What Do I Know of Holy

The other day Jordan, my mama, my mama-in-law, and I went to my 18 week ultrasound. When J and I first began talking about ultrasounds (back when we were pregnant with our first baby) we were both vehemently opposed to any Doppler or ultrasound use. After speaking with my wonderful midwife, we decided that the pros outweighed the cons, in regards to using ultrasound technology, and we set up our appointment. After having gone through the ultrasound now, I cannot express how glad I am that we did it. It was such a crazy and amazing thing to see the life that is living and growing in my womb. I will admit though, J and I both felt that we were somehow intruding. There is something so holy, sacred, and untouchable about growing and carrying a baby, that we both felt like we were violating this new creation. It was like peeking into a cocoon and seeing the butterfly before it was finished and ready to fly. All that said, I am still thankful that we went ahead with it. As I lied there, watching our baby squirm and kick and wiggle around, I felt like I was stepping on holy ground. And I was. Every time I feel our baby turn and jab and flip I am reminded of how little I know of what is holy. There is a song that comes to mind whenever I feel those crazy movements that expresses my exact thoughts and feelings about this new creation. I feel that I am at a total loss for words when it comes to the joy that I feel and the gratitude that I have, that Father has allowed me to be an active participant and vessel in this sacred process called creation.

Here's the song...

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life "its" name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

15 Weeks

Unfortunately, there won't be a 15 week picture, as I am waiting for one of our goats to have her baby or babies. But I will post the same info that I have been posting...

How far along? 15 Weeks
Maternity Clothes? Anything with a stretchy waist, not necessarily maternity though.
Stretch Marks? Nope
Sleep? Pretty good this week, except there has been a significant increase in bathroom trips.
Best moment of the week? Watching my belly grow and change each day.
Miss anything? Not really.
Movement? I am starting to pay close attention to ANY movement to see if it's baby, but I can't say that I have felt anything yet.
Food cravings? Orange juice is my new best friend!
Have you started to show yet? More and more! A couple of days ago, when I got out of bed, J and I both realized that my belly had grown overnight! I love having a little belly!
Gender? It'll be a surprise.
Looking forward to? I can't wait to feel baby move! So close!
What's going on with baby? Baby is 4 inches long, 2.5 ounces. Baby's lungs are beginning to develop more, his/her legs are longer than his/her arms now. And although baby's eyes are still fused shut, he/she can sense light! I can't believe how quickly baby is growing and changing!

14 Weeks

How far along? 14 Weeks
Maternity Clothes? Leggings and stretchy shirts
Stretch Marks? Nope
Sleep? Not too much of that going on
Best moment of the week? 14 week appointment
Miss anything? Bleu Cheese
Movement? Not yet
Food cravings? Sour candy!
Have you started to show yet? Looking more and more pregnant every week.
Gender? It'll be a surprise.
Looking forward to? Hearing baby's heartbeat, seeing baby on an ultrasound at our 18 week appointment, feeling baby move and kick.
What's going on with baby? Baby is 3 1/2 inches long, 1.5 ounces. He/She can now form facial expressions, and possibly suck his/her thumb!

13 Weeks

How far along? 13 Weeks 1 Day
Maternity Clothes? Just one pair of leggings
Stretch Marks? Not yet, but I am not really worried if I get them or not.
Sleep? Sometimes great, sometimes not so great. Depends on how many bathroom trips.
Best moment of the week? Starting to show more!
Miss anything? Bleu Cheese!!
Movement? Nope. Can't wait to feel those kicks!
Food cravings? I wouldn't say that I am craving anything yet... just some things taste REALLY REALLY good...like mustard and balsamic vinegar (not together)
Have you started to show yet? Just a teeny bump... looks like I just ate a LARGE meal
Gender? Won't know until baby is born!
Looking forward to? Hearing baby's heartbeat
What's going on with baby? Fingerprints have now formed, and baby weighs about an ounce and is about three inches long! Grow baby, grow!!

In Vain

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. This is widely misunderstood. I believe this has nothing to do with vocabulary; it has to do with ambassadorship. If you take the name of the King, you have a responsibility to represent Him accurately. And that's what it's really talking about. But many people assume it's talking about swearing. No, it goes far beyond that." Chuck Missler Chew on that for awhile.

