></span></span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none; padding: 0px; background: none repeat scroll 0% 50% transparent;" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-64657507974942627342010-05-21T06:51:00.001-07:002010-05-21T18:20:03.810-07:00I HAVE BARNHEART...<div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font-style: italic;">Please add yourself as a follower of my blog! I love followers, and a I love comments. They inspire me to keep blogging! Many a blogger has given up because they don't think anyone is reading it!</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I learned last night that I have <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Barnheart"</span>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;" lang="EN"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">There’s a condition that inflicts some of us that can only be described as </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">Barnheart</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">Barnheart</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"> is that sudden overcast feeling that hits you while at work or in the middle of the grocery store checkout line. It’s unequivocally knowing you want to be a farmer — and for whatever personal circumstances — cannot be one just yet. So there you are, heartsick and confused in the passing lane, wondering why you cannot stop thinking about heritage livestock and electric fences. Do not be afraid. You have what I have. You are not alone. </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">(Jenna Woginrich)</span><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I thought it was just me that felt this way (pretty much all the time)! I've learned that there are many people going through the same thing. I'm reading this book called </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;" lang="EN"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Made from Scratch</span> </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">by Jenna Woginrich. I borrowed it from the library a couple of months ago, and just scanned through it thinking it was a book with nice homemade ideas. But usually I have SO many library books out, that I can't get to them all. Why I borrowed it again, I don't know. It's so different than what I thought. Jenna tells of her experiences (good AND bad) starting to raise chickens in the city and then angora rabbits. She also gardens, bakes her own bread, spins fibers and knits, and plays mountain music--teaching herself how to play instruments relating to mountain music. She's witty, funny, and has a real heart for caring for creation (although she might not use that term--last I knew she was a "Buddhist vegetarian") On the back dust jacket of the book, they have a little profile info on Jenna. She was only 26 when she wrote the book! 26! There was a blog website listed so I looked it up. Turns out she just bought a small farm in "Upstate New York"--less than an hour from us! I would love to visit her farm with the boys! Here's her blog: <a style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255); font-style: italic;" href="http://www.coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/">www.coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />She's very inspiring, and I'm more determined to make our garden a great one this year! Still would love to have chickens--layers. I know we could do it here...<br /><br /><br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_aYrUYsfgI/AAAAAAAACcM/Twi8ymqzgTo/s1600/DSCF1184.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_aYrUYsfgI/AAAAAAAACcM/Twi8ymqzgTo/s320/DSCF1184.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473730267089501698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_abto4EkfI/AAAAAAAACcU/fYj_LZbe1V0/s1600/DSCF1264.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_abto4EkfI/AAAAAAAACcU/fYj_LZbe1V0/s320/DSCF1264.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473733605484433906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_abuKgjP2I/AAAAAAAACcc/QMzdvc347_A/s1600/DSCF1265.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_abuKgjP2I/AAAAAAAACcc/QMzdvc347_A/s320/DSCF1265.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473733614512586594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">fortunately, our "grow room" is just off the porch, so it's easy to pass plants out for hardening off!</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_abuptdFfI/AAAAAAAACcs/XJaOtfX7gRg/s1600/DSCF1269.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_abuptdFfI/AAAAAAAACcs/XJaOtfX7gRg/s320/DSCF1269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473733622888207858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_abudbboJI/AAAAAAAACck/F0Le-sL8zKQ/s1600/DSCF1270.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_abudbboJI/AAAAAAAACck/F0Le-sL8zKQ/s320/DSCF1270.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473733619591389330" border="0" /></a><br />Busy day planned--finish up learning (I've learned to hate the term "school work"), off to run an errand or two, lawn mowing, potato planting, and hopefully FUNPLEX later with Daddy!<br /><br />Until next time...<br /><br />blessings, <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:180%;" > joie<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:180%;" ><span lang="EN"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-67806055979564321382010-05-20T07:20:00.000-07:002010-05-20T19:43:27.804-07:00PLANTS!<div style="text-align: center;font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;" >Please add yourself as a follower of my blog! I love comments! </span><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">They inspire me to keep on blogging!</span></span><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;" >I was reading my blog</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> that I posted yesterday and noticed that I forgot to mention that the birthday party was for NATHAN! But y'all probably figured that out.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I received a comment from my sister telling me to post photos of my plants. I can't believe that I didn't do that already! We've taken LOTS of them! I add a lot of photos to my </span><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Facebook</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> page, so I forget what I've done where! Sorry about that Nikita!</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_VHDtNtxhI/AAAAAAAACaU/XqajLK3a5k0/s1600/DSCF0047.