The Ewes Gnus

Try It Tuesday: Reviews and News for Feb. 8

2011-02-08T16:03:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, yes, I missed last week's Try It. I actually didn't forget, it was a decision based on priority. I decided it was more important that we have some food made up/stored, batteries on hand, water in clean food buckets, lanterns charged and ready, flashlights prepped and sand bags bought than to post to T.E.G. It seemed like we waited and waited, but, indeed, The Blizzard of 2011 *did* finally hit last Wednesday. When it kicked off, I was definitely glad I had used my time to prepare for the storm. We had been told to prepare for 3 days without electricity or water. I'm not sure I was totally prepared for that, but I did feel like I'd done what I could. :-) It was a pretty comical moment, though, when I realized "no electricity" meant "no washing machine." Meg and I rushed down to the basement and started working on the laundry. I have a laundry schedule worked out so that we run out of underwear on the right day (i.e. the day whites are on the schedule), but missing 3 days of laundry would definitely throw all that out of whack. SO. I washed clothes until I dropped. I also vacuumed, since, well....my vacuum cleaner also runs on electricity. And we still have cedar needles planted like daggers in my bedroom carpet. OUCH!
   I'll move on to the Try It, but I will mention that the snow was/is a sight to behold. We had drifts approaching 3 feet and all over it was around 2 feet deep. And, we didn't lose electricity. LOL! For which I'm thankful. I believe the snow is going to be around a while. It's 3 degrees outside now, and not supposed to warm up much for days. Oh, and the Weather Service is forecasting 1-3 more inches of snow tonight. It's getting kind of funny. Maybe in the "strange" way, if not the "ha ha" way. :-)

   Alright, last week's Try It was Slow Cooked Broccoli. Here's our review:
Annie:7.5!! of 10!! "Pretty good, needed some salt. Other than that, the flavor was good. I mixed my cheese in, which made it quite a bit better. It's like Broccoli Cheese Soup. Broccoli Cheese Soup-erole! :)"

Meg: 5!! of 10!! "Broccoli was too mushy. All the cheese needed to be mixed in. Needed a little salt. But, I wouldn't mind having it again."

Claire: 7.5!! of 10!! "It was pretty good. All the cheese needed to be mixed in. Maybe a little salt."

Amy: 7!! of 10!! "Thought the broccoli was too soft. Would have preferred cream of chicken soup to cream of celery. I agree that all the cheese needed to be mixed in and that a little salt would have helped."

Adam: 9!! of 10!! "I liked that it was soft and easy to chew. I liked that it wasn't too cheesy."

Hannah: "I liked the kind of crunchy things. I like that Crunchy Casserole!" (I do; I like it, Sam-I-Am! I like that Cruncy Casserole!! hahaha)

Tonight's Try It:

Indian Beef and Spinach Curry (for the crockpot)

1/3 cup canola oil
3 yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1(2 inch) piece of ginger, peeled and grated (I used 2 t. dried, ground)
2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t cayenne pepper (I used 3/4 t, since we have Littles)
1 1/2 t ground turmeric
2 cups beef broth
3 pounds stew beef
1 t salt
6 cups baby spinach
2 cups plain full-fat yogurt

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat (I use medium, lest I smoke up the house, lol), warm oil. Add onions and garlic, and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, cumin, cayenne and turmeric and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in broth, raise heat to high, and deglaze pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom. When broth comes to a boil, remove pan from heat.
Put beef in slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt. Add contents of frying pan. Cover and cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours.
    Add baby spinach to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Just before serving stir in 1 1/3 cups yogurt. Season to taste with salt. Serve over rice. Pass remaining yogurt to add as a garnish.

Ok, F.O.T.E.'s, gotta run. Y'all keep your wool dry,

The Ewe

Try It Tuesday: Reviews and News for January 25, 2011

2011-01-25T20:18:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Oh my. I'm exhausted. Hannah has been waking a lot at night...so *I've* been waking a lot at night. I got behind on laundry last weekend, so I'm playing catch-up now. I did get a triple sorter, and that really helps. I think sorting is what takes the longest. Anyway, I'll get on to old business right away...so I can go to bed, LOL!

Review of Fettucine Alfredo (recipe in earlier post)

Well. I lost the carefully recorded remarks of the whole family. BUT...this was a home run recipe. It is a definite addition to my recipe book...and we all look forward to having it again. It was so, so good. In fact, I liked it better than any I've had in any restaurant. Super yum. If you like fettucine alfredo, you really should give it a try!

Now for this week's Try It:

It's a side dish this time. And it's definitely *not* a whole food. Sigh...I pulled it out of my crockpot recipe binder, in the section marked, "To Try." I got it off the internet in 1999! So, after over 10 years, I finally got around to trying it, lol.

Slow-Cooked Broccoli

2 pkgs (10 oz each) frozen chopped broccoli, partially thawed
1 can condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. pepper
1 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (about 25) [I used a Ritz-type one.]
2 T. butter

In a large bowl, combine broccoli, soup 1 C. cheese, onion, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Pour into a greased slow cooker. Sprinkle crackers on top; dot with butter. Cover and cook on high for 2-1/2 hours. Sprinkle with reamining cheese. Cook 10 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

Ok. Well, I'll post our comments on the broccoli recipe next week. I'll work extra hard to not lose the paper this week...maybe I'll just put them in a draft on here....
Must run...my eyes are wanting to droop....

Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Try It Tuesday: Reviews and News for January 18, 2011

2011-01-18T13:40:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well the snow is now mostly slush, but the weather service is forecasting more snow in the next week. We'll see what happens.
I'm trying to catch up on my laundry, etc, after a weekend at an Answers in Genesis conference--good stuff!--so I'll get straight to Old Business...

Last week's Try It was Creamed Chicken and Vegetables. (recipe in earlier post) Here is our family's review of that dish:

Meg: 9!! out of 10!! "Very good! A little too spicy, but just a tiny bit. By far the best 'Try It Tuesday' we've had so far!!"

Reid: 9.5!! out of 10!! "Best yet! Love the hint of spicy heat!" He also reported that it was better the second day, as leftovers.

Claire: 10!! out of 10!! "It was great! one of the best Try It Tuesdays! I really liked the tiny bit of spiciness. It was so good!"

Amy: 9!! out of 10!! "This one is going in my recipe book. Admittedly, it's a "comfort food," a lot like a pot pie. Next time--and there *will* be a next time--I will use either the pepperoncini or the red pepper, but not both."

Hannah: 8!! out of 10!! "It was too spicy. I liked it a little bit."

Adam: "It's good! It has vegetables!!" :-)

Annie: 9.5!! out of 10!! "stop it...lol...ha ha...gasp....lol...I didn't say that....no, no that's funny! Although it's kind of annoying...umm...I didn't say that! lol...lol...I'm thinking....lol...ummm.......I didn't burp!!!! I did not!!! But it was quiet...NO!!! LOL!!!   I sighed!!! It wasn't a burp, it was just very quiet! Stop THAT!!! LOL...Would you stop it so I can think without laughing?!? LOL....SIGH...I did not BURP!! NO! I'm not making that noise! No. I liked it! Yes! umm...it was a lot like chicken pot pie...uh, stop! I didn't say that. It was better with the biscuits than the cornbread waffles, but it was still good with the cornbread waffles. Stop! I like doing the cornbread that way. I would like to have it again. I wish that I had written down my own review, instead of telling Mom what to write."

Heh heh heh...
As you can tell, Annie's review was typed verbatim, in real time. heh heh heh...

Ok...New Business!
Today's recipe is from Emeril Lagasse, off of Foodnetwork.com (LOVE that site!).

Fettucine Alfredo

1 lb dried fettucine
6 T butter
1 shallot, minced (I'll be using plain, ol' onion 1/4 C minced)
1 C heavy cream (oh yeah!)
1 C finely grated parmigiano-reggiano (I will be using an Italian 3-cheese blend--parmesan, romano, asiago--                pre-grated...I got it from the deli)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
fresh parsley, for garnish, optional (I'll be using dry. )

Cook the fettucine in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain in a colander, reserving 1/4 C pasta water.
While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and saute until tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Return the pasta to the pot it was cooked in, set over medium-high heat along with the reserved cooking liquid. Add the butter-cream mixture and half of the parmesan and toss to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with reamining parmesan and garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Ok, as you can tell, this is definitely *not* low-cal. Sorry about those New Year's resolutions. I resolved that this year, I will eat more butter. ROTFLOL (not really...just kidding...though it would be an easy one to keep!)
   Annie says I should now tell you to go look at her blog-- jibenow.com/welcometomyworld   --to see other funny (or not) resolutions.
Alright...must run...
remember:
Keep your wool dry!

The Ewe

Try It Tuesday: Reviews and News

2011-01-11T14:37:00.001-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, are you snowed in? We are! It's beautiful. Yesterday was the perfect "play outside day" because the temps were barely under freezing, but still cold enough to snow. It didn't stop snowing until early this morning. I'd guess we have around 8 inches. The temps today are too cold to allow outside play--9 degrees air temp...under zero wind chill. It's supposed to get down to -1 tonight, with a wind chill of -15. Think we'll be staying in...lol
    Last week's Try It was enough to make me say, "Forget new recipes! Let's stick with the tried and true!" but..then...that would defeat the idea of "Try It Tuesday." Anyway...as you remember (I'm sure--ha!) last week we tried Pork Chops and Brown Rice. (recipe in the earlier post). So, I'll offer you my family's opinions of that dish, plus share with you tonight's Try It. (As usual, we'll Try It tonight...you Try It when you want...if you want.)
    Review of Pork Chops and Brown Rice:

Hannah: "Get me AWAY from that CRAZY STUFF!!! It's DISGUSTING!!! I HATE it! I HATE IT! I HATE IT!!!"   (editor's note: she was having a fit which was totally unrelated to the meal...so, you may want to keep that in mind--LOL...I don't even think she tasted it...but, I pretty much agree with her on it, LOL)

Reid: 7!! of 10!! on chops "The dish, as a whole, I could not rate. The chops were tender and nicely seasoned. The rice was nice, but too strong on thyme and not ready when the chops were. Perhaps a bit of salt would help."

Meg: 5!! out of 10!! without soy sauce...with soy sauce 7!! out of 10!! "The chops were very good. The rice was a bit too thymey. [is that a word?] I've had better, and I've had worse."

Claire: 4.5 !! out of 10!! "The chops weren't exactly as tender as I wanted them, but they had a really good taste."

Adam: 8!! out of 10!! "The meat wasn't as chewy as meatloaf. I liked that the meat wasn't too juicy."

Amy: 3!! out of 10!! "I like the technique of browning the chops, then finishing them in the oven, but I think immersing them in the rice water washes off the crust on the chops, reducing the flavor. The rice was still raw after an hour. Since the chops were ready and we'd already finished our salad, we had the pork along with steamed CA blend veggies. After another hour, the rice was cooked. As for taste, I didn't care for the seasoning blend. The only plus was that the pork was very tender and fairly moist. I used very lean, boneless chops."


Ummm....so...that one isn't making it into the Hall Family Recipe Book. So far, we're 0 for 2. I'm anxious to try out tonight's recipe, Creamed Chicken and Vegetables, in which you just make white sauce and add cheese, chicken and veggies. (How can that be bad??) With it, I return to my Southern roots. Ha! I'm needing a win tonight, so I pulled out the Southern Living Cookbook. :-) So, here's the recipe:

Creamed Chicken and Vegetables

1 (10 oz) package frozen mixed vegetables or frozen peas and carrots
1/4 cup chopped celery (I forgot to get celery, so I'll sprinkle in some celery seeds)
2 t. finely chopped onion
3 T. butter, melted
3 T. all-purpose flour (I'll be using freshly ground whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C whipping cream
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. white pepper
1/4 t. red pepper
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 (2 oz) jar diced pimiento, drained (ummm...I don't have this...so, I'll chop up a small pepperoncini...don't laugh at me)
Garnishes: shredded cheddar cheese, paprika

Cook mixed vegetables and set aside. Saute celery and onion in butter. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Gradually add milk and cream; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add 1/3 c cheese, salt and peppers; stir until cheese melts. Stir in chicken, diced pimiento, and cooked vegetables; cook until heated through. Serve over cornbread or biscuits.

Alright. There it is. I'm thinking a dairyman came up with this recipe, LOL. I will be doubling, as usual. There is currently a debate happening here as to whether we use cornbread or biscuits. I guess maybe we'll do a little of both, and compare. I sure hope this works out. I'm losing heart, LOL.

I'll be back next Tuesday with another Try It...until then,

Y'all Keep Your Wool Dry!

The Ewe

Try It Tuesday: Reviews and News

2011-01-04T11:51:00.000-06:00

Hello F.O.T.E.'s!
I bet you thought I'd forget, didn't you? heh heh heh ....Well, here I am with this week's Try It Tuesday. I'll share the recipe from last week, plus its reviews from The Flock, as well as today's Try It Tuesday recipe. Please join me in trying the recipe--we'll try it tonight, you try it whenever you please this week--and sharing your reviews. I'm trying to be more spontaneous (ha!) this year...or at least more interesting, LOL. Trying new recipes is a fun way to do that, for me, anyway. :-)
Ok...Old Business:

Chili Tots

1 lb ground beef
2 (15 oz) cans chili without beans
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
2 C (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 (32 oz) pkg frozen tater tots

    Cook ground beef until no longer pink; drain. Stir in chili, tomato sauce and chilies. Transfer to a 9X13 pan sprayed with no-stick spray. Sprinkle with cheese and top with tater tots. Cover and bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes.

Review: I doubled this, as I usually do. Last week, only the kids tried the dish, as Reid and I went out that night. So, below are their opinions:

                  Adam (6): 12 ! out of 10 ! (read, "12 yays out of 10 yays")..."I like the tater tots. I like the spices. It's as good as Sonic's." (high praise, no? LOL)

                   Hannah (4): [no yays recorded] "I liked 'em. They tasted like chili...with tater tots. It should be crunchier."

                  Claire (10): [no yays recorded] "I liked 'em because they tasted like chili. It's chunky, like Mama's chili, which I love, but the tater tots were a little on the soft side. Other than that, they were good. I recommend it."

                 Meg (13): 7! out of 10!   "It would have been better with Mama's chili. I thought it was a little too spicy and there was too much liquid. It also needed more cheese, but overall, pretty good."

                 Annie (16): 5! out of 10! "It's ok, but not great. The chili to tot ratio was too high and the tots were too soggy, even after baking at a higher temp without the foil for an extra 20 minutes. I think if the tots had been baked before putting them with the chili and the cheese it would have been better. It doesn't quite stand up to Sonic's, but not too far."

         Ok, so not sure that one is going to make it into our Family Recipe Book. Could try Annie's suggestion or baking it the whole time without the foil. Plus, in the week between when I tried this recipe and now, I have read the book _In Defense of Food_ and decided to try a (modified) return to our family roots and move back toward a whole foods diet. So, with that said...

       This week's Try It:

   Pork Chops and Brown Rice

1 C uncooked brown rice
2 1/2 C boiling water
4 pork chops
1/2 C chopped green bell pepper
1/4 C chopped onion
1/4 t. thyme
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. Worcestershire sauce

Soak rice in boiling water for 30 minutes. Brown pork chops on both sides in skillet; set aside. Add remaining ingredients to skillet. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour rice mixture into greased 9X9 inch baking dish. Arrange pork chops over rice. Bake, covered, at 350* for 1 hour.

    I will be doubling this--the yield is only 4 servings. I will record everyone's comments about the dish, and report them to you next week. Please do try it yourself, if you please, and share your comments, too. (I realize that not all folks eat pork, so if you don't, hang around...I do a *lot* of chicken!)

Ok, I'll see you back here next Tuesday!
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Howdy

2010-12-30T15:34:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season. We have had a really nice time this year. Reid was off work more than usual, so we got to do a little more visiting than we do most years. We're looking forward to kicking off a new year tomorrow night. Planning to make homemade pizzas, mulled cider, popcorn (with special seasonings, thanks to a Christmas gift from a family member!)...then, New Year's Day will bring breakfast casserole (thanks to a recipe from the aforementioned family member! Thanks, J!) and then later in the day pinto beans, turnip greens, cornbread and sweet tea. Yes, I know we're supposed to be having blackeyed peas, but pintos are our favorite legume, lol.
   I'm sure some of you are wondering about my "state of mind" regarding the events of this past year, namely the death, then birth of William. I'm really not feeling the groove of writing about that right now, but suffice it to say that every day brings a pang of memory and loss...and I love him so dearly and miss him so much. This year ended for me on May 14. From then till now, there have been some sweet blessings--moving into our fabulous new house, a second honeymoon that was waaaay better than the first, children's birthdays and special days--but still there has been that everpresent ache.
    So....at the urging of my daughter and others, I will start writing again. If you are curious about Will, please send me a message. I would love to talk to you about him...but, I think I'll write about some other things for a while....
That said....I'm hoping to begin a new weekly Ewe's Gnus feature: Try It Tuesday! (applause, applause) I have realized of late that, though I *love* cooking, my menus had become very boring and repetitive. I also realized I hadn't been trying new recipes routinely for months. Not cool. So, this past Tuesday, I pulled out an untried recipe and unleashed it on the family. I will post the recipe and the review this coming Tues, Jan. 4, Lord willing (and I don't forget, LOL).
   Until then, have a blessed New Year and don't forget to...

Keep your wool dry!

The Ewe

Memorial Service and House Ups and Downs

2010-07-19T22:18:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, Will's service was Sat, July 17. It was a good day--hard, but good. I had dreaded that day for weeks. Not that it would "remind me," because losing Will is a constant heartache--I'll never "forget." But, more that I am tired of crying. I'm tired of admitting to my friends that I'm still not coping. They have been so gracious to me. No one has even hinted at, "You know, Amy, it's time to move on." I have friends whose children have died, and people have said things like that to them. That's unthinkable to me. We would never say to someone whose spouse just died, "Ok, it's time to get over it. You can always marry someone else."
   Anyway, it was a blessing to have our friends and family gathered around, remembering our beautiful son. A friend told me that the service caused her son to ask questions that needed asking...We in the pro-life community need to stay intellectually honest and this was a chance to work that out. We can't grieve only the babies lost to abortion, while considering babies who die naturally "just tissue." That's not logical. That double-mindedness is my soapbox issue.
Anyway....
As for the "house woes..."
We are looking at having to replace the heating/air conditioning unit. This past week it's been 90 degrees on the main level and over 100 in the upstairs bedroom. And that is *after* the hvac guy left, and the ac compressor has not kicked off for over a week. (Dread the electric bill.) Pretty discouraging. For a person with hyperthyroid (like me), heat is the enemy. I can't wait until Winter. I can always add clothes to stay warm, but heat makes me depressed and angry. I know many people have SAD (seasonal affective disorder) in the Winter, but it affects me in the Summer. Weird, eh? I have panic attacks when I get too hot. So, 90 degrees in the air conditioned house won't work for me. So, we'll be tucking back money until next Spring for a new unit.
    On the "Ups"....we've had some pretty awesome peaches, apples and berries. We have some apples in the freezer and the trees have many more.  We have to cut out wormy spots and bad places, but there is still a good many.
   Annie is the Chief Berry Picker, and she made a great blackberry cobbler tonight. The produce is such a blessing, and I feel so blessed to have children who love learning about growing things.   In the cool of the evening, I enjoy walking through the fruit trees and seeing what's ripe...planning for the Fall and Winter...looking forward to next Spring.
    Then, back on the "down" side  has been the 3 jungle showers in the basement. Evidently we need to do some tweaking on the plumbing in our bathroom on the main level. Under the right circumstances, it "rains" potty water into the basement.   We'll be seeing what needs to happen to (hopefully) prevent that in the future. Just part of the territory of owning a home, no? :-)
    Oh, did I mention we have acquired a puppy?? I'll have to leave that for another time...getting late here and The Ewe's tail's drooping. Must shuffle off to bed.
Don't forget,
Y'all keep your wool dry!