A Fishin' and a Cannin'

About a week or so ago, J, my Pops, and I drove down to the Kenai for some dipnetting/camping. After about 16 hours driving time (which included an early am car accident, a two hour delay at Turnagain Pass, and about a 45 min wait at Walmart Customer Service...ahhh!!) we ended up getting a grand total of 44 fish! Last year was our first time canning salmon, and we only ended up getting 27 fish. So we were pretty excited that we doubled our fish count. This year we decided to can all of it, instead of freezing some. We are planning on smoking the frozen filets that we didn't use from last year. Anyway, after about 3+days of canning, we totaled out at about 132 pint jars and around three cases of quart size jars. That roughly equals out to about 2-3 jars a week for the rest of the year!! Woohoo! J and I are really wanting to limit our meat supply to things that we can hunt or fish. Commercial/industry meat is so absolutely abhorrent, and I want to steer clear of it as much as possible... Do your RESEARCH and you will understand what I mean! This month has gone by so incredibly fast with a wedding, bachelorette party (not in that order), friends coming and going, CCC meetings, a barbeque, and finally getting a taste of garden harvests. Kale, chard, spinach, lettuce, zucchini, arugula, basil, dill, parsley, sage, catnip, thyme, bok choy, broccoli are abundant and I love it! I set out some herbs to dry and I couldn't help but do a little happy dance inside myself because I can't wait to begin to harvesting and putting up process. I will try to get some pictures up soon. The potatoes are doing well... J and I mulched over half of them, and will finish up the rest soon. They are just beginning to flower, which means that they are starting to produce potatoes. It will be so exciting to finally be able to dig those up! The bees have faked us out twice now by "pretending" to swarm. For those of you who don't know what swarming is, I will explain... When a hive starts getting to large for the space they are in, they will create another queen, split the population and one half will fly to another location with one of the queens. Now it is absolutely essential to have another hive ready way in advance, so that you can "catch" or keep the swarming hive, or you will miss out on a lot more honey. It was pretty crazy the first day they swarmed, because they flew up into a tree directly above the hive...they formed this gigantic mass of bees and it was NUTS! (I will post a picture later) Anyway, they ended up flying right back into the hive. And a few weeks later, they did it again. I cannot wait to harvest the honey next month! I think we will be getting a good harvest this year. A neighbor brought over a small jar of her honey and I can't even begin to describe how utterly delightful it was. Store bought honey isn't even a drop in the bucket compared to the real raw stuff. By the way, did you know that honey is the most adulterated food product out there? Most of it is basically honey-flavored sugar water. We all decided that the honey will be reserved for toast, biscuits, and other things that you can actually taste the honey on. It will not be used for any sort of cooking/baking, I was also told that I am not allowed to use it in my tea :(, since I am probably one of the greatest honey consumers, with the amount of tea I drink. It depends on the season and my mood, but I think I have maxed out at around ten cups a day... maybe that's not a lot, but it seems like a lot to me! Anyway, I have also been spending my days decorating my sweet little home. I will post pictures soon! It is not technically finished, but it's good enough for me, and it is kind of nice to have an ongoing project. I cannot wait for the coming winter months filled with days cozying up in my rocking chair near the woodstove with a good book or a knitting project, a cup of tea, and a candle going...oooo it just makes me happy thinking about it! I am thankful for the summer days, and it makes me happy to think about all the pretty mason jars that will sit on my pantry shelf filled with the beautiful harvest from the garden, the river, and the land. Alrighty, well that's all for now... here are the pictures from our fishing trip and canning!

Love the process! Hannah

The Garden, Lately, and Things We Do in Our Spare Time

Hey everyone! I thought I would give you all a little update on the garden stuff... Wednesday, J and I went into town to pick up some more potatoes (I am a tad obsessed) and 2000lbs. of cow hay. No, we did not get a cow... the hay is for mulching and animal bedding, and it was a whole lot cheaper than straw. We bought an additional 15 pounds of potatoes, which now makes 45 lbs of potatoes planted! The varieties we used were Cherry Red, Russet, Yellow Finn, German Butterball, and Pimpernel. Today we mulched the potatoes with the hay we bought.