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_VHDtNtxhI/AAAAAAAACaU/XqajLK3a5k0/s320/DSCF0047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473359051141006866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Nathan has 196 plants here. That includes the tiny ones--<br />this picture is from a month or so ago.</span><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_VHEJwOJRI/AAAAAAAACac/-pVeIM3UTOA/s1600/DSCF0090.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_VHEJwOJRI/AAAAAAAACac/-pVeIM3UTOA/s320/DSCF0090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473359058801927442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Thought this view was cool--Jared's photography!</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_VHEq5472I/AAAAAAAACak/mFbaKT00V4k/s1600/DSCF0721.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_VHEq5472I/AAAAAAAACak/mFbaKT00V4k/s320/DSCF0721.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473359067700850530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Owen a couple of weeks ago with our latest box. This is just our dirt and compost. (This is NOT Mel's mix of vermiculite, peat, and compost.)</span> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">There are onions, lettuce, broccoli, and carrots here so far.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The indoor pictures are older. We now have several flower buds on the marigolds! On sunny days, Nathan's been taking his plants outside to get used to the sun! (hardening off) We have more boxes to build, and we have to purchase more vermiculite. It's very expensive--$25/4 cu. ft. You use 3/4 of a bag per 16 square foot gardening box. BUT the mix of vermiculite, peat moss, and compost can last 10 years! Nathan found something doing a Google search yesterday. I guess roofers who make concrete roofing tiles use vermiculite. A woman called a local roofing company's supplier and they sold it to her for $7.25 /4 cu. ft. bag! So far we can't find anyone who makes concrete roofing tiles around here.<br /><br />We should be planting in the ground next week!</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_XsJsIITNI/AAAAAAAACbE/REA7p9Wo8PM/s1600/DSCF1191.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_XsJsIITNI/AAAAAAAACbE/REA7p9Wo8PM/s320/DSCF1191.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473540573346942162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >There are other things in this box, but the peas are the big ones you see.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_XwsIjQa6I/AAAAAAAACbk/lItODyRcSkw/s1600/DSCF1143.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_XwsIjQa6I/AAAAAAAACbk/lItODyRcSkw/s320/DSCF1143.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473545563138976674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_XwrutNhyI/AAAAAAAACbc/3JD7LmGR2ic/s1600/DSCF1168.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_XwrutNhyI/AAAAAAAACbc/3JD7LmGR2ic/s320/DSCF1168.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473545556201408290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Since Nathan's party, the boys have been playing badminton</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_Xws4pFJKI/AAAAAAAACb0/EV9u_si488E/s1600/DSCF1233.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_Xws4pFJKI/AAAAAAAACb0/EV9u_si488E/s320/DSCF1233.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473545576048305314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My handsome husband grilling today--potatoes and cheap london broil. It was delicious! I'm happier when a cheap piece of meat tastes pretty than when a more expensive cut of meat tastes lousy!</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_XwtfHdOLI/AAAAAAAACb8/UtN4au61x8U/s1600/DSCF1226.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_XwtfHdOLI/AAAAAAAACb8/UtN4au61x8U/s320/DSCF1226.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473545586376259762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Jared.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Until next time...</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">blessings,</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-style: italic;">joie</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-50655177475896256942010-05-19T09:30:00.000-07:002010-05-19T10:37:29.671-07:00PICTURES!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(255, 153, 0); font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >Please add yourself as a follower of my blog! I love comments! <br />They inspire me to keep on blogging!</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><br />FINALLY GOT OUR NEW CAMERA!</span></span> <span style="font-size:130%;">We've taken more than a<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> thousand</span></span> photos already! Nathan takes a lot, and Jared has taken some. I say to </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >anyone</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> who wants to use my camera "put it around your neck and LEAVE it there!"</span> (keep in mind that my last one was ruined because <span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I</span></span> dropped it.)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Last weekend we had a birthday party with family and friends. His birthday was in March, but we waited until good weather. Since Nathan turned 13, we wanted to have a big party for him. My sister Donna offered her home (as she has done several times before for us) since our house is quite small. I wanted to wait until a time when kids could play outside. It turns out that the weather was PERFECT--low 70's and sunny. The kids had a ball outside, and some adults enjoyed sitting and visiting on the back deck. THANK YOU, Donna!!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_QVVkvvbxI/AAAAAAAACZs/7eZrTo3yCOE/s1600/DSCF0996.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_QVVkvvbxI/AAAAAAAACZs/7eZrTo3yCOE/s320/DSCF0996.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473022907547348754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">l-r Owen, Jared, Peepa (my dad), Nathan, Terri, </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Donna, my Aunt Jeannie, and my Aunt Hellen.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_QVV9Vd8-I/AAAAAAAACZ0/n2sMmhoP6G0/s1600/DSCF1004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_QVV9Vd8-I/AAAAAAAACZ0/n2sMmhoP6G0/s320/DSCF1004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473022914148037602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">almost the same people with Jim, my cousin Gin (in red), Brenda in the background and my niece Leighanna to the right.</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_QVWZv0iFI/AAAAAAAACZ8/b3FJAEMJd2c/s1600/DSCF1037.