April 17, 2008

Judah is barking like crazy because the UPS man is here.  I am assuming that he has my yeast order from Bread Beckers – I hope, I hope.  I have found that ordering 5 or 6 pounds of yeast at a time from them is very economical for me. Yippee – It is my yeast!!

Okay – Bread baking is on the list for tomorrow.  I think I will make some bagels too – I have been craving bagels lately.

All righty, where was I?  I was just getting started.  It has been about a month since I have spent some time writing to you.  Since then we have had several fun events.  We went camping for four days at Oak Mountain State Park.  It is a lovely place and the last time we were there was about 10 years ago.  I have to admit that it was not quite the same as I remembered.  Oak Mountain is the largest state park in Alabama and it is beautiful but the problem is – it is surrounded by the largest city in Alabama.  During the day, it was peaceful and quiet.  We spent most of our time fishing.  But at night, you could hear trains – there were obviously four intersections these trains took because we could hear four sets of whistles with each one.  There were helicopters, sirens, and airplanes.  We must have been in somebody’s flight path!  Still, we enjoyed our time.  One of the things that I love is the evenings around a campfire: singing, laughing, talking.  You should try it sometime!

One nice surprise was our daughter Amanda and our grandson Evan came and spent an entire day with us there.  We had so many wonderful camping trips while the girls were growing up and it is a blessing to see that they all still enjoy it.  I think Amanda wants to make sure that little Evan spends time in the great outdoors and learns to appreciate God’s incredible creation of nature. 

Sarah was our master chef during the campout.  She began many years ago doing the cooking on the grill and campfire whenever we cooked out and she has become quite an expert at it.  Thanks Sarah!!  Haley, Olivia and Erin are all just “jump in there” kind of girls and they took care of everything else.  We spent a lot of time fishing as I said and our last day Paul was pulling Bream in like popcorn.  By supper time, he had a stringer full and got them cleaned quickly.  We had some Zatarain’s Lemon Pepper Fish breading and so we tossed those beauties in it and popped them in the hot oil – Oh my, Oh my!  That is some GOOD eating.  We got home on a Thursday night and Paul, Haley and Erin still had Friday off as well.  That was a day of relaxing for us and we sure did enjoy it.  Sarah had a sewing order to finish but other than that it was just a nice, nice day. 

We have had several fairly severe storm fronts come through in the last couple of weeks and a couple of times they included tornado warnings for us.  Thankfully the Lord kept those in the upper atmosphere and we got plenty of rain.  Our area is still considered in an extreme drought, but hopefully that will end soon. 

This week we had a wonderful treat.  Our granddaughter, Natalie's school was on their spring break and so Jacob, Naomi, Natalie and Nicole came to spend a couple of days with us.  It was so nice just to have the time together.  We had no schedule or agenda - just spending time together.  Tuesday everyone went to our neighbor's pond for a few hours to fish.  They were pulling fish out right and left.  Everyone that went caught at least one fish.  Naomi, Natalie and Nicole all caught at least 6 apiece.  It was amazing.  We were sorry to see the time end for this visit but looking forward to the next.

Our garden is not yet in but with the last frost threat last night we don’t foresee anymore until Fall.  Sarah, Olivia and I have planted some things.  Four rows of potatoes, two rows of onions and weeded the strawberries and lettuce patches. The girls planted a nice row of late cabbage.  I am hoping with yesterday being so warm and breezy and today is supposed to be the same, that by late this afternoon I can get some more things in the ground.  Paul bought us a new EarthWay seeder and it is miraculous how quickly we got some of the beans and peas planted.  I have never had to wait this late to plant, but due to sickness and rain we just haven’t been able to do much.  Our prayers for His blessing on the garden this year have been constant though and I believe He is going to honor all our efforts. 

Paul and Olivia also wired with electric fencing a new section for the rams and bucks to be in.  Hopefully this will take care of early breeding of the does and ewes this year.  Jeremiah, our buck was doing his “I am on the prowl” snort the other day so we had to get them separated ASAP.  Hopefully, it was in time.

Last week we moved our chicks out of the brooder and into the chicken tractor.  There are forty of them and they are all doing so well.  I was able to get Aracaunas, Black Astralorps, Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rock (Domineckers).  My favorite type of chicken is the Buff Orphington and we have about 20 laying hens of that type.  One of the hens is nesting on 17 eggs so we hope she will hatch them out.   She hasn’t nested before so we are hopeful that the Lord will bless her efforts.  Few things on the farm are as special as seeing a momma hen with a batch of chicks toddling behind her.  I love it!!!!