Chard planted in containers...

A few days ago, Shannon and I planted 60+ starts of sweet corn, and fashioned a "greenhouse" of sorts to keep the corn happy and warm. Today, Shannon checked the soil and at the bottom it was 86 degrees! Even within a few days, the starts have grown so much. I told J that my babies are growing up way too fast! Anyway, at this point, we have planted sweet corn, Painted Mountain corn, kohlrabi, kale, bok choy, lettuce, arugula, romaine, spinach, Contender and Provider beans, Swiss and Rainbow Chard, cabbage, zucchini, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, garlic, onions, tomatoes, dill, basil, parsley, lavender, cilantro, sage, catnip, oregano, thyme, lemon basil, chives, rosemary, strawberry, and horseradish. We have yet to plant beets, turnips, pumpkin, some remaining brussel sprouts, collard and mustard greens, and peas. Life has swept us up in a whirlwind, but I am enjoying every moment of this season! Every night I come home exhausted, and I love it! I love the feeling of coming home, feeling like something huge was accomplished (even though it is small in the grand scheme), sitting down in my rocking chair in front of the wood stove, with a cup of tea, reading by candlelight, and feeling totally overwhelmed with contentedness, and joy. Every day is an opportunity to find love and joy in everything you do. I will be the first to admit, I am not very good at this. Often times, I will wake up, and set my mind to be content and joyful, but throughout the day, things can ambush you and distract you from that goal. Something I have been working on is actively searching out Father's love in things. Whether it's the smell of the forest after a good hardy rain, or anticipating the arrival of fiddlehead ferns and devil's club, or even the annoying-ness of the roosters crow it is all beautiful. It is all created to be enjoyed and to ultimately turn our awesome wonder back to its Creator. Okay, so here is the rest of the intended post. There were several rodents gorging themselves on the compost pile, so I happily obliged in assisting them on the journey to meet their maker. I truly hope this doesn't come across anyone involved in animal rights or somesuch, or I/we might be in trouble! You can just copy and paste these into your search engine. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFbA3K4L1hw) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDHP-9rT2-8) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a27PELxutGY) Enjoy your life!

Potato Farmin', The Trench Method

Hey y'all! Okay, so I don't really talk like that normally (although, the other day when we were all having supper, I was asking a question to everyone and unintentionally used the "word" jy-all- pronounced jawl, J just looked at me and said, "Did you really just say jy'all?" I guess that's what happens when your in-laws are from the south) Anyway, I felt since I live in the "country" I should use this sort of lingo. Alright, now to the point of this post. For the past few days, J and I have been working tirelessly on planting our taters, and last night we finally finished planting some via the trench method. Now if you don't know what the trench method is, I will explain. First, obviously, you must dig trenches. The width should be about 30 inches (we just measured two lengths of J's shoe) and the length just depends on how many potatoes you are wanting to plant. For us, our trenches were just under 40 feet long. For the depth, we just measured one shoe length down.

You want to dig two trenches and then pile the dirt up in the middle. The purpose of the trench method is to allow water to fill the trenches. You may ask, "Won't the trenches fill with water and soak the potatoes?" No, they won't. This is because you fill the trenches with well drained soil and materials. For example, after we dug our trenches, we filled ours about halfway full with dried horse manure. Horse manure is excellent for drainage and will keep the potatoes from drowning. Next, we put a thin layer of dirt back on top of the horse manure. The purpose of this is so that the potatoes can root into the ground more quickly. After that, you can then plant them taters! Spacing is about one foot apart. (We just used one shoe length.) Make sure that the sprouts coming off the potatoes are facing upwards- the sprouts are what produce the foliage and flowers. Excited to finally plant the potatoes (I tell ya, digging trenches is exhausting!) Oh, and please excuse my crazy hair, it's just how I roll...out of bed, without ever really "doing" my hair.

After you plant the potatoes, you should water them lightly. Next, cover them with dirt, and water again. We are fortunate to have a creek right behind the garden, where we can "harvest" water for the garden. Ma and Pa Wilder...