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_QVWZv0iFI/AAAAAAAACZ8/b3FJAEMJd2c/s320/DSCF1037.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473022921774762066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Nathan and Owen in the middle of a badminton game</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_QVW-Z5FQI/AAAAAAAACaE/80lLghQwPtc/s1600/DSCF1045.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_QVW-Z5FQI/AAAAAAAACaE/80lLghQwPtc/s320/DSCF1045.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473022931614897410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My niece Rebecca took this picture of her Uncle Jim. She was quite proud of it.</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_QVXJ5C9zI/AAAAAAAACaM/trIli2u-QgY/s1600/DSCF1093.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S_QVXJ5C9zI/AAAAAAAACaM/trIli2u-QgY/s320/DSCF1093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473022934698358578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Jared and our friend Butch playing horseshoes!</span></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Our pea plants are growing like crazy. Soon they'll be ready to vine and attach to the trellis. We have in: arugula, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, carrots, and onions. Our tomatoes are ready to go; just waiting for the freeze threat to expire. Probably next week</span>. <br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I'm going to close for now. We have to run out. I'll write more tomorrow of the next day.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">blessings,<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">joie</span></span><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-24234564370663600552010-04-18T12:25:00.000-07:002010-04-18T12:40:01.676-07:00LET THE GARDEN BEGIN!<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#ffcc66;"><em>PLEASE ADD YOURSELF AS A "FOLLOWER" OF MY BLOG!</em></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#ffcc66;"><em>I love comments! They inspire me to continue blogging!</em></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left">Well, we have one "square foot garden" box in. Nathan, Jared, and Owen put in cold crop seeds -- lettuce, broccoli, spinach, etc. Problem. The next day, they discovered squirrels had dug the seeds up! Oh, the trials of gardening! Now, we'll get some blood meal to deter them. We might have to make a cage from chicken wire to keep them little varmints out!<br /><br />The weather has been all over the board lately! It's been really warm--hot even! Then it's been down to the 40's! There was a frost warning a couple of nights ago! Must be the global warming.<br /><br />The boys and I have been sick with colds. First it was Jared, then Nathan, then me, and then Owen -- all in stages. Owen and I stayed home from church today. Thankfully, Jim hasn't been sick. He's still dealing with hearing loss in one ear (from a virus a couple of months ago), so your prayers are appreciated.<br /><br />Since I have no current pictures yet, I just wanted to post a few from the past just for fun. <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/invalid.jpg"></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/invalid.jpg"></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/invalid.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8tcusbvT-I/AAAAAAAACW4/zPILUMosVJk/s1600/Top.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8tcusbvT-I/AAAAAAAACW4/zPILUMosVJk/s320/Top.jpg" /></a><br /><em>Meema (my mother) with Nathan--don't think he was 2 yet<br /></em></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left"><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8tcu6h89II/AAAAAAAACXA/ZfO-aNN3_1I/s1600/DSCF8308.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8tcu6h89II/AAAAAAAACXA/ZfO-aNN3_1I/s320/DSCF8308.JPG" /></a><br /><em>Owen and Uncle Tim--almost 2 years ago Memorial Day weekend</em></div><p><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8tcvHmFnbI/AAAAAAAACXI/zQaTHJz7JDA/s1600/DSCF8317.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8tcvHmFnbI/AAAAAAAACXI/zQaTHJz7JDA/s320/DSCF8317.JPG" /></a><br /><em>Cousins--Memorial Day weekend 2008<br />TJ (back), Rebecca, Owen Leighanna, Nathan and Jared (the front)</em><br /><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8tcveWJ9HI/AAAAAAAACXQ/_RbiH0aqiKU/s1600/image0.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8tcveWJ9HI/AAAAAAAACXQ/_RbiH0aqiKU/s320/image0.jpg" /></a><br /><em>Nathan, Asha, & Jared many years ago! We decided to stop at our local thrift store and Saro was there with her family. That was when I had 2 and she only had 3 (now she has 6)!!<br /></em><br />Until next time...<br /><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="right"><br />blessings, <em><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffff99;">joie<br /></span></em><br /><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" border="0" alt="Posted by Picasa" align="middle" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-82414722825039720742010-04-11T07:21:00.000-07:002010-04-11T18:54:38.624-07:00YES, I'M STILL BLOGGING!<div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;color:#99ff99;">Add yourself as a "follower" of my blog! </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;color:#99ff99;">I love comments! They inspire me and keep me motivated, </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;color:#99ff99;">so that I'll keep posting!</span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;color:#33ff33;"></span></div><br />I can't believe that I've let my blog go for 3 months! The longer it is, the harder it is to post!<br /><br />Still don't have a camera, but I hope that's coming soon since we JUST got our tax money. Found out that I probably couldn't have my broken one fixed for free even if I found the warranty (which I don't think I ever received). The warranty I'm looking at on the new camera that I want covers DROPPING! For an extra $20, I think it's worth having! Having pictures is one of the great motivators for me to post. Soon! Here are a few random pictures:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458903484707846226" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8Hry_0nOFI/AAAAAAAACWY/l-h-NK0qc_Y/s320/DSCF2916-1.JPG" /> <div align="center"><em>Love the serious pictures! One of the three Christmas photo shoots!</em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><p> </p><p align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 206px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458903477684309074" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8HrylqEjFI/AAAAAAAACWQ/sOAk0Z7w0SU/s320/Top.bmp.jpg" /> <em>Photo session for Christmas card photo. Didn't use this one.