September 30, 2008

Here we are, facing another evening of good old fashioned home cookin'! Dear hubby asked for another dose of chicken and dumplings.. so I made some homemade noodles as soon as I got home from some errands after work. Found a new way to dry them, instead of putting them between 2 sheets of wax paper and suffering through the having to try and p-e-e-l them off the bottom sheet.... today I hung them over a drying rack that I use for my clothes! LOL! Oh my goodness! Worked like a charm!

Now I know how I'll be doin' my noodle dryin' from here on out! I also did some searching on another board that I belong to, and found a lady that drieshers for 24 hours or so, then stores them in glass jars for future use. Maybe I'll try that for days like today where we are rushing around....

Yes, I have to double and triple batch everything to feed this family! :)

We had to go to the Amish store to get some fresh eggs as soon as I came home. We like the eggs from there, not the store bought ones. So I picked up a few staples that I needed while I was there also, andbought the children a pack of Root Beer flavored licorice as a treat.

On the way home, we stopped at the bank to get money from the ATM (from the account for our grandson's child support) to put into our account, and the ATm quit working altogether! Kept our card for the longest time, and didn't give us our money! So we went to another bank, and that ATM kept saying that we had insufficient funds... I called our regularbank the second I walked in the door, and the gal told me that it sounded like the money was stuck in the machine and she would be over (in money) in the morning. And that she would give us a call as soon as she got to the machine, but not to worry. How can one NOT worry? That was $60! But the Lord shall watch over us.... HE always does! :)

Well, suppertime! Time to go eat some good ol' downhome chicken and dumplins!

~Blessings to each of you!~

and the verdict is.....

25 quarts of baking apples canned

and

4 quarts frozen

and

16 quarts of applesauce

put up for yummy winter eating! :) (That was just THIS batch of apples!  LOL! ~ I don't remember what we got from the previous batch!)

There's chicken to be de-boned today and noodles to make tonight, cause dh is requesting chicken and dumplings again this evening....

YAHOO! God is SO good!

September 29, 2008

Today was a beautiful day weather-wise. By the time I came home from work, dh and the children had almost finished the rest of the apples, and at this time, I have 19 quarts of baking apples ready to go! :)

News flash!!!

Our 2 DD's still at home both have job interviews at a local retirement community working in dietary. Pray for them. They are both nervous about the interviews, and possible jobs! :)

DH had a surprise for me this afternoon.... but first a bit of background.... I am a VERY old fashioned gal. I like to have old fashioned things, I like to wear old fashioned clothes, I teach my children from old fashioned text books (McGuffey's Readers, anyone?) and I truly think I was born 100 years too late....

But I digress. DH Uncle knows what an oddball I am and he gave me a dream come true yesterday. An old rusty (but still working) reel mower, made by the Grand States Company of Shelbyville, Indiana! My precious DH worked on it all day to get it running again for me, and it was running pretty good, too! (I think my boy has a bit of Mom in him... he loves it as much as I do!)

We had so much fun with it, mowing some here and there, until the wheel fell off.... LOL! What can I expect from an ancient piece of machinery? I'm sure it mowed a ton of grass in its day, and as soon as DH can get 'er up and running again, she'll mow here too!

Ain't she purty? And my son isn't too bad looking himself, huh? :)

Then, toward the end of the apple saga, one of our dd's came over. Her car was leaking fluid. So Dad needed to look at it and get it up and running again.

But I got the best part~ I got to play with my little grandson. And of course, lots of Grandma hugs and lovins made my day! :)

Ah.... the Lord continues to bless us even in the little things we see and do every day.

Thank You God for making me rich.

Rich in life, love and happiness.

September 28, 2008

We've been very busy around Hatfield House today... I started deep cleaning for Fall by washing ALL curtains and windows. The only curtains that are not quite finished yet are my sewing room ones, because I got involved with our other main task of the day, and that was peeling apples, cooking apples, processing apples and making appleauce!

We went to dh uncle's today and picked to our hearts content. We ended up with 2 HUGE totes worth and I still have one tote to go needing peeled and everything!

But we ended up with 16 quarts of applesauce, so I surely cannot complain! Tomorrow I am finishing up by putting up baking apples.

DH cleaned to firewood stove for me and then my cast iron teapot.... both are beautiful now! :)

Ah yes... life is good.

~Blessings~

September 27, 2008

Here we are, at the end of the city wide yard sale, tired as the dickens, and almost $100 richer! YEA! Although we did spend $21 dollars buying food for the children, cause not having a clear brain this AM, didn't help me in figuring that we needed to PACK something to eat for 4 growing children! Oh well... it went for a good cause. The Volunteer Firemen.