We are going to mulch our potatoes with more horse manure and straw. And it's as easy as that! Okay, so it's not super easy, but it is one of the better methods. If you do any research on planting potatoes, you will soon realize that there are a TON of different ways to plant potatoes. From planting in five gallon buckets, to trash cans, to just throwing them on the ground, there are a lot of options out there. J and I are going to plant the rest of our potatoes via the ground method. Meaning, you just plant them on the ground and mulch on top of them. Well, I am getting pretty anxious sitting here, thinking about what I need to get done today... planting the rest of the potatoes,harvesting straw for mulching, building a raised bed for our corn, and planting it. Anyone wanna join me? Oh, and here's the pictures I couldn't load the other day... Wild dandelion and fireweed salad. YUM!

Birch tap. Next year, J and I plan to use our harvest for Birch Sap Wine!

Delicious purple sauerkraut from friends as "payment" for farm sitting

. That's all for now folks!

An Aside

I wanted to make sure that all of you know that you can subscribe to my blog via email. (The link is on the left sidebar.) When you subscribe, you will get a notification whenever I post something... that way you don't have to check in. Just wanted to let y'all know!

The Homestead, Lately

I think just about every entry that I post starts with some variation of the phrase, "Busy, busy, busy." At the risk of sounding repetitious, I will simply say that we have been swept up into the hustle and bustle of summer farm life. I will try to catch you all up on our activities starting from about January on... Jordan and I spent a great deal of time cross-country skiing around the property. We scouted out a pretty ideal spot for our future large-scale garden, permanent community root cellar, barn, and possibly a pond for animals. It was so surreal skiing through the woods, hearing nothing but the slide of our skis and the hooting of an owl. About mid-March to early April, we started our starts for our garden. Jordan fashioned up a make-shift soil block maker, which turned out great! We started cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, bok choy, herbs, brussel sprouts, pumpkin, and squash. Spinach, kohlrabi, turnips, beets, arugula, lettuce, green onions, peas, carrots, corn, and potatoes will be directly seeded. Now, to more recent events... Yesterday, Shannon and I planted all of our starts, except for the pumpkin and squash. I also decided to direct seed the kohlrabi (we will see if it works out.) A friend of Shannon's gave us some spare horseradish root from her garden, and J and I planted it the other day in a spare water trough. We also decided to dig up some of the strawberries (that normally get eaten by the moose) and transplanted them into individual pots. Last night, after dinner J and I decided to start digging our trenches for potatoes. (My back is so sore!) Today we will hopefully get those planted and mulched. Other than garden things, we have been super busy getting Taproot Farms ready to launch. Hopefully, we will have some products to sell within the next couple of months. (So keep your eyes peeled for a website link soon!) The goats are doing well, and are loving being outside in their fenced in pasture. The chickens are doing well too, even though I am told that the roosters are now starting to crow at 4:30am! Hopefully soon we will have all of our animals (and hopefully +1 cow) over at our place soon. Oh, I almost forgot the most exciting news... J and I are moved into our home!!! We are both so relieved to finally be able to have a place of our own. We spend most of our evenings sitting by the wood stove, reading and talking about how we love having our own place. Well, I better get out there and finish those trenches! I will leave you with some of the pictures that have been sitting idle in my camera since January... Happy to be skiing on the tree farm. That's King Mountain behind me.

Beautiful eggs as "payment" from farm sitting for some friends. Yes, that is a green egg on the top row!

Little egg, big egg... from when the Wyandotte hen first started laying.

Turning the steaming compost piles. We should have good compost in about six weeks.They have been getting up to 150 degrees in the center. That's a hot pile of poo!

There are a couple of other pictures I want to share, but I can't get the dang computer to load 'em! Oh well, I've got a couple of ticked off goats calling my name... I am a tad late on the milkin' and the girls get pretty irritated when I am off schedule! That's all for now folks.