<br />Never even sent anything out this year! Oops! </em></p><p align="center"><em></em> </p><p align="center"><em></em> </p><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 224px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458903496443720978" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8HrzriqdRI/AAAAAAAACWo/sjlYExlCcdM/s320/Abraham+Dixon.bmp" /> <div align="center"><em>Ancestors on my mother's side -- The Abraham Dixon Family</em></div><div align="center"><em>Love these old pictures!</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458903487506654610" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8HrzKP5pZI/AAAAAAAACWg/oMuhV3hNCkA/s320/100_1166.JPG" /> <p align="center"> <em>Jared and his birthday cake that I made. </em></p><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458903505511617250" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S8Hr0NUnkuI/AAAAAAAACWw/CuQPAXLHLOA/s320/SundaySchoolConcert+(22).JPG" /> <div align="center"><em>Nathan & Jared, along with cousins, Leighanna and Rebecca in a<br />special youth choir for Christmas. (N & J are the only boys in the front row. L & R are in the top row--2nd & 3rd from left)</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center">Still on Facebook. I'm on the computer way too much. It's not just connecting with friends that I like about it. I'm a fan of SO MANY groups that I like to keep updated on--conservative, Christian, homeschooling, scrapbooking, music, etc. That's who I am. So I spend a lot of time reading articles, updates, columns, etc., as well as following friends. Through Facebook, God has given me new friends, revived OLD friendships, and connected me with people that I just wouldn't be in regular contact with! I have a couple of cousins that I only saw at funerals... now that's depressing! Now on FB, new relationships have developed!</div><br />The boys have a good chunk of the schoolyear behind them. Jared is now 11 and Nathan is now 13! And the attitudes of those ages have come as well! NOT saying it's okay! Just challenging! Nathan is learning in 7th grade math-things I never learned. I only took math up to Algebra in 9th grade. Owen's learning is more laid back as a homeschooled Kindergartner.<br /><br />We have decided to garden this year with the Square Foot Gardening method. Here's the <a href="http://www.heartofwisdom.com/heartathome/2010/02/25/benefits-of-a-square-foot-garden/"><span style="color:#33ccff;"><strong><em>link</em></strong></span></a><strong><em> </em></strong>where we found the idea. This is from <a href="http://www.heartofwisdom.com/heartathome/2010/02/25/benefits-of-a-square-foot-garden/"><span style="color:#33ccff;"><strong><em>Robin Sampson</em></strong></span></a>, homeschooler and author. She has several links that you can click on to find more information about Square Foot Gardening. Nathan has plants started indoors, so they'll be ready to be put in the ground later in May when the threat of frost is gone. The plants look beautiful! Can't wait to take pictures. Nathan LOVES doing it! We're doing everything organic--that includes organic seeds. More costly, yes. But it's so worth it! Think of all the "fruit" from those seeds--that I won't have to buy in the stores! We'll build a 4' x 4' box and make 16 separate 12" squares (hence the name square foot gardening) Then we'll fill the box with a mixture of equal parts of peat moss, vermiculite, and humus (which is completed compost). We have a compost bin working now, but it's not very big--a plastic garbage can. We need much more! The vermiculite is NOT cheap. We have ideas of SEVERAL boxes, but I'm not sure we can afford it all! Once the box is full of the 3-part mixture, you never have to replace it--except for the spaces that you take out a dead plant (at the end of it's growing season) you put compost in it's place. This will replenish the nutrients that the plant has taken out. We're eager to can tomatoes, beans and peas later in the summer. I won't list all the plants we plan to grow until they're actually planted--in case some of our ideas don't work out.<br /><br />A few weeks ago, we went to a maple sugar house on a farm in Hancock, Mass. The farm is called <a href="http://iokavalleyfarm.com/"><span style="color:#33ccff;"><em><strong>Ioka Valley Farm</strong></em></span></a>. It's only 27 mins. away, and I had been wanting to buy real maple syrup. It's much less expensive to buy it in a gallon here at this farm than to buy it in the store! I paid $50 for a gallon. In the grocery stores, you'll spend anywhere from $74-$100/gallon! My father came with us. It was a short visit, but it was really nice! We got to taste all the grades of syrup, maple butter, maple barbecue sauce, and maple mustard! YUM! This farm will open to the public again in June for strawberry season. We plan to go back! They'll have a petting zoo and a play area for the kids. Then they're open for fall and winter activities. They have a good <a href="http://iokavalleyfarm.com/"><span style="color:#33ccff;"><strong><em>website</em></strong></span></a>, so check it out!<br /><br /><br />Until next time...<br /><br /><br />blessings, <span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffff00;"><em>joie</em></span><br /><br /><br /><br />p.s. pardon the spacing in this blog. I keep moving things around, but when I publish it, the spacing goes back to where I don't want it--squooshing everything together!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-20861663232378423662010-01-04T10:59:00.000-08:002010-01-09T12:05:37.153-08:00HAPPY NEW YEAR!<div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;color:#66ff99;">PLEASE ADD YOURSELF AS A FOLLOWER TO MY BLOG! Just click on "follow blog". I love comments, so please feel free to leave me a note. It inspires me!</span></em></div><br /><br /><br />Happy New Year!! I hope that everyone had a fabulous Christmas! Ours was peaceful. FYI, I'll be switching my blog music back to my regular music AFTER our last Christmas celebration is over -- Sunday, 1/10.<br /><br />Nathan asked my neighbor if I could borrow her camera again--for Christmas day--so I was able to take pictures! We plan to purchase another, but we want to wait for tax money. Things are slow at work for Jim, so I want to spend money wisely. Good stewardship is a goal of mine for the new year. My interest in photography is growing! I love taking pictures--just about EVERYTHING!<br /><br />I'm not a New Year's person. The old year goes out and the new one comes in quietly in our house. No celebrations. And I don't like making "resolutions". However, it IS a new year, so I chose to make goals instead. Here are some goals, off the top of my head (not necessarily in order of importance):<br /><br />1. Be a better mother; spend more time WITH my boys.. not just live in the same house.