We also bred the meat rabbits last week so we will begin our breeding schedule for this year.  With the price of food going up at record rates and of course, the quality of it going down we are more determined than ever to provide what we need here on our own property or get it from local growers.  Folks are going to be in a world of hurt if they don’t prepare.  When all is said and done I know that we cannot be totally independent of the system and in knowing that I am thankful that our Father God is the one that is in charge.  He has promised to provide for us and we depend on Him and not our gardens, our livestock or our wisdom.  He and He alone is our provision.

Finally, I wanted to share that this year Olivia will be graduating.  She is very excited as you can imagine.  She has just a little more to do to finish her Chemistry and Government and then she will be done.  Her ACT scores are already far above our school requirement so that is taken care of.  Whew!  She wants to get into woodworking and begin making furniture and such. This winter she has really done some amazing things with the scroll saw.  Have you seen the puzzles she has for sale? I am always amazed at the way the Lord leads and directs each of the girls in developing their own interests.  He has used those interests to help provide them an income and therefore enable them to stay at home as the Bible commands us as women to do.  I see all these young women going out into the work force – with the blessing of their parents and it just breaks my heart.  It is one thing to have to work outside the home through necessity, but this concept of sending girls out into an ungodly workforce just so they can become independent and buy more stuff.  Where is THAT scripture???  There is much to repent for!! 

Ah well, I must close for now.  Sarah is preparing to do a program on world hunger tomorrow for a group of about 80 public school children and she asked me to help her do a little more research on “complete proteins”.

May the Lord bless you and keep you and I pray that He will guide you to all truth.  As the days get darker and the times get more desperate for the world, I pray that our lights shine brighter and brighter and that we do not compromise the Truth.  Many want to put out the light and want to condemn those who stand firm, but our God is Faithful and He will strengthen His children and equip them to stand in the face of great persecution!  Hallelujah!!

Much love,

Angie

March 24, 2008

Spring, Spring, Spring

I pray that you all had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday and truly enjoyed being alive in Christ.  Our family was blessed beyond measure and I am still basking in the glow of renewal and restoration.  Last week, being Holy Week, we celebrated the Passover on Thursday night with our Homechurch family.  It was a precious time of sharing and being together.  We had 30 people here.  We began just after sundown.  It was a different experience as we all sat on the floor with low tables and beginning with the lighting of the candles, to our bread and sop meal, to our time of testimony and preparation, ending with the Lord’s Supper – each step was one of deep inner searching. Before our communion time began we had worship in song and it was just phenomenal.  You could sense the Holy Spirit hovering so strong – one time I opened my eyes to see if I could actually see Him.  It was a night which I will long remember.

Friday, the girls and I cleaned house and then left to pick up Erin at work.  She wanted to go to Anniston to buy a new bicycle.  So off we went.  The last time we went to Anniston, we all commented that we would be perfectly happy if we never had to go to a large town again and this trip was just more confirmation.  Because it was a holiday weekend, the stores were packed with people.  Most of the schools were out for Good Friday and that made it even more crowded.  It took quite awhile to get her bike because of the lack of help from the employees at the store, but finally we had what we needed and were able to leave.  It was almost 3:00 before we were able to stop for lunch and when we did – ARG!!

Erin was treating us to lunch, so she chose Olive Garden.  We had not been seated more than 10 minutes before a couple of men were seated at the table beside us.  There was no question that they were homosexual, by the way they were acting but also Sarah recognized one of the men as the brother of a former co-worker.  I told the girls to just try to ignore them and we would eat as quickly as possible and leave.  Just a few moments later a couple of “women” came in and were seated directly behind us.  Notice I used the quotation marks on the word women.  One had hair about an inch long, a ball cap turned sideways on her head.  Her earlobes contained huge plugs that stretched her earlobes to the size of silver dollars and a neon blue T-Shirt which had the word “COCKY”  emblazoned in big letters.  She walked like a rapper and talked like a drill sergeant.  That was the last straw.  We gobbled down our food and left immediately.  I believe the Lord was making it abundantly clear that this was no place for us.

Paul was picking up our little granddaughter Natalie about the time we were at the restaurant so he took her to KFC and then we all met at the little pet store.  Natalie and Nicole were both coming to spend the three day weekend, but on last Monday, Natalie had to go to the doctor – strep throat.  She was put on antibiotics and was getting better, but then Nicole got sick.  So by Friday, Nicole was not able to come.  One ray of sunshine was that her Momma stayed home with her all day and so she was happy about that! 