My Desk, Lately

Life has swept me up in whirlwind! I am not even going to apologize for the lack of posts for the last two months. I felt somewhat guilty for awhile for neglecting my blog, but now I am fully contented that I have allowed myself a time of rest. But now, I am totally ready to get back into the swing of things. As I mentioned before, life has been rather jumbled lately, with the miscarriage, my 20th birthday, a baby shower, then the holidays, a birthday, and working on Taproot, I feel that I have been able to stay busy. I have been a crafting/sewing/knitting maniac and I am completely okay with the fact that I am addicted! From knitting scarves, sewing baby items, ear warmers, socks, purses, candy-making, and my latest project (which shall remain a secret until it is finished), I am now OBSESSED! I love the awesome satisfaction I get out of being able to create something out of, let's say, an old thrifted sweater, or perhaps a wadded up ball of yarn. It is wonderful to be able to discover and create new things out of the old or unusable. I encourage all of you ladies out there to try and get into some kind of craft. It is great for the mind, and soul, to create.


The current state of my desk...

Some Heavy News

Today, I write to you with a heavy, broken heart. Last night, at about six thirty in the evening, Jordan and I lost our precious little baby. I was instantly reminded of how short and fragile life truly is, for I had no signs of warning that something was wrong, only a few hours of bleeding, ending in our baby's death. I am still in shock and rose this morning wondering if it had really happened. But it did. Jordan and I are devastated and are mourning our baby's death. There is a time for everything, and now it is our time to suffer in pain. It's hard to believe how rapidly everything can change. The bleeding came very lightly at first, and then within a matter of hours, progressed into heavy bleeding. I sobbed and sobbed in bed, while Jordan comforted me. He didn't know at that point that our baby was probably dead or dying, but I felt it. I prayed that if I was not meant to have this baby, that it would pass quickly. He answered...for in a matter of minutes, I saw my baby dead in the toilet. It was a mere bunch of tissue and inside was a tiny ball, no bigger that the size of a pea. I then realized that the baby had not been growing the past few weeks and had possibly been dead for a few weeks. Being so young and pretty healthy, I never would have imagined having a miscarriage, it didn't seem likely or even possible. After I had passed the baby, my head swam with such intense emotion and I began to feel guilty, wondering what I had done wrong. I know that this thought was directly from Satan, and I burned it from my mind almost as soon as it entered I spoke with my midwife and she told me that the percentage of pregnancies ending in miscarriage is pretty high, and that often times there isn't a rhyme or reason. But enough about chances and percentages, I am writing you today to talk about suffering in Father's will. The one thing that kept ringing in my heart, while Jordan and I wept together, was the hymn "It is Well With My Soul." Years ago, when my parents and I were suffering through a growing time, my papa expressed to me a deep connection he felt with the hymn, and shared with me the story of the man who wrote it. I am going to now include an excerpt from an online article written about the man...

"This hymn was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford. You might think to write a worship song titled,
'It is well with my soul', you would indeed have to be a rich, successful Chicago lawyer. But the words,
"When sorrows like sea billows roll ... It is well with my soul”, were not written during the happiest period of
Spafford's life. On the contrary, they came from a man who had suffered almost unimaginable personal tragedy.
Horatio G. Spafford and his wife, Anna, were pretty well-known in 1860’s Chicago. And this was not just because
of Horatio's legal career and business endeavors. The Spaffords were also prominent supporters and close
friends of D.L. Moody, the famous preacher. In 1870, however, things started to go wrong. The Spaffords' only
son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio
had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was
wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.
Aware of the toll that these disasters had taken on the family, Horatio decided to take his wife and four
daughters on a holiday to England. And, not only did they need the rest -- DL Moody needed the help. He was
traveling around Britain on one of his great evangelistic campaigns. Horatio and Anna planned to join Moody in
late 1873. And so, the Spaffords traveled to New York in November, from where they were to catch the French
steamer 'Ville de Havre' across the Atlantic. Yet just before they set sail, a last-minute business development
forced Horatio to delay. Not wanting to ruin the family holiday, Spafford persuaded his family to go as planned.
He would follow on later. With this decided, Anna and her four daughters sailed East to Europe while Spafford
returned West to Chicago. Just nine days later, Spafford received a telegram from his wife in Wales. It read:
"Saved alone."
On November 2nd 1873, the 'Ville de Havre' had collided with 'The Lochearn', an English vessel. It sank in only
12 minutes, claiming the lives of 226 people. Anna Spafford had stood bravely on the deck, with her daughters
Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta clinging desperately to her. Her last memory had been of her baby being
torn violently from her arms by the force of the waters. Anna was only saved from the fate of her daughters by a
plank which floated beneath her unconscious body and propped her up. When the survivors of the wreck had
been rescued, Mrs. Spafford's first reaction was one of complete despair. Then she heard a voice speak to her,
"You were spared for a purpose." And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, "It's easy to be grateful
and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God."
Upon hearing the terrible news, Horatio Spafford boarded the next ship out of New York to join his bereaved
wife. Bertha Spafford (the fifth daughter of Horatio and Anna born later) explained that during her father's
voyage, the captain of the ship had called him to the bridge. "A careful reckoning has been made", he said, "and
I believe we are now passing the place where the de Havre was wrecked. The water is three miles deep." Horatio
then returned to his cabin and penned the lyrics of his great hymn.
The words which Spafford wrote that day come from 2 Kings 4:26. They echo the response of the Shunammite
woman to the sudden death of her only child. Though we are told "her soul is vexed within her", she still
maintains that 'It is well." And Spafford's song reveals a man whose trust in the Lord is as unwavering as hers
was.It would be very difficult for any of us to predict how we would react under circumstances similar to those
experienced by the Spaffords. But we do know that the God who sustained them would also be with us."