<br />2. Be a better homeschooler; be more organized but still have flexibility<br />3. Be a better homemaker; again, organization<br />4. Do whatever I can to make selling our house and buying a house with acreage happen sooner than later<br />5. Make Christmas gifts throughout the year, so that I'm ready!<br />6. Take more pictures of more things!<br />7. Be a better blogger<br />8. Be a better friend--keep in touch better. Happy that FaceBook helps with that!<br />9. Be a better follower of Christ<br />10.Be a better wife; learn the art of submission ;o)<br />11. Be a better steward<br /><br />I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! ~Philippians 4:13<br /><br />That said, we had a productive first day back to school. Still can't figure o<br />ut how Melissa and Tami do it with 8 children each!<br /><br />Back to Christmas. We had a peaceful Christmas Eve. We decided to stay home this year, instead of going to church. I took the boys last year while Jim worked. It was kinda depressing. I wanted to spend the evening with Jim, so we had our "service" at home. Had all my wrapping done before Christmas Eve--oh, except for the 3 pairs of jeans that I ended up buying that day WITH the boys! I didn't have a chance to get out in that week. Okay, so they weren't surprised, but that's okay! Yes, I went shopping -- with kids in tow -- Christmas Eve day! Am I crazy? Yes! Actually, it wasn't that bad probably because it was early in the day. AND Walmart was smart enough to have the registers well manned!<br /><br />Christmas morning was nice too. Christmas Eve and day is just our family. The boys opened gifts quickly. The pictures will say more about that. After which we had a breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls. Then there was LOTS of video watching. The boys got several videos: <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/daniel-boone-season-1-dvd/pd/522008?item_code=WW&netp_id=449343&event=ESRCN&view=details"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Daniel Boone</span></a><span style="color:#33ccff;"> </span>TV series (seasons 1 & <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/daniel-boone-season-2-dvd/pd/622009?item_code=WW&netp_id=449420&event=ESRCN&view=details"><span style="color:#33ccff;">2</span></a>); comedian <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/im-no-rockstar-dvd/pd/601549?item_code=WW&netp_id=590368&event=ESRCN&view=details"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Tim Hawkins </span></a><span style="color:#33ccff;">(</span><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/full-range-motion-dvd/pd/22685?item_code=WW&netp_id=428332&event=ESRCN&view=details"><span style="color:#33ccff;">both videos</span></a>); <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Age-Steam-Trains/dp/B0011367U2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1262635322&sr=1-1"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Golden Age of Steam</span></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Age-Steam-Trains/dp/B0011367U2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1262635322&sr=1-1"><span style="color:#33ccff;">America by Rail</span> </a>(train video sets of 4); <a href="http://www.franklinsprings.com/films/hsbsixpack/"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Homestead Blessings</span> </a>series (6 videos--a family gift for all of us); <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/full-range-motion-dvd/pd/22685?item_code=WW&netp_id=428332&event=ESRCN&view=details"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Guidepost Junction</span></a> video (w/Jodi Benson) for Owen; and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Andy-Griffith-Show-Complete-Seventh/dp/B000FSME10/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1262636275&sr=1-9"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Andy Griffith Show</span></a> (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Andy-Griffith-Show-Complete-Seventh/dp/B000FSME10/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1262636275&sr=1-9"><span style="color:#33ccff;">seasons 7</span></a> & <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Andy-Griffith-Show-Complete-Season/dp/B000HWZ4IY/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1262636275&sr=1-8"><span style="color:#33ccff;">final season</span></a>) They also got some audio series(s) -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Andy-Griffith-Show-Complete-Season/dp/B000HWZ4IY/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1262636275&sr=1-8"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Jonathan Park (Vol. 4</span></a> & <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Beowulf-Jonathan-Radio-Drama/dp/097875591X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262636713&sr=8-5"><span style="color:#33ccff;">5</span></a>) and <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/truth-chronicles-adventures-odyssey/9781589975392/pd/975392?item_code=WW&netp_id=614060&event=ESRCN&view=details"><span style="color:#33ccff;">Adventures in Odyssey--The Truth Chronicles</span></a>. Plus a couple of other AIO audio albums on cassette. They're no longer available at cbd.<br /><br />Although Jim and I are NOT opposed to technology, I think that kids, when allowed to, can become dependent on things like video games, hand-held video games, the Wii, texting, MP3 players, etc. My boys have played the Wii at my sister's, but we don't want one for our home. Unfortunately, that doesn't always go well--unsupervised, that is. Nathan and Jared are allowed to play computer games at home (racing, driving or learning games) for 20 mins. a couple of times a week. Nathan bought a truck driving game, but it didn't work on our dinosaur computer! When we upgrade, they'll be able to use it. They received MP3 players from our neighbors, but they will be limited. At this point, they're just listening to the radio and recording messages! We'll figure out the music downloads when we can! All that will be under supervision; songs must be approved by me. Believe it or not, there are a few songs on the Christian radio stations that Jim and I don't approve of them listening to over and over... sadly. Yesterday, Nathan wanted to listen to his MP3 player while he was shoveling. I told him that he couldn't since he was working with his dad and his brother. If he was shoveling alone OR mowing, that would be different. We want to promote family communication not isolation. Properly used, the player will be fun for them!