Monday, April 9, 2012

Spring brings more change...

As Spring arrived very early this year on the farm, I was saddened for a while that the cold winter winds and the chance of snow were being put away for another time.  Then in these moments of sadness the birds began to sing, the trees began to bud and the flowers began to bloom and the sadness was no longer there but had been replaced by the "newness" that was in the air.
There is more "newness" to our family as well.  I began a new job in Bowling Green at HOTEL INC.  This is my dream job.  I love serving others and speaking to anyone who will listen on how they can help others too.  With the new job brings another move, yes I said it, we are moving again!  We have been blessed to caretake our friend's farm while they live in another state for the past year. This has taught me many things.  One of them is we are porch people not farm people.  It's not that I don't like to work hard or be outside but I realized my favorite time outside is taking in the stars and the glow from the moon.  So, I'm glad we got to "try out" farm living and realized it wasn't what I wanted to do for the next 50 years.  Tommy has always wanted to live in a log home and wouldn't you know that God has provided this opportunity for us now.  For the next 2 years we will "try out" living in a log cabin on 5 acres that is mostly wooded.  This should give us enough time to teach us if we want to live there for the next 50 years or pack boxes again.  Many people are scared of the word new.  Not me, I think new things teach us so much about ourselves and our relationships with other people.  I recently realized I've always been a change-it-up kinda girl.  Even as a kid after my parents tucked me in bed at night, I would wait for them to go to sleep and then I would completely rearrange my entire room.  After a while they were no longer shocked at the newness of my room.  This Summer, Tommy and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage and will soon share our 8th home together.  He said to me the other day, we will live in the cabin longer than we lived in 2 houses we owned and 2 townhouses we rented.  This newness is exciting but a bit tiring...
Bennett's life in the Air Force brings more change to the family.  In January he became engaged and the two of them were married in a private ceremony in TX.  He recently graduated from Tech School and will make his home later this spring in Alaska.  This will be a big change for our family...I hope to enjoy a weekly skype and a fall visit.
With all of this change some think I would go crazy, and maybe I have but I just try to see it as the next adventure of this beautiful life God has given me...and He will make all things new.

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Unexpected

Life on the farm hasn't been as I had planned this Winter...simply because we haven't had a typical winter. This morning as I have several mornings I headed to the barn with a t-shirt on and no jacket.  I miss the snow and we definitely could use some hard freezes or it could mean a rough Spring and Summer with the bugs and weeds galore.  I miss building a fire, wearing layers, seeing your breath in the air and of course the freshness of snow.
Today, I am ordering some of our seeds and will begin the planting season in a few weeks for the cool season crops and hopefully growing some seedlings to plant in April.  Just the thought of it gets me excited -thinking about all of the fresh veggies and fruits that we will soon be enjoying.

The chickens are enjoying the mild winter especially since the clover and other greens have continued to grow so fresh food for them everyday!  My only problem is one of the chickens, Matilda, would rather eat the cat's food and Lydia, the barn cat, well - I think she prefers to be in the hen house and chicken run. I just tell myself that is where she does her hunting....

I've now been living on a borrowed farm for 5 months. It is different from how I have ever lived and honestly I still can't decide if the farm life is totally for me...but that is the blessing of being a caretaker. I always enjoy learning something new!

So for now, I will keep on living, learning, and loving the unexpected....

Friday, January 13, 2012

The Freshness of Snow

....Christmas is packed away, New Year's Eve was spent quietly at home and today I am enjoying watching the snow fall outside my window.
Snow always reminds me of God's grace...I don't know why but I always think of his grace covering us like a blanket of fresh snow.  Then there is the dirty snow (no not yellow snow) you know the snow that gets dirty by the road...it reminds me of the dark and dirty places of my soul and how I pray for the freshness of snow to fall on my soul again.  My final thought on relating the snow to God's grace is the melting of the snow...I know this sounds stupid to many but it reminds me that although I cannot physically see fresh snow fall each day where I live, I know that God give grace to me each day even when I feel alone, when I am too angry to pray, when I am at peace with my life...So sometimes my days are dirty, sometimes they are abundant with the fresh snow...



Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Peace of Christmas

It's Christmas and everyone is miserable...one of my favorite lines from Christmas Vacation.  I'm not miserable but some days I am easily agitated.  I have so much to get done and my time is short.  Christmas at our house is  starting on Thursday, yes two days from now!  Tommy and I will receive the best gift this year....a visit from Bennett!!! It has been 6 months since we have seen him. I will treasure our time together.
As I was cooking yesterday and thinking of Bennett coming home for Christmas, I was reminded of how many families will have a different Christmas this year.  Several friends and family members will experience their first holiday season without someone they love sitting at the table with them.  Some of our friends have family in the military and they are not able to make it home either and one of my close friends is preparing to say goodbye to her Dad.  To all of them - I pray for you...I remember what it is like to have that first Christmas without Janie or  our grandparents, the passing of Sattis on Christmas Eve.  Now as a military family I am keenly aware of the sacrifice that millions in our world give each year.
Each day for the past few weeks now Tommy and I have discussed what we would like to have for Christmas. I honestly have nothing to suggest.  I would love for our home to sell but that is not something he can give me.  It is a Christmas wish for the two of us.  As I continue to rid the boxes of  things I do not use I do not want to add to the clutter in the meantime. I also find more frustration in shopping than pleasure.  As I continue to read and learn about the working conditions for people around the world I am challenged each time to become  a more conscious  consumer.
Now that I have been "Debbie Downer" it is time for the bright side of the season, Jesus.
I love the season of Advent - anticipation, reflection, enjoying the stars.
Each Christmas I am reminded of the Spring day when Jesus was born, imagining how Mary and Joseph felt as they welcomed the son of God into the world. I think of how he grew and played just as his brothers and sisters did, just as we did and our children too.  The chaos that was going on in the world...the chaos now. The love, joy, growing pains, anger, sorrow that we all feel they felt too.
The belief that Jesus was born to live, to die, to raise from the dead for his family...for our family...for all of the WORLD! That is the Peace of Christmas for me.