Saturday was a very big day for us as it was the barn raising here!!  Our homestead families all came and built the second level of our barn.  It was something to see.  We had 10 men working together and the ladies helped me with some planting and cooking.  Everyone arrived about 8:00 and the girls and I had Breakfast Casserole, biscuits and sausage gravy ready for them.  They ate to their fill and headed out.  During the week several of the men had come by at various times and helped Paul get the joist and floor done for the hay loft as well as the framing up for the walls.  So on Saturday they mainly finished the walls and put up the trusses for the roof and put the tin on it.  It was such an incredible sight to see these men all over this structure and slowly it just appeared.  This is truly the way God intended for community to be.  Not one angry word.  No attitudes.  No one demanding their own way.  Each one working with the next – all for a common purpose.  Another thing that was so encouraging was when one of the younger men was not exactly sure what to do, the older men stepped in to help him get going on a part and there was no lording over or condescending attitude.  It was a clear display of brotherly love and support for one another. One teaching and guiding another – but with humility and gentleness.  I wish you could have been here!

I am going to get busy today trying to find some hay to go in that loft.  We have had plenty of good rain over the last month or so and everything is beginning to grow unlike last year when we were so dry.  It is bringing hope to those of us who garden and grow our own food. 

Yesterday, was of course, Resurrection Sunday.  It was a gorgeous day weather-wise.  Paul and I woke around 6:00 to get the turkey in the oven for lunch. The sun was just coming up over the hill in front of us and the sky was glowing.  I couldn’t help but think of Mary on that morning as she walked to the tomb.  Somehow my heart just felt a stirring over the day – I felt an excitement.  Honestly, we have wonderful Sundays every week and there was nothing out of the ordinary planned for this one, but again, I felt an excitement.  One by one the girls awoke and we hugged and loved on one another.  I had an extra casserole made for breakfast so when it was finished heating we all sat down to eat.  The girls and Paul and I just chatted about the day and normal conversation.  Paul had started a fire in the woodstove because we forgot to shut the windows the night before and he wanted to knock the chill out of the air.  Time was passing so we finished breakfast, got dressed and straightened things for church. 

The first cars began to arrive, the Sundes, the Norths, Jerry, and wait!  Who is that???  It was Jacob and Naomi and Nicole!!  And in the next car – Amanda and little Evan.  We knew that Naomi might come, since she was off work, but here they all were – what a nice surprise.  So our precious church family was here and now all of our children were together too.  God is so good!!!!!!!!!!!!  Now I understand that stirring of joy the Lord gave me. 

Well, I better close for now – the laundry needs to go out and I have much to do today.  I pray that your Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday was a blessing to you.  If not, purpose in your heart that next year you will make preparations to observe this most holy time.  True Jewish Passover will start on Sunday, the 20th of April and will continue for 7 days until Saturday, the 26th of April. Remember that in the Jewish calendar, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Jews will celebrate Passover on the sunset of Saturday, the 19th of April. You have time to prepare for this and I encourage you to do so.  There are many websites that teach the customs of the Passover, which is the ceremony that Jesus did each and every year of His Life.  It was during this ceremony that the Lord’s Supper, which we call Communion, occurred.  I strongly encourage you to educate yourself and study to see what deep meanings it all has for us today.

Much Love –

Angie

March 17, 2008

Good Morning!! 

It is St. Patrick’s Day.  Not that this means anything big to me but I like it because it is a sign that spring is almost here!!  Actually, Spring officially begins in three days but judging by our weather today, it has arrived.

The month of February was one of much sickness in our area.  Our family, except for Haley (Praise God!) got the flu.  We all had a respiratory virus the end of January and just as we were recovered from that the flu hit.  It was a blessing in that we all got it at the same time and it didn’t drag on for so long.  The worst part was that it was on Haley’s birthday and so she was nursemaid to all of us instead of us treating her like a princess for the day.  But you know, I think Haley was enjoying being able to serve her family that day.  A smile never left her face as she cooked and cleaned and did chores.  She is a precious daughter and I thank God for allowing us to be her family.