<br /><br />Jim's back to work, which is always sad after vacation. This was his first vacation in 2 years! Remember that Jim doesn't get "weekends" off. He always has Sundays off, but his 2nd day off is an assigned floater. He never knows earlier than the afternoon before what his day off will be. So we can't do weekend things--like visit his mom in Plattsburgh. It makes it hard. BUT it's a season that we'll get through! It could be much worse. He could be on the road for 5 days to 2 weeks at a time!! God is good.<br /><br />Jim worked on Saturday (his regular day) so that he could have the whole next week off for vacation. We just hung out together on Sunday and watched videos. His mother called us and said that the weather was supposed to be bad for Monday, so we waited one more day . We left a little before noon for the 3 hour trip up north. The boys were thrilled to go to Nana's -- we hadn't been there in almost 2 years (for her birthday in Feb. '08) My boys, Nathan and Jared, are into the sites and smells of memories. We had a nice time visiting with Jim's mother and his brother's family. Jerry's kids are growing so fast! We left around noon on Thursday--New Year's Eve. On Saturday, Jim made the mistake of answering the phone when his boss called. He thought that he called about his truck that was in the shop while he was on vacation. Nope. He asked him if he could work. :o( I wasn't very happy about it, but the hours are nice to have. It put a damper on him relaxing his last couple of days.<br /><br />Then my family's Christmas gathering was cancelled for Sunday. We'll get together this coming Sunday. The weather wasn't so nice anyway. Now I get to listen to Christmas music for an extra week! That's my excuse.<br /><br />Well, here are the pictures:<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0jfeAwoAcI/AAAAAAAACWI/3UtJ_J076qc/s1600-h/DSCF3051.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424831457860780482" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0jfeAwoAcI/AAAAAAAACWI/3UtJ_J076qc/s320/DSCF3051.JPG" /></a> <em>Jared and his new cap gun!<br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0jdqhS-xpI/AAAAAAAACWA/AHTW8K5FGoA/s1600-h/DSCF3056.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424829473729988242" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0jdqhS-xpI/AAAAAAAACWA/AHTW8K5FGoA/s320/DSCF3056.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="center"><em>Owen pouting because JARED got a gun!</em></div><br /><div align="center"><em></em></div><br /><div align="center"><em></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0jdqFR3EDI/AAAAAAAACV4/jWZxbC934kI/s1600-h/DSCF3049.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424829466209095730" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0jdqFR3EDI/AAAAAAAACV4/jWZxbC934kI/s320/DSCF3049.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em>Owen and his Bibleman figures form Nathan and Jared</em></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0jdp425M8I/AAAAAAAACVw/0xqC0ICwSXI/s1600-h/DSCF3076.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424829462874764226" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0jdp425M8I/AAAAAAAACVw/0xqC0ICwSXI/s320/DSCF3076.JPG" /></a><em>Jared with new train from Doc </em></div><br /><div align="center"><em></em></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0jdpQ8V_4I/AAAAAAAACVo/PYNnct7dVsg/s1600-h/DSCF3062.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424829452160204674" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0jdpQ8V_4I/AAAAAAAACVo/PYNnct7dVsg/s320/DSCF3062.JPG" /></a><em>The Pajama Cowboy </em></div><div align="center"><em>Jared and his new hat from Nathan and new gun.<br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0SZrCIA-kI/AAAAAAAACVY/y5PQiEi0FoI/s1600-h/DSCF3110.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423628815844833858" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0SZrCIA-kI/AAAAAAAACVY/y5PQiEi0FoI/s320/DSCF3110.JPG" /></a> <em>Our Happy Birthday, Jesus cake</em></div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0SZqkemq1I/AAAAAAAACVQ/Y0Ew4pEr7GI/s1600-h/DSCF3097.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423628807886515026" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0SZqkemq1I/AAAAAAAACVQ/Y0Ew4pEr7GI/s320/DSCF3097.JPG" /></a> <em>One of Owen's favorite gifts--a "vitamin" case!</em></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0SZqWtAXhI/AAAAAAAACVI/tHcvHLiKYzg/s1600-h/DSCF3078.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423628804188823058" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0SZqWtAXhI/AAAAAAAACVI/tHcvHLiKYzg/s320/DSCF3078.JPG" /></a><em>Nathan with his trains, some he got for Christmas </em><br /></div><br /><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0SZpi-N9jI/AAAAAAAACVA/PAx63lIIV2o/s1600-h/DSCF3074.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423628790302373426" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0SZpi-N9jI/AAAAAAAACVA/PAx63lIIV2o/s320/DSCF3074.JPG" /></a><em> Nathan with his train gifts from Doc!<br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0SZpSHuC6I/AAAAAAAACU4/G_zhTSfVMbA/s1600-h/DSCF3068.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423628785778822050" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/S0SZpSHuC6I/AAAAAAAACU4/G_zhTSfVMbA/s320/DSCF3068.JPG" /></a> <em>Owen with his new cowboy boots<br /></em></div><div></div><div></div><div align="left">New Year blessings, <span style="font-size:180%;"><em><span style="color:#ffff66;">joie</span></em><br /></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-16589565479824716022009-12-19T05:50:00.000-08:002009-12-19T07:41:01.938-08:00PICTURES! YES PICTURES<div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#ffcc66;"><em>Please add yourself as a follower to my blog. I love also love to receive comments! It motivates me! </em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#ffcc66;"><em></em></span> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">PICTURES! Yes, pictures! Thanks to our friend and neighbor, Pam! My mother-in-law came down (3 hrs. away) on Tuesday. I asked her to bring her software for her camera so that I could load it on my computer. That way, whenever she comes to visit I can get the pictures right away. She doesn't have a computer, so she just uses her memory card at Rite Aid. I took several pictures of the boys for our Christmas photo, only to discover that we never thought of her USB cable! She never uses it, so she didn't think of it... Then that same night, I called our neighbor who has the same camera as my broken one. In fact it's because we liked hers that we decided to get the Fuji FinePix! I was able to borrow it for the next couple of days. I took LOTS of pictures. 