I am truly amazed by this man's faith, because it is real. You see, those are the kind of people that Father is looking for. NOt people who pursue Christ at their selfish convenience and when all is well, and then turn and curse God and wonder why God is "doing this to them," whenever they endure suffering. No, Father is looking for people to drink suffering people who accept and understand that in order to know Father's love, they must suffer in pain for it. Love has a great price, and the price is to share in a part of the suffering that Christ endured. Father is looking for people who press closer to him and cling to him during suffering. He's not interested in those who complain and whine during suffering, but those who are compelled by their grief and pain to pursue him even more. I am not saying that Father doesn't want you to mourn and sorrow. By all means, sorrow and mourn, but do it with the intent to love Christ more and with the willingness to endure. I choose to be willing to endure and to share in Christ's suffering. I do not know what amount of suffering I am called to yet, but I do know that now and when future sufferings come my way, that I will actively fight Satan's whispered lies and pursue my Lord with greater desire and passion. I choose not to let this steal the joy that Father brings me. I will mourn, yes, but I will cling tightly to the promise that love can only come through suffering. I want to know Father and his love. Though the journey is marked with pain and suffering, I will press on.

Our Joyful News

Hi everyone, sorry for my lack of posts lately, but a lot has been happening around here. I wanted to share with you our good news... Jordan and I are going to have a baby! We are both overjoyed at the prospect of being parents, and cannot wait to hold the precious new life that Father has created. We love Baby already and feel incredibly honored that Father has chosen us to be the parents of a new creation.

Food Matters the Movie

Jordan and I watched this video yesterday, and it is pretty informative. It definitely makes you think about how are body's truly are meant to heal themselves, through the nutrients in our diet. Whenever I read or watch something like this video, it makes me want to take off with this raw foods diet full force. I hope it inspires you to do the same. Anyway, this movie is only free to watch until October 8th, and after that you have to purchase it. I would definitely recommend taking the time to watch this film.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/02/food-matters-the-movie.aspx

The Homestead, lately, thrift store finds, some cool fabric, and "I can't believe I bought that!"

I think it is too soon to declare that the metal roof is finished, but it is practically there. Woohoo!! Too bad J has to get back up there when we put in the stove pipe. (I'm just glad I don't have to do it! Yikes) Anyway, things continue to stay busy around here. Shannon has been putting up the garden harvest, and she finished putting the carrots in sawdust today. Did you know that if you store carrots in sawdust, it will keep through the winter?! We are all somewhat depressed now that we will no longer be eating fresh garden lettuce, spinach, peas, broccoli, and zucchini. Now we have to return to store bought...Yuck! Shannon and I went shopping yesterday and saw zucchini was up to $2.19/lb at Three Bears!!! Ridiculous! Today, J and Ricky finished putting up the OSB and the window in on one of the end walls...