Folks didn't want to look through the clothes too much, but they wanted the Halloween stuff we had, which is good, since we are not celebrating that anymore. As a personal family decision, we have decided to forego the witches, ghosts and goblins, for what we want to call a "Harvest Dinner". We intend to make cookies, cakes, and just celebrate our wonderful gifts that the Lord has given us as He has supplied our needs this year.

Anyway, whatever did not sell, went straight to Goodwill. I wasn't bringing anything back into the house that went out! LOL! DH's Uncle let me have some of those old canning jars that clamp with the wires on top of a glass lid, and a couple of drinking glasses that I wanted, so we didn't actually "spend" any money! DH made light of me getting those by saying, "I'll spend $10 this year on stuff and sell it next year for .50 cents!" But he didn't mind.

Then we came home and ganged up on the kitchen. Sparkling and shiny now! :)

Now tomorrow, we are heading out to DH's Uncle's house to gather some apples. I'll spend the rest of the afternoon then processing them!

Isn't the Lord wonderful?

He always provides, even when we don't think He is.....

September 26, 2008

We're getting ready for a city-wide yard sale tomorrow. Hopefully, we can make enough to get the insurance paid and maybe have a few dollars left over for some grocery items we need.

I paid hubby's truck payment today online, that was 2 months behind. The Lord graced us enough to allow that! Thank You, God!

Something we have discovered in the midst of this financial bind we are in, is this :

The Lord didn't say that He would supply our "wants" but He did say that He would supply our "needs", and He has. He has OVER abundantly blessed us with enough fire wood to last this winter, and some is seasoning for next, and something I have also noticed... we haven't went to the grocery (just for a few items here and there) in over 3 months, but we are eating better than we ever did!

Found some steaks in the freezer and cooked those over an open flame on the grill, has some green fried tomatoes, potatoes, green beans (canned last year) and homemade biscuits.... What a dinner! (His saints will never beg for bread...)

Thank You Lord for always being on time.

You may not be early, but You are never late...

September 25, 2008

DH and I found out this AM that the young man that we asked for prayer for has passed away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was kept on life support long enough to donate his organs, something he had told his family that he wished to do.

What a wonderful, yet tragic thing, to be 16, and have your life taken so suddenly, but be thoughtful enough to want others to benefit from your death.

God bless you, Corey... God bless you.

We will miss you, but your legacy will live on from your love.

September 24, 2008

I wanted to thank those of you who did, for praying for the young man and his Dad last night. The last we heard was that he is in critical condition, still in Indy. I will update as I know more.

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Life at the Hatfield House is a joy like no other. I have solitude, laughter, joy and peace here within these walls. I have a husband that loves me and children that I enjoy watching them grow and learn. I have dogs to snuggle and that snuggle me, birds that sing, and squirrels that give me pleasure by watching their antics (yes, they are still here!) LOL!

With money being as tight as it is, I am learning (And having fun with) new recipes, and how to stretch a dollar as far as I can without it snapping...

Splurging to us used to be going to WalMart and spending $200 on things we didn't need, now it is going to Goodwill and finding treasures with $50! Or cooking a new recipe... found an awesome biscuit recipe the other night that will definitely be replacing my old one...

The girls have become more proficient with crocheting and Christmas crafting,  and our son with wood chopping and reading (since the cable has been turned off). He feels more "manly" now (as "manly" as 11 year old boys do feel).

I'm becomg a true believer of the old adage, "Less is More".

Sure seems to ring true in our case anyway.

~Blessings~

Please Pray

A dear friend of mine and DH, his son was shot in the head tonight. The current story is they were playing Russian Roulette, but we don't know.

The boy is on a life flight right now to Indy to Methodist Hospital.

Please pray for him and his Dad.

September 22nd, 2008

Today was a busy day at work. Not hard, but busy. We've been getting alot of terminal patients, and it's just so disheartening to have to watch their bodies finally give up. The separation of body and spirit is a hard one.

One of my patients, a lovely lady I'll call Mrs. S, may very well be gone by the time I get back to work in the morning.

We had talked before of many things, one of which was her learning to drive in a Model T Ford.

 LOL!

I came home to children working on school, and dh laying on the bed. So I needed to get things motivated and got the family around to go get another load of wood, and now I am cooking supper.

Do any of you ever feel defeated?

Like your household would fall apart and your children starve if you weren't around?

I do, and I don't like feeling this way.

Now, after the wood has been gotten and stacked, and I have supper on, there are phone calls to be made and a house to clean......

I may go to bed early and read my Bible. Yes, I need to.

Sorry about the rambling.

I should be more thankful for what I do have.

I think Mrs. S and the amount of suffering she has gone through (even to this point) has me a bit out of sorts today.