The Ewe

Will's Memorial and Settling In

2010-07-14T15:21:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, we are making the final plans for Will's memorial service at our church this weekend. I know it's been 2 months, but his death seems like yesterday. I've heard it said that the service helps bring "closure," but I'm not sure. I don't think I'll feel closure this side of Heaven, when I hold my 4 precious blessings again. That is the Ultimate Closure. On the other hand, I appreciate the "togetherness" of having a service. We are looking at Will's service as a celebration of his life--regardless of the fact it was only 25 weeks long. He blessed me. His memory blesses me daily, even through the pain.
   The day we first saw this house I had a strong feeling this was the place God would help me heal from Charity's death. I had no idea it would also be the place God healed me of Will's death.
The land here teems with life. When we first moved, all the Life seemed to taunt me. Now, it is a comfort. It is a reminder that, regardless of the tragedies we face, the Lord is still in control. Understanding is not necessary.
   I am finding a thousand little comforts here. The hummingbird...the Eastern Bluebird (I think it is...), even a Blue Heron. Wild turkeys...the way the wind whispers through the trees. The silence.
   I'm devouring books about fruit trees, brambles, berries of all sorts...vegetables...animal husbandry. It is all very stimulating and diverting.
   We had some nibbles of apple a few days ago. They're not quite ripe, but delicious. It was a "pinch me moment." We have been married nearly 20 years, and outside of a house we bought that ended up becoming a rental property, we've not really had a home of our own. Too many moves with Reid's jobs.
    With the other house we bought, in less than a year, Reid had accepted a job in a different state. So, we put the house up for sale. A family fell in love with it and wanted to buy it.   The snag was that they couldn't get a loan, due to their credit score. After a lot of prayer, we really felt that that family was the family God wanted in that house. So, with fear and trembling, we agreed to lease it to them for a year while they rebuilt their credit. They had the husband's company cut a check for us each month, directly out of his paycheck. Even though it was a hundred year old house, the family never called us to repair anything. They fixed it and let us know--never asking for money for the work.
That year turned into 4 years before they could get a loan. The auto payments kept coming and the repair calls never did. Many, many times during those years our real estate agent urged us to kick the family out and sell to someone else. Though it would have been a relief to get rid of the house, we never felt right about that. We were convinced that house was for them. So, we waited.
    I remember the day they closed on that home. The wife was having her "pinch me moment." She gushed with gratitude that we waited on them. She thanked us for giving them a chance.
     I'm still having my own, daily pinch-me moments. After 2 decades of "where will we move next?" I am really happy here. I am enjoying making our home.
    I'm thankful to be given the chance.

New Home

2010-07-01T08:05:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I only have time for a quick update this morning. We are trying to wrap up loose ends at the rental house (cleaning, etc) and get unpacked at the new house. Eating the elephant...
I wanted to say that now that our furnishings are in the new house, the sadness is lifting somewhat. I have realized that the problem here was the emptiness.
   Empty maternity clothes....empty house....empty bassinet....empty womb.
The day of the walkthrough, when I stepped into the house, I was again overwhelmed by the emptiness. I thought, "This is empty....just how I feel."
Moving day was last Saturday. There were fleeting times of overwhelming sadness. I had good friends there to hug me, pray with me. Oh, what would I do without those people God put here to be "Jesus in skin?" We're in this together, People!
    Anyway, we are little by little settling in. We had a glorious time last night playing in the yard, walking down the driveway (down and back is a third of a mile), watching the tractors baling our hay. The temperature was pleasant.
   There was a black and orange butterfly frolicking around our lilies.
    It's good to be home.

Moving to My Dream House...

2010-06-24T20:14:00.000-05:00

...so why does this feel like a nightmare?
I'll tell you, I can't seem to stop crying. As soon as we left the real estate office on closing day last week, I burst into tears. I had imagined Will running through those fields with Adam...without that picture, I just wasn't sure I wanted the house. It seemed like an eternity ago that we signed the contract on the property.   Two weeks after signing that paper, Will died.
   I kind of feel like there was some sort of deal God was offering, but, as if in a warped (er?) version of a Monty Python scene (something about deciding if a person was a witch or not), I chose the wrong answer. As if God said, "House or baby?" and I, not hearing the "...or baby?" answered, "YES! House!"...and then, whoooosh...the baby was gone.
How weird is that?
Now, I *know* that isn't the reality of the situation. But still...the Lie Whisperer.
    I know a lot of people have been surprised after asking me, "Are you excited about the new house?!"  when I answer, "Well, I have mixed emotions." I know it's hard to understand. After all, around the first of May, when we signed the contract on the farm, I was ecstatic. But I would gladly live in a rental house the rest of my life if I could have my baby back. The grieving heart doesn't necessarily make sense. I have felt so guilty for not being thrilled to be moving. It is a beautiful farm. It is everything we ever wanted in a home. I know this grief will pass and I will settle in the new place. I just have to allow myself to not feel excited right now. It will come. I'm just not there yet.
     The last few days, I've been packing, packing, packing. I keep coming across mementos of Charity and Will. I was filing papers, and came across some lab bills from last Winter. "Quantitative HCG" "TSH" It all reminded me of finding out I was pregnant and feeling scared, but excited. Then, from March, I found the 18 week sonogram report, "Healthy male." We were so relieved that Will showed no signs of the tragic birth defect that sweet Charity had.
Then, seven weeks later...another sonogram. "Fetal demise."
How in the world can I go on? This feels like childbirth--"I can't do it! I can't do it!" The Voice: "You CAN do it. You ARE doing it."
   One of the men at church said something a couple weeks ago that I keep coming back to. There is a lot of hurt happening in our church right now...so many people discouraged and in pain, heartsick. Mr. R was speaking of Ephesians 6--
"13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."

He pointed out that Paul didn't say, "Do this, then attack!" He said to just *stand.* Mr. R encouraged us who are hurting by saying that it's ok if all we can do now is stand on wobbly legs. Just stand. No need to run, or even walk--just stand.
   I'm thinking there's just enough Monkey Brain Grace to do that. I can stand. Barely. No storming the castle...just standing. Just like when the epidural was wearing off.

   That full armor is heavy.

Today...

2010-06-18T15:10:00.000-05:00

...has been a *good* day. Thank you, Lord, for a Good Day.

Reid took off today to help me get things organized enough to pack up. Yes, I know...it's pretty bad when you've got to organize yourself, just to pack things up. But, that's just where I am right now. And that's ok.
:-)

Thank you, F.O.T.E.'s for coming here and reading my thoughts, offering your kind words and prayers. For this moment in time, I have hope. I have confidence that, indeed, things *are* going to get better. That whole, "hope and a future" thing.

Don't forget:

Y'all keep your wool dry!

The Ewe

Hindsight II

2010-06-16T07:37:00.000-05:00

I called Reid to come start the van. We laughed--it was supposed to be my "time alone," but I had to call him to get bailed out.
I sat in the van, waiting for Reid. I had bought chocolate chip cookies in the health store, so I had a few while I waited. I sat and prayed for Will, still thinking he was just asleep. Every now and then, I would feel a little twitch, and I thought it was a little kick. I guess now, maybe, it was gas.
   After a few minutes, Reid and the kids drove up. He had instructed the children to not acknowledge me, since it was my night off. Ha ha! I waved "hi" to them from the van.
   Reid used the jump box to start the van. He came around, kissed me and told me I needed to go on a short interstate drive to recharge the battery. I thought about telling him I was concerned for the baby, but decided not to. I didn't want him to worry.
    I pulled out onto the interstate and settled in for the drive. On the radio, a preacher came on. He was preaching about Job. The focus of his sermon was, "Though He Slay Me."   This reference is from Job 13:15, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."
     I got a little agitated. That was our verse during Charity's death. I didn't want to hear that. "NO, Will is FINE. I will NOT hear that!!" Tears blurred my vision. I prayed out loud. I ordered Will to move. I changed the radio station.
      I kept telling myself, "Everything's fine. He's just asleep."
     The new station played, "Your Love, Oh, Lord." Another thing I related to baby death.
    "You gotta be kidding me."
The tears turned into sobs upon the line:
                                          "...I will find my strength in the shadow of your wings."

I didn't want to need strength. I wanted Will to be fine.
But, I knew.

Time Warp

2010-06-11T20:36:00.000-05:00

It's so weird. Tonight is the 4th week anniversary of Will dying. I don't know how it's possible that my sweet son has been gone 4 weeks. The pain is so searing, still, it must have been yesterday...but, yet...
Everywhere is a reminder of him. I nearly forget and park in the "Expectant Mothers Only" space at the local grocery store. I remember the lady at the park sneering, saying, "If you're THAT big already...you've got to be having twins." Just a few days later, Will stopped kicking. Not even close to twins.
   At the restaurant Reid and I frequent on date night, it had to just be last week that I barely fit in the booth. But, it wasn't. I remember so vividly saying, "A few more weeks and I won't fit here!" The truth was, a few more weeks and fitting was no problem.
    I need to buy some clothes. I had bought new maternity clothes this time. I finally found some I liked. Now, the billowing shirts just remind me of how empty I feel inside.
    I know this will improve. Just gotta break out of the time warp...

Tonight

2010-06-09T22:39:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling peaceful. I miss my son. My heart is bruised. But...there's Peace.
The "minute by minute, eating the Monkey Brain bite by bite" approach is working.
Got the sweetest encouragement today via email.
I'm remembering to "hoe the row in front of me."

Gotta take The Troops to the dentist tomorrow. One day at a time...

Getting the Big Three ready for camp. Little by little...

It's all going to be ok...

Thanks for your prayers.

And,

Don't forget to keep your wool dry.

:-)

My Answer

2010-06-08T08:43:00.000-05:00

I just woke up with my 3 word answer.
I had gone to sleep with my 1 word question:
"How?"

How will I continue life? How will I pick up the pieces? How will I be the mother I need and want to be to the 5 beautiful, precious children I have the privilege of holding in my arms here on Earth? How will I minister to the dear husband the Lord has put me with? How will I get a meal together each day? How will I get The Troops to the dentist? How will I get the van to the shop for an oil change? How will I pack up this house? How will I unpack at the new house? How will I learn to tend a farm (albeit a small one)? How will I tighten the budget to do my part in getting this great little farm paid off? How will I organize life? How? How? HOW? HoW? hOw?        how?

The 3 word answer I just woke up with?

Monkey Brain Grace

M.B.G. is a Hallism that came about after I read the book _The Hiding Place_ by Corrie Ten Boom. In it, she tells of asking her father how to cope with bad things (I believe that is the context...it's been years since I read the book). Her dad asks her, "When we are taking a train trip, when do I give you your ticket?" She answers, "When I'm about to step onto the train." He explains that she doesn't need the ticket before then.
    Reading that passage those years ago brought to mind a conversation I was part of when Annie was a toddler.
    A friend was explaining to me why she insisted her child try a bite of every new food that came his way. Her reasoning was that God might call him to be a missionary one day (he was 6 months old at the time), and he would need to be able to stomach weird foods.
   Well, that bothered me some. Having had some struggle with eating disorders, I was (still am) uncomfortable with turning food into a battleground. The difficulty was *not* with my friend's approach to her own child, it was the question of *my* parenting. Was I handicapping my child by not forcing certain foods upon her? What if God called *her* to the mission field? It was a question I continued to ponder for many, many years.
   When I read _The Hiding Place_, my fear about that was put to rest. If God called her to eat monkey brains, He would give her--AT THAT TIME--the grace to do it.

    Monkey Brain Grace.

   I realized this morning that God is not going to give me the grace to deal with all these swirling needs and potential problems...until the moment I need that grace.
   I don't have to worry about all these things. I need to do "the *next* right thing." These days, the need for grace comes moment to moment--not day to day. I need the grace to make my bed. The grace to fix breakfast. I can't worry about tomorrow or even this afternoon. The grace will come minute by minute.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (New International Version)

"9But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me"

I have never been weaker, but...

I will eat the Monkey Brain, one bite at a time, by His grace.

Still Here

2010-06-07T22:45:00.000-05:00

Hi, Friends
I tried to post this morning, but Blogger was acting up...and I didn't get another chance today.
I am hoping to soon (tomorrow?) continue with the next part of Hindsight. I may post a few pictures soon. I have a lot to get written down.
Complicating matters is my extreme case of "brain fog." I am having a terrible time concentrating. I have always been a good typist, but now, I'm making so many mistakes, and keep having to go back and do a lot of correcting. Everyday tasks are difficult to accomplish. It is a worrisome affliction, but I seem to remember having some of this after Charity died. I don't believe it was this bad, though. ??
   It seems like I'm having a lot of "worse days" lately again. I guess I expected a gradual, consistent upswing, rather than the up and down of the first few days after Will's death. I'm thinking this must be normal. ??
Anyway, I wanted you to know that I haven't stopped writing...I've had a lot going on the last couple days, and I've just not been able to. Thank you for your continued interest in our story.
   You all bless me.

Nathaniel

2010-06-04T07:45:00.000-05:00

I am grieving alongside my friend, J, who delivered a stillborn son last night... two weeks after our boy, Will was stillborn.
I have called it, "A Painful Sisterhood." After Charity died, I was stunned to learn of all the ladies--friends of mine--who had lost children. Some losses had been decades earlier, but the pain was still there in those mama's eyes. We never forget.
When people ask, "How many children do you have?" I never quite know what to say. In my heart, I have 9. I have delivered 7 who were old enough to hold. I've had the joy of raising 5. So, how do I answer that question? I usually say "Five," because I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I don't know. I may change that. I may start revealing and rejoicing in all my babies, "Nine."
   People have replied, even when I say 5, "Wow! You must have your hands full!"

"Nah. Sometimes they feel strangely empty."

   I don't know what God's plan is. I do know that there is a vast, wide membership in this "Painful Sisterhood." There are even more of us who have never lost a child, but have yearned for one and couldn't (for whatever reason) have one.
   I also count in that membership those who have walked alongside families who have lost children. The pain in watching someone else hurt and grieve is also intense.

   Today, I'm grieving with the M Family. Today I'm missing Nathaniel.

Maybe he and Will and Charity and our 2 Precious Surprises are getting to know each other. :-)

One day, there will be a glorious Family Reunion. The thought brings a smile to my face.

Helping Families Who Have Lost

2010-06-03T10:45:00.001-05:00

I wrote this days ago. I posted it briefly, then got to thinking...then removed it back to "drafts." I was afraid that it would sound self-serving. Well, events of the last few days have caused me to reconsider having removed it. Let me explain...
   Yesterday, I learned that a sweet friend lost her baby. J was 18 weeks along and found, via routine ultrasound, her baby has died. She is, today, in the hospital being induced.
I also learned yesterday that a mother for whom I'd been praying, died. (This prayer request came from our church's email loop.) She leaves 4 children and a husband. Such grief.
   I have learned since Will's death, of 2 additional families who lost babies about the same time as we did.
So. Much. Pain.
   So, if you find yourself thinking that the following post could be an attempt to garner anything for myself, please know that that is *not* the reason I am posting. I am posting this because I hope it can help us all help each other. I had no idea that any of this could be useful so soon...

I hesitate to post this, as each family is so unique, and different things help different families...but...I feel the Lord has provided us this opportunity to explore grief and infant loss, for a reason. I am writing this to help myself remember (in order to help others in the future) as much as to share with you dear friends.
Do:
        Call, if you want. Most of us have caller i.d. these days. If a grieving family is not up for a chat when you call, they may not answer, or may ask to call you back later. Just understand, we have good moments and bad moments. Or, perhaps better stated, at least in the first days, we have bad moments and worse moments.

Don't:
       Feel badly if you just can't bring yourself to call. Most of us understand that it is awkward to approach grieving families--no one has magic words to make it all better. Try sending a letter, card or flowers. You can do this quickly--as soon as the loss happens, or later, when other support may have waned. A benefit to acting quickly is that in the first few days, the family probably feels like there is no way out of the darkness. Any encouragement you can send quickly, can help them feel supported. Maybe the best thing to do would be to make contact early, via flowers or a card or phone call, then later, visit or call to give them a chance to talk. Sometimes, in the early days after a loss, all we can do is cry. If you can stand it, call early and let them cry. If it's true, just say, "I don't know what to say, but I'm so sorry." A sweet friend called me the day after Will died and said just that. Your willingness to put yourself into that awkward situation, just to show you care, can really mean a lot.

Do:
    Ask about their baby. We mamas and papas and sisters and brothers *love* to talk about our babies.

Don't:
     Feel badly if they do not want to talk about the baby *at that moment.* You did *not* "remind" them of their loss. I promise you, the grief is ever present, especially in the first few days. You can't "remind" them of it, because they probably can think of nothing else. Don't take it personally if they can't talk right then. Just say, "If you ever want to talk about him(her), I would love to hear all about him." Most of us eventually want to share every little detail about the child we lost. I know for me, I'm just now beginning to be able to share much about Charity. Something about losing Will has just loosened my tongue regarding my babies in Heaven.

Do:
     Ask to see pictures, if there are any available. What parent doesn't love to show pictures of their baby?   :-)   Be aware, you may not see images of a cherubic, plump, pink, soft little newborn. In our case, Charity *was* that baby; Will was not. The condition of the baby's body depends a lot on the circumstances surrounding his death.   Understand that, to the family, that baby is beautiful! If you are curious about the baby's condition, ask respectfully.

Don't:
     Feel badly if you just can't bring yourself to view the pictures. We grieving parents, of all people, know how upsetting the whole thing is. Try to find other ways to encourage the family.

Do:
    Offer to bring a meal, if you are able. After a loss like this, the family may feel so lost, it's hard to organize themselves enough to pull a meal together. Not to mention, Mom has just delivered a baby, and needs rest. Regardless of whether she suffered a miscarriage or a still birth or newborn loss, she must tend to her body. Mama needs the best of care in these days. Beef is very helpful in replenishing Mama's iron stores. Leafy greens and other vegetables and fruit are also important. Still, if your budget only allows for a pot of beans and pan of cornbread, they will appreciate it. Ask if the family would like you to stay for a short visit, or if it is a bad time. Personally, after losing Will, I am craving company and phone calls.   Also, I love having other families' children around. For some moms who have lost, it is too painful a reminder. You can ask ahead of time, "Would you enjoy having the children come, too, or would that be too much?"

Don't:
    Feel badly if you cannot provide a meal, due to finances or other reasons. There are many, many ways to encourage and support the family. Perhaps you could just make a pan of brownies or a loaf of bread? Even slice and bake cookies will be appreciated. If you can't afford flowers, send a note. Work with what the Lord has provided you. He knows what you need in order to support the family. Pray and ask Him what you can do.

Do:
   Avoid well-intentioned cliches, which may actually be hurtful. Saying, "It was for the best," is never a good idea. Perhaps the baby had severe defects that caused his death. Most of us would have gladly dealt with a special needs child, rather than losing the baby altogether. Don't say, "You can have another." You don't know that. Will is our 4th loss since our last live birth. Only the Lord knows if He will again bless us with a child we get to raise. Besides, you can never, never replace one child with another. We love them *each* and we want every one of them. If a spouse dies, we generally know better than to say, "You can marry someone else." Just allow the family to grieve that one, precious child, without any predictions about the future.

Don't:
   Beat yourself up if you have said one of those things. Most of us know how awkward it is for people to know what to say. Just keep loving the family, and try other ways to show your concern.

Well, I know this is long, but incomplete. I don't know if it will help anyone in helping someone else, but I wanted to get my thoughts down as a future reminder to ME. :-) If you have further thoughts, please leave them in the comments.
   You dear friends and family have been champions at loving our family during this awful time. It is from *you* I got these ideas for helping. May God bless you all.