As I said, Shannon and I went into town (Palmer/Wasilla) yesterday for some groceries, and, of course a little thrift shopping. I ended up getting a sweet Carhartt vest (which, when I put it on, J told me that I looked like I was going on a safari) and some really cute AE jeans. I have to say though, I am pretty disappointed that Salvation Army is now pricing all specific clothing items the same (i.e., all women's jeans are $6). How lame is that?! Shame on you Salvation Army! Anyway, a couple days ago I purchased the most awesome fabric for my duvet cover. I had been searching and searching for cheap Cath Kidston fabrics with absolutely no success. I finally found a gal on Etsy who sells very Cath Kidston-esque fabric for a reasonable price. J is such a good sport and let me pick an overtly girly fabric.




He's so good to me! Now all I have to do is find a cheap corresponding fabric. And finally, here comes the "I can't believe I bought that!" moment. I was, and am still very hesitant about posting this. But I figured it was too funny to not make public. While we were out thrift shopping, we spotted a brand new Graco stroller and carseat. We both looked it over and it was completely flawless. As we both walked away to look at other things, I couldn't stop thinking about that dang stroller. I knew that if I didn't buy it, I would regret it later. So, I am now the proud owner of a Graco Alano Travel System. I know I do not have a baby yet but, you never know. Here's the exact one we found... (I found out later that it retails for $200! I paid less that half the price)

Fall Harvest 2011

Busy, Busy, Busy finishing up the metal roof yesterday...It should be finished by the end of today. Yippee!!! Anyway, I thought I would share with you a few pictures of some of our fall harvest. Purple and orange carrots, cabbage, and potatoes (the potatoes aren't shown)

Apple Pie: The Sequel, Heirloom Herb Seeds, and a Craft

Yesterday was simply a lazy day. I think I stayed in my pj's until early the early afternoon and scanned over numerous craft blogs (my most recent obsession). Looking at all of the craft blogs and searching for authentic Cath Kidston fabrics for a reasonable price (an impossible feat, I assure you), I was in a very crafty mood. So, I made some Assam black tea, turned on a Hilary Gardner Christmas cd, and decided to make this project. And this is how mine turned out...



Not too bad, if I do say so myself. This could be worn as a pin on a blouse, a cute hair accessory, or on a Fedora such as this one:



Oh, and here's a shot of my hot glue gun posing (I made such a mess with that thing! It was pretty ridiculous)




After we all ate dinner and began scrounging around for some dessert, we all came to realize that there was only about two slices left of the apple pie! At a few people's requests, I decided to quickly assemble another pie, so that everyone could have some. This time, I remembered to take a picture...



Today was mostly spent stacking firewood in the quonset hut (aka, the spaceship). We won't be able to use any of the birch or cottonwood we cut this year, because it is all pretty wet. But we do have a good stack of spruce for the winter. J, Ricky, Courtney, and I also worked on the metal roof some more. We are all really eager to finish that project!

A little over a week ago, I sent out an order for some heirloom herb seeds to grow in the house during winter. We are both pretty excited that we will be able to have fresh herbs for cooking. Today I received only one pack of seeds. (I called the company and the guy said that they shipped my Rosemary seeds separate from all the rest, and that I will be receiving the others tomorrow. Why they would separate them is beyond me...) Anyway, we should be getting the following seeds soon:

Large Leaf Basil
Chives
Cilantro
Dill
Lavender
Sweet Marjoram
Italian Oregano
Dark Green Flat Italian Parsley
Sage
Thyme
Mint
Lemon Basil


After I spent the evening scurrying around trying to finish the evening chores (milking, feeding, and watering the goats, doing the dishes, cleaning my milking equipment, taking laundry off the line and putting fresh clothes back on it, and folding the laundry), I am thoroughly exhausted. Anyway, that's all for now folks.

Goodnight!

Ted Dekker Obsessed, a partial winter reading list

As fall is coming to a close, and winter is rapidly approaching (there is snow on both King's Mountain and Pioneer Peak, by the way) I have composed a partial winter reading list. Now, about 99% of my reading list is composed of Ted Dekker books. I was first introduced to Ted Dekker after I began dating my husband. He started me on a wonderful book called Black, and I have been obsessed ever since. Ted Dekker is a wonderful author, who possesses a remarkable ability to send your mind on spectacular adventures of creativity and ingenuity. Anyway, I thought I would share a bit of my winter reading list...

