Posted in Lulu Posts
 Our friend the honeybee. We got our first hive and hopefully not our last, from a friend this spring. We were a little intimidated at first, thinking they would gang up and sting us. But they haven't. They are nice little bees. When we take their honey (and leave some for them) this fall, it may be a different story. Thus, we will use the protective suits,etc. But, until then, we really enjoy our bees. It is actually a 4H project for Sweet Maggnolia. We have learned a lot from 4H, because we decide to do a project and then learn as much about it as we can; like we did with poultry. Poultry is a whole other story by FAR. After studying honeybees and different problems that ail them, for example, Colony Collapse Disorder or Syndrome , I decided to do a little bit of poking around and found this site about disappearing bees. It seems as though something bad is happening to the honeybee. It mustn't be. Bees pollinate our plants and flowers. Without plants or flowers we would have no food or beauty. Have you seen The Bee Movie? It is very informative. Watch it. One thing that is very toxic to the honeybee is Sevin dust.  We use it to dust our poultry for lice, but after reading the warnings on the back, we may not use it anymore. A lot of people use it on their gardens to kill bugs and creepy crawlers. Everyone would like a beautiful garden and lawn. But have you ever wondered why the pest people that spray your lawn wear the SUIT? I hear the wait time to go back into your yard after they spray is something like 48 hours. There seems to be something wrong with that picture. Could it be HARMFUL? So, let's do our part for the honeybee so they can do their part for us all. |
Posted in Everday Life
These are photos of my dad in his younger days.  |
Posted in Lulu Posts
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For six years, nine months, eleven days and some odd hours we had no cable or antenna connected to our television. We chose to not have television input into our home( there is just so much yuck on t.v.)(but we are HUGE movie fans and have logged many an hour in front of the tube watching those!) . Recently, the Olympics got the better of us (and I suspect the up coming World Series-go Cubs). Hoss, as I affectionately call my husband on occasion, decided to put one of those indoor/outdoor antennas up in the attic. Within MINUTES we had Michael Phelps breaking world records right in front of our eyes! Boy we were living high on the hog for sure. The next evening...while waiting for the nightly olympic broadcast...Sweet Maggnolia was flipping to see what other cool 'snowy' channels we could receive. Oh. JOY!..."Wheel of Fortune" man! that comes on like every night!!!! Is this heaven?...no it's just Indiana. Much to my dismay, I was shocked to hear and see what is on commercials and the little half hour shows that come on at 5 in the EVENING. Last I knew, language like we heard, wasn't allowed on until after 9 p.m. Will we watch television after the Olympics are over? Yes, but sparingly. Yes, I have had to learn how to read the T.V. guide all over again.  |
Posted in Lagniappe
To continue in thought from my previous post. I wanted to share our thunderstorm time out. We take a lot of time outs for life during school. I had been monitoring the radar on line. I announced that soon we would have a nice little thunderstorm. I began to shut down and unplug. Something that I have learned to do, since a few thunderstorms ago the computer got zapped twice. Anyway, that radar must have been stuck because the clouds were upon us sooner than the radar indicated. The pictures posted here aren't as cool as seeing them in person. It seemed as though cloud on the left was stationery and cloud on the right was scooting right along and slid right under cloud number one.   Also, on our study of czars, we learned a little about the Faberge eggs. Very neat. |
Posted in Home Education
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We started regular education last Monday. That first week is always fun...but, the second week is turning out pretty hopeful too. I have went over schedule after schedule after schedule in my head. Schedules. They seem to be something that you have to stay on...yikes. Then I thought.....why does it have to be a schedule? After going over the subjects that we have chosen for this year, I decided. Five a day. I have heard of five in a row books. But I thought....why not five a day. So we have our 'schedule'..... Day One (which could be any day of the week) five subjects Day Two, ditto Day Three, ditto Day Four, ditto Day Five, ditto I have listed each days' subjects on a 4 x 6 card. The card for the day will be on the fridge. When those items are done, in whatever order necessary, then we are done for that day with 'book-learnin'. (some days DO have additional requirements, but all in all, we concentrate on FIVE) So, that leads up to why I like the flexibility of home education. For one, we will take a day off soon to 'field trip' on over to the Indiana State Fair. Second, when we got to history....well......last week we were introduced to absolutism. One thing led to another, and now we know a lot about Russia (a country that I personally knew little about). We were just innocently studying monarchs, etc. and came upon czars. So we looked up some info on czars, which led to Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia, killed in 1918 (and thereafter called U.S.S.R.), which led to Anastasia the movie. Good movie. Then some geography on Russia and maps and cool things. Then much to our surprise our new favorite book, BJU Press Cultural Geography for 9th grade had a nice section on Russia. So, let me just say that our 'history' today was three hours long. Tomorrow will bring more on Russia I am sure. But the hours actually sped by because Sweet Maggnolia was so excited learning about this new subject. |
Posted in Wordless Wednesday
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Posted in Wordless Wednesday
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Posted in Everday Life
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My sister, Robin, encouraged me to show the world the bookshelf my husband made last August. So here it is. The beginning.  The middle. The end.