Hindsight

2010-06-01T13:38:00.000-05:00

Friday, May 14 started like any other day around here. Reid got up around 4 a.m...I followed about an hour later. We each had a time reading the Bible; then we talked a while before he left for work.
I ate breakfast, then sat down to read my email.
Will was kicking and squirming, and I remember sitting here, thinking, "Wow. I can hardly believe it! Here I am, sitting here, feeling a baby kick! And 25 weeks tomorrow! I am *so* blessed."
I am thankful that moment made such an impression on me, that I remembered it.
After prowling the WWWeb for a bit, I got up and began the day...fixing breakfast for Adam and Hannah...starting laundry, cleaning a little here and there.
   Outside, our neighborhood was cranking up for the annual "Yard Sale Weekend." Many neighbors were set up in their driveways, peddling their goods. Soon, they had to pull things into garages, because it started to rain.
   I started to get very agitated. Every noise (and believe me, in *this* house, we *have* noise!) startled me. I was irritated with the children, though they weren't really doing anything wrong. I felt like my skin was crawling and all I wanted to do was run away.
   Reid texted me to see how my day was going. I told him the truth. He tried to help me figure out what was bothering me, but there really wasn't anything we could come up with.
   He volunteered to take the kids when he got home from work, so I could go out by myself--a night off.
    With that encouraging plan, I hustled around the house, working on chores, correcting children, cleaning, cooking...
   Reid got home and I took off on my "Night Out." Right before I left, we retrieved the mail. There was an aggravating letter from the state Dept. of Revenue, saying we had missed something on our taxes. I told Reid I would plan to fret about that another day, as I was off duty. :-)
   I went to the library to return some items.
Then, I stopped for supper. I ate a cheeseburger, and sat back, waiting for Will to start his post-prandial martial arts.
   After a few minutes, I noticed that he wasn't behaving like usual. Fear began to rise up in me, but I kept telling myself not to panic. I had had those scary moments sometime during every pregancy. Still, Will wasn't moving.
   So, I began to my next destination, the health food store to pick up some more vitamins. I started talking to the baby,
"WILL!!! MOVE!!"   "C'mon, Baby! Kick!" He didn't.
   I still was figuring that he was just asleep.
   I went into the health food store, praying silently that Will was ok. It was hard not to cry as I walked through the aisles, completely distracted by the sinking feeling in my gut.
   I went to the bathroom, and thought I felt a tiny kick while I was in the stall. That helped me feel a little better, but it wasn't the nice, strong movement I knew Will was capable of.
   Finally, I gathered all my supplements and went to check out.
The bill was high--$87.00 A chilling thought flitted through my mind as I swiped our health savings account debit card: "This is a waste. The baby's dead." I wondered "who" was whispering that? Satan or the Holy Spirit? (I'm guessing the devil, now, as I know the vitamins are still important for *my* health, even though Will is gone.)
   I finished paying and went out to the van.

It was dead.

First Day Back

2010-05-30T18:30:00.000-05:00

Today was our first day back at our church after losing Will.
So many arms...
So many hugs...
So many shoulders...
So many tears.

Shared burdens.

We are so blessed.

Mercies V

2010-05-29T11:50:00.000-05:00

The heat blasted me as we walked out of Kathy's house on the way to Will's funeral, Saturday, May 22. I had not really been outside much that whole week. When we left Kansas City on Tuesday, it was around 50 degrees. Will's Funeral Day, though, the air felt to be about 90.
   That morning, I felt like I was in a dream. A flashback to 2006...sitting in Kathy's living room...waiting to leave for my child's funeral.
    Hannah was not cooperating at all. So different from the last time--she was only a couple days old when we had her twin, Charity's, funeral. This day, on Will's day, Hannah did not want to get dressed. She hid herself in the blankets on the bed where Reid and I had been sleeping. I set out 3 dresses and told her that if she didn't put one on, we'd take her to the funeral in a blanket. I wasn't kidding.
    When it came time to go, Hannah had composed herself and was dressed. I was really glad to not have to take a child to her baby brother's funeral....wearing a blanket. :-)
     When we arrived at the funeral home, our friends from KY were already there. Such a comfort to see them and cry on their shoulders. Our doula/midwife assistant arrived a bit later. We hugged. Tears came again. She had been there when Charity died, too. Oma, Opa, Kathy, David...all of us quietly filed into the chapel.
      Kathy had compiled a slideshow that we displayed on the little table where Will's small green heart-shaped box sat. A collection of mementos--the baby afghan Annie made for him, other photos from the hospital--shared the table with Will's remains.
    After a while, we all sat. Reid had passed out slips of paper with Scripture references written down. We began to read them in order, one person at a time. I did not take a slip. I knew I couldn't read.
   Annie and Meg had each contributed passages that had been a comfort to them since Will died. It was such a blessing to me to hear all the different voices reading God's Word.    Deep voices, quiet voices, young voices, Grandma voices, Grandpa voices...strong voices, weak voices...I felt a sense of, "We're in this together."
   Obviously, the loss was more personal and intense to our family, but to know that others shared that sense of loss--that others hurt with and for us--made the day survivable.
   There were many others who wanted to be there. I got a series of text messages from my brother that day, saying I was on his mind...he was thinking of me. I appreciated those notes.
    Friends from around the country...family from around the world...had sent encouragements our way....said prayers...wept for us.
   It was a day to gather and remember.
It was Will's Day.

Mercies IV

2010-05-28T06:52:00.000-05:00

I woke up on Friday, May 21 with a stranger in the bed.
He looked like a prize fighter. Lips swollen and eyes merely slits. He had an angry, red rash on his hand and arm. His bald head was covered with red dots.
It was Reid.
His face was swollen to the point that he could not get his glasses on.
Since Wednesday morning, we had noticed that he'd had an itchy spot on his eyelid. Gradually, that spot spread to the point that we knew Reid had to find medical care.
   We had an appointment that afternoon to meet with the funeral director to plan Will's service. We hoped Reid could get back quickly enough to make that appointment.
   At first, Opa took Reid to a clinic to see if they could help. His rash was too severe for them to care for, so they sent him to the e.r. at the nearby hospital.
   There, Reid was given steroid shots and an ice bag for his itchy hand. They threw other treatments at him, trying to get the swelling down.
   Reid called the funeral director to explain that we would need to come later, as Reid had not yet been released from the e.r.
   Finally, around 4:00, after about 6 hours in the e.r., Reid and his dad arrived back at Kathy's house. I was glad to see that the treatments were working, and Reid's puffiness had gone down some. He was still definitely not back to normal, but I was beginning to recognize him again. He and I had "his and her" hospital bracelets. :-)
   We arrived at the funeral home around 4:30. We met Damon, the director. He was youngish--I guess about our age. (That's young, right? ;-) He showed such compassion and care. Listened to our requests for the service. Listened to us tell first about Charity, then about Will.
   Something that really ministered to me was the fact that he never called Will "the baby" or "the body." Damon always referred to our son as "Will." I had never thought about how important that was. It was very honoring.
   During a quiet moment, Reid pointed to a picture on Damon's desk. "Is that your daughter?" he asked.
Damon answered, "Yes. We adopted her from Guatemala." "She's precious," we said. "Thank you." You could see the love he had for her.   I was very touched. "He gets it," I thought.
We set up the service for 2:00 the next day--Sat., May 22. It was the day we were supposed to be taking a trip to Silver Dollar City to celebrate our Claire's 10th birthday. She had plotted and planned, anticipated and dreamed of that day.
The Lord had other plans.

Mercies III

2010-05-27T06:51:00.000-05:00

All too soon, we had to relinquish Will's tiny body to the nurse. This was not the decision of the hospital staff--they didn't rush him off--but it was obvious that we had to let his body go.
The moment the nurse left the room with Will, tears burst forth again.
   We sat quietly for a few minutes.
After a bit, Oma and Opa took the children back to Kathy's. Reid, Kathy and I sat and talked. Cried.
Sometime in there, the doctor came in to talk about discharge. She stated that I was welcome to stay as long as I wanted, but also I was free to go. "We're not going to keep you here if you want to go," she said. I told her, "*You're* not keeping me here--my numb legs are!" :-)
   Indeed, it took 6 hours for the anesthesia to wear off. After that, my legs were still rather like Bambi's. Reid joked, "Hello, Young Prince!" ha ha
   Once I could toddle around some, I changed clothes and put on my shoes. We   gathered our things and signed papers.
   Our nurse, Hannah :-), brought a wheelchair for me.
   Kathy had left to get the car to meet us at the front of the hospital.
   The hospital corridors seemed like a huge labryinth. I remember thinking, "I'm glad *I'm* not wheeling me out of here!" Finally, we rolled into the lobby/waiting room area of the hospital. There were people from wall to wall. It was loud--t.v.'s blaring, children crying and laughing...people talking, cell phones ringing.
I thought, "Don't you all know my baby just died?" Then, I realized, "Some of these people are going through hard times, too." There is plenty of hurt and pain to go around. We need each other. We must "bear one another's burdens."
   The pick-up area at the front of the building was abuzz with activity. One lady in a wheelchair--looked to be about my age or a bit younger--looked so gaunt and weak. Her pale eyes slowly scanned the crush of cars, looking for her ride. A nurse stood behind her, chatting a bit. I said a quick prayer for the lady.
   Kathy pulled up and I wondered how I was going to heave myself from the wheelchair into her car. Of course, Reid and the nurse helped, and I did make it in. An odd feeling settled in and I wished there was a little car seat strapped in beside me. That was the first time I ever left a hospital without a baby.
    We drove through Nashville. Kathy was pointing out areas that had been under water during the flood. (Nashville had flooded a couple weeks or so before then.) Again, I thought, "There is plenty of hurt to go around." I know some people died in the flood. Some lost everything. Many, many lost much.
     When we arrived at Kathy's house, I changed into a nightgown and settled into bed. Reid went to Krispy Kreme to procure the traditional Hall Family Birth Celebration Doughnuts. The kids had asked before if we were going to get KK's. I said, "Of course. That's what Halls do. We still have a life to celebrate."
      My chocolate glazed was sticky and sweet.
Sweet like life.

Mercies II

2010-05-26T06:50:00.000-05:00

Around 6:30 a.m., Thursday, May 20, I woke up in the hospital bed at Vanderbilt University. The epidural had allowed me to sleep during the night (albeit, brokenly). I realized upon waking, that I was feeling an odd new sensation. I suspected Will was about to be born.
Kathy looked and didn't see anything at first. She asked the doc to come in. Before the doctor came in, I *knew*...Will was coming...right *then*. The doctor barely swooped into the room in time to gently help him out. We wanted to be very careful with his body, as it was becoming very fragile. It had been nearly a week since he died.
As I lay there, it seemed like 4 or 5 hours (it was really just a couple minutes) until I was able to see my son. My eyes roamed from Reid's face to Annie's, trying to glean any information about my boy.
    The doctor (nurse?) carefully wrapped his body in a blanket and placed a tiny hat on his head. Someone handed Will to Reid, and then Reid held the baby so I could see him. After a few moments, he handed Will to me.
How the tears flowed.
I had told one of the children the night before, "Right now, we're only going to deal with the physical. I can't handle dealing with both physical and emotional at the same time." I was referring to coping with labor and delivery.
   There, on Thursday morning, holding my precious stillborn son, it was time to deal with the emotional. I stared into Reid's eyes, silently asking that question that just keeps coming up through all this: "How do we go on?"
   I turned to Annie. How I wished I could soften the blow for her and all the children. What a tremendous loss. Soon, I handed Will to his eldest sister. Annie carefully held her baby brother and cried.
    We had contacted a non-profit organization, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, to come and take pictures of those moments. The photographer began to take pictures of those tender times.
     The other children were at Kathy's house with Oma and Opa. We had contacted them when I woke up and realized that Will was about to be born. They began to make their way to the hospital. (Later, I learned that our Hannah-girl was sleep deprived and a bit of a bear to get clothed, out to the van, into her seat and into the hospital. Once she got to our room, though, she was fine.)
    Sometime during the first few minutes after he was born, the nurse weighed and measured Will. He was 1lb 15 oz (big for a 25 weeker!) and 14 inches. He had my nose and Reid's hands and feet. "Every inch a Hall!" :-)
     Kathy and the nurse wrapped Will's body in several blankets, to help stablize him so we could all hold him and pass him more gently from person to person.
     I'm sure there was a lot going on at Vanderbilt University that day, but in L&D Room 5, all outside noise and activity faded away while we soaked in every minute we would have with our boy.
    I had been a little concerned about Adam and Hannah's reaction to Will's body. Obviously, he looked different from a healthy, full term newborn. His skin was dark and his baby skin was beginning to peel a bit.
    I shouldn't have worried.
Hannah and Adam both just accepted their baby brother. They held him and loved them, smiling into his little still face. So precious.
    Adam did ask, "Where is his face?" :-)  Will's face was wrinkled up some, so I had to show Adam where Will's little eyes were. In a baby that young, even born alive, their eyes are generally fused shut.
    All the children held their baby brother. Oma and Opa had turns with Will. The photographer took shots of us all just savoring the moment.

Mercies

2010-05-24T12:11:00.000-05:00

We left KC last Tues, en route to TN. It was an uneventful 12 hour trip. The ride gave me a lot of time to think/pray/meditate. We got to Kathy's around bedtime that night. Tucked the kids in (most of them, anyway) and sat down for a chat with K. After exploring options and feelings/leanings, we decided we would go to Vanderbilt University to induce. I've never used pain meds in labor, but this time, I knew I wanted some. With so much emotional pain, I just could not cope with the thought of a very intense labor.
Wed, May 19 we arrived with Kathy at the hospital. I've had some unpleasant hospital experiences, so I was a bit anxious about going in, but I knew it was the right thing this time. Kathy said she'd worked w/ them at Vandy before, and never had a bad experience.
   From the moment we arrived at labor and delivery, it was obvious that the Lord had gone before us. *Everyone* treated us with such respect. No one pressured us about anything. They accomodated our children's visits (even though we exceeded their visitor limit).
   I was so wanting to get the "show on the road" and get my baby born and into my arms, even if just for a short time. It seemed like the paper work would never get done for us to start the induction.
Finally, around 4:30 p.m., the medication was placed and contractions began. They had offered to place an epidural before they began the induction, but I was comfortable at that point and didn't mind waiting for the anesthesia.
   The anesthesiologist came in just after we started the meds and she very patiently answered my many (many!) questions. She was a calming influence and carefully explored my medical history to be sure we proceeded safely.
    Just before time for the second dose of induction meds, she placed the epidural. I noticed right away that not much happened. Once the inductions meds kicked in (this was a dose twice the size as the first) I knew we had to revamp something. Severe, severe pain.
We called back in the anesthesiologist staff. The first doctor (who had kindly stayed 2 hours past the end of her shift, just to be with me) had gone home, but her boss and another cohort were there. They took 2 more swings at placing the epidural and the 3rd try work immediately. I needed help getting my legs back up on the bed after it was placed. Ah, yes. Relief. That was around 1:30 a.m., Thur, I believe. Shortly afterward, the 3rd dose of induction meds were placed.
   I went to sleep.

Hope

2010-05-18T06:46:00.000-05:00

The peace that the Lord grants does not announce itself. In the depths of despair, you can't feel it coming. In times like those, you have to remind yourself that the Truth isn't what it seems. The truth is, God cares. The truth is, God has a plan. The truth is, God will carry you through. While our heart is screaming, "IT'S NOT FAIR!!!!!!! WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!? ARE YOU PUNISHING ME?!?" somewhere in our head, our will? through sheer determination, we say, "This is under control. God is on the job. It's going to be ok. Good will come of this..." Little by little, our head and our heart get together and the feelings catch up with the knowledge.
    In many ways, the cloud of confusion is beginning to lift and I'm beginning to be able to see that, indeed, God is bringing us through.
   Yesterday, I talked with a lady who is the director of a perinatal hospice in Kansas City. I had talked with her before, when I was pregnant with the twins. When she answered, I told her, "I never expected to be calling you up again." She told me it actually wasn't that uncommon for a family to go through this kind of thing more than once. Oddly, that comforted me some. She also told me that with the first loss, families tend to lean on God and are able to trust Him and know He's got a plan. With the second, however, the families tend to be angry. I can say, that is how it has been for me. With Charity, there was always an underlying sweetness and peace. This time, I got angry. May as well be honest about it. It's not as if I fooled God. I imagine that the anger will cycle through a few times, but, right this moment, I can feel God's peace begin to settle in around me, and I can feel Him again.
    His body, the Church, is a beautiful thing. We have been so blessed by our brothers and sisters in Christ. Notes, calls, flowers, dinner...on and on. And especially the prayers. I know it's hard when you feel like you can do nothing for someone who's hurting, but never underestimate the value of praying. It really means a lot. And it works.
     We are heading out to our midwife's house today. I am praying labor goes smoothly and quickly. That would be a first for me. :-) When Charity died, the police officer who conducted the "investigation" (they have to do that any time a baby dies) asked if she was our first. "No, 6th." The officer said, "Wow, you must have really easy labors!" I looked at our midwife and we both chuckled. Not hardly. Skin of the teeth type labors is more like it. But God is good.
    You praying types, keep us in prayer in these next days. We have to get through labor, then plan a memorial...get through that. Then make it back home to lick our wounds.
    'Til next time.
The Ewe

Raw

2010-05-17T07:42:00.000-05:00

Our baby died Friday, May 14, 2010. He has not yet been delivered. So at this moment, my womb is also a tomb. Such an odd feeling.
When Charity died, our pain was somewhat dulled by the joy of having Hannah in our arms. Such a comfort God provided in her! Of course, the pain of losing Charity was searing, but still...there was peace and comfort. God's presence was so very *there*. I felt Him. I smelled Him! Can you believe that? A few times, the smell of roses just permeated the room I was in--with no flowers anywhere. He was there, and I knew it.
Losing Will has been pure agony. Where is God?? Where is His peace?? I know He's good. I know He's in control, and I know that He is no sadist. But yet...where is that comfort? I do smell flowers--our beloved church family had beautiful flowers on our doorstep within hours of the news. But where is the supernatural flower garden??
   I don't know what God is up to. I think He may be overestimating my abilities to withstand such grief. Do you know (some of you do) what it is like to have to drive home from the hospital, and tell your children their long-desired sibling is dead. Dead. Don't we have such euphemisms for that word?? "Passed." "With Jesus." "Gone." With Charity it was, "not compatible with life." C'mon. DEAD. That's the word. Oh, how I hate it. Pastor Jeff preached about Jesus raising Lazarus a few weeks ago. He was saying that part of what was going on when "Jesus wept" was that He was deeply disturbed by Death. It was not right. It was not the way things should be. So...He fixed it. "LAZARUS, COME FORTH!!!" And he did.
   In those desperate moments while the nurse was holding the ultrasound wand to my belly, I knew the baby was dead. I was praying for the nurse's smile and sigh of relief: "There he is! Heart beating strong." What did I get? Silence. Neverending silence. I didn't dare look at the screen. I couldn't bear to see my precious son lying there motionless. I knew. I didn't need a t.v. to show me.
   In times like those, we grasp at straws...attempt a bargain with God. "God, wouldn't it glorify You more if You brought him back to life?!? Please, God!! Please!! I beg You! I'll do anything!!"
    But, little by little, the realization that it is not a bad dream sets in.  Layer by layer, you realize, "He's not coming back. God really *is* requiring this of me."
   And then, the horror of telling your children. What an awful task. To watch your children suffer and know that you can do nothing for them. Yes, hold them, love them, talk and cry with them...but we can't fix it.
One of the kids asked, through tears, "How will I go on?"  All I could answer was, "I don't know. But we will. Together. By God's grace."
   I have thought a lot about how to answer the question, "How are you doing?" I can describe it right now as swinging between extreme sadness and utter despair. I know, though, that little by little, the days will get better. The stabs in my heart will come less frequently. I know this. I've been here before.
The foundational Truth in all this? The one I do not understand, yet know it is true?