~Blessings~

September 22, 2008

We've still been a wood choppin' round here, we just have to wait to go get another load. We are pretty close to done with what we have here at home, and what we don't have chopped, is stacked nicely by the kennel outside.

Abi even got into the act for awhile.

Amelia was going to help, but she was too engrossed in crafting her Christmas gifts.... LOL!

We found this little guy (or gal) while we were getting all the "extra" pieces that we were burning right then.

I spent a good part of the afternoon inside getting some turkey broth prepared and canned for later use!

YUM! Looks good, eh?

When we finished up with the work for the day, we ate supper and for dessert, Mom had made a delish peach pie while no one was looking! Quite a surprise with a scoop of ice cream on it! YAHOO!

September 17, 2008

Around these parts, we've been working on getting ready for winter. Getting wood, splitting wood, stacking wood....

This is Michael, a neighbor boy that is fancying one of our daughters... so in true hillbilly Dad fashion, dh put him to work... LOL! The young man stood up to the test, though! With flying colors!

Here's a shot of our son learning to use an axe. He's gotten pretty good the past couple of days!

We've been inordinately blessed, even with the storm, which gave us a lot of wood, that is still being worked on, but now, a lady and her husband down the street, asked us if we wanted his Mom's wood.....of course! So we went today and got the FIRST truckload.... tomorrow the second, and Friday, we may be able to finish it out! Oh my, God is sooooo good!

Another blessing happened yesterday.  DH was called to by a group of children on the street. They asked him to get a couple of baby squirrels that were trapped (and terrified) in a pile of brush that had been swept up after the storm.  So now, guess what I have in a cage in my sewing room?

Is my sewing room EVER going to be JUST my sewing room ever again? LOL!

Somehow, I think not...

~Blessings~

WIND STORM!!!

Wow.

We had winds today in excess of 60mph. Of course, nothing compared to Ike's initial fury in Texas, but I certainly never thought it would reach to Indiana, for Pete's sake!

The winds began to rise and a few limbs snapped, then a neighbors porch roof blew off, then another neighbors side porch roof blew off, a TV anntena bent and caught the outside gas line in it's path.... yea, it was bad around here. But it did do one thing. Neighbors that hadn't spoken in a few years were eager to help each other, and people that didn't even know each other's names, got to talk and to meet.

Weather brought our street together.

After the wind had subsided and before the power came back on, dh took the children out and asked people if he could cut the branches and trees that had fallen in their yards. He was successful in bringing home 2 truckloads of wood that we can burn next year! YEA! And he is heading back out again tomorrow AM to see about getting some more!

Praise God for the little things in life, right?

Speaking of praising Him, church was good today. The Pastor preached on Revelations 21 when satan is thrown into hell for good! What a day of rejoicing it will be!!!

We got to take our granddaughter with us, and she screamed all the way through, until Aunt Mili had to take her out awhile.  Pastor said she wasn't disturbing him, and that he could preach over 10 screaming babies... but we were afraid she was disturbing the others. She was just tired and didn't feel very good. I think she has a summer cold.

Anyhoo~ life is good, and the Lord is always better, and I have to work tomorrow! SO I had better get going, and try to get some sleep tonight.

Blessings to you all, and have a wonderful day tomorrow, where ever you are or where ever you wish to be....

Does everyone have the button "Create a new Blog" when they log in?

Maybe this is why I don't see my blog as having been updated sometimes. Do I NEED to create a new blog? Is there something wrong with the old one?

Huh.

September 11, 2008

Been working today on some Apple Butter. We have jars of all size and shape! Some for Christmas gifts, and some for us to enjoy  through the colder months.

DH had to go to the store and grab some more bands, as we ran out! And here I am, after Freecycling about 4 dozen of my canning jars, and am running low now! LOL! Never thought I would have this much to process this year... oh well....

We just went outside and picked some more tomatoes. I am going to get them made into something good since I am already in here today.

(Just finished up 4 quarts of stewed tomatoes with what I picked today.)

Schooling has been going ok for the children. Logan is learning latitude and longitude for Geography. Doing fairly well at it too! He has more trouble than the others, and I am afraid that it may effect him throughout his life, but whatever the Lord's will is, we shall accept it.

It's almost time for supper, so I imagine I had better go and help dh tend to it. He's busy making bacon and pancakes and gravy, so I will get busy and make some biscuits. Ah.... good ol' hillbilly cookin'!

~Blessings~

September 10, 2007

Grrr....

I just had an awesome post all written out, with pictures and everything, and *POOF*! It's a goner.....

I think I'll post tomorrow. Logan and I have a Science project to do.

See ya'll later!

Blessings!