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Posted in In the Kitchen
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For years I have struggled with making pie dough. (Betty makes it look so easy) My crust is either too dry and tough to roll out or when I do roll it out...it doesn't want to transfer easily to the plate. I have rolled dough out in a large gallon plastic zip lock container and then cut the bag away and transferred the dough to the pie plate. This does work. But, you use up a perfectly good bag in the process. Memory escapes me as to how I learned of the techniques in the following pictures (forgive me if it is one of my readers). I DID learn from a 4H meeting recently that the colder the water is when making dough...the better the results!  Place a few drops of water on the counter top and then place a piece of waxed paper over the water.Roll out the dough onto the paper in the normal fashion.  Invert the dough and waxed paper over the pie plate. Peel the waxed paper off GENTLY AND SLOWLY.  Flute the edges to your liking. You have a pie crust ready for some filling. Enjoy!I share my cooking experiences with you because I am not an excellent cook. When I find something that works for me, I want to share it. (there has gotta be someone out there that struggles in the kitchen as I do) |
Posted in Everday Life
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I was so blessed with the following beauty on my walk this morning. It is beautiful EVERY morning, but this morning I took my camera to share with you.  I started walking 10 minutes north and 10 minutes south in March....got a little side tracked, but am back on schedule. Now I walk 22 minutes north and 22 minutes south and THIS MORNING, this was the view as the sun was coming up. (don't worry, I don't walk in the dark, it just looks darker than it is)
 As I looked north I saw the eye of a hurricane (Go Figure!!! I live in Indiana). God was just messin' with me.
 At this point I have made my 22 min. north, and am heading south.
 Another pretty view. This is a hill. I live at the other end of it. When I first start out, it is a nice stretch out for the old legs. Then up hill I go and I am on a incline/level out/ incline level out for 22 minutes. On the way back. I still huff and puff (you would think it would be DOWN hill on the way back ????) This is my final obstacle. Going up that last incline after taking it easy for a little while is tough, but not as tough as it used to be! May YOU be blessed in YOUR exercise today! |
Posted in Everday Life
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I have lost 5 pounds since starting my exercise/food reduction plan. It is tough. Just wanted to share. |
Posted in In the Kitchen
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My mom makes the best noodles in the world. I had not yet learned how to make them before I moved out of state for a few years. One Thanksgiving-time in Central Texas I longed for noodles so much that I went on a quest to find the instructions for such. I thought they would be a great addition to the Thanksgiving dinner I was making (my in-laws would be traveling from New Orleans for the holiday). I read all the 'church' cookbooks that I had brought with me from Indiana, Mennonite cookbooks that I had bought while living in Georgia and just couldn't quite get the kind that Mom made. Mom always cut her noodles and had them strewn all over the kitchen table and counter tops to 'dry'. It just wasn't happening for me. So I tried trusted Betty Crocker (of ALL places). Her recipe was just right. I have came up with a couple different 'drying' ideas from different cookbooks and people. The pictures that follow aren't really 'drying' them. I just freeze them. So look at these photos and see if they help you in your noodle making. These particular ones are cut 'fat' and will cook up 'fat'.  Separate the dough in to three sections. Roll out on a generously floured counter top til thin. Generously flour the top of the circle and roll up like a burrito. Don't worry about too much flour, it will shake off later.  