GOD IS GOOD

Big Gnus from the Ewe

2010-03-08T08:41:00.003-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, it's only been 5 months since a post, but I thought I'd not make you wait any longer. :-)
The Big Gnus around here is that we're expecting another Lamb around the end of August. Honestly, I had thought that baby-having days were over for me, but I guess I was wrong. When you get to be of "advanced maternal age" (which is the doc's fancy term for me--an old mama, haha), you don't take fertility for granted. After losing 3 babies--our dear Charity right after birth, then 2 miscarriages--I had about accepted that our "team" was complete. I am 15 weeks along now, and so far, so good. What a blessing. A curious thing about the pregnancy, too, is that my morning sickness is the mildest it's been since Baby #1. That worried me for weeks, but we've now seen the baby on sonogram, and heard him/her with the Doppler, so I'm beginning to relax about not being so sick, and just enjoy the fact!
In other Gnus, Lioness, Lovable and Musical have all finished Bible Quizzing for the year. I'm so proud of the vast amount of Scripture they've memorized--whole chapters, even! I do well to remember John 3:16, lol. Some of the senior quizzers memorize whole books of the Bible. Amazing.
We have been enjoying some *beautiful* days lately! Ah, Spring is coming! I wouldn't be surprised to see another snow before it's all done with, but these 60 degree days have been glorious. The Lambs have gotten to play out without their Himalaya gear, lol.
Well, I need to scoot...I just had a cup of coffee, and I need to get moving before it wears off. Ha ha!
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Mama, I have winkles!" --Hannah, while investigating the bottom of her foot

Surprise!

2009-09-02T14:52:00.003-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, I don't mean to cause anyone to have an infarction, but here's another update on The Flock.
Let's see...to catch you up...Hmmm....well, we have left The South and are getting settled back into The Big City in the Midwest. Oh, ok...it's Kansas City. There, I said it. It's not as if anyone is really expecting me to ever post again anyway, so I could probably list my Social Security number and bank account number here and be perfectly safe. But, I think our hometown is probably enough info. :-)
So, yeah. We're back in KC. We have an awesome church here ( www.hopefamilyfellowship.org ) and just felt like this is "Home." We are planning on buying a house next year, Lord willing. (!!) Home ownership is a somewhat scary concept to me, but I'm anxious to give it a whirl. After 20 years, I'd say it's about time to settle down. (LOL) (by the time we buy a house next year, The Ram and I will have been married 20 years! How time flies...)
We and the Lambies are all excited to be reconnecting with our dear friends here, although we do miss being closer to family. We really don't mind the drive, though, so we expect to visit often.
Lioness' garden actually made the move with us. She had planted veggies and herbs in containers, so it was pretty easy to move them. She had a pretty good year of learning about gardening, and we're expecting even better results next year.
Lovable will be turning 12 in a few weeks! I can hardly believe it. Wow. She is a great helper and does a good job with Lil Miss H, who can be a handful. This is Lovable's first year doing Bible Quiz. She memorizes pretty well and is diligent in studying.
Musical is also Quizzing this year, as a junior quizzer. So far she "LOVES" quizzing! She had such a good time at her first practice last week. I suspect there may be the tiniest bit of competitiveness in her. ;-) That girl has a limitless supply of energy and really keeps me on my toes!
Tater is the sweetest little guy. We were walking into Target yesterday and he grabbed my hand. He gazed up at me and said, "Mommy, I'm not holding your hand because we're in a parking lot, I'm just holding your hand because I love you so much!" He is all boy, too, and is delighted to have just purchased a huge glass "diamond" from Hobby Lobby to go into his "Spy Gear." (He likes to perch the diamond on a pillow and wait for the Bad Guy to try to steal it.)
Lil Miss H is 2 now...will be 3 in a couple months. We joke sometimes that she is like the "Little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead." She's generally a fun, bubbly sweetie, but when she gets over-tired...Wow. She can shatter glass with her scream. We're staying in an apartment temporarily (until our rental home is ready for us) and I'm sure our neighbors will be glad to have some peace and quiet. lol
I have just had oral surgery to remove a cracked molar. I was very concerned about the anesthesia, as I had a bad reaction in the past. This time, though, it came off without a hitch, and my jaw, though still sore, is healing well.
The Ram, bless him, is again braving the KC traffic to get to work each day. I pray every morning that he will be safe. It really is a jungle out there! I think he's settling back in pretty well, though, and the girls and I will be able to pamper him from the kitchen again soon. (The apartment kitchen is pretty sparse.)
Well, I hear Lil Miss H washing her hands in the bathroom...This will never end until someone comes and informs her that she's washed them long enough, so I must go now. Keep an eye out--you never know when another post from The Ewe might show up!
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Skoolie News

2009-05-12T12:24:00.002-05:00

Hello, Friends of the Ewe,
Well, we've had a lot of rain here...and the occasional tornado warning. Those warnings send us into the "Tornado Closet," which used to be The Ram's and my clothes closet. Our clothes are still in there, but the room also houses bottled water, extra diapers, canned soup, etc. We tidy in there every time we have a warning.
Some of you may have read of our new venture: the r.b. (recreational bus). Indeed, the Man Trip to retrieve it ended May 3rd. It was supposed to end May 2nd, but, well...you know how that goes. On the 2nd, the Lambs and I drove up to IL to meet the conquering heroes, GrandRam, Ram and Tater Tot. The girls wanted to ride with The Men in Moby (r.b.) from IL down here to AL, as kind of a "get to know you" cruise, lol.
Anyway, we stopped to fuel near Ft. Campbell, KY--our old stomping grounds. When The Ram cranked up the bus after the refuel, it ran a few minutes, then sputtered out. Nothing the men did would coax that bus to start up again. We prayed. Fiddled around. Tinkered. Prayed. Called a few folks. Nothing.
So, The Ram suggested the only sensible option for 2 a.m. Go to sleep. Those of us who were still awake at that time prowled around and found spots to claim, then curled up like puppies for a few hours' shut eye. The truckstop's sign provided a night light for us. The Ram and GrandRam each made trips into the store to buy blankets, as the temp was pretty cool that night. Somehow, everyone else found things to cover up with.
Early the next morning, everyone began to rouse and stumble into the truckstop to go to the bathroom. Then, we got biscuits from the Wendy's there and had a nice breakfast. Oh, and the coffee was pretty yummy. We grown ups appreciated the warmth it brought after the chilly night.
The Ram asked a cashier for a recommendation for a mechanic. He called him and the mechanic arrived a bit later. After trying a couple different parts, they found the troublemaker. Soon, Moby was up and running again.
So, our first overnight in the r.b. was *not* planned, but fun anyway. In our experience, camping always brings the unexpected. This time, the camping *was* the unexpected, lol!
We had initally decided to take Moby waaaay down South for Memorial Day weekend, but changed our minds after The Ram drove it into town last week to try to get it licensed. It was 85 degrees outside, and who knows how hot inside. With my hyperthyroidism, that's just plain too hot. So, we'll get the air conditioning situation worked out, then replan the Maiden Voyage. We are planning to spend an overnight this weekend at a park nearby. (The Lambs were terribly disappointed to not take Moby on Memorial Day.)
We feel very blessed to have been given this opportunity to watch the Lord work as we travel in the bus. We're anticipating a lot of memories being made in the Big, Blue Bus.
Must run for now. I'll tell you about The Man Trip next time.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "It's always fun until someone does it to Mom." --The Ewe

School Bus

2009-04-18T12:39:00.002-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Hope this finds you well. The weather here in AL can't decide whether to be Spring or Winter. Today, it's Spring. And beautiful.
You know, when the weather turns warmer, a lot of folks begin to think about traveling. I guess our Flock is no different. Last week, I clicked over to one of my favorite blogs. I was surprised to find out that family was selling their school bus, which they had converted to an r.v.
Now, we had read their blog a couple years ago, and noted the progress on their bus. It caused us to keep our eyes peeled for any school bus *we* could buy and convert. We had planned on buying a 5th wheel a few years back, but just couldn't bear the thought of plunking down 10,000 hard earned dollars on something we would only get to use periodically. So, we held on to our money and decided the school bus idea would be better for us--cheaper (by far) and bigger, to hold our plus sized family. The only school-bus-turned-recreational vehicle problem was that I *knew* we did not have the time needed to complete such an enormous project. I feared that we would buy a bus and--months...years? later, still have a school bus sitting in the driveway, raising the ire of the neighbors.
Enter http://jeubfamily.com/bus/ . Behold! The very bus that began our "skoolie" (kitschy name for buses converted to r.v.'s) quest was for sale! At a bargain price. Ah, the perfect solution!
So...we bought it. The Ram and GrandRam and TaterTot will leave in a couple weeks to pick up the bus. They'll drive it home on (what we're referring to as) the Man Trip. Tater can hardly wait to be on the open road, in the skoolie, eating vienna sausages, Spam, squirt cheese and hard boiled eggs. LOL Probably need some root beer, too.
I can't help but feel that we have just embarked on another adventure. I'll keep you updated.
Must run...I've got about a dozen bags of Amish Friendship Bread starter that are demanding my attention. Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

A Sad Day

2009-03-31T12:49:00.003-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
The Ewe is a bit down today. I learned late yesterday afternoon of the death of a dear lady, Jane B. I only knew her a short time, while in a writing class, but she really touched my life. She was battling cancer even then--a year ago--when I met her. She was such a good writer and I was amazed at the amount of research she had done. She and her husband were raising their grandson.
After we left The Big City and came here, Down South, I kept up with Jane via her blog. She had beautiful pictures of her garden posted there; her wisteria was gorgeous. Along with her lovely flowers, though, she posted snippets of her life with cancer. I will admit that I never believed she'd die soon. She seemed so full of ideas and plans for the future--not the least of which was caring for her grandson. I know she agonized at the idea of her boy growing up without her. I guess I thought that since she wanted to live so much, well, surely she would. As if we get to choose that.
Well, last week she went to be with Jesus. I am comforted at the fact that she is no longer in pain...no longer sick from chemo, no longer worried about the future. Still, I feel that we humans have lost a real gem.
I'm still reading through her blog today--so glad it hasn't been removed. I'm reading it with more fervor now, knowing I need to glean from it as much as I can.
I read a post of hers where she was talking about needing to get some family recipes written down, as they were pivotal to her family's Christmas celebration. I hope she got that done.
Reminds me to put a little fire under myself to do the same--not that I plan on going anywhere for a long time! But, time marches on.
If you're familiar with "FlyLady," you know that Wednesday is "Anti-Procrastination Day." I'm thinking maybe every day should be Anti-Procrastination Day. Who knows how many Wednesdays we have left?
Sigh...Ok...I hope I haven't bummed you out. I am feeling pretty bummed out today, but also so blessed to have met Jane.
I need to get busy.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Surprise!

2009-03-30T17:32:00.002-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I bet you thought I'd never blog again, didn't you? Well, you just never can tell, can you? LOL
I want to tell you about a story my mother used to tell. It is true--or at least, based on a true story.
Evidently, one of Mama's brothers had been caught smoking cigarettes. I believe he was in about junior high, at the time. Papa (that is, my Grandfather) had told the offender that if he caught him smoking again, he would "set his rear end on fire." (Now, though I was certainly an exemplary child, I have, indeed, heard that phrase and know that it means that a spanking or switching is about to be handed out.)
As you can guess, Papa discovered his son out behind the barn one day--smoking a cigarette. Being true to his word, Papa administered a couple switches to the dungareed behind of my uncle, not knowing that Uncle had stashed his matches in that very pocket. Both men were astonished when Uncle's rear end started smoking! Evidently, the friction from the correction met up with a match head and, well...Papa really *did* set Uncle's rear end on fire!
From my understanding, the spanking ended there and the two set about extinguishing that back pocket.
I also understand that Uncle never did smoke again. In either way.
Well, The Ewe must run. I'm AWOL from the kitchen, with dinner time rapidly approaching. I'll surprise you again, sometime. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Next Time vs. If Only...

2008-12-14T11:00:00.002-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I hope the HOLY Days are finding you counting your blessings and looking to the Gift our Heavenly Father sent so many years ago!
Our Kansas City pastor blogged the following last month. It was so encouraging and convicting to me, I wanted to share it; so I asked Pastor Jeff if I could re-post it here. He graciously agreed, so....

"Pastor’s Blog – November 25, 2008

Rev. Dr. John Claypool, in a sermon entitled, “Next Time,” relays a story about a man going to an old counselor that is very insightful.

“Think about it,” said the old counselor. “If only points to that segment of human experience that cannot be altered. Whatever else you may say about the past, it is frozen. You may feel very deeply about it, but you do not have the power to go back and undo it or redo it. Therefore, energy spent lamenting the past is energy that is largely wasted. Next time, however, points to that sector of experience that is still open, still fluid. It is out there yet to be shaped. If we can apply the lessons that we have learned from the past, to the service of the future, then what is to be can become genuinely different. There is a tremendous difference between processing your memories with an if only kind of lament and handling them with a next time kind of hopefulness.”

Many of us have met bitter people. Perhaps we even struggle a bit with some on our own. All of the reasons for the anger, bitterness, hurt and wounds are most likely justified in some fashion or another. Since time travel is only for books and movies, we can not change the bad things that have happened to us. Nor can we relive the good times that have transpired. What we can do is learn from them. As the wise counselor stated, “If only” is a waste of time and energy. “Next time” certainly is wiser and more productive.

Another couple of sentences from this sermon deserve our reading – “God is more interested in your future than your past. He is more concerned for what you can yet become that what you used to be.”

God takes us as we are and changes us gradually into what He desires. The process is total and complete. This transformation takes a lifetime and will be finished when we step into eternity, but the goal is nice to know! Part of the process of changing us is to help us learn from our past failures, sins, and sufferings, so we can avoid them in the future. And, we are to help others who have suffered as we did to receive the comfort we have been given. The past has a purpose – to train us for the future. May we not be bound by what we have experienced, but may we become wiser because of it.

Pastor Jeff "

Hope this spoke to you, as it did to me.
Gotta run...another nose to wipe...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Voter Freebie Rant

2008-11-04T20:16:00.002-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I'm sitting here, waiting on election results. I was reading more about how Starbucks, Ben&Jerry's, Krispy Kreme, etc. were told that giving freebies away to folks who voted was illegal.
Umm...how is that "vote buying?" Starbucks wasn't anywhere on my ballot. They were not saying, "If you vote for (fill in the blank), we'll give you free coffee!!"
I'm thinking all that moisture up there in Oregon has mildewed the Secretary of State's brain.
Hmmm...
T.E.

I Voted!

2008-11-04T11:19:00.003-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, it's a gorgeous day here in North Alabama. The leaves are finally beginning to change, and they're beautiful. The temps at night are between 45-35 and during the day it's been between 75-82. (a little too warm for my liking, but, anyway...)
The Ram went to vote this morning on his way to work. The polls open here at 7 a.m. (I'm used to 6a-6p) He got there around 6:45 and found about 100 other people waiting for the poll to open. He got to wait for a while.
I got to the polling place about 10:30. There were maybe 50 people, total, but I was in and out in 5 minutes. That's because of the set up here. You actually *mark with a pen* on a *paper ballot.* I have voted in every election since I was 18 years old, and this is the first time I had to actually mark on a ballot with a pen. I felt pretty stupid. LOL I had to ask questions of the poll workers--I am accustomed to using a computer to vote. Also, I was a little shocked--you didn't enter a booth to vote. I stood along a counter with a couple dozen other people; all of us marking our choices out in the open. Now, I'm not ashamed of my votes, but it did feel a bit naked to be doing it out in front of everyone. I couldn't help but imagine how much courage it must have taken decades ago for the African-Americans down here to show up at the polling place.
Anyway, I voted. I feel blessed to have been here for this historic election. If you haven't voted yet, ya' better get on your horse!
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Tater put candy in Miss H's ear!!!" --Musical

Blast from the Past

2008-10-22T15:40:00.003-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
For some reason, this time of year always makes me reminisce. There's nothing exciting going on here right now, so I thought I'd do a "best of" post for you. Some new folks have probably never heard the following story...

"Thursday, October 14, 2004

G.O.M. and The Nice Tan Van
There once was a Nice Tan Van. It belonged to a Nice Family with four Lovely Children, who would never have spilled soda or water or juice in the floor and certainly never have drawn a picture of a little girl on the back of the seat in front of them. The Lovely Children never complained about sitting in the very back and they definitely would never argue with the others while riding in the Nice Tan Van. The four children were dearly, dearly loved. One day, the Nice Tan Van caught a bug. It coughed and sputtered, but never quit running, such a loyal van it was. The Nice Family took the van to a mechanic. Several days later, the mechanic called the Daddy to pick up the van. When Daddy drove the van, it still coughed and sputtered. Mommy made a mad face. This had happened many times. Daddy tried to take the Nice Van to another mechanic, but the mechanic never showed up at his garage. What happened to that nice mechanic? Finally, Daddy asked a Friendly Man at work to recommend a mechanic. The Friendly Man told Daddy where to take the Nice Van, but he told Daddy that the mechanic didn't have a phone. He also told Daddy that the mechanic only worked Monday through Wednesday. And only between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Daddy tried and tried to take the Nice Van to the mechanic, but he kept missing him. Each time Daddy would drive to the garage, the man wasn't there. Finally, Daddy went to the garage and the mechanic was there. Daddy noticed that the garage was very, very clean--no oil stains anywhere. He also noticed that there were no other automobiles at the garage. (Mommy had noticed before then that the garage was in a rather deserted, dark, rough-looking part of town, but Mommy didn't say anything--she didn't want to be negative.) When Daddy went into the Very Tidy Garage, he found a very old mechanic. The mechanic seemed annoyed that Daddy had brought him a van to look at. Daddy noticed that the Grumpy Old Mechanic had very clean fingernails. Daddy felt a bit nervous. G.O.M. told Daddy that he went home at 3:30 each day. He told Daddy that he'd have the nice tan van ready at 3:00. When Daddy said, "Goodbye!" the G.O.M. just said, "Hmph." Daddy said the mechanic didn't seem very happy. When Daddy returned to the garage that afternoon, the G.O.M. told him that the nice tan van wasn't ready. He told Daddy to come back the next day. So, the next day, at 3:25 p.m., Daddy went back to the Very Tidy Garage. The G.O.M. was not there!! The doors were locked, and the Nice Tan Van was locked behind a chainlink, barbed wire fence. Daddy made a mad face. The next day, Daddy went back to the Very Tidy Garage. The G.O.M. was there. Daddy paid him for fixing the Nice Tan Van and told him, "Goodbye!" The Grumpy Old Mechanic just said, "Hmph." Daddy took the Nice Tan Van back to Mommy and when she drove it, she smiled. The Nice Tan Van no longer coughed or sputtered! Hurray! It was fixed. Mommy and Daddy decided that they would use the Grumpy Old Mechanic again. The Moral of the Story: In the Land of Poor Service, the Grumpy Old Mechanic is King.
Posted by Mama Lamba at 10/14/2004 04:49:00 PM"

Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Happy Fall, Y'all!

2008-10-21T07:14:00.002-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
I'm out of hibernation now, so I'm enjoying the outdoors again. (deep inhale)
I've seen several doctors, and no one can seem to figure out my thyroid issues that make me overheat so easily. That makes summers pretty miserable for me. But, anyway, we made it through another one. :-)
My little one just got up, so I need to go, but before I do I want to share the following (well- known) poem with you.

"When the Frost is on the Punkin"

WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here
—Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries—kindo' lonesome-like, but still
A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover overhead!—
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;
And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through
With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!...
I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be
As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—
I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

---James Whitcomb Riley (1853–1916)

Gotta run,
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

The Last Load: "Re-use"

2008-09-29T05:17:00.000-05:00

Howdy, F.O.T.E.'s,

Aren't you shocked! I actually finished a three-part series! (I'm plumb worn out.)