Now that we are all healed and recovered, we have been busy beavers around here.  Our big project at the moment is finishing the barn.  When we moved to this property, there was nothing as far as provision for livestock – no fencing, barn, storage facility, nothing.  So we had to start from scratch.  Paul put up the two sides to the barn: one side to house the chickens, turkeys and a feed area and the other side which gave the sheep and goats some shelter and now houses the rabbit hutches.  The center section was planned to rise above and incorporate a loft for hay storage.  The drought we have had this past year meant that there was little hay to be found so that worked out okay as far as the barn is concerned, but now we need to get this thing done.

Last Saturday, our homesteaders group was to convene here to finish the barn.  But as some of you may know we had a string of severe storms come through and that caused Paul to cancel the work day.  The storms were gone by lunch time, but the area was a muddy, mucky mess and the wind was howling pretty strong.  So this week, we will begin to do some work in the evenings when Paul gets home and those who can come this coming Saturday will.  Another one of the blessings of getting this done is that it will also include a water line right into the barn and of course, electricity.  That is going to make feeding and watering animals so much easier. 

Since I am on the subject of the barn, let me share about the animals.  Those of you who check the website often know that we have already had our spring arrivals for this year.  God has blessed us with two ram lambs and 5 Nubian kids – four girls and a boy.  We also have 40 new baby chicks in the brooder doing very well.  We are going to be breeding the rabbits this week so that we can once again have rabbit meat as well.  Our turkeys are beginning to lay their eggs for the spring so hopefully we will be adding to that group as well.  It is such a blessing to see God’s hand on our livestock and know that He is taking care of the increase of our flocks and herds.  Oh, and since honeybees fall into the category of livestock I will mention Erin’s bees as well.  They are doing great.  We hope to add two additional hives this year.  Her efforts have been more than blessed and we can foresee a great future for her in the honey business. 

My time lately has been spent on getting our garden seeds planted and growing.  Paul has set up a shelving unit with grow lights for me.  As most of you know, purchasing transplants from Wal-Mart and Lowes can get pretty pricey and you are not always assured of the quality of the plant nor can you get all the varieties you might prefer.  The best choice is to purchase your seed from a reputable seed house.  My favorite one is Baker Creek seed.  In the years that I have used them I have never had a disappointment and their choices are so excellent, that it just inspires one to read their catalog.  I have also purchased from Burpee, Ferry Morse and PineTree seeds this year. 

I try to do a mix of heirloom seeds and hybrids.  The heirlooms will reproduce true to the parent plant from seed, but they have more problems with disease/virus.  Hybrids do not come true to parent but they have some disease and pest immunity that help to produce more crop.  So, the answer is to make the best of both worlds.  I try to separate the hybrids from the heirlooms in the garden to keep my seed as pure as possible.  There may come (probably will come) a time when we cannot get seed from seed houses anymore and we will be dependent on what we have or sharing with our neighbors.  We need to begin now to prepare for that scenario. 

At the moment I have about 9 different types of summer and winter squash transplants growing, 10 different types of tomatoes, 5 types of cucumber, 3 lettuce varieties, 5 of melons, and 2 types of beets.  I am going to be starting 7 different types of peppers today – I waited a bit later on them because they really prefer warm soil and so there was no need to start them too early.  Let me stop here and say something about starting your seed indoors.  I had always been a big proponent of direct seeding your garden – that means planting your seed outside in the garden instead of starting them all indoors.  Well, after the drought last year I have re-thought that.  I lost; I don’t know how much, seed because of the lack of God’s watering.  Using hosepipes and sprinklers to water is fine in a pinch but it truly doesn’t produce healthy, vigorous plants.  We try to build the soil instead of fertilizing all the time (still fertilize some at this point) and use wisdom in where to plant things so that the root systems of one plant will help another plant in pulling nutrients from the soil.  Except for things that really transplant poorly or are too many to transplant like corn, beans, etc – I will be starting the seed in pots as much as I possibly can from now on.  It is just too important to risk it.  I can keep a constant watch on water level, amount of sun, warmth, etcetera if I start them inside.

Okay, I reckon, it is time for me to quit typing and get back to actually doing what I am typing about!! ;-)  Let me say this as well, I have been very lax about keeping things updated on the website and one of the desires of my heart is to get back to doing that more regularly.  Pray with me that I can do just that. 