Cut thick or thin, but make sure they are all thick or all thin. The dough will be a little soft and you will think the noodles will stick together, but the flour will help them unroll nicely. Roll each section out and layer in a long pan. Create layers of noodles by using wax paper, with a layer of wax paper over the top. Freeze over night. The next day, take the stiffened noodles and break them into smaller pieces (or leave them long) and place in a freezer bag and put back in freezer til needed or cook them right up into chicken and noodles or beef and noodles, or just plan noodles cooked in chicken broth. They take about twenty minutes or so to cook.Here is the recipe: 2 cups of all purpose flour 3 egg yolks 1 egg 1 tsp salt (Betty calls for two tsps, but I opt for one) 1/4 to 1/2 cups of water yellow food coloring, optional make a small well in the flour / salt mixture and add egg and yolks. (you may wish to add a few drops of the yellow food coloring to the eggs first to give them a richer look), mix. then add the water one tablespoon at a time, mixing in between, til the dough holds together and is pliable, but not sticky. (when it comes down to it, I would rather the dough be more pliable than stiff and dry-it is easier to work with that way) |
Posted in Wordless Wednesday
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Posted in Lulu Posts
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On occasion we let our small flock of chickens with one large white leghorn rooster, out into the yard to forage and enjoy a little freedom. Sweet Maggnolia is very hesitant to go out of doors on those days for fear of getting attacked by the rooster-Foggy. He is a beautiful bird but very protective. When he is out, I tell her to take the broom and the dog with her if she goes outside. I too, take the broom with me in hopes of getting some batting practice in-to no avail. This situation has me to thinking about all the uses of a broom. Obviously, you can sweep the floor with it (a rarity for me), you can brush the cobwebs out of the corner of the ceiling with it ( rarity-again), you can use the handle to slide between the washer and dryer or other appliance to get something that fell in between them, you can use it as the middle post in your sheet tent in the living room, you can trap a spider with it til Husband comes to the rescue, you can brush the straw off of someone who has been 'handling straw'. Of course, you can use it as a weapon to protect yourself from roosters, you can shoo unwanted animals away from your garden with it,...etc etc etc. Let me know how YOU use your broom. |
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Finding a moment to post, I thought I would update you on what has been happening. Somewhere around March 10th I got this wild idea from an article I read, to start walking (a form of exercise) and eating better. So, I started walking twice a day and eating better. Didn't last long. On March 18th my husband hurt his knee while warming up and stretching out to go walk with me. A week later he can hardly walk on it and on the 27th was admitted to the hospital for an infection in his leg. They called it cellulitis. (It ended up being Methicillin Resistant Staphalocuccus Aureus) Two days later, surgery to remove the infection, four days later another surgery to remove more infection. He left the hospital April 7th with two open wounds (left like that for the infection to drain) He had three days of i.v. infusion through a picc line in his arm. We changed the dressing every other day. (no time to walk and less time to eat right) On April 18th & 19th we went to the Indiana Home Educators Convention in Indianapolis. (plenty of walking...still not eating right) The doctor encouraged him to walk as much as possible and so he DID. He went fishing yesterday and tomorrow we go to court to finalize his adoption of Sweet Maggnolia. Not sure, but I THINK after that we can take a breather! Oh, and I started my exercise/eat healthier plan again! |
Posted in Announcements
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The Iditarod! How exciting. A homeschool email brought this site to my attention. Go to www.iditarod.com and have a great time. We have been following it and it is very exciting. They are on day 7 and are arriving and leaving Ruby, Alaska on their way to Nome. |
Posted in Literature-Then and Now