Today, I'll finish up with "Re-use." (I know, I know...it's supposed to be "reduce, re-use, recyle" but I got things out of order. You'll have to forgive me.)

So, let's get started...

Now, I *could* start out by saying something like, "a child can *reuse* his clothes for more than a day" but I know that would offend some...so I won't say it. Another thing I won't mention is the "sniff test." Disgusting. ;-) I'll say something like...

"Re-use...Your Outfits"

Look for ways to preserve an outfit, so that it could be worn again. I think Sunday clothes are especially good to re-use. Often, we get dressed and go to church...a couple hours later, we come home and change clothes. So, what to do with what you wore to church? Well, hopefully, everyone was bathed before church (or Sat. night)--I know that's not fail-proof, but *generally*. If that's the case, I think many times Sunday's outfit can be hung back up for another Sunday.

Years ago, The Ram's grandma gave all us girls aprons. I think aprons are a great tool in "Re-using." We can get dressed, put on an apron to preserve the outfit, then go about our Sunday morning duties. If we are eating breakfast at home, I like the girls to wear aprons to keep from getting dirty. Another option is eating before you dress, of course. For Tater, we'll pop one of Daddy's t-shirts over his clothes.

In re-using outfits, don't forget to spot clean any stains/spills. Sometimes, you can get a spot off and wear the garment again. Another tip: get some over-the-door hooks to hang "used, but could be used again" clothing.

Next up:

"Re-use...Household Linens"

Ok, now that sounds *gross!* What I mean is to allow certain items to be used for more than one task. One thing I do is to use washcloths as dishcloths. I know that sounds awful, but let me explain. Around here, I use white washcloths for both dishes and faces. (We have those puff thingies to wash our bodies. ) I generally try to keep the dish cloths and face cloths separate, but if they get mixed up, I'll run all of them in the machine with hot water and bleach (and, of course, detergent) and wash a good long time...then dry on high until thoroughly dry. I don't wash washcloths with bath towels. I know the cloths could get called into service for dishes and I don't like the idea of washing my dish cloths with bath towels.

For us, that works ok. If it offends your sensibilities, by all means--skip that tip!

Another thing we do is to wipe up floor spills with used bath towels. Those seem to absorb better than my mop, and they are so easy to clean afterward. Just toss them in the wash. (I wash my towels in hot water.)

Slightly used bath towels might also get carried to the pool with us when we go swimming. I don't think we must have a never-used towel just to wipe off after a swim. After soaking up pool water, the towels must be washed to get the chlorine out. I also run the swimsuits through a short cycle to rinse them. The chlorine just wears our suits out. Oh, yeah--don't dry bathing suits in the dryer. The heat isn't good for the lycra and other things they use in bathing suits. I have a wooden rack I pull out to drip dry the suits after their rinse.

Well, I'm sure there is more I could say about "Reduce, Recycle and Re-use" as it pertains to the laundry, but I've got folks needing their Mama-Ewe. Alipurr, I'll get back to you about your questions as soon as time allows.

Y'all keep your wool dry,

The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "More clothes is the enemy of clean clothes." --The Ewe

Shhhhh....Don't Tell the Printer

2008-09-22T10:37:00.002-05:00

Ok, F.O.T.E.'s,
I just did something that made me laugh at myself. I was gathering scrap copy paper--things that had been printed out, but not needed, printed wrong, etc--to put back into the paper hopper (or whatever it is you call the place where you put paper to be printed on) to use the "good side" for something else. What made me laugh is when I picked up a piece (mis-printed on one side) that had a weird looking smudge on the good side. I felt the smudge--it wasn't sticky. Good. So, I picked up the stack...and put the smudged paper on top. Hmmm...that won't do. So, I stuck it in the middle of the stack, hoping (I guess) that the printer would be so busy printing, it wouldn't notice that smudge--but only if I put that paper in the middle. LOL I think I need another cup of coffee.

T.E.

Monday, Wash Day, Part II: Recycle

2008-09-22T04:53:00.001-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Hope y'all had a great week last week. The temperatures seem to be cooling off a bit here, which is very welcome by The Ewe. Mostly, it's been under 90F during the day. Still too hot for me to do much outside, but very pleasant after the sun goes down.
So, is all your laundry washed up? ROTFLOL!!! (sorry) Mine is not. I believe my laundry holds the secret to perpetual energy. Even still, let's press on with today's treatise on laundry, entitled: "RECYCLE"

The first idea: "Recycle...Carefully"
Here, I am speaking in regard to hand-me-downs for the children. When Lioness was little, I saved every piece of clothing she had, in case we had more children and another girl. (Was *I* in for a surprise! lol) Well, when Lovable was born, she was born in a different season than Lioness, weighing 3 pounds more. How much of those carefully saved baby clothes do you think she was able to wear? Practically none. Still, I gathered more and more baby clothes, bought more and more Rubbermaid boxes and rented a storage unit to keep all our stuff that we couldn't cram into our home. Three years later, Musical was born--a pound heavier than Lovable and in yet a different season. So, though Musical and Lioness could have conceivably worn the same clothes (Musical was born in late Spring, Lioness in Summer) the weight difference was substantial AND...ahem...well, I couldn't even *find* the baby clothes amongst all the other umm...Swell Junk. Eventually, when I was ready to give away our baby clothes (we simply did not have room to keep everything we had) I discovered that most of them were either mildewed from storage, moth eaten or had sprung odd stains that were impossible to get out. So, all those carefully hoarded baby clothes went *in the dumpster* (some with tags attached) !!! because I had kept them so long they were ruined and unfit for any baby! ARGHHHH!!!! What a terrible waste! (Some day I'll tell you about the $500 uniform that broke me of hoarding...grrrr...)

So, what's my point? Don't save clothing too long. Here, we save what we could probably use within the year. I will buy clearance clothing at the end of a season for use the next year, but that's it. If it came from Goodwill, at the end of the season, to Goodwill it will return. As my precious friend, L.A., once told me, "If God could give it to you once, He can give it to you again," meaning that we cannot let fear turn us into misers. We trust that the Lord will provide all the things we need. He has never let us down--even when we began giving away the children's clothing (uh, after they'd outgrown it, I mean :-)

Next up: "Recycle...The Laundry!"

This is so simple, I don't know why I never thought of it. When the dryer stops running, put the clothes away. Then, put the wet clothes into the dryer and start it. LOL
Amazing how much laundry I can do in a day, when I am sure to listen for the "beep, beep" that tells me the dryer is finished. It does require self-discipline to stop what I'm doing and just go finish that load. I'll admit, I'm not real good at doing this except on the days I've committed myself to tackling as much dirty laundry as possible. Like I said last week, that's usually Monday and Thursday.
So, to summarize today's thoughts: "Recyle Carefully" and "Recycle the Laundry"!

I realized I forgot something last week. I could call this tip, "Recycle...Health Care Items," but I won't. When I'm treating blood stains, I've found that shampoo works great. Use it full strength on the stain...scrub it in and let it sit. I've let things sit for a few days before washing them, and it was fine.

Well, The Ewe must run. I need to (can you guess?) do a load of laundry. And a load of dishes. But, we won't talk about dishes for now. :-)

Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Monday, Wash Day

2008-09-15T07:07:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,

(That's "Friends of The Ewe" for any newcomers ;-).

I'm elbow deep into the washing machine today--it being Monday and all. I usually do *some* kind of laundry every day, but on Monday and Thursday, I try to beat Mt. Washmore down (the lambs call it "Mt. Foldmore," since folding is the least enjoyed part).

We have tried many L.A.P.'s--Laundry Attack Plans--each with its own strengths/weaknesses. Most plus-sized families I know make laundry a topic of much study and experimentation. When you multiply the daily clothing, bedding and towels/miscellaneous times 7 every day...welcome to the power of compounding. :-)

I've decided I'd like to blog a series (stop laughing) about defeating laundry. I'm certainly no expert on efficiency or organization, but I do want to pass on any tips that have helped us. So...

I will share my thoughts on laundry in a 3-part series entitled....(drum roll)

"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle"

Today, "Reduce":

--Firstly, "Reduce... the Wardrobe"

Don't overestimate your children's clothing needs. Especially if you homeschool, little ones can get by with very few clothes. When they're little, they don't really care if they wear the same 4-5 outfits every week. Also, sometimes an outfit can last 2 days. Buy cheap over-the-door hooks for them to hang clothes that would do another day. An exception: we do try to keep each child in 6-7 pairs of undies which are in good repair and not overly stained (what if they were involved in an accident?) :-) Also, 2-3 nice Sunday outfits. When the girls were younger, I'd buy each of them 3 Land's End jersey, pullover dresses each season (actually, I bought 3 at the end of each season, in the size the girl would be in the next year). They would wear their Land's End dresses on Sundays until the dresses started to get worn/tight. This usually took 2 years. (!) Then, those dresses became weekday dresses, and the new Land's End dresses (purchased on clearance the last year) became the new Sunday dresses. Of course, as the girls got bigger, this lovely plan stopped working, as Land's End doesn't make pullover ladies' dresses like that, and I have a couple girls in ladies' sizes now. But, anyway, do try to limit the amount of clothing your children have.

One trick I'm using now, to help keep the clothes weeded down is the Broken Hanger Trick. We use those tubular, plastic clothes hangers. They are not hard to break, especially when a little person is a bit too short to easily get their clothes off the rod in the closet. ;-) So, when a hanger breaks, I choose (or if the child is old enough they do themselves) a garment to discard--either into the Goodwill box or the trash. I choose the rattiest of the ratty or the most stained or least liked or illest fitting--something that won't really be missed. I used to buy hangers at Walmart regularly, but I like this plan better. Granted, eventually I will have buy more hangers--we have to have *some* clothes!!--but I'm not buying nearly the amount I used to.

Next: "Reduce... the Paraphernalia" -- laundry gadgets, stain removers, etc...

I think I've tried nearly every laundry detergent and stain remover on the planet. I bought a bleach pen and never used it...I was afraid the residual bleach would spot the rest of the clothes...So, my laundry arsenal is down to cheap detergent (I didn't find much difference in effectiveness of the different brands), Clorox (the name brand...somehow, it seems to matter ??), cheap fabric softener sheets and dishwashing liquid. Yes, dishwashing liquid. I've stopped buying any stain remover, as I never found one that worked as well as Dawn or Palmolive dish soap. Most of our stains around here are food anyway, so it makes sense that Dawn would work. I tried the new Tide with Dawn...didn't seem to help much. Oh, btw, when you use Dawn as a stain remover, don't wet the stain, and don't dilute the Dawn. Just squirt it on full strength and scrub it in with a brush or between your hands. Let it sit at least an hour or so...up to a week. I can get most stains out this way.

And, if the stain is bad enough, and I've tried the stain treatment and washing 2-3 times...I toss the garment. Not worth more effort than that, unless it's a special piece of clothing.

Now, lest I sound heartless, I do let the lambs save back outgrown/stained clothing that has special meaning to them. Those items go into our sewing fabric chest of drawers (6 drawers--red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) to be used (only by the owner of the Special Item) in a quilt or other crafty venture. The unbending rule is that the owner is the only person who can use that special cloth for a project. We have some precious items that were made for the girls by their Grandmom--we don't toss those things!

Here's another tip: "Reduce... the Sorting" --i.e. dirty laundry

I sort into "hot," "cold," and "hot with bleach." I don't do a lot of bleach loads--primarily just dish cloths and towels, and I don't even bleach those every time. Everything else gets either hot water or cold water. I don't do "darks and lights," "jeans only" or anything like that. (I do understand the rationale behind doing jeans separately--they *do* bleed forever). This is the only sorting system in which I get to keep my sanity and have the satisfaction of knowing a Lamb could take over, if need be. I don't have time for each piece of clothing to get special treatment--outside of stain removing. For clothing, coming to our house is like joining the Marines--the Few, the Proud...the Durable. :-) I try not to buy anything that needs hand washing...and very few things that can't be tumbled dry.

Reducing the sorting also is a part of our next laundry attack tactic...

Next: "Reduce... the Confusion"

--It is my goal to work myself out of a job and to raise up children who are *not* as clueless as I was when I left home. Learning to run a household was (is?) very strenuous for me. There was just so much I didn't know how to do...or even that you were *supposed* to *do it*! ("You dust THOSE?!?" "Yes, Dear. It's called a 'baseboard.'") So, I've got to stick with simple house care attack plans. One thing I do to be sure that someone else could step in and help w/ the laundry is dotting the undies. (not related to "crossing the T's") This would work for socks and anything else as well, but for us, we just dot undies. The firstborn gets 1 dot...the second born gets 2 dots...the 3rd child gets 3 dots...you get the drift. I put a Sharpie dot on the waist elastic of each pair of child's undies, in the back, on the outside. That way, if The Ram wants to bless me, he can easily tell whose drawers are whose. Or into whose drawers to put the drawers...I'll admit, it helps me, too. Another way we reduce confusion is to stick with mainly white socks for the children. We usually buy the same style, so everyone can share (within reason). White is good, too, because I can bleach them if (when) they get really dingy.

Finally, "Reduce...the Whining"

For years, I was amazed at how much faster my wonderful mother-in-law could do my laundry than I. Eventually, I realized that I wasted a lot of time just dreading the task. I would avoid putting the clean clothes away, because I feared it would "take all day." Once I just dove in and stopped dreading/complaining, I started making laundry headway.

While doing laundry, I try to remind myself how blessed we are to have clothing for all the children, with even extra to spare. I try to often pray for the family member whose shirt I'm hanging up or whose dress I'm de-staining. This is not to say that washing clothes is never a daunting task for me or that I just can't wait each day to get into my laundry room, but it *is* becoming an easier job as I continue to "Reduce."

Must run...The Ram needs clean clothes for work. ;-)

Y'all keep your wool dry,

The Ewe

Hillbilly Hoedown a.k.a. Big Bean Binge

2008-09-10T20:22:00.002-05:00

Howdy F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, things are just zinging along here. I'm so pleased with the diligence my Lambies are showing with their studies this year. Their co-operation helps make homeschooling a joy.
Let me tell you about our dinner last night...
We used to call it our "soul food dinner," but somehow it's evolved into a "Hillbilly Hoedown." I am very happy that my whole family loves pinto beans. We make them (uh, the beans not the family) the main dish, with sides of greens, bacon and hash browns. YUM YUM!
The night before, I sorted 8 cups of dry pinto beans, rinsed them, them let them soak all night in enough water to cover over them a couple inches. Now, 8 cups makes a *LOT* of beans! Once they had soaked all night, I put them in a large (large!) stockpot with water to cover. I added about 1/2 cup of dried onion flakes--one of my favorite pantry staples--about a tablespoon of oil and 2 teaspoons of salt. (I know adding salt at the beginning is controversial, but my mama always did it and I've done it nearly 20 years. And my beans are good. :-) I bring them to a quick boil, then lower the heat to let them simmer about 2 hours, at least. Last night, they simmered all afternoon. I stirred occasionally and added water if it got too low. Oh, yeah...and I keep the lid cocked a little to let out the steam. Not sure why. That's just how it's done.
While those beans were simmering all afternoon, I baked some thick sliced bacon in the oven. I really like doing it that way--no standing watch over a spattering pan of grease--very little clean up...flat slices and predictable performance. :-) I do this by covering rimmed cookie sheets (enough sheets to house all the bacon) with 2 sheets of foil. Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the bacon for about 20 minutes. No turning...just let 'er rip. After the bacon gets as crispy as you like it, remove it to a plate lined w/ paper towels for draining.
The greens last night were spinach. I do those in the crockpot. I dumped a couple pounds of frozen spinach into the crockpot and added 1/2 cup of hot water and a teaspoon of chicken base (like for soup...kin to bouillon). I put a generous sprinkling of dried onion flakes and a teaspoon of minced garlic. Stirred it up well and set the crock to high for a couple hours. Once they were cooked, I drained them and kept them on "warm." Yummy.
The hash browns are the frozen patties, fried crisp in coconut oil in a large skillet. Lioness makes these--she seasons them with seasoned salt toward the end.
Finally, I made up a few gallons of tea (we had company coming) and a double batch of cornbread. Yee haw!
Too bad we didn't have any possum and hog jowl. Oh well. Maybe next time.
Gotta run...there's a bunch of Lambies who need tucking. (in)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Just Chattin'

2008-09-06T19:33:00.002-05:00

Hello F.O.T.E.'s,
The Ram has taken the children to try out a playground we discovered yesterday. It's quiet around here (!) so I thought I'd touch base w/ you guys.
We have not yet found a church here. This is a real discouragement. We will visit another one tomorrow. The children are anxious to meet some other children. (Can't imagine!)
There are dozens of homeschooling groups here, but I'm finding it hard to "crack the code." As in, many of the groups seem pretty exclusive. I think the AL law plays into that--as many people feel the need to prove that homeschooling really educates children. So, most of the "cover schools" here have requirements far above what the state deems mandatory. For example, several I saw require member families to meet "X" number of times each month for group activities. Many covers require more reports--attendance, progress, etc--than the state does. Thus, it was not easy to find a cover school that aligned with our educational philosophy. :-) ie, the parents are the ones responsible. In Missouri, the state assumed homeschoolers *were* educating their children, until something proved otherwise. (Kinda like, "innocent until proven guilty") Down here, I feel like they think we're guilty until we prove we're innocent. lol
Anyway, the fact is, we did find a cover school that doesn't make us feel like criminals and the children *are* learning. I'm so happy with their progress so far this year.
Hey, speaking of which, we found an interesting computer game that is helping our kids learn/polish their multiplication facts. It's called "Timez Attack" (sic). Maybe you can Google it. It does use dragons in a castle, so that might be offensive to some. (just be warned) The little fellow who is defeating the dragons doesn't kill the dragons, they just go away. I was happy about that. I'm just not keen on games where something kills something else. Guess I'm a wuss. lol
Well, must run...the Flock will be back soon and I know they'll be hungry...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Settling In and Menus

2008-08-16T14:37:00.002-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, we're settling in, little by little down here in AL. I'll admit, being the daughter of two Tennesseeans and the wife of one, I feel a small pang of disloyalty each time I look at that Alabama license plate on the van. LOL At least it doesn't say "Crimson Tide" or anything.
The Ram has taken the Lambies to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center again today. We had a short visit last Sunday, just to whet the kids' appetites. If "y'all" get the urge, come on down and let's go see the rockets!
Now that things are beginning to fall into a routine down here, I've started back up my meal planning. I'll share what we've had and what we're having:
HAD:
Aug. 4 pot roast, salad
Aug. 5 chili, raw veggies
Aug. 6 Creamy Italian Chicken* (I'll include that recipe at the bottom) with CA blend veggies
Aug. 7 ?? I forget...
Aug. 8 Buck's Pizza delivered--yummy local pizza, just too expensive a meal to repeat often, crust was thin, so each of us could have eaten 1/2 a pizza--not very filling! lol
Aug. 9 Pork roast with brown rice
Aug. 10 Taco salad, raw veggies with dipping
Aug. 11 Meatloaf with mixed veggies (just like the school cafeteria!)
Aug. 12 Lemon Chicken* (recipe follows) CA blend
Aug. 13 Spaghetti, salad, garlic toast
Aug. 14. Roast turkey breast--Lovable and I did it ourselves! First time I've massaged a turkey
Aug. 15 frozen pizza

HAVING:
Aug. 16 Lasagna, salad, garlic bread
Aug. 17 pinto beans, hash browns, spinach
Aug. 18 Hobo Joes (think, salisbury steak with roasted potatoes and carrots)
Aug. 19 Grandmama Money's Chicken and dumplings with corn on the cob and carrots
Aug. 20 Squashetti with broccoli
Aug. 21 Vegetable beef soup
Aug. 22 homemade, whole wheat, deep dish pizza

We generally have a salad and fruit, too...at will. The peaches and melons are still delish.