As the days grow darker politically, economically and spiritually, it would be very easy for us to become disheartened and discouraged.  I have written articles before addressing folks (women in particular) who slip into becoming negative, condemning and critical people.  The word “Harpy” comes to mind.  Are you understanding the type of person I am talking about – nothing ever seems right, seldom a smile on the face and usually when there is it is because someone has failed and this person “knew it was coming”.  I want to encourage us all to work hard to not allow this to happen.  Don’t let this old world and all its ugliness taint you and cause you to become a bitter, fearful and joyless person.  As the days grow warmer and we see signs of life springing up in the natural world, allow it to bring joy to your heart and revive your spirit.  God is still on the throne no matter what the newspapers report: Global warming (if you believe in that), the War on Terror, the Avian flu, AIDS, the price of gasoline, the stock market failing, Africanized honeybees, whether Jennifer Anniston will ever find true love – come on!!!  Let’s focus on God’s WORD!  Who cares what CNN or Fox News say?  What does the Creator of the Universe say? 

v     "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". Philippians 4:19

v     "Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee" Daniel 6:16

v     “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28

v     “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” John 10:28

v     “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”  Psalms 37:25

There is so much more, so many promises and assurances in His Word.   His plan is still in affect and still going to succeed and we, as His children are going to be caught up in the twinkling of an eye to be united with Him.  There is nothing to fear if you walk daily with Him, seeking His will and His face.  Trust and Obey!

Much Love,

Angie

Feb 8, 2008

Good Morning Dear Friends,

My goodness, it certainly has been awhile since I posted here and I do apologize for not being more diligent.  The Lord has dropped many blessings into our lives in the last few weeks and several challenges to go with them to keep us sharp and focused.  We are expecting a young mother and her children in about an hour so I am going to try to get this done before time for them to arrive.

The last time I wrote it was our anniversary, which was lovely and we were also greeting our newest arrivals, triplet baby goats.  Here we are several weeks later and all is well.  Our little triplets, Daisy, Dudley and Dixie are all growing and happy and healthy.  Dixie is still with her mom outside and Daisy and Dudley spend their days outside in a little pen.  Another week or so and they should be big enough to handle being out with the flock and herd.  Their momma, Holly, still doesn’t want the two around her but she is being milked to feed them and we only have to supplement from time to time. 

The night before the triplets came we were blessed with Janie giving birth to little Rebecca.  Janie is a first time mother and small in stature, but we were so happy to see a beautiful and fat baby girl.  Rebecca has done well from the start and she is going to be a fine addition to our herd.  The night after the triplets came, Elsie decided that she was going to give birth too.  Another first time momma, not to be outdone by Janie, she blessed us with Ebony.  Ebony is an incredible little girl – solid black.  We have never seen a solid black Nubian, but she hasn’t a white spot anywhere and she gleams in the sun like velvet. 

So our goat production this year has given us 5 kids: four does and one buckling.  Dudley is more than likely bound for the freezer and as soon as he is out in the barnyard permanently he will no longer be called Dudley.  He will just be “the buck”.  We don’t want any emotional attachments there.  I am just thrilled that the Lord has blessed our herd with four girls that will really enhance our milk supply in the future.  My love of making cheese has been limited due to lack of milk in the past, but now I can foresee plenty of opportunities for experimenting.  And if we are diligent with our scheduling of breeding then we should be able to maintain a year round milk production, Lord willing.

Now on the sheep front, as of this morning we have welcomed two lambs into the flock. Both are ram lambs – one was born Saturday, Feb 3 and one born this morning.  Of course, we always want to have girls, but with our bounty in the goat department we are okay with the boys in the sheep department.  They will definitely go into the freezer or be sold.  I am in need of a new Romney ram for the flock to bring in some fresh bloodlines, but they are hard to find in our area.  If you know of one that isn’t too far away, please let me know.  I wouldn’t even mind “borrowing” him for awhile. J  We are not going to castrate these little boys in case someone wants to buy one for breeding and if not we will process them before they get mature enough to taint the meat.

Next in the animal department, we are about to re-start on the rabbit breeding program.  We have not bothered with it since our move because we had so much else to do but the time has come.  By the end of the month I expect to have things ready for that and so hopefully we will have some rabbit meat again by late spring.  May the Lord bless that effort.  I am also going to be ordering new chicks from McMurray hatchery this month. Our layers are getting older and while I plan to incubate eggs this year, I want to always keep some new bloodlines going.  We will stick with our Buff Orphingtons, New Hampshire Reds, and Silver Wyandottes, but I may get a few Dominicans (Domineckers) too.  We miss having an Old Dom rooster crowing around in the yard.  They are beautiful, even tempered birds and just seem to be such a part of farm life.

