Look What I (Was Going to) Eat Today

I think I am in love with veggie gardens.  Today was overcast, but with a nice breeze.  I got up early to check on a brisket I had cooked all night (for a BIG family dinner today,  can't wait!).   I went outside with my tea and read through some material we are discussing in Sunday School. 

THIS was not the SS material.  But it was fun to look at also. :)

I noticed my garden looked dry and went over to water it.  I love watering my garden.  As I watered I noticed the SPINACH WAS READY TO PICK!  My hands were shaking, my heart was beating faster, and my mouth was watering.  I couldn't wait to put them in my yogurt shake. 

Isn't this the most beautiful looking spinach?  I went to make my shake and came out to enjoy it with my youngest daughter.  As we were talking, I noticed some green things on the table.  MY SPINACH.  Well, I ALMOST had spinach for breakfast.  We decided to wash some and eat it raw.  OH. MY. GOODNESS.  God is amazing and good to me. 

Have a great Lord's Day.  Spend a little time thanking Him for the simple things.  Air to breathe,  a mind to think,  birds singing a good morning song,  food grown in a garden.  You can think of more I know.



thanks for reading,

Reb

ps.  I can't figure out why the words went from aligned left, to center. Sorry!



Questions...Questions

1. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?


Consistency..I just want to be consistent in SOMETHING!   Does being inconsistenly consistent count???



2. Write about a time when you got lost.

My family rarely went to the movies when I was growing up,.  But every now and then a movie would come out and we would ALL have to go see it.  I think this was one of the Star Wars movies,  and we went to the mall.  I remember being in a store with my mom,  and then looking around and not being in the store with her.  I didn't feel panicky or anything.  I just walked until I found a security guard and he paged my parents.  They came running, we hugged and went into the movie.  Happily ever afters are my favorite endings.



3. Camping or 5 star hotel?


Everything in me says we should camp more often.  We have in the past and we plan on it again in a couple of months,  but I REALLY prefer a 5 star hotel.  Who wouldn't??  The beds,  the pillows,  the clean when I get there,  the bathroom shining,  the elevators.  I could go on but you get the picture. 





4. Have you donated blood?

I have in the past because it was handy.  I haven't in a few years cause I am afraid of that question,  "Have you taken Tylenol or Motrin in the past 24 hrs".   I would have to answer yes and then be booted out the door.  I am a great blood donor though.  My type is useful,  my blood flows quickly and I don't get woozy.  I always feel guilty taking a coke and cookie to keep my blood sugars up or whatever it does,  but take it I do.  Did.  Will.  Sometime.







5. Do you have a budget or do you 'fly by' most months?


I would love to say we have a great budget,  but we don't.  Usually my husband just says,  "Don't spend anything for awhile."  And I try not to.


thanks for reading,

Reb

Spring Break....Again!

You know we homeschool...right?   And you know that lots of rebellious people homeschool...right?  And you know I was rebellious before homeschooling became popular...right?  So what are you gonna do about it if we take 3 WEEKS OFF FOR SPRING  BREAK?   

Actually,  we took of 10 days in Jan. for Florida,  then a week off in March for the flu,  and NOW  we are just taking off for fun...or as my kids said.."I thought we weren't supposed to work on Spring Break?"  I am not sure WHO they have been comparing notes with but I think they talked to the wrong people.

Here is what we have done this week.   




Mon.   Whined and cried and lolligagged around the house cause it was storming, cold and REAL dark outside.  I don't know what the kids did.

Tues.   Woke up determined to do SOMETHING productive this week.   We each had different projects going on.   My eldest was/is on a crafting frenzy.  I have been told this happens to people in the spring.  I have never experienced it.  My son caught and skinned a possum.  It took awhile and then he wanted to slice some meat and cook it.  But it sat outside for too long and I wouldn't let him.  Doesn't rat  opossum  meat spoil faster than other meat?

My girls played outside and got major sunburns...IN APRIL.  Who knew?  I guess the sunscreen needs to come out.  And hats.  And water balloons.  And pools.  Oh yeah,  we have a pool.   Full of chickens. 

I got busy putting things away, finalizing our last 12 weeks and just plain getting the house in shape.  It was needing some exercise.  Or was that me?  Never mind.