Ok, for the recipes:

Creamy Italian Chicken
6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 envelopes Italian salad dressing mix
2/3 C water
two 8 oz blocks cream cheese
two cans cream of chicken soup (or 1 family size can)
rice or noodles

In a bowl, combine dressing mix, water and chicken soup. Put chicken in crockpot. Cover chicken with soup mix. Cook on low 4-6 hours (if frozen), until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and cut up. Add cream cheese to crock. Stir. Add chicken back in. Let heat until cheese is melted. Serve over noodles or rice.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

In a bowl, mix the oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture into chicken. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken in butter for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place chicken in a slow cooker. In the same skillet, mix the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to boil. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker 15 to 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

Let me know what you think of these, if you try them. They were both first-timers for me this week, but we liked them.
Must run...I have cleaning to do before the Flock gets back from Space, the Final Frontier.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

My Favorite Thing about AL (So Far)

2008-08-08T07:23:00.003-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, it *isn't* the above-100F temperatures, that's for sure!! (Of course, KC has had high temps, too, of late.) It's also not the fire ants, which, thank goodness none of the children have stepped in yet. ICK It's not the red dirt that will not come out of clothing...No... it's the...
PRODUCE!
Yum! We stopped at one of the many roadside stands yesterday and got cheap, delicious peaches and cantaloupe. Wow. Our family ate 3 cantaloupes as dessert last night, lol. At .66 each, that was a good deal. We'll be visiting the fruit stand again. Probably today. Since we're out of fruit. :-)
I noticed, too, they had sweet potatoes and squash (as well as scores of other things, all grown locally.) I'm going to post below my favorite squash recipe. When you're wanting to feel like a gourmet chef, this is a good recipe to try.

Penne with Garlicky Butternut Squash

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups diced (1/2-inch) butternut squash (from a 1 1/2 pound squash)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
6 sage leaves, minced or 1/4 teaspoon powdered sage
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound uncooked penne
Grated Parmesan

Bring a large quantity of water to a boil in a stockpot. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the squash and saute 5 minutes, or until it begins to get golden. Sprinkle in the garlic and saute 2 minutes. Pour in the 1/4 cup water, nutmeg, sage, parsley, salt and pepper, and cover the pan. Cook the squash until tender, about 5 minutes more. Cook the penne until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander and return to the pot. Spoon on the squash mixture and toss gently. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan and pass more at the table.

My notes: For our family, I have to at least double this. Usually, I double the squash and use just a little more than a pound of pasta. And speaking of pasta, we've found we like plain, whole wheat spaghetti noodles, rather than penne, with this dish. And really, it's the squash, not the pasta that is the star of this show. I think we could eat just a bowl of the squash and be happy. :-) Also, we use a lot more garlic than it calls for. We do like garlic.

If you try out the recipe, let me know what you think. We'll be having it sometime in the next week.
Must run. Y'all keep you wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Other people can't do my tricks. They're too big." --Tater Tot

A Bit of Refreshing

2008-08-05T11:23:00.002-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
...and did I mention that it's HOT in AL?!? Ugh. The Ram noted that it was 103F when he got finished at work yesterday. The Ewe is in hibernation. :-)
With all the hubbub of the move during the last couple weeks, I have not had a lot of time for reading--whether online or in print. One of my folders in "Favorites" is titled "Uplifting Ladies' Reading." It's a collection of blogs that I occasionally read when I get a chance to or I need some inspiration (in addition to my daily Bible reading).
Today, I was in need of inspiration. What I *really* wanted to do was lie in bed and let the children run around like indians (no offense intended to all you Native Americans out there). I was on empty in the emotional energy/motivation department. The physical department tank was getting low, too--but I know I can overcome that physical tiredness with enough mental energy.
So, for the first time in over a month, I clicked open my "Uplifting Ladies' Reading" folder. I clicked the following one. It was the one I needed. I love the artwork on this lady's blog. I believe even if I didn't read a word she wrote, and just looked at the pictures, I would be encouraged. (Though the words are important to my "uplifting," too!)
I'll share the link with you, so you can enjoy the artwork. And, if the words encourage you...all the better. :-)

http://www.proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com/

Blessings to you all. And...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Just for the Record

2008-08-04T22:00:00.001-05:00

THIS is NOT ME!!!

http://www.wpsdtv.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=06aff896-ca65-4df6-a96f-3b24d61a5107

Indeed, those were my old "stomping grounds," but I promise you...it wasn't ME! :-)

(shudder)

The Ewe

Howdy, Y'all!

2008-08-04T08:14:00.002-05:00

Hi there, F.O.T.E.'s
Well the RamFam is here in sunny (read, sweltering) AL. We got here last Monday, so today marks the 1 week anniversary of our move. It has not been particularly smooth, but I suppose most moves are that way.
We pick away at the boxes day by day. It seems like they will never end. We are enjoying our house, though. The neighbors are friendly. The subdivision is relatively isolated, so the kids can ride bikes safely. I appreciate that. Ram's drive into work is a *piece of cake* compared to the commute in Kansas City.
Still, we miss our friends and our church in KC. We visited a church yesterday, but it really didn't seem to "fit." We'll try somewhere else next Sunday. Y'all can pray for us about that. A great church family is a *tremendous* blessing.
Must run...the natives are getting restless...time to start unloading another box.
Hey,
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Could I have some ashes?" --Tater, asking for *cashews* lol

Head Spinning Update

2008-07-01T09:08:00.003-05:00

Hello, Friends of The Ewe,
No, I haven't acquired a new skill (head spinning), but rather this will be a rapid fire revelation of some rather heavy happenings at The Flock. I will do this in a Star Trek/Captain Kirk style: "Captain's Log, Star Date XYZ, Somewhere in the Galaxy..."

June 1, 2008: The Ewe turned 40. I like to think of this as an Average Age--some days I feel like I'm 30 years old...some days I feel like I'm 50 years old (or older).

June 5, 2008: The Ewe was delighted to discover two pink lines on the little white stick. Yes, the Lord had blessed us again!

June 7, 2008: The Flock left Kansas City for Anapras, Mexico. We were down there helping build homes for families who lived in shacks made of carboard and pallets, built on the city dump. Check out www.casasporcristo.org A fantastic ministry.

June 8, 2008: The Flock arrived in Anapras. Culture shock set in. God worked.

June 9, 2008: The Ewe began cramping. Fear for Baby Hall set in. The decision was made to leave Mexico to go Home, in an attempt to save Baby Hall.

June 10, 2008: The Flock crossed the border back into the United States. The miscarriage began in earnest.

June 11, 2008: Hall Baby was gone. Grief set in.

June 12, 2008: The Flock arrived back in Kansas City. Grief continued. Hall Baby sorely missed.

June 25, 2008: The Ewe, Lovable, Musical, Tater Tot and Lil Miss H left K.C. to do a recon trip of Huntsville, AL. Trip successful. Rental home located and leased. Ram and Lioness flew to TX to attend a Rebelution conference. (I understand it was great!)

June 29, 2008: The Ewe and crew arrived back home in K.C. as did Ram and Lioness

July 1, 2008: Today. I am completely overwhelmed at the thought of leaving Kansas City. We have a Herculean task ahead of us, in getting ready for the movers to come. I feel like life is rushing by at Mach 4 and I'm just not ready for any of it. Would it be wrong of me to just hibernate for a while? :-) (just kidding)
I am actually feeling much better regarding the miscarriage. The first week was truly awful. Wow. Such a dark time. We still miss and grieve for the baby we never got to hold, but the peace has returned. I know The Father loves us. I know He's in control. I know it's all going to work out. Still hurts...
As for leaving K.C...well, I was miserable when we first came here. Since those first months, though, my heart has knitted together with the amazing people at our church, Hope Family Fellowship. www.hopefamilyfellowship.org I cannot think of leaving this church without tearing up. ARGH!!! Still, we feel this move is right. We will be much closer to our elderly family members. We want our children to know them before they go to be with the Lord. I know God has a plan for our Christian fellowship needs in AL. We can trust Him to put us right where He wants us. It's all going to be ok.
I would promise to blog more often. I can't do that...but I will promise to TRY! Sometimes I feel like a one-armed juggler. LOL

Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Skull Pictures

2008-05-03T08:54:00.004-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Not a lot going on here. We were bypassed by the severe storms/tornadoes that plagued much of Kansas City a couple nights ago. We did spend the night in the basement and the tornado sirens were blaring, but we were safe. Do pray for those folks all through the midwest who lost their homes this week.
Have you noticed our society's new obsession with skulls? I'm assuming it came from that pirate movie that came out (was it?) last year. Ummm....Pirates of the Caribbean. Anyway, I've noticed that skulls are what "all the cool kids" are wearing lately. Personally, I think it's distasteful. I don't believe we are to glorify death, but to "choose life." Also, I believe we should "respect the dead." After all, that skull used to sit on someone's shoulders, covered in skin and hair. And that someone had a name. And that someone was "created in the image of God."
So, yeah, I pretty much detest the whole "skulls-as-decoration" idea. :-)
That ranted....er...umm...SAID, imagine my horror the other day when Tater came tearing into the house, "Mama, where's my skull picture?" My heart sank. "You've got to be kidding me!" I lamented. All the Happy Meal toys I've thrown away--not wanting to expose the kids to that "culture of death." All the eyes I've covered from media displays of the "culture of death." All the times I've urged the children, "Choose life!" Then, my own son drawing a "skull picture." Sigh...
"Son, what do you mean? Describe your 'skull picture...'"
He started slowly, "Well...it's a snake and I made it with that stuff Lovable has outside..." He pointed to his sister on the back porch, who was molding figures out of clay.
Light bulb moment...extreme relief! "Do you mean *sculpture,* Tater?"
"Yeah, Mama, a *skull picture*! Out of clay!"
I corrected his pronunciation and enjoyed a laugh. I hadn't known that "sculpture" was the abbreviation for "skull picture." Guess you learn something new every day, huh? :-)
Must run. Big Green Van needs a clean-out.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Alive and Kicking

2008-04-24T10:07:00.000-05:00

Hello, Friends of The Ewe,
I can hardly believe how long it's been since I blogged. A lot has happened since then!
Let's see...first 2 weeks of March I suffered (and I do mean Suffered!) food poisoning. It took a long while to get over that. ick
Then, I had a case of mastitis--a nursing mama's dread. That took about a week...
We travelled Down South for my dear brother's wedding. That was not quite a week.
We travelled to the Lone Star state for Easter. That was a long weekend (and very, very fun!).
And I started a "Writing Your Life Story" class. This has been super. Check out our teacher's website:
http://www.angelinyourinkwell.com

So, though I haven't been writing on The Ewe's Gnus, I *have* been doing a lot of writing. Carol, our teacher, has developed a system that anyone could use to put to paper their "life story." This was just the direction I needed to start my big project. I'm having a blast.
So, if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm working on "My Book" (LOL--not really, just a manuscript for posterity. ;-)
Must run... the children claim to be hungry. ?? How did that happen? lol
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

P.S. I'm so excited! Our whole family is going to see Voddie Baucham speak tonight. Yay!

So THAT'S Where the Applesauce Came From!

2008-03-06T09:42:00.000-06:00

Hello F.O.T.E.'s,
I'm battling Mt. Washmore today, so I can't hang around to chat ;-) but I thought I'd share a funny from last night.
I was sitting here at the computer and Lil Miss H was behind me, grooming my hair. I didn't know, however, if she was using a brush or comb. So, I asked The Ram, "Is she using a brush or what?" He stated dryly, "Um. Spoon."
LOL
Explains a lot...

Y'all keep your wool...uh...food-free,
The Ewe

Three Days and $75

2008-03-04T12:32:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, I thought Spring had sprung. Last weekend, the temps were between 60-70 degrees. Ahhh...lovely. This morning, the wind chill was 11 degrees. C'est la vie, no?
Years ago, my Mommy Friends introduced me to the "Three Days and $75" potty training technique. The idea was to "cold turkey" the kid (off diapers) and spend 3 days at home, mopping up wee wee. The $75 came in after s/he was trained and you had to pay to get the carpet cleaned. :-)
Well, Tater turned 4yo last Thurs. Since he turned 3yo, he's said that when he turned 4, he'd "be old enough to use the potty." lol I was dubious. But then last Thursday, his 4th birthday, he said, he was done w/ diapers. I was still dubious. But, I slipped his Spiderman underwear on him (he's never seen Spiderman--movie, comic, anything--but I guess he likes the looks of him?). I think that first day, he had 2 accidents. He was totally oblivious to any fluid leaving his body. He was standing there, and, next thing he knew, he was standing in a puddle that came out of nowhere. How'd that happen? He'd cry, and say, "I'm *trying* not to have an accident!"
I figured he'd figure it out.
Friday, he had 1 accident. Then, whoa Nellie, on Saturday, he had (count 'em) SIX accidents. I became very worried about his wiring. He ran out of undies and pants. I washed them...then Sunday, he wore diapers part of the day, until I could get his clothes washed.
Monday, I washed his clothes and bought more undies. And (and this was what gave us the breakthrough) little boy t-shirts 2 sizes too big. He wore only the t-shirts all day and had no accidents. Yay! Today, he's still in a t-shirt, but he's wearing underwear, too. So far, no accidents.
My girls did not have over 3 or 4 accidents each, total. This business of 6 accidents in a day?!? Wow--I was about to pull my hair out. I had to remind/make him go try, even when he didn't know he had to go. I never had to do that before. Once the girls were ready to use the potty, they just went to the potty on their own. T.T. needed a little coaching, I guess.
Anyway, he has gone today without being reminded. I am very hopeful.
So, ours was more of the "Five Days (and $75 in new underwear) Potty Training Technique. LOL We'll keep you updated...if you're really interested. :-)
Hey, ya'll keep your wool, uh...DRY,
The Ewe

Menus for Feb. 29- March 6 plus Roll Recipe

2008-02-29T10:02:00.000-06:00

Hello there, F.O.T.E.'s,

We're trying to clean up from our day of revelry yesterday. T.T. got a remote control car/boat thing--a "Morphibian." It's been quite a hit. Lioness made him a Superman birthday cake and some cupcakes. T.T. and Musical decorated those. Lots of fun! Anyway, here's another installment...if you're interested...LOL Hey, L.A....I'm going to include my whole wheat roll recipe at the end.

Friday, Feb. 29 ham slices, potatoes au gratin, broccoli, iced tea (yes, this was supposed to be
last night, but T.T. had pizza in mind for his birthday :-)
Sat. March 1 salad, lasagna, garlic bread, iced tea
Sun. March 2 veggie soup, cheese toast, iced tea (the soup will slowcook while we're at church)
Mon. March 3 BBQ beef roast, green beans, corn on cob, mixed veggies, iced tea
Tues. March 4 white beans and ham, collard greens, glazed baby carrots, cornbread iced tea
Wed. March 5 pork tenderloin, baked potatoes, California blend veggies, wheat rolls, iced tea
Thurs. March 6 white chicken chili, cheese toast, salad, iced tea

The Ewe's 100% Whole Wheat Yeast Rolls

Dissolve 1T yeast into 1 C warm water. Let sit at least 5 minutes.
When yeast bubbles, add 2T honey, 3/4 t salt and 1/2 stick melted butter. Stir well.
Add to the yeast mixture 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour. Beat w/ electric mixer 2 minutes.
Add up to 1 1/2 C additional flour--you want to add as little as possible: add it 1/2 C at a time. If the dough is too sticky, yet holds together in a ball, grease your hands and the dough rather than add flour. Doing it this way will help keep your bread from being too crumbly.
Knead gently a few minutes--it doesn't take much.
Let sit an hour. Punch down. Knead a few minutes. Shape into rolls (this amount of dough will make 16 rolls for me) and place on cookie sheet. When the rolls are on the sheet, turn on oven to 400 degrees. (I find that the preheat time is just about the right rising time for the rolls.) Once oven is preheated, bake the rolls about 12 minutes. Enjoy!
These taste great w/ a slathering of honey butter or Lioness' cinnamon butter. Yum. I like this recipe because it's tasty, easy and quick--after you learn the recipe, you can have dinner rolls/wheat bread/buns in an hour and 45 minutes, start to first bite. (Fifteen minutes to mix up; an hour to rise; 15 minutes (or so) to preheat the oven; 15 minutes to bake) We eat dinner at 6:00 and I start cooking at 4:00, so the bread recipe fits right into that time frame. There is only about 20 minutes of actual "hands on" time to making this.

Gotta run...Y'all keep your wool dry...
The Ewe

A Very Neat Sight

2008-02-28T07:31:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I've only got a sec, as today is T.T.'s 4th birthday and we've got celebrating to do! :-) But...
I just saw one of the neatest things, right from my bed. When I woke up this morning, I was lying there, looking up through one of the skylights in my bedroom.
Coming across the sky was a V of geese, flying North (yay, Spring!). There were at least 100 birds in the V. I thought, "Wow. That's cool." Then, came another V, bigger...then another and another and another...at least 10 V's, all with at least 100 geese. No, I didn't count all the geese, but I did count off 10, then gauged. My conservative estimate was at least 1,000 geese. The V's just kept coming.
Once they got off in the distance a bit, it looked like veins in a body, there was such an intricate pattern of lines and branches. Very neat. And, did I mention, they were going *North*? :-)
And to think that I saw it right from my bed.
Gotta run...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Menus for Feb. 23-28, 2008

2008-02-22T20:50:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, here it is...the next installment of Menus with Mom. :-)

Sat. Feb. 23 black bean soup, salad, homemade rolls, iced tea
Sun. Feb. 24 Eating out after church!!! Woo hoo!
Mon. Feb. 25 cheese enchiladas, raw veggies (carrots, broccoli, celery), iced tea
Tues. Feb. 26 broiled hamburgers, baked beans, salad, iced tea
Wed. Feb. 27 teriyaki chicken, stir fried veggies, brown rice, iced tea
Thurs. Feb. 28 Happy Birthday, Tater Tot!!! ham, au gratin potatoes, broccoli, homemade
rolls, iced tea, Superman cake and ice cream

Lioness is making T.T.'s cake...oops, I mean cupcakes...T.T. is going to decorate cupcakes himself. :-) Four years old! For T.T. IV
Gotta run...T.T. isn't wanting to settle in for the night...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Menu Plan for Feb. 16-Feb. 20

2008-02-16T12:55:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Here's the next installment of menus...

Saturday, 2-16-08

white beans w/ ham hock, collard greens, cornbread, iced tea

Sunday, 2-17-08

chili, Fritos, cheese, salad, iced tea

Monday, 2-18-08

chicken and rice, broccoli, salad, homemade bread, iced tea

Tuesday, 2-19-08

hamburger casserole, mixed veggies, homemade bread, iced tea

Wednesday, 2-20-08

homemade chicken and dumplings, glazed carrots, green beans, iced tea (The Cracker
Barrel Special ;-)

YUM YUM!!

Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

My Sports Car is a Mini-Van

2008-02-13T20:27:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I ran across the list below awhile ago, and got quite a few chuckles out of it. In our case, number 14 doesn't apply to us--The Ram wants more children as much as I do. And number 53 just made me roll. Ain't it the truth?
One of these reminded me of something that happened to me last year. (I'll tell you about my experience, then include the list of funnies.)
I had gone to Walmart alone--a treat, right? To get to go somewhere by myself? I thought so, too...until my first shopping cart was filled up. And I hadn't even made it to the refrigerated/frozen section or produce. Hmmm....what to do? I considered getting another cart, but eek...I drive one cart badly enough. I wondered if maybe I could squeeze more onto the first cart...but things were already avalanching off the top and out the bottom rack. So, I checked out...thinking I would go back in for the cold stuff. Well, after unloading the cart into the back of the van, I was so tired I decided to go home. So, I did. When I got home, the hoardes descended on the van to unload it and I went in, fixed myself a drink and kicked back in the recliner to examine my receipt. I noticed a blurb at the top that told me if I went online and took their survey, I would be entered into a sweepstakes to win a ton of money or some other fabulous prize. I decided I'd bite. So, I went online. One of the questions was "Did you end up buying all you had intended to?" I answered, "No." It wanted to know why, and gave several options..."Didn't have the item/s in stock?" "Price was too high?" etc. I had to click "none of the above." Not one of the options was, "Shopping cart was too small." :-) LOL
Gonna run now,
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

How to Tell if You are a MoM (Mother of Many)
You know you are a MoM (Mother of Many) when:
1. You know where the bathroom is in any major store you visit.
2. Your car has more seatbelts than windows.
3. Your grocery budget is higher than your house payment.
4. You do most of your thinking and praying in the bathroom.
5. Creative decorating means lots of bookshelves and bunkbeds.
6. You no longer carry a purse, but use the diaper bag instead.
7. Your idea of good commercial building design means a comfy mother's lounge.
8. You constantly find yourself marveling how short the time is between birth and toddling, birth and schoolage, birth and graduation, etc.
9. Even your two year old knows that they must hold someone's hand in the grocery store.
10. You have a routine for stopping pacifiers, toilet training, cup training, and every childhood “phase”.
11. You have at least three witty replies to "Are they all yours?"
12. You just really wish people would not think they were clever for saying, "Don't you know what causes that?"
13. You have forgotten how many times you have been asked, "Are you Mormon or Catholic?"
14. You are still afraid to tell your husband how many more kids you want!

15. Your food storage takes up more room than your entire kitchen... And that is just for this week!
16. You have so much laundry that when you finally get to the bottom of the pile, it's actually stuck to the floor!
17. You spend a lot of time at church in the foyer or mother’s lounge, wondering why you can’t just stay home and listen to the baby fuss there!
18. You spend more money on diapers each month than you do on entertainment!
19. You instantly sympathize with any woman who is obviously pregnant in the middle of summer.
20. You are up to double digits in years that you have spent with a baby attached to you in one way or another!
21. Taking the kids grocery shopping with you makes you feel like a mother duck.
22. You hate carpools because you know who is going to get stuck doing the driving.
23. When you see photos of castles and grand mansions, all you can think is how many bedrooms it has (YES!), and how much space all those other rooms provide for the kids to mess up (NO WAY!).
24. You know that every time you move the couch or couch cushions, you will find Cheerios under them.... Even if you have not had Cheerios in the house!
25. You know the “law of crumbs”. “Any food item that will crumble will produce twice its own weight in crumbs.”
26. You know by experience that paint NEVER dries until it has been spread around in all the places you did NOT want it to be.
27. You know what to use to remove lipstick, shortening, and indelible marker from any surface.
28. You know how to get smashed raisins out of a carpet, and how to get bubblegum out of hair, and so do all your older kids.
29. You are certain one of your kids is sneaking rolls of toilet paper out of the house and selling them because you know there is no way they could be using that much of it, even if there ARE a lot of bottoms in your house.
30. When you go to order fast food, you order 6 hamburgers, one with ketchup only, one plain, one with no pickles or onions, two with no pickles, onions or mustard, and one with nothing but cheese, plus one fish sandwich, one chicken sandwich, one large hamburger, and one large hamburger with bacon. You then have to repeat yourself three times so the person at the window can get it right.
31. When your kids are learning a foreign language, you wonder how it is that they can find the words to insult each other faster than they can find the words to say “I'm sorry.”
32. If two kids bring home identical toys from their kid's meal, you know you have to put names on them first thing, or they will fight over whose is whose, even if both of them have one in their hand.
33. You spend a lot of time looking at the little kids, urging them on to the next step, while still wishing they could stay little just a bit longer.
34. You have a full baby book for your first two children, half of one for the next one, and nearly empty baby books or none at all for the later ones.
35. When the many-times-handed down clothing is finally too worn out to hand down again, you still have a hard time letting it go because it has so many good memories attached.
36. You don't have a wardrobe of “fat clothes” and “skinny clothes”. You have "regular clothes”, “pregnant clothes”, and “nursing clothes”.
37. When a child outgrows something, you put it away in a box in the closet or garage, even if you don't have a younger child of that gender, because you just know you are going to need it eventually!
38. Your idea of a great dining set is one that has lots of expansion leaves. When you see a corporate boardroom on TV, all you can think is what a great dining table the conference table would make.
39. You can list at least three different technological advances in diaper design which you, personally, have used on your kids.
40. You have at least one specialized medical skill because at least one of your kids has some kind of potentially risky condition which you deal with.
41. You sometimes wonder how it is that other moms get really nice gifts for holidays, and you end up with 6 pieces of cardboard with “I love you Mom your the best.” written on it in crooked writing. And you have a box in your closet that you put them in.
42. You cook dinner in pots large enough to bathe a baby in, and frequently lament over the insufficient size of convenience appliances like mixers, waffle irons, and crock pots – and you compromise by owning two of each.
43. Your car is large enough to hold the entire family, but if you go camping, you have to rent a trailer just to hold all the camping equipment.
44. You can't believe with the size of the larger RVs out there that they couldn't fit more beds into at least ONE of them, and you really wish they'd design one with two bathrooms!
45. If you see a home design with a Master Retreat room, you think what a great nursery it would make.
46. You can quote entire pages from Dr. Seuss without having to pause to think about it, and can sing any number of Raffi or Disney songs from memory.
47. You can think of more than three great Christmas gifts for a child of any age... Because you always have a child close to the age in question!
48. You have at least one story stored up for each of your kids which is guaranteed to embarrass them if you recount it in public.
49. You know, and are thankful, that when they get too old to send to their rooms, that possession of the car keys gives you the ultimate power!
50. When the first two kids move out, you can't believe how much smaller your family feels.
51. You think that a mini-van is just too small to be a practical family car - but you wish they'd make a shopping cart about that size!
52. Getting the whole family to fit into the Wal-Mart photo booth, and then getting a picture when nobody is crying, making bunny ears, blinking, or sticking their finger in their nose is a major triumph!
53. Your stretchmarks might better be described as "pleats".
54. Your kids don't need as many toys, because they always have someone to play with.
55. Other people dream of buying a Porche or other sports car, but all you can think is that it wouldn't be good for anything because it is not cheap enough for your husband to commute in, and it doesn't have enough seats for the family, and there's no WAY you are going to let your teenager drive that!
Written by Laura Wheeler
Co-Owner of Firelight Business Enterprises, Inc, and Firelight Web Studio – Laura writes instructional materials, produces infosites, and builds affordable websites for her business startup clients. Her varied experience allows her to give exceptional service, and to produce instructions on a surprising range of topics. Laura is a busy mom of eight, homeschooler, and home business owner.
This article may be reprinted if it is unaltered, and if the signature line is included with the article..

St. Valentine's Day

2008-02-12T06:49:00.001-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, I'm tired of talking about vomit. Let's talk about something I *like*. Valentine's Day!
Now, why in the world would I like a holiday that has been corrupted by Hallmark and American Greetings? A holiday that leaves so many feeling left out and hurt that their "special Valentine" didn't remember them on that wonderful day? Well, outside the great emphasis on showing love (laudable, for sure!) the answer lies in one word:
Chocolate.
I have loved St. Valentine's Day since I was a little girl. It was the one day a year that I got *my own* full box of chocolate. I had an elaborate system of attack: find out which ones were the maple and which ones were the coconut--those went first. Next, identify the truffles (chocolate on chocolate) and consume. Chocolates with nuts went next and on down the line until all that were left were the chocolate covered jelly things. Not my fave. Those usually lasted about a week. I saved them for those desperate times when no other chocolate was available.
Ok. So, the chocolate was great...but, in all honesty, what I loved more was that Daddy *always remembered* to buy me and Mama a heart shaped box of candy. (Mama's was always bigger--as well it should have been.) When February rolled around, I knew what was coming.
When The Ram and I first got married, I was sure to let him know of this expectation. The first year or so, it was a little confusing--that whole "leave and cleave" thing. The Bible never said anything about who bought the candy! It did become clear after a couple years that, indeed, the Candy Buying Responsibility now fell to The Ram. I have come to believe that, while Scripture doesn't specifically mention who buys the candy, it is right for the husband to do it. (I'm sure, however, there would be nothing wrong w/ the Daddy to give chocolate, too, for, as you know, we'll always be "Daddy's Little Girl." :-)
I have to say, though the first couple years of marriage my feelings *did* get hurt, nowadays, The Ram knocks it out of the park on Valentine's Day. (I wonder if it has something to do with being the Daddy to 4 little girls?) Last year, he regaled all his "girls" with boxes of chocolate (now, *I'm* the Mama, so *I* get the big box ;-) and brought me a comically enormous vase of roses and a heart balloon big enough to go in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. It sang, "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch". LOL It was fun.
I realize I sound very selfish in this post--I don't mean to. I enjoy blessing my family on St. Valentine's Day. I like all the busy-ness in our home, as the children cut hearts out of construction paper and make cards. I love planning a special dinner--always something red!
But,
what do I love the absolute most about Valentine's Day? I love that the day reminds us of our Lord Jesus:
"Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13.

Y'all keep your wool warm and fuzzy,
The Ewe

Oozing Ickies

2008-02-11T08:35:00.000-06:00

Hello (yawn) F.O.T.E.'s,
Not a lot of time to chat today. Ol' Man Stomach Virus is picking us off, one by one. Or two...Last week Musical was tossing cookies. Yesterday, Miss H started her show at church potluck. (I bet half the ladies there were hoping she hadn't eaten *their* food, lol). Then, in the middle of the night, T.T. chucked in the bed. Today, Musical is being so sweet to her brother. I think she remembers how miserable it is to have a sick tummy.
I don't think TT remembers ever having thrown up before. He was waxing philosophical last night (in the middle of the night) about it...He said, "Sometimes, the food just jumps out of your mouth. You've got to hold your mouth together like this: [purses lips tightly]. Sometimes, the food jumps into the potty. But you can still use the potty afterward...after it's cleaned." I could tell he was working through the process. :-)
Let me share with you something that, while it began as a happy accident, has been a boon to us when battling tummy troubles...
Last summer we had a tea for Lioness' 13th birthday. We had bought an enormous (that was the only size they had) roll of lavender disposable vinyl table cloth. I wondered what in the world we were going to use it all for. Welll...
When the ickies struck last Fall, we needed something--in a hurry!--to protect the carpet. The Ram was saying, "Get me something, QUICK!!" I was standing there, looking to and fro, saying, "Uhhhh.....uhhhh....uhhhh....HERE!" I spotted the roll of lavender, propped in the corner. I grabbed it and thrust it at The Ram...he immediately began unrolling it over carpet, making a path from Sick Person to Toilet. We had a purple runway for days. Seems like I remember someone--Lioness?--saying, "Some people roll out the red carpet...we roll out the purple one." LOL
This morning, Musical got up (she had missed all the fun in the middle of the night) and came in asking, "Who's puking?" Yup. The Vomit Carpet is a dead giveaway.
Must run...just heard an unsettling noise.
Y'all keep your wool...uh...healthy,
The Ewe

Weekly Menu and Grocery

2008-02-09T10:34:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Hope y'all are doing well. Everyone make it through the foul weather last week okay? It hit all around our friends and family, but, to my knowledge, all our folks are fine. So sorry, though, to hear about all the destruction Down South on Super (Cell) Tuesday.
I read a few ladies' blogs regard homemaking and family growing, and I've gleaned several great ideas from them. I have noticed that many folks enjoy reading about others' menu plans and grocery lists. That topic has sparked some interesting discussions (believe it or not) that I've enjoyed.
So, in the interest of mutual improvement, as well as historical documentation, lol, I think I may start posting my menus and grocery lists here. If it bores you to tears, just skip it. :-) You won't be missing much.

So, for the week of Feb. 9, 2008-Feb. 14, 2008--

Saturday, 2-9: ham, au gratin potatoes, glazed baby carrots, steamed broccoli, iced tea
Sunday, 2-10: Church Potluck: we're taking chili and shredded cheese, homemade
whole wheat bread, chocolate cake
Monday, 2-11: slowcooked BBQ beef, homemade whole wheat bread, salad, green beans,
iced tea
Tuesday, 2-12: chicken crescents, steamed CA blend veggies, salad, iced tea
Wednesday 2-13: white beans with ham, collard greens, cornbread, iced tea
Thursday 2-14: whole wheat spaghetti and meat sauce, salad, garlic bread, iced tea,
cheesecake with chocolate sauce (Happy Valentines Day!)

Well, there she is. As for breakfast, usually the children eat a bowl of cereal or oatmeal or grits. (I don't usually eat breakfast--I feel better when I don't...don't scold me, I think it's related to my thyroid issues. :-) Lunch will generally be salad and soup or sandwiches. The Ram takes dinner leftovers. We generally drink water or milk during the day (you'll notice iced tea for supper).
As for the odd "week," I plan my menus on Thursdays, finalize my grocery list on Fridays and either I or The Ram (bless him!) do the shopping early Saturday morning. So, my planning goes from Friday dinner to Thursday dinner. We had to eat dinner on the run last night, as Lioness had Bible Quiz practice from 4-6, then we had to drive up to the airport to pick up The Ram. So, last night it was cheeseburgers. (blush)
It being Saturday morning, my grocery list is at the store with The Ram and the Three Musketeers (Lioness, Lovable and Musical). So, I can't post that right now...maybe later... I do know we'll be driving out to the dairy tonight to pick up our weekly allotment of 6 (!) gallons of milk. MOOOOO!!! LOL We feel so blessed to be able to buy it directly from the dairy for $2.50/gallon.
Well, must run...my grocery "delivery" will be here soon. I also need to go try to figure out how to cook this here ham this afternoon. I've never done a whole ham before. We'll see what happens--at least it isn't Tuesday.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "When I grow up, I'll need a wife to change my diapers. Lovable is nice."
--Tater Tot

Our Enormous God

2008-02-05T19:05:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I just remembered something that happened last week. I think I'd blocked it subconciously, due to it's heartstopping nature.
I was reading my emails early one morning, with Lil Miss H playing near my feet. After a few minutes, she started playing w/ the computer cords and I immediately rose to get her. Suddenly, the printer started falling from the shelf in the closet, over 5 feet up. Miss H was pulling on its cord and had pulled it off! Miracle of miracles, I caught it. I don't remember catching it--and I am *awful* at catching anything but a cold--but there I found myself, both arms stuck out with the printer sitting on top, inches over Miss H's head. It all happened in the span of probably 12 seconds, start to finish. When the shock wore off, I started shaking and thanking God for sparing Miss H. I starting thinking, "What if I hadn't *immediately* gotten up?" "What if I had missed the printer?" "What if..."
All I could do was thank the Lord. I have no doubt whatsoever that *HE* saved her.
So, I gave a last shudder, hugged H, thanked God again, then went on with my day.
I didn't even think about the episode again until that night...
We were involved in a discussion in the living room, the children were playing, talking, reading--run of the mill evening fare. Next thing I knew, someone let out a shriek and The Ram was picking Miss H up from the bottom landing of the stairs--she had fallen all the way down. The Ram witnessed her descent, and he said she fell well (if there's such a thing). Our stairs are carpeted and, evidently, she stayed relaxed...She stood up at the bottom and was ready for a snuggle with Daddy and Mama. After half a minute of crying, she was fine. We watched her for any negative signs, but she never had the least bit of a problem. Again--we were praising God for protecting her.
I'm sure someone searching for fault could find it, but The Ram and I were *right there*. We responded immediately. Things just happen. We are as diligent as possible, but when you boil it down, it is still the Lord who is in control. Truly, He is the one who holds our life in His hands.
I remember hearing the story of when The Ram, as a boy, fell out of a van in motion, right onto the pavement. I've been told many times of the earthquake that hit our area when I was about 6 months old. It left a long crack on a wall of the house I grew up in. Mama said she ran to the kitchen to hold onto the counter, but forgot me, sitting in a baby seat under a swinging light fixture. She wasn't able to get to me because of the shaking, but I believe the Lord had me right in His hand. Just as He had Loveable, Lioness and me when we were involved in a car wreck nearly 10 years ago.
The Ram and I have lost a baby. It is incredibly painful. The experience caused me, for a while, to hyperfocus on safety. It was beyond being sure the children wear their helmets on bike rides or making sure the baby's car seat is installed properly. I do those things so I don't have to worry that there was more I could have done--should an accident occur. No, after Charity died, I had to fight not to be a fretting, fearful mother, who wouldn't allow her children any freedom, lest they get hurt. It was a sore temptation right after Charity's death, and I'll admit, still is at times. But, days like last week, when the Lord reminds me that I'm not in control, help me relax and enjoy this good life our Lord has granted.
Sorry this was such a heavy post. Just needed saying...
Hey--
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

My New Cell Phone/ Ewemanitarian Award

2008-02-04T21:44:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Hope your Monday was great! Ours was just beautiful. The temperature was around 70! The Lambies rode their bikes in the driveway and I sat in the sun. Lil Miss H got to ride in the bike trailer. She's big enough this year. A lovely day...
Some of you have been privy to my cell phone situation. Back in 2001 The Ram and I got matching cell phones when we moved (back) to KY. Though The Ram has had a couple new phones since then (he uses his a lot w/ work) my poor old "model T" was the one I used. As long as I didn't need to dial a "3" "6" or "9", it worked ok. LOL Somehow, those keys froze up the last time Tater dunked the phone into a glass of water. And that was a couple years ago.
I was embarrassed once when my dad asked me to call my brother on the cell. I assured Daddy I was more than happy to do that...then, I realized the first digit in the number was "6". I was glad Lioness had remembered the "Kid's Phone," so I just used it. All the keys work on that one :-)
One fun thing about that old phone was sending text messages. My notes were like little puzzles written out with whatever characters were working at the time. The Ram "enjoyed" figuring those out. A word of advice: those little foreign money signs and stuff work great in a text message pinch.
But, truly, the old phone had outlived its usefulness. It was hard to admit that...I had it all nice and worn in, just like I liked it (well, except for the whole "3,6,9" business.)
We had tried a few times to get me a new phone, but for different reasons, it didn't work out. Then, a friend on a white horse rode in (with help from the US Postal Service) and delivered to me a new phone! The first thing I did was to text The Ram with a note comprised of all the characters I had been unable to send for so long...the 3,6,9 and all their corresponding letters. I had forgotten how easy texting could be--when you can actually use all the keys! Wow.
I do miss my old ring tone. I keep missing calls, because I don't know what the noise is. LOL I had had that old ring tone so long, the new one just doesn't spur me to action yet. I'll get used to it. :-)
So, SRF-- THANK YOU! Here's to text messages without Euro signs and to the ability to dial "911!" (clink) I award you The Ewemanitarian Award for your kind gesture. :-)
Well, I'm heading to bed. Got to get up early tomorrow to wait for the snow. ;-) Btw, Phil the groundhog needs to quit looking so hard for that shadow...
Anyway,
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

2008-02-04T19:21:00.001-06:00

My Beautiful Tulips
Aren't these lovely? They bloomed around New Year's. Sadly, they are all dead now.

The Ewe

Shoulda Seen It Comin'

2008-01-29T19:20:00.001-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,

Boy, oh, boy...it was 60 degrees here yesterday. Today, the wind chill was -8 around noon. Brr! We got a dusting of snow, but most of it just blew away. The wind has been fierce here the last couple days.

Let me share something with you...