Black:The Birth of Evil
Red: The Heroic Rescue
White: The Great Pursuit
Green: The Beginning and the End
Showdown
Saint
Sinner
Chosen
Infidel
Renegade
Chaos
Lunatic
Elyon
House
Skin
Immanuel's Veins
The Blood Book
Genesis: The Birth of an Idea
Forbidden
Blink
Thr3e
Obsessed
Adam
Kiss
BoneMan's Daughters
The Bride Collector
The Priest's Graveyard
Blessed Child
A Man Called Blessed
Heaven's Wager
When Heaven Weeps
Thunder of Heaven
The Martyr's Song
The Promise
The Drummer Boy
The Gunslinger
To Kill with Reason
The Slumber of Christianity: Awakening a Passion for Heaven on Earth
Tea with Hezbollah

J's 25th Birthday

Last night we celebrated my husband's 25th birthday...So I bought him a wheelchair and some dentures. Haha, I kept reminding him all day that he is now a quarter of a century old! Anyway, my mother-in-law, Shannon cooked a SCRUMPTIOUS feast of Chicken Fried Steak, Fried Okra, Black Eyed Peas, Creamed Corn, Biscuits, Lima Beans, and a gravy that was simply too delicious.



J and I...



The family...




For dessert, I made J's favorite, apple pie. But I forgot to snap a picture of it before we dug in. I ended up taking a picture of what was left over, but the apple pie remnants were not very photogenic. So I will simply leave you with the recipe:


Basic Pie Pastry

1 3/4 c. soft whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. canola oil
3 T. cold water

Put flour & salt in a large bowl; toss with fork. Make a well in center; fill with oil and water. Blend briefly with fork, then, using wide sweeping strokes, stir briskly until evenly mixed. Dough will be dampish and oily. Put dough in pie dish, and press out to cover the bottom and sides of dish evenly.


Apple Pie Filling

4 granny smith apples, sliced, cored, and peeled (I used an apple peeler/corer/slicer)
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 c. cornstarch
dash of salt
2 T. butter

Mix ingredients together, except butter. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter. And place on top of the pie crust in your pie dish.


Crumb Top

1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. soft whole wheat flour
3/4 c. oatmeal (I ground up oat groats, so that the "rolled" oats were fresh)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt

Mix ingredients except butter. Cut butter in with a pastry cutter, until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. (If crumb top becomes too dark while baking, cover loosely with foil, but remove foil the last few minutes of baking so the topping will be crisp)


I assembled the entire pie, and baked it in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, then I turned the oven off and left it in there until we were finished eating dinner (about 15 minutes)


We are all still recovering from our food comas, but with a little coffee and a few trips to the royal throne, I think we will be in good shape! (A very round shape, that is)

The Homestead, lately. And some crafty ideas

I thought I would share a little bit of what we have been working on lately. We are in crunch time squared in order to get everything that needs to be done, done before the ground freezes. It was 38 degrees this morning, and there's snow on both Pioneer Peak and King's Mountain. You know what that means... WINTER!!! J and I, well mostly me, are freezing our tail feathers off in the RV. So it's time to crack the whip and get things moving so that we can get into our house. We are now halfway done with the metal roofing. It will be a huge relief, mostly for J and Ricky (because they are the ones actually getting on the roof) when the metal is on the house. I am very satisfied with the color we chose, and it will be interesting to see how it goes with the house once the logs are stained and have darkened. So here are a few pictures from the past couple of days...



Ricky and I cutting the metal roofing... The orange hard hat was not necessary for the task, but I couldn't find any other sort of hearing protectors, and the sawzall was extremely loud.



J on the roof...







So, the other day when I went into town, I decided to stop by the fabric department at Walmart and Joann's (a VERY dangerous place!) I came home with a ton of fabric remnants and some other odds and ends, feeling very creative and inspired by the following projects... Hopefully, you will see future posts on these!