71 of the boys the first day and 102 of them the next day. Believe it or not, there were only 3 pictures to choose from (out of 173--so you don't have to do the math!) Sure there are a lot of fun ones--making faces, turned away, laughing with mouths wide open! It was difficult to give back ;o( Didn't realize just how much I missed taking pictures!<br /><br />Christmas is coming too fast for me! Not ready yet. It took me quite a while to get in the Christmas mood. I don't know why... maybe it's the weather. We had a little snow a couple of weeks ago. That helped. It sure is cold now though! Glad I'm not in Virginia or Maryland!! That's where my mother-in-law is now visiting Jim's brother! They're getting hit hard! </div><div align="center"><br />Last Sunday was the Christmas Cantata at church. My niece Leighanna is in the adult choir. Nathan, Jared and my other niece Rebecca sang in a small group of 9 kids for a couple of songs with the adult choir. At the last minute, Jared had a small solo in one o the songs--the other boy didn't feel well. It was sweet to hear Jared. They sang the contemporary version of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0haVO07qOI"><span style="color:#33ccff;">I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day</span></a>. Typically I don't like modernization of traditional songs, but I really like this. It's arranged by the lead singer of Casting Crowns. Here's a link to a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0haVO07qOI"><span style="color:#33ccff;">video</span></a> of the song.<br /><br />This coming Sunday, my boys and my nieces will sing in a worship choir for the Sunday School Christmas program at church. I can't wait! They have a 2-hour rehearsal tomorrow, and Jared really wants to sing a solo! They'll know who gets what solos tomorrow! I wish Nathan would do a solo, but at this time, he thinks it's a fate worse than death! Owen can't wait until he can join a choir!! They all sing well. Both N & J can sing harmony, which I think is a blessing. A couple of weeks ago, I heard Owen sing a harmony line in a song. I was so excited! I taught them when they were very young -- it comes naturally to me. They also listened to the Gaither Vocal Band regularly when they were little, so hearing those harmonies helped reinforce harmonies.<br /></div><div align="center">Owen will be dressed as a shepherd singing with his Sunday School class.</div><div align="center"><br />Next Wednesday, Jim's Mom comes back this way -- she'll fly into Albany from Baltimore. She'll spend the night with us, and the boys and I will take her half-way home where we'll meet Jim's brother Jerry who will pick her up. For some reason, she was okay taking the bus to Albany, but she doesn't want to take it going back home. It's the day before Christmas Eve... it'll be a really tight squeeze, time-wise, but we'll get it all done (I hope!!)<br /><br />I still haven't composed a Christmas family letter! I don't know if I will get one done this year.<br /><br />Here are a few holiday pictures... <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H-OtEmSdJPI/SyxdGr593FI/AAAAAAAAACg/pI7P6ZZTPAg/s1600-h/DSCF2718.JPG"></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H-OtEmSdJPI/SyxdGr593FI/AAAAAAAAACg/pI7P6ZZTPAg/s1600-h/DSCF2718.JPG"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H-OtEmSdJPI/SyxdGr593FI/AAAAAAAAACg/pI7P6ZZTPAg/s1600-h/DSCF2718.JPG"></a><br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416951291383463586" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/Syzgf9CBPqI/AAAAAAAACUw/NuKo2IJCWTU/s320/DSCF2718.JPG" /> <p align="center"><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Blue-Ribbon-Sugar-Cookies/Detail.aspx"><em>Blue Ribbon Sugar Cookies </em></a><em>(we love them, and they're super easy to make!)<br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416950610815280818" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/Syzf4Vt65rI/AAAAAAAACUo/0aBVAe-4fts/s320/DSCF2732.JPG" /> <p align="center"><em>Owen posing in front of our tree (doesn't he look innocent?)</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416949985573887938" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/SyzfT8gwX8I/AAAAAAAACUg/_8ICcnQBmEo/s320/DSCF2735.JPG" /> <p align="center"><em>Our basket of Christmas books<br /></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416949156152186450" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/SyzejqrNllI/AAAAAAAACUY/Gq_GDihzW14/s320/DSCF3002.JPG" /> <p align="center"><em>Just one of the many goofy photos I got the 2nd day! </em></p><p align="center">I think it was finally getting to Nathan! This was near the end of 102!<br /></p><p align="center"><br /><br />Gotta call it a night. It's late again. I never manage to get to bed before 12:30! Until next time...<br /><br /></p><p align="left">blessings, <em><span style="color:#ffff00;">joie<br /></p></span></em><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"></a><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-17101647076879572552009-12-09T09:43:00.000-08:002009-12-09T19:36:45.998-08:00MORE SNOW!<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">This is our second snowfall of the season! The boys are outside shoveling our "parking lot". The idea is grand until they do it for a short while. Then they're complaining! Not a good thing...</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><span style="font-size:78%;"> </span><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;">Update: Nathan and Jared ended up doing a great job on the driveway! Dad was really pleased! </span></span></em></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#66ff99;"></span> </div></span></em><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">I'm adding a few pictures from Christmases past...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/Sx_hrw2MvOI/AAAAAAAACTg/yq2yby-7H3A/s1600-h/image0.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/Sx_hrw2MvOI/AAAAAAAACTg/yq2yby-7H3A/s320/image0.jpg" /></a><br /><em>20 years ago with my sisters!<br /></em><br /><br /><br />I can hardly believe it's already the 9th of December! I'm not ready for Christmas yet! I cannot proudly boast that I'm done with my shopping. Hey! <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/"><span style="color:#33ccff;"><em>Christian Book Distributors (CBD)</em></span></a> has a free shipping deal going on until midnight tomorrow (12/10) I'm definitely taking advantage of that! Your order has to subtotal $35 or more to get the free shippig--easy to do! I placed one order already for Christmas, but I found that there are several more things I want--marked down 90% Gotta love that! Just enter promotion code <strong>305633</strong> at check out!