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I just finished reading Rising Tide by John M. Barry. I heard about the book from the Spike Lee documentary, "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts". While the documentary is not for the faint of heart or children (the language is atrocious), the book is very readable. Words that are now politically incorrect are used to effectively draw the reader into the darkness of that day. The story brings you through different histories of people lives that are directly involved with the Mississippi River. I was never so on the edge of my seat while reading of the break in the Mounds Landing crevasse. Mr. Barry captured the essence of how money, power and pride can be more important than the lives of people. Overall, looking back, the book is not a feel good book nor could I find a silver lining behind the cloud. It seems to have a dark cloud over it throughout. I was wanting a happy ending, but found none. But I do recommend it to adults who like to read thought-provoking books. You will never think of the Mississippi River the same again. |
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The lunar eclipse was last night. The temperature was about NINE degrees. We were blessed with clear skies for the event. We set the telescope outside on the patio, grabbed the camera and binoculars and turned off the power to the outside security light. A person needed their warmest clothes and definitely their warmest gloves. There is nothing that says "February in Indiana" better than trying to push the picture-takin' button on your camera and really not knowing whether you actually were able to move your finger or not. You THINK you moved it...but it didn't move...you try again...this time with force.....nothing.....then you concentrate really hard and push with all of your might and the tiny little button on the camera feels your frozen-stiff finger's contact and takes the picture. Ah, the picture has been taken....but all you get is a big blurry white blob. At this point, husband and daughter have gone back inside because, one) they didn't have enough warm clothes on and two) they went back to their movie and said..oh, we can see the moon from the kitchen window just fine. I stayed outside, trying to get a better view with man-made instruments, sitting on a chair and watching my breath float through the air. Then out of the dark....came a sweet little cherub carrying a warmed-up rice bag for her half-frozen mother. HOW SWEET. I disregarded the instruments and just relied on what God gave me, my eyes and senses. The sky was full of stars that seemed to be shining as bright as they could-just for me. I looked through the bare arms of the maple tree and as the stars shone through, it looked like they were twinkling Christmas ornaments on the branches. WAY TOO COOL. I came back inside and finished watching the movie with husband and daughter, while husband warmed my very cold fingers. All in all....a very nice time. |
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I like EASY little lunches. I took ingredients from a Mexican Pork Chop dinner that I make and turned it into a neat little lunch. At 9 a.m. ish put the following in a small crock pot. It will be ready by 11:30 or so. Cook on high and keep an eye on it. 1 1/2 cup water 3/4 cup long grain, uncooked white rice 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning When serving....put some Mexican cheese on it and enjoy. |
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The recipe for this apple crisp was found in the Taste of Home Magazine several years ago and I just recently made it for the first time, with help from Sweet Maggnolia. It was submitted by Julie Jahnke, Green Lake, Wisconsin. Thanks Julie and the rest of you....ENJOY! 5 MEDIUM COOKING APPLES, PEELED AND SLICED 1 AND 1/4 CUP OF WHITE SUGAR ...DIVIDED 1 AND 3/4 TEASPOONS OF GROUND CINNAMON....DIVIDED 1 CUP OF ALL PURPOSE FLOUR 1 TEASPOON OF BAKING POWDER 1/2 TEASPOON OF SALT 1/2 CUP COLD BUTTER 1 CUP OF WATER In a bowl, combine the apples, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and remaining sugar, cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apple, pressing down to smooth top. Slowly pour water over the top, sprinkle with remaining cinnamon. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm. Serves 8. Go to my following friends for more tasty food. Sweet Maggnolia (magg93) for German Apple Pie Robinlyn (her recipe section has Snazzy Pretzels..yummy, plus a whole lot more) Danaover40 has some tasty tidbits and an award winning recipe for bread from the King Arthur Baker's Companion. If you have never had the pleasure of looking at the King Arthur Baker's Companion cookbook.....treat yourself. Check it out at the library. It is kind of pricy to buy...but well worth the money. |