Chris Klicka's Passing

It is with much sadness that I refer here to the passing of Chris Klicka, attorney with Home School Legal Defense Association. He was used mightily of God to fight for and secure freedom for homeschoolers. He had a vision for homeschooling that, according to HSLDA, never waned. I can tell you, as one who homeschooled in the early days, that we owe him and his family very much gratitude.

The Freeze Warning Scramble

There's nothing like a good freeze warning to get everybody moving. For my part I worried that I didn't have enough herbs dried for cooking and winter tea so I gathered lemon balm, chocolate mint, oregano, chives, and more basil. The frost the night before got most of the basil but not all of it. We picked the green tomatoes to ripen inside and the last (again) of the okra. I'm going to miss the tomatoes and herbs. Having an herb garden is a wonderful thing. The fragrance when you are working in the garden is amazing and when you cut them to bring indoors it is delightful. And nothing you buy can compare to the freshness of your own homegrown herbs. Then you get to enjoy them all winter! The kitchen smells absolutely great right now with all of the bunches of herbs hanging to dry there.
Hope you'll grow some of your own fresh herbs to enjoy!
Nancy

Mile-Long Wagon Ride

We went to an auction not far from here today and they had you park at the county yard and then took you by wagon to the site. That was fun. Didn't find anything but enjoyed the ride.
It is sunny and chilly today. There was ice on the chickens' water this morning and the ground was frozen.
We were gone much of the day today so I'd better get going.
Hope you're enjoying your day!

Rainy Day

It rained all day yesterday so I was able to do some inside things. I did some straightening and had a great phone conversation with a good friend. I also made butter, cultured buttermilk, and mozarella cheese. And, what can a person do when they have all of that fresh butter but bake cookies! Homemade soup, cornbread, and, of course, cookies. Perfect for a chilly rainy day.
We picked up our beef today and have a couple of steaks out for tomorrow. It's a very good feeling to know that you have grown your own food. It's kind of a milestone for us because we waited so long to be back on a farm doing this sort of thing again. God has been very very good to us. Tonight we will have homemade pizza with the fresh cheese.
Wherever you are today I hope that you have taken the time to notice the many good things around you.
Nancy

Farm Help

Our children and grandchildren that live fairly close all came last weekend to help with several things. The guys set the posts for the new milking parlor (this is very exciting! We have been milking outside for over two years!), repaired a lot of fencing, reinforced the bucks' pen (so they can't get to the does!), helped with chores, and I'm sure things that I'm not listing. Two of my grandsons built a pen for the little chicks that we hatched out and did a wonderful job. It is so cute! And the chicks are very happy. It was so wonderful to have their company!
I hope you are enjoying your day and everything that God has blessed you with!
Nancy

Last of the Garden

I pickled some more okra last night and froze the rest for gumbo. That will taste so good this winter! We always have pickled okra with our holiday meals. I'm saying it is the last of the okra but Jack said it is getting more blooms. I think I'm going to pull it up anyway to prepare some beds for spring planting. It has produced like crazy this year! Jack also picked one lone tomato so we are going to eat it with dinner tonight. I hate to see them go.
We are ready to plant the cold frames with lettuce and spinach for fresh greens during the winter. If you haven't tried this I encourage you to do so. It is so easy (and no insects or weeds to deal with!) and you get to enjoy home-grown veggies during the cold months. What a blessing!
Hope your day is going very well and that you were able to enjoy some home-grown or locally-grown produce this year.
Nancy

Catch-Up

Morning chores in the rain today. We can't complain after the beautiful stretch of weather we've had. Does make it difficult for milking because we're still milking outside!
Rachael and the children came yesterday and helped us clean up by the barn and haul some scrap metal off. That was a tremendous help! And, we enjoyed their company very much.
We went to a friend's Farm Day last Sat. He holds it every fall and it is always a lot of fun. Tons of food, horse-drawn carriage and wagon rides, spinning and weaving, and lots of good company.
Sadly, on another note, Jack's mom is being declared incompetent due to dementia and because of her behaviour they won't release her from the hospital to go anywhere but a nursing home. Such a shame. We're praying that God will be in control of the situation.
Hope you're enjoying your day and that you are living each day on purpose.
Nancy