Paul has already planned out a new area to fence off for our growing barnyard and we will be working on that later in the spring.  He has also begun our gray water provision, by re-piping the shower/tub drains to a spigot at the garden end of the house.  He has put a cut-off valve in the system so whenever I am ready to begin using that water, he can just turn the valve and we will have plenty to water the plants with.  Another plan he has is to set up the drip irrigation into the garden so that it will be less work watering things if there is a shortage of rain this year.  Please pray with us that the drought is coming to an end and that the water supply will be back to normal for the growing season.

Speaking of the garden, that is what has been on my mind so much lately.  I have an order in for seeds from Baker Creek Seed (love their stuff).  Owing to some information form a very wise friend, I am going to grow some Amaranth this year.  It is a grain plant and she said that she used the grain years ago and it was excellent.  So she and I are going to be trying it to see how we do.  Next week I will begin my seeds in the garage under the grow lights.  We also have a double south facing window in there so the seedlings will have plenty of light to give them a good start.  Someday I am hoping that the double window will be replaced with French doors that will lead into a small greenhouse at that end of the house.  Paul smiles when I mention it so that is encouraging.

I haven’t mentioned so far, but I have been under the weather for over a week now but am slowly getting better, Praise the Lord.  The girls and I came down with an upper respiratory cold last week and I seem to have gotten the full brunt of it.  I had my regular doctor’s appointment on Wednesday and he sent me to the hospital to be checked to see if I had the flu.  I didn’t.   Today I am feeling stronger; still a pretty rough cough though and I sound like a bullfrog.  But I am sure by tomorrow that I will be much better.  The girls are all doing great.  Olivia still has a cough too but she is such a trooper and tries not to take any medicine if she can help it.  Erin, Sarah and Haley have croupy voices in the morning, but it is generally gone once they have something to drink.  I am so thankful that they are all healthy and able to fight this stuff off for the most part.  Paul of course, is our rock and while he may feel a little under the weather, he just keeps going with a smile on his face.  I LOVE that man!!

I haven’t shared about the Homechurch yet, but my time is almost up before our company arrives so I must finish.  The church is doing very well – everyone seems blessed and happy when they come together each week.  We continue to have new folks come to visit.  It is wonderful to see God’s hand leading and guiding them and that He is guiding them here.  Words cannot express our amazement at it all.  The messages that the Lord gives Paul always seem to be right on time and the discussions that we have following are full of meat and good spiritual food.  And of course, after all that spiritual feasting we have our physical feasting at lunch.  There are few things that are as enjoyable as sharing a good meal with your brothers and sisters in Christ and fellowshipping regularly with like-minded and like-hearted people.  Did I mention about us trying to get things worked out for folks to join us online for services?  We have hooked up Skype on the computer system and Paul is going to try to work that out so that folks can join us that way.  If you are interested, please email us and let us know.

This past weekend we had a couple come to stay for 4 days and it was very interesting to talk with them.  They have spent many years teaching in Korea and I loved hearing about how the food is different there.  It really made me think about some changes I want to make in our cooking and eating.  Have you read the book “Nourishing Traditions”?  I encourage you too.  Some incredible information and the Korean way of eating seemed to go along with many of the concepts in the book.  Of course, the point of the book is to use the techniques that native peoples used for centuries. 

Okay, time is up! J  I must close for now – please keep us in your prayers and know that we are keeping you lifted before the Lord.  Many blessings!

Angie

January 14, 2008

Good Afternoon,

It has truly been a nice day. I have made bread using Tasha Tudor’s recipe and it has turned out very well. The house smells delicious. The laundry is all done and the house is clean. We are having chicken for supper with mashed potatoes and broccoli. The weather is cold and sunny and we have had a fire in the wood stove all day long.  It has been several weeks now since Paul has had the wood stove set up and I just cannot get over how much emotional warmth I receive from a fire. I can remember my mother saying that there is life in water and that is why people love to live near a lake or river, and I suppose that is true, but while I do love the water, I would much rather spend time around a cozy fire.

Haley and Erin are at work today.  I miss them being at home.  Sarah and Olivia are getting ready now to join the other girls at SIFAT this evening for the beginning of a special event.  They are all going to be going to a Spanish class tonight. I think they are a little nervous, but they will do very well. They have always been excellent students. The class will last for the next 21 weeks. Most of the SIFAT staff will be taking the course.  There are so many people who come from third world countries and speak Spanish that it is important for the girls and of course, the staff, to be able to communicate with them easily. I am excited for them.