Friday, December 9, 2011

It's Already December...

....how quickly the time flies by

We celebrated Thanksgiving with friends and family.  It was so nice to have our Thanksgiving Breakfast dinner in Franklin once again.  I noticed during the month of November that several people would post on facebook something they were thankful for each day.  I didn't participate in the festivity but each day I thought about how thankful I am to be caretaking our friends farm and what an experience this is for Tommy and I. It was our first Thanksgiving without Bennett at the table but we talked with him several times and he enjoyed his trip to Kansas with Jenny.


I am finding that I truly love living on a farm.  I will be able to have a much larger garden, we enjoy the outdoor space and walking the fields, and of course there are the girls (hens) that I tend each morning and evening.  A few of them have earned names, Matilda and Aurie...Lydia the barn cat is growing and greets me each morning at the barn door. I'm not sure how much of a hunter she is yet but

Extra guests....I have now encountered a possum twice...once in the barn and the other night in the hen house.  I also have two ferrel cats that "drop in " on ocassion.  They are both agressive and mean to our cat so they are not welcomed guest. 

Christmas cooking....
The kitchen is always a happening place and I will be heading there soon for most of the day. Tommy bought me a pasta maker so we are enjoying the great taste of homemade spaghetti!  It is time to get in to full swing of making Christmas presents...several of our gifts will come from the kitchen this year.  I'm glad I have friends and family who like to eat...hopefully they will enjoy their treats!

We are planning to cut down our Christmas tree tomorrow. This is the latest we have ever been putting up a tree but as long as it is done by the time Bennett comes home for a visit that is ok with me.  The rest of the house is decorated so we are on the home stretch.

My request for Christmas is to wake up and see   SNOW!!!!!!!










Thursday, November 17, 2011

It's all about the food!

As much as I enjoy trying new bread recipes I have already found a favorite, Oatmeal sandwich bread.  It is great at any meal, has no sugar in it and such a wonderful taste.  I'm still working on a favorite biscuit recipe and I'm open to suggestions.  Typically each week I only bake one loaf of bread and make biscuits to freeze so they are ready to pop in the oven at breakfast or dinner.  But as the holidays approach I will be making more bread in hopes of sharing it with others at special meals or for gifts. 

Speaking of gifts - the Vanilla seems to be cooking well, it is becoming a nice rich amber color.  I am still looking for bottles to put it in.  I am working on my gift list and will tweak the foods I plan to share in the next week or so.  I hope to also try my hand at making a nice scrub. 

My friend, Linda, and I are both interested in learning to make scrubs, salves and such.  Last week we both joined a food co-op, the Barren County Good Food Buying Club.  I just received all of my purchasing info today and I can't wait to carve out a few hours to work on planning for the next month and placing my order.  I will be interested to see the amount of money we can save and also the additional local foods we will be able to purchase.  While we were at the co-op pick up location we met a lady who grows medicinal herbs.  I bought a bag of Elecampene for making a decoction whenever I have bronchitis.I have found a source for local beef and pork but still looking for fresh chicken, although I did find a farmer in Orlinda, TN - windy acres farm that grows organic and blends chicken feed.  So even the girls can eat local and organic!

Tommy and I trimmed a few brances from the evergreens on the farm so we can make a couple of wreaths and some garland.  I was able to get the front door wreath done on Monday afternoon.  It's not perfect by any means but we think it looks nice on the front door.

I promised some friends I would add the Chunky Pecan Pie Bar recipe.  I got the recipe on the outside of my light brown organic sugar bag.  Give it a try, I think you will really enjoy them.

Chunky Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients for the crust: 1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1/4 cup organic light brown sugar
Ingredients for the filling: 3 large eggs, 3/4 cup corn syrup (prefer organic), 3/4 cup organic sugar, 2 tablespoons butter (melted), 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 3/4 cups (11.5oz package) semi-sweet chocolate chunks, 1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350, grease 13x9 baking pan.

For the crust - beat flour, butter and brown sugar in a small mixer bowl until crumbly. Press into baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned.

For the filling - beat eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl with a wire whisk.  Stir in chunks and pecans, pour evenly over baked crust.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until set.  Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars, makes 2 1/2-3 dozen bars.

This recipe is a great addition to the Thanksgiving table.  I think I will whip up some whipped cream and just add a small dallop!  If you have never made homemade whipped cream it is so easy and the taste is...so good!



Friday, November 4, 2011

Kitchen...happening spot

I've been up and at it, in and out of the kitchen since 5:45 this morning!  Started the day by making some Fair Trade/Organic coffee and tea.  Before Tommy came down I had a frittata ready to go in the oven and had started on my Homemade Vanilla recipe. 
The try at sourdough bread was not a success, although the birds and the chickens will enjoy it... I know better than to make bread on a cold, rainy day. 
After a little cleaning and homemade egg salad with a friend, I headed back to the kitchen....Irish Soda bread has just came out of the oven and the Oatmeal sandwich bread is resting before it goes in.
Many chores await me so for now I must return to the kitchen!

If you are looking for some great organizing or recipes check out www.kitchenmonki.com or just spend a little time in your kitchen - I'm sure you can create a masterpiece or food for the birds!!!

Peace