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/Sx_hsVmgEpI/AAAAAAAACTo/CnapfbiKLtg/s1600-h/image0.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/Sx_hsVmgEpI/AAAAAAAACTo/CnapfbiKLtg/s320/image0.jpg" /></a><br /><em>Sisters 1972<br /></em><br /><br /><br />Hoping to make cookies and watch a Christmas video today. Sadly, Nathan and Jared don't seem to be interested in Christmas videos this year.... :o( It kind of surprises me. Owen has watched The Little Drummer Boy 4 times already!<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/Sx_hsqCZlNI/AAAAAAAACTw/BdgXEgApnXA/s1600-h/image0.jpg"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/Sx_hsqCZlNI/AAAAAAAACTw/BdgXEgApnXA/s320/image0.jpg" /></a><br /><em>Christmas with my cousins--1964 </em></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><em>(I'm front and center!)</em></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left">Instead of "<em>Keep Christ in Christmas</em>", we believers should <strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff99ff;">"Keep Christmas ABOUT Christ!"</span></strong> There's a world of difference! </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left"><br /> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left">Until next time...<br /><br />blessings, <span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffff66;"><em>joie</em></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" border="0" alt="Posted by Picasa" align="middle" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2287559703574217316.post-66458098911955783522009-12-05T08:47:00.000-08:002009-12-05T14:59:05.302-08:00DECEMBER ALREADY!<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">Well, the Christmas season is upon us. It doesn't seem that long since we celebrated last year! It's a little like the Twilight Zone!<br /><br />I'm writing this blog AROUND the pictures I posted from <a href="http://www.picasa.com/"><span style="color:#33ccff;"><em><strong>Picasa</strong></em></span></a>. I can't change the order, once they're on, but I can move my text around.<br /><br />As you can hear, I put up my Christmas playlist on the blog! It was fun creating it! There are a LOT of songs that I would've like to put on it that just aren't on <a href="http://www.playlist.com/"><span style="color:#33ccff;"><em><strong>Playlist.com</strong></em></span></a>.<br /><br />I STILL have no camera to use; it's so frustrating. Not sure what I'll do for Christmas. I really don't want to get a cheap camera just to get by. Since I love to add pictures on my blog, I decided to use some from LAST Christmas.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/SxqOsfTlboI/AAAAAAAACTA/XaVjZdFRX-I/s1600-h/DSCF8110.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/SxqOsfTlboI/AAAAAAAACTA/XaVjZdFRX-I/s320/DSCF8110.JPG" /></a><br />A cute photo of Owen from LAST Christmas </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/SxqOssRk3kI/AAAAAAAACTI/RLmzI6H1iqQ/s1600-h/DSCF8145.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/SxqOssRk3kI/AAAAAAAACTI/RLmzI6H1iqQ/s320/DSCF8145.JPG" /></a><br />This is the picture I took last year of my neighbor's lawn that they used for the Christmas card. I was so tickled!<br /><br /><br />We have our tree up and many colored light strands around the house. We even have lights up outside this year! I think it's the first time ever. A few years ago, Jim thoughtfully put up C-9 lights along the A-frame of the roof. When we plugged them in, they didn't work anymore! We were all disappointed. After all that work, I told him to forget about them... Nathan's the one that's hung ALL our lights this year. He enjoys it and I have no problem letting him! </div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/SxqOs9IvFVI/AAAAAAAACTQ/ZpQ90xcLwC8/s1600-h/DSCF8137-3.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/SxqOs9IvFVI/AAAAAAAACTQ/ZpQ90xcLwC8/s320/DSCF8137-3.JPG" /></a><br />Our tree from last year with some notes I was going to scrapbook with. </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"></div><p>After much thought, I've decided to let Nathan start his own blog. Actually, it was MY idea! I read recently on a homeschooling/homesteading blog of the value of kids doing blogs. I want it to be his, but he has rules to follow. I consider it an on-going learning project--part of school. He'll develop skills in: typing, vocabulary, punctuation, spelling, creative writing, communication, and faith-training--just to name a few. I'm excited about this. Jim, on the other hand, doesn't share my excitement. I assured him that Nathan's time will be limited, and EVERYTHING will be approved of by me before it is posted--even down to his playlist! We spent time last night creating his blog playlist together. Since the advertising messages are sometimes offensive, I'M the only one who will be on the Playlist website. My goal is to help him with the sharing of his faith, his ideas, and his interests. He's already planning on adding recipes, Scripture verses etc. I have to be careful, as I'm very controlling, and want this to be his. Again, as in life, there are rules to follow. He's only put a very short post on so far. Last night, after creating his playlist, it was too late. So shortly he'll be creating a new post. Check out his blog at <a href="http://www.nathandslife.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#33ccff;"><em><strong>www.nathandslife.blogspot.com</strong></em></span></a> Your encouragement and comments will be so appreciated by both of us! Add yourself as a follower to his an my blog! It only takes a click if you have a google account. If not, it only takes a minute to sign up!</p><p></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/SxqOtJ9XyLI/AAAAAAAACTY/ZbIggoWn-AQ/s1600-h/DSCF7289.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pIii3EJbqX8/SxqOtJ9XyLI/AAAAAAAACTY/ZbIggoWn-AQ/s320/DSCF7289.JPG" /></a><br />(last year's Christmas photo shoot) </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#ffcc66;"><em>Please add yourself as a FOLLOWER of my blog! It's easy to do. Also there's an opportunity for you to add comments. They're always welcome and invited! I love comments! They inspire me!</em></span> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px">Until next time...</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px" align="left">blessings, <span style="font-size:180%;color:#ffff66;"><em>joie<br /></div></em></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px"><br /><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" border="0" alt="Posted by Picasa" align="middle" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1