So, of course, this means that Paul and I will be spending the next 21 Monday evenings alone. I think it might be fun. J The one thing I am hoping to get finished with is my doll house.  You might remember that for my birthday this past year Erin purchased me a dollhouse that needed to be put together.  The girls all pitched in and bought the furnishings and different things for the house and Paul’s part was to build the house.  With so many other farm things to deal with the dollhouse was on the back burner quite often but that’s OK, it is almost finished now.  We are down to the trim and he is finishing up the lighting-I cannot believe that my doll house will actually have electricity.  As soon as it is done I will take a picture and be sure to post it on the web site so you can enjoy it with me.

The most important thing on my mind today is Paul’s birthday, which will be tomorrow - January 15. This past Friday, we went to Oxford to do a little birthday shopping. It is always so much fun to buy presents for someone that you love, isn’t it? We will be fixing his favorite meal- fried pork chops, potatoes Au Gratin, and corn on the cob. For his birthday cake he has requested a coconut cream pie. It will be a very special evening.  The only thing that could make it better would be if he could stay home all day long. I wish you could all be here to celebrate with us.  If you would like to send a birthday greeting, click here:  pgburrell@mindspring.com .

Well, not to change the subject, but I must admit I am getting cabin fever; which is kind of silly because we can get still get outside.  J  My cabin fever comes from the fact that we had some very nice warm and sunny days and I want to plant my garden but I know that a freeze or frost will hit it. One of the things that is on my mind is my flower beds. I was so eager to get everything in the ground last year when we moved that I didn’t take the time to carefully plan out my flower beds. That’s not to say that things don’t look relatively nice, but I know that with a little bit of planning I can do much better. I originally wanted to make a pathway lined with Peonies, similar to what Tasha Tudor has done in her garden. But the area that I’m using for my flowers is not situated the same way so I ended up placing them randomly in respect to the rose bushes. I must admit, it looked very nice when they bloomed, but again I know I can do better. And now that the flower garden has had at least a year of tending and some good heavy mulch, the soil is wonderful. I can dig anywhere and get handfuls of earthworms. Did I just hear a giggle from all you gardeners out there? J We just love those earthworms, don’t we?

Have you all been busy ordering your seeds from the different seed catalogs? I’m not sure why but I haven’t received as many seed catalogs as I have in the past.  It must be because of our move and me not renewing or changing the address with the companies. But that’s okay; most of the companies I order from are where I can get online and see their entire catalogue quickly.  I’m not really sure why but for some reason this year I’m not feeling very adventurous in my ordering.  I’m just going to stick with the tried and true things of the past.  Well, maybe with some exceptions, like ordering some seed for the princess pumpkins or is it Cinderella pumpkins?  I found one of those at a roadside stand this fall and it was absolutely beautiful.  So I would love to have a little section of the garden devoted to those.

Did I mention that Paul and I were having our wedding anniversary this coming Sunday? I’m not sure yet what we’re going to do - it is on Sunday and we will have church and our regular activities, but the next day Paul will have off work for M. L. King day and so we might do something then, just the two of us. I have to say that every day of my life with Paul has been joy and blessing.  Becoming his wife was the smartest thing I ever did.

OK, the chicken is almost done and Paul is on his way home. The sun is going down and the light is beaming through the back porch doors, so beautiful, the living room’s all aglow. The house smells like the wood stove, baked chicken, and broccoli. One of the greatest joys I have is when Paul comes home in the evening and he smiles with comfort and peace. I want him to walk into a home that is warm and cozy and know that supper’s on the table and his wife and children love him. That is one of the sweetest things about being a wife.

I pray that your evening is precious and sweet and that you feel loved and protected and safe. Please remember that the Lord Jesus Christ loves you and he wants you to feel protected and loved and safe too. Talk to Him.

With much love and big hugs,

Angie

Just Thinking – January 7, 2008

‘Morning!  It has been a little while since I have taken the time to write here.  It is amazing how we always think there is going to be a lull in the general chores and activity and then we are going to catch up on all the little things we like to do.  And yet, every day has its own bounty of work and responsibilities.  Today is another day filled with promise of getting many things accomplished, but I am determined to post a little here and let you know some of the goings on here at Shepherds Hill.

As we always do at the beginning of a new year, the girls and I set new goals and make an effort to get re-organized and re-established in our focus.  Many folks don’t make resolutions and feel it is a bit of a waste of time to do so, but for me it is a nice opportunity to examine and evaluate what I am accomplishing in my life.  At work, Paul has two reviews with his supervisor each year.  They sit down together and go over all he has accomplished in the previous year and they discuss areas where he might want to improve.  Another important part of the review is that they go over some possible goals for him to reach for in the coming year and even several years ahead.  It is such an affirming thing for him, because he can honestly take stock of what he is achieving.