Wed.  I went early to Wally World and bought mulch and milk and came home and put the kids to work on the mulch.  They did a great job.  I also arranged a wall of pictures and such that I posted about in DECEMBER.  I am a lazy decorator.  I have to wait for inspiration,  time,  energy, and M M's.  I think it was the candy that put me over the edge. 

We also had some great friends over and had a wonderful dinner.

Thur.  I felt sick.  I think it may have been the candy,  the decorating and I don't know what else,  but we went to the park, shopping,  and running around.  Went to bed at 8:30 and didn't get up til 7.  Not sure what happened there.

Fri.  Woke up and went garage saling with my eldest for a date.  We found lots of good stuff for my son.  Then came home and felt distracted.   Had a great dinner and went to bed a little early again. 

Overall, it was a great week.  I am ready for us to get back to our school schedule again.  So much to learn and so little time.

thanks for reading,

Reb

Thur

Family

I love my family.  I love my immediate one,  my father and mother and brother and sister and their spouses,  and my parents families.  I think I have the best family anywhere,  not perfect but best. 

My mom has one brother and one sister.  My Aunt Betty lives in Florida and has always spoiled us rotten whenever she sees us.  When I was little, we were a very healthy eating family,  no sugar, no caffeine, no chips,  we grew our own bean sprouts, added fiber to our juice, and took lots of vitamins.  I have no regrets,  CAUSE,  when we would see Aunt Betty and Uncle Tommy they would provide all the junk we wanted,  Kool Aid,  Cheetos,  ice cream,  OH YUM!!  

35 years later,  my Aunt Betty still spoils me.   When we were there in January they bought us delicious Florida honey,  a real treat.  My parents just visited them a couple of weeks ago, and Aunt Betty did it again. 

I have dishes that were my dad's moms.

 They are blue and white from Currier and Ives.  I love the scenes displayed on them,  but much more do I love the memories I have of my grandmother when I use the plates.  My mom brought me a bowl from my Aunt Betty that MATCHES the dishes.  She had it in her cabinet and as they were cleaning up one day, my mom mentioned it looked to be a match to my dishes.  My aunt promptly said to give it to me.  What spoiling!!

I know there are good people in every family,  but I think I have most of them right in mine.  THANKS AUNT BETTY ...and not to leave UNCLE TOMMY  out.  Love you both!!

thanks for reading,

Reb

What Happened on Saturday

I have LOVED having chickens and fresh eggs at the house, right in my back yard.  I love to watch them scratching for bugs,  I love to hear them clucking and talking to one another,  I love they way they look, and I love going out to the  coop and gathering eggs.

I guess I wrote about the dogs eating 8 of my nine chickens about a month or so ago.  I was devastated and a little discouraged.  I thought we had trained our kids better about closing doors and gates, and I should have checked up on them.  One night all three gates were open and the chickens had no chance.  I felt a little guilty.

I brought two chickens home from our church to keep the one lone survivor company and they were happy together.  I was getting 2 or 3 eggs a day.  Then one morning my 9 yr old daughter went out to water them and found one of the little girls dead, no head and no leg.  We could see her insides and noticed an egg she was going to lay that morning.  The kids wanted to collect the egg before we buried her but I thought....NAW!!

A couple of nights ago,  I asked around the family to make sure someone had closed the gates, got reassurances that they were closed, so I went to bed.  I usually look out at the chickens when I wake up, and Saturday morning I noticed the gates were open and there were no chickens.  Hoping they were behind the shed, I went out to find them,  and found feathers.

I was so SAD.   Was it worth it,  keeping these animals,  feeding them, naming them?   I think it is.  I have 8 more growing in the garage.  I am determined to have chickens and fresh eggs.  I want to here their squawking at each other,  here the cackling when and egg is laid,  see them running across the yard.  But THIS time I will be the checker for the gate.  No more taking it for granted.

Here are the  ugly  gangly little chicks.  

About now they have such long necks and their feathers are falling out and coming in all at the same time.  I love to hear them chirping. 

I have high hopes for this crew of 8.  I may be getting more in a few weeks.  I wouldn't mind having 12.  That's a GOOD amount of eggs.


thanks for reading,

Reb