As a wife, mother and Christian, I don’t have a time to sit down with my supervisor and take out a sheet of paper and go over point by point each area of my work.  So I use the New Year – January especially – to do just that.  I spend time making lists – of what I have done and what I want to do.  My thoughts are focused on where I need to improve and where I need to work harder in areas.  I set goals for myself (resolutions if you want to call them that) and I try to work a plan out in my mind and heart.  For me to begin a new year without some sort of self-examination, would be like going out in a big field and throwing handfuls of bean seeds, corn seed, pumpkin seed, etc all over the place and then following that with buckets of compost – just slinging it everywhere and then putting a sprinkler on and expecting a fruitful and lush garden to appear.  Ridiculous! 

Everything takes some preparation and planning. 

Let me encourage you to take some time this month and sit down and examine where you have been and where you are going.  Write some things down on paper – the scripture tells us in Habakkuk 2:2, "And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it."  You may be the only one that reads it but at least then you will be able to move ahead.  Read your Bible through this year – there are multiple plans that you can use.  Paul and I are using this one this year: http://www.elca.org/bible/oneyear/index.html and last year we used this one: http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/ .  It is such a joy to do this and you will feel like you have really accomplished something.

Okay – on to the doings around here.  Let’s start with Haley.  Haley is doing very well.  Since her job change this last year, she has essentially been healed from the migraines she suffered with so horribly.  She has been able to stop going to the neurologist!  It was the tremendous stress of her job at the Nursing Home that was causing the terrible problems.  She was there for 5 years and it took its toll, but things are much better now.  Her new job still has stress but it is at a manageable level and the folks there are focused on serving their brothers and sisters in Christ and touching the world for the Lord so that makes things much better.  Her other big news is that she is courting a wonderful young man.  His name is Samuel and he is such a fine young man.  Sam loves the Lord and it shows.  He came to Paul about two months ago now and asked for permission to court her.  We have spent time with them together each week and are very pleased with the progress we see in their relationship.  Over the next little while we will begin to get into some more serious discussions about what they believe personally and what they feel the Lord has for their future and we will see where the next step will lead.  Please do keep them both in your prayers.

Sarah has been a busy beaver around here.  She has so many things going on that it is hard to pinpoint any one.  She is about to re-launch her sewing business with a new name and offerings.  For three months she has been purchasing fabric and getting the equipment she needs to hit the ground running.  I don’t want to say too much here because she is going to announce it all very soon.  I am very excited and encouraged to see her plan and know that she has bathed it all in prayer.  Over the last six months she has had a major distraction that caused her some difficulty in getting things done and now that is taken care of she will be able to concentrate on her business.  God is so faithful.

Erin is enjoying a break from her new job – she is the cook at SIFAT and this time of year the campus has been fairly quiet.  It will be revving up pretty soon and so her time of leisure is almost over but it has been good for her.  During this off-season for SIFAT she was able to reorganize the entire kitchen there and get the storage rooms and facilities cleaned and ready for the New Year.  Part of her duties is placing large orders with Sysco, so she has been studying ordering and buying in bulk for large groups of people. Amazing how things we try to teach them end up being such a part of their adult lives.   She has spent a lot of time sewing new dresses for the coming year as well.

As I am typing, Olivia is doing her morning walk.  She has been so diligent every day to walk at least a mile.  Living where we do there are plenty of lovely spots for her to walk  and I am thankful that she is choosing to do this.  Once the holidays were over, I was pleased to see her jump back into her school work with a passion.  She is working through Chemistry and has developed such an enjoyment in the study.  Can you imagine?!!!  But she read me a very complicated problem from her test the other day and with a big smile on her face she said, “And guess what MOM?  I already know the answer!”  We both just chuckled- such a delight! I have not decided yet, if she will graduate this year or not.  Honestly, she can – she will have all her courses finished by May and her ACT score was well above our requirement but she is only 16 and I don’t want her to be pushed into the adult world too soon.  We will keep this in prayer and ask the Lord for His wisdom on the matter.

Now, Paul!  Oh, my sweet and wonderful Paul.  We are coming up on our anniversary in a couple of weeks and next week is his birthday.  To say that Paul is a blessing to me is such a pathetic understatement.  How do I expound on this man?