We were *supposed* to have bean enchiladas tonight for dinner. (as per my menu plan) Well, at 4:00 p.m., when I typically go to the kitchen to begin dinner preparations, I discovered we are out of chili powder. Hmmm...that's the main ingredient in my red sauce. The heat on The Ark is out, and I *didn't* want to brave subzero temps just to get chili powder. So, I improvised. (shudder) I was desperate. I do *not* improvise well. I approach cooking very scientifically, reading reviews for a half dozen recipes for the same dish, dissecting every angle to choose The Perfect Recipe. Then, I execute. Usually, the food turns out fairly good. I don't mind eating it. ;-) Now, *why* do I go to all that trouble??? Because when I *don't* disasters happen like what did tonight.

Lioness, good sport that she is, agreed to taste the red sauce first. The first 3 seconds the look on her face was pleased. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened, she grabbed her throat and ran for the fridge. Her voice was raspy as she choked out, "Ouch!!" She repeated that a couple times. Then I made out another phrase, "Liquid fire." Her eyes were watering...

Hmmm...too much red pepper, I guess.

We deemed the sauce unuseable. Frustration. Then, Understanding!! Oh, yeah!! It's TUESDAY!!! Well, of course!

Ah. There's always cereal.

Y'all keep your wool dry,

The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "Bulgarians are people who don't eat meat." --T.T.

Keeping the Plates Spinning

2008-01-28T21:50:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, the snow is gone. It was actually around 60 degrees here today. ! So, the snow melted. But, no worries! It's supposed to snow tomorrow! Yay, new snow! (did you hear the sarcasm?) I was getting tired of the old snow, anyway. LOL I do love snow, but once the temp hits 60, Spring Fever sets in for me...but, it's only January...
Hey, rejoice with me! This is the (count 'em) second night I've gone to bed with all the dishes washed--even the hand wash stuff! Yay for me! I guess I should say, all the dishes *I know of*. There are always a few hiding in cracks or crevices, avoiding the rigors of the dishwasher. You know the ones, when you find them you say to yourself, "Why was *that* *here*?" Anyway, someone call the FlyLady, quick!!! (Don't tell her, though, that I've stopped wearing shoes in the house. I find that the kitchen floor is swept and mopped much, much more frequently when I go barefoot. ICK! lol)
I announced to The Flock last night (after the last dish was washed) that we were no longer going to be eating or drinking. I acquiesced today, though, and allowed them to drink by holding their hands into little cup shapes. That doesn't work well for the soup, though--too hot. Ah well, the battle against grime must go on.
Maybe tomorrow I'll let them use the dishes again. ;-)
Must run...that rooster'll crow too soon.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

P.S. No children or husbands were harmed during the drafting of this post.

Update on Last Post

2008-01-24T08:36:00.000-06:00

Ok...
Got up this morning and the temp was -1 with a wind chill of -16. BRRRRR!

Cold, Very Cold

2008-01-23T21:48:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
You know, I use this blog not only to tell friends and family some of the goings-on at The Fold, but also to kind of journal the mundane so that our descendants can look back and know a bit of what it was like "back then." That's why I'm telling you,

"It's cold!" Tonight, the low is supposed to be 1 degree with a windchill of -12 (stop laughing, SRF!) I looked out of the window today and realized that I don't remember when the snow that is on the ground, fell. It's been there so long, I just don't remember. Freaky. Kinda like the grass down South in the summer--"When did it grow there?" "Dunno...been there a long time."
Boy...sure is a good thing I like winter. :-) LOL
Y'all keep your wool dry, er...warm,
The Ewe

A Needed Encouragement

2008-01-19T08:15:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, it's ZERO degrees here...with a wind chill of between -10 and -14. WAHOOO!!! (wry laugh) I'm rethinking my attraction to Alaska. (Sorry, S.R.F.) The heat in The Ark went out last week (grrrr...uh, no..."BRRR!"). We had a frosty ride home from church last night. I'm preparing to hole up here at The Fold so The Ram can take The Ark to The Mechanic. Such irony--year before last I was yearning for air conditioning in the van...LOL
Let me tell you about a book I recently read...It's called _Passionate Housewives, Desperate for God_. It was a real encouragement to me. I've been a stay-at-home mom for 13+ years now, and after years of being told (by society) I'm throwing my life down a rat hole, wasting my intelligence and education by withering away here at home, it was so refreshing to read a book that succinctly reminds me of *why* I'm doing all this and *how* all this really matters. Ah, balm to my soul!
I'm sure some can take exception with some of the ideas in the book (isn't that always true?), but for at-home Mamas who could use a lift--it might be just what the Dr. ordered. ;-)
Well, must run...Lil Miss H just toddled in here, needing some Mama time. I'm thinking things might be a little damp "Down South." ;-)
Hey...stay warm and...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Another "Failure to Communicate"

2008-01-17T22:04:00.000-06:00

Hi again, F.O.T.E.'s,
I'm going to try to type fast and quietly, as I'm the only one still awake here...(shhh...)
Lioness mentioned in a comment on the last post about "open." Reminded me I need to tell you about that episode...
You see, two of the Lambs were sick last week--Lioness had been sick two weeks...Lil Miss H had a *nasty* looking eye. (poor babe) Finally, I saw that they weren't getting better on their own, so I did something drastic. I took them to the doctor. (gasp) Those who know me well know that I resist going to the dr. and resist taking the littles unless absolutely necessary. Ram and I agreed last week--those two had to go.
So, I loaded the whole Flock into the Ark and went to the physician. Lovable was left in charge of Musical and Tater Tot in the waiting room (UGH---GERMS!) while I went back with Lioness and LMH.
Did I mention we don't often go to the doctor?
Dr. G was examining Lioness. Dr. went to Lioness' good ear and looked in. Lioness informed her that *that* wasn't the sore ear. Doc stated, "Yes. I know that. But I want to look at the *good ear* to see how bad the *bad ear* is." chuckle chuckle (Dr. G is very good natured and funny.)
Doc then looked up Lioness' nose. Ick.
Doc then told Lioness, "Open."
Lioness stared at Doc.
Doc again instructed, "Open!"
Lioness stared hard at Doc and even leaned forward a bit. I was thinking it was an "Alpha Dog Showdown" with them both pushing forward toward each other. I also thought Lioness better shape up or she was going to have an "attitude adjustment" when we got home.
When Doc commanded "OPEN your MOUTH!!" we realized that Lioness had thought Doc meant "Open your eyes." Thus the eye-bulging stare.
ROTFLOL
Oh me. We all got a good laugh out of that.
After the exam, we dismissed to the waiting room to collect the others. The receptionist raved to me about what wonderful children I have (blush). It's always nice for folks to brag on your kids, no?
I praised everyone for their cooperation on the way home and hoped that that was the last doctor's visit for a while.
The next day, Lovable came up to me...
"Mom. My throat hurts."
ARGH!!! Waiting room germs!!!

Oops, there's Lil Miss H...gotta run...
The Ewe

Failure to Communicate

2008-01-15T15:54:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
You know, in college I majored in journalism. My studies were all about communicating clearly. I felt like I did pretty well at it. My instructors did, too...as did my employers at various radio and television stations. I carried no noticeable accent (of course my college was in the South, so take that for what's it worth) and could generally find just the word I wanted to use.
Now, however, I sometimes struggle to get my point across. After a few years living in TN, I now have a draaawll. Oh well. Southern Drawl is a creature more pervasive than kudzu. Fight as you will, you will probably pick it up.
A few minutes ago, Tater and I had a "failure to communicate."

He walked up to me and said: "Mama, would you make me some cereal?"
I replied: "Yesterday you made your own cereal."
He answered: "Yeah, but I want more."

I got so tickled. You know, I think communicating with adults is a whole other animal than communicating with children. It really stretches the mind...

Must run. We're having "soul food" tonight--pinto beans and collard greens with cornbread and cheese. (YUM) Time to go make the "sweet tea." :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

My Beautiful Tulips

2008-01-09T13:51:00.000-06:00

Aren't these lovely? They bloomed around New Year's. Sadly, they are all dead now.
The Ewe

Happy New Year from the Flock!

2008-01-03T08:26:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
We are putting away Christmas things and trying to get back to the routine around here. I really enjoy the holidays, but I'm ready to get back to the "same ol', same ol'."
I'm initiating (another) all out war on clutter. I've discovered that the Clutter War is never over, you just fight different battles. My two main weapons are the trash can and a Goodwill bag. I like the FlyLady approach and maybe one day I will succeed at actually *doing* it. lol For now, though, I'll just draw inspiration from her and fill up those two recepticals.
We are also trying to iron out any family health issues. I'm seeing a new doctor who is actually listening to me about my thyroid problems. She thinks we may try some antithyroid medication to see if that helps. I am hoping for an end to the Endless Summer that only I experience. lol
We'll be trying out a new dentist soon, too. All the children are due for check ups and Musical has a stubborn baby tooth that is all too content to abide in front of her adult tooth. We tease her about being a shark.
I guess that's all for now. The Lambs are waking up and I imagine they will expect to be fed. (smile)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Happy Ewe

2007-12-06T14:50:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I'm a happy ewe today. It is now 2:50p.m. It's been snowing since around 10:30 this morning. There is now about 3 inches covering the ground. It's a beautiful thing. At one point, the flakes were nearly as big as a cotton bolls.
The lambies all bundled up in snow suits and boots and played outside a couple hours. I sent Lioness out with some cocoa to warm everyone up a bit. One of the neighbor kids came over to throw snowballs. Finally, everyone had enough for today and came inside.
Lioness mixed up some gingerbread dough, so they're rolling out gingerbread men.
Yup. Life is good.
Gotta run...there's a puddle at the back door that needs some attention.
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Just What I Needed This Morning

2007-11-13T07:12:00.000-06:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.s!
It is a glorious day shaping up here in the Midwest. From my computer I'm watching the sun creep up from behind the roofs of these cozy, warm houses here in my subdivision. What a blessing to have a warm place to be on these chilly nights.
You know, I have made peace with The Big City. I have found that, though I still prefer country life, God has provided lovely things no matter where you are. I have learned to "bloom where I'm planted" and enjoy the life God has for me here. No matter that we may be moving at any time--wherever The Ram's job leads us--this is "the day that the Lord has made!"
I was already thinking about this before I read the article I'm linking to below. I'm going to share it with you, with the warning that everything on the website won't apply to everyone, nor will everyone agree w/ everything on the site. (How's that for a disclaimer? LOL)
Without further adieu or caveat:
http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/Biblical_Womanhood_and_Christian_Living_14/The_Danger_of_Self-Pity1002959.shtml

That convicted me. That encouraged me. I needed that. :-) I'm off to "embrace motherhood!"

Hey, by the way--
Y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Quick Quote

2007-10-26T19:57:00.000-05:00

Hey there...I've just got a second...

"Mommy, I wanted to marry you when I growed up. But Daddy just growed faster than me."
--Tater Tot

Whadda sweetie. :-)
The Ewe

Rheumy Rooms 'Round About

2007-10-24T12:53:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
My mama used to use the term "rheumy" when someone had watery eyes and a sniffly nose. I hadn't thought of that word in a long time, but Lil Miss H's face last night reminded me. :-( Yup. The whole Flock--minus Lovable and The Ram--is sick. I'm assuming it's the flu. (no, we don't "do" flu shots ;-) Anyway, whatever IT was, IT took me down Monday. UGH! Life stinks when Mama's sick, no? The Lambies were great at taking care of me--so sweet. Still, the work Mama does tends to accumulate while Mama's lying in bed, feverish. Tuesday, I was able to get out of bed, but I was pretty weak. Today--Wed--I'm feeling stronger, but my body is in a major "expulsion" mode--expelling the remnants of IT. Yuk.
Tater still has a cough...poor boy.
Musical is hoarse.
Lioness is achy.
And Lil Miss H... aww...she's miserable. This is the first time she's been sick. She is still nursing, so I'm trying to get her to nurse as much as possible, to get those good antibodies I'm making. God is sooo smart! He designed one terrific feeding system for our babies. :-)
Well, I'm going to skedaddle and try to get some more antibodies into my lil Lamby.
Y'all keep your wool dry...but mosturized!
The Ewe

Caught!

2007-10-11T09:06:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, no culinary disasters to tell you about today. I played it safe last night and just popped some frozen chicken breasts (pre-cooked!) in the oven. No fancy moves. Just a hunk of meat. No problems. :-)
I discovered last night that my children have observed (and been kind enough not to comment on) a strange habit I have.
You see, my mother had a deep wrinkle between her eyebrows--that "knitted brow" look. In the last few years, I have developed my *own* Knitted Brow Wrinkle. It is an annoyance.
So, in a futile, and rather pathetic, attempt to expel that wrinkle, I have gotten into the (odd) habit of raising and stretching apart my eyebrows with my fingers. To my knowledge, I generally only indulge in this strange habit when no one else is around. At least, I *thought* no one else was around.
It was revealed last night that, at a minimum, Lioness and Lovable have observed this little ritual. They confessed to having noticed me doing it, wondering "Why?" and deciding not to ask and risk embarrassing their ol' mother.
LOL We all enjoyed a hearty laugh and I explained my odd behavior.
I think the girls were relieved.
"Oh...it's just a WRINKLE THING! Oh, OK...good!"

Sigh...My eyesight's getting weird, too...but I'll save the bifocal talk for another post.

Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Revenge of the Tuesdays

2007-10-10T13:05:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Happy Wednesday!
Well, Tuesday made another joust at my cooking last night. My chicken and rice--which I've made countless times--was not cooked through by supper time. I have not had that problem before. I put it in the oven in plenty of time. Got the table set, drinks poured...then, unveiled the chicken and...

uncooked rice! GRRRRR!!!

I didn't let it get me down, though. I wouldn't give Tuesday the satisfaction. :-) I cooked up a couple frozen pizzas, put the casserole *back* in the oven...and went on with life. The rice was ready at about bedtime. I boxed it up and put it in the freezer for The Ram's lunches. Aha! Take *that,* Tuesday!

I'm considering moving my kitchen calendar to a wall that the stove can't see...

Gotta run...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

GRRRRR!!! Tuesdays

2007-10-02T19:52:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I'm just so aggravated. Those pesky Tuesdays! While everyone is on the lookout for Mondays, Tuesdays just sneak up and pow you! For months now, when something unpleasant has happened around here, it's been on a Tuesday. I won't go into all those other things, but tonight was just almost funny.
I have made pot roast countless times over the years. Juicy, yummy, tender pot roast. Why, oh why, did I get a wild notion today to "try it a new way" today? ACK! I'd forgotten it was TUESDAY (cue eerie music).
I won't bore you with all the sordid details, but suffice it to say that I *won't* be trying that "new way" again. Yup. I'm sticking w/ the Old Way.
You remember Yosemite Sam in the cartoon, and the way he'd get all riled up and start shooting his pistols while they were still in the holsters? And it would make him fly up in the air, muttering G-rated expletives? Yeah, well, if I'd had a couple pistols today...
I was just mad enough to spit nails when I came to the table. I was so mad, I decided I would sprinkle brown sugar on my baked sweet potato. I usually just use some cinnamon, but tonight, I decided my disposition needed a little sweetenin' up.
At one point, after we'd gotten our meat, but before anyone asked for a sweet potato, I just looked around that pitiful table. Everyone had a mouthful of meat and they were just chomping, chomping, chomping, trying to chew it up enough to swallow. We looked like a bunch of wolves, just tearing at a carcass. The more I looked around, the funnier things got. The kids were all being very positive, "Oh, Mama, but it has a good *flavor*!" The Ram threw in his affirmations, "It's ok, Honey... Babe Ruth didn't always hit a home run...he struck out alot!"
I decided the memory was worth some tough pot roast.

Then, I grabbed a sweet potato.
The silly thing was hard as a rock!!!! Ok, that was just the *last straw.* I choked down my last bite of meat and went to the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal.
I was mad again.
Then, The Ram admitted, "I was thinking about doing that myself." (getting some cereal)
ROTFLOL
Oh, well.
I'll be looking out for Tuesday next week. No fancy new moves.

Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Hello, From The Fold

2007-09-27T17:01:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
My, my...I can't believe so many days have passed since I blogged. It's been that kind of month, lol. September is the "End of Fiscal Year" for The Ram. Kinda like March and April are for accountants. We've been gritting our teeth and plunging forward like a running back with the ball, at 3rd and Goal. LOL Whew...C'MON OCTOBER!!!
The pressure on The Ram is always worst this time of year. Me, I keep busy baking him brownies to take in to the office. No, The Ram isn't so hooked on brownies, but the gals who work in his office *are* and they really count on the chocolate high to get them through, LOL.
We are all looking forward to the first weekend and last weekend of Oct. The first weekend, we'll be celebrating Lovable's Double Digit Birthday. Yup...she's adding a digit to her age. Possibly the last time she'll ever do that, though I wish for her to make it to 100. :-)
I expected her to want a Tea Party, like Lioness did this year. She surprised me, though, and asked to go camping. Go figure. Oh, but keep in mind, she wants to camp in a cabin. LOL So, we'll be pulling up stakes next weekend and setting up camp over in KS in a cute little cabin at a state park.
Now, at the end of the month, we're planning a trip Down South to visit the GrandRams and EweDaddy. So exciting! Oh, and, by the way, EweDaddy will be turning 80! We're planning on celebrating with him while we're down there.
Oops...the Lambies are streaming inside after a romp in the yard. I've gotta rush off to let them know those brownies in the kitchen are NOT for THEM! :-)
Hey, y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Quote of the Day: "You can do it! You can do it! You can! You can!" Ravi Zacharias, preacher on the radio

The Story of the Nuclear Chicken

2007-09-15T11:35:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Well, it seems The Weather has a calendar, here in the Midwest, as the temperatures have become quite Fallish and Wonderful! The Ram was shocked a few days ago to come home from work and find me *outside*!! "Ah," he said, "fall must be here! The Ewe is out of hibernation!" LOL Indeed, I'm loving the cool weather.
A question posed to an e-list I'm on reminded me of a story that I must tell you.
Many years ago, I was making a chicken broccoli casserole.
The recipe called for a tablespoon of lemon juice, which I didn't have. "Hmmm.....what to do?"

Inspiration!! I had an envelope of lemon-lime Koolaid...that would give a lemonish flavor, no?

So...I sprinkled some Koolaid mix into the casserole and it immediately turned the whole thing neon green! Chicken and all.

I stood over the dish, gazing into it... "Hmmm...Maybe The Ram won't notice." LOL

My wonderful husband, who suffered through the early years of our marriage while I desperately learned how to cook; the poor man who patiently went to the door on more than one occasion and convinced the firefighters that, "Really, there's no fire--it's just smoke!"
This wonderful man, who had choked down every other suspicious meal I'd put on the table for years...Could NOT force himself to eat Neon Green Chicken Casserole.

Sigh...I'll tell you what, though, I treasure that memory. I have since learned to "hold my own" in the cooking department, but the family LOVES to remind me of the Lime Green Chicken. ROTFLOL

Well, gotta run...I've got an experiment going in the oven I'd better go check on. Watch out for the mushroom cloud.
Hey, y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Brownie Recipe and Comments Problem

2007-09-10T15:24:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I'm having a problem with the comments section, and I can't reply to your comments...boo hoo! Anyway, I *am* reading them, though, and I guess I'll "comment" here. :-)
As for the brownies, I thought about it...and decided I *would* share the recipe. LOL (had thought about keeping it a secret...NAH!)
Ok...here goes:

Mrs. H's Fudgy Brownies

3 squares (1 oz each) baking chocolate, chopped coarsely
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Prepare 8X8 pan by lining w/ foil and spraying (I like Baker's Joy). Preheat oven to 350. Stir flour and soda together in small bowl.
Melt butter and chocolate on LOW (very important to be on low), stirring occasionally.
When chocolate's melted, remove from heat and stir in sugar. Once sugar is dissolved, beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread in pan and bake for 33 minutes (or so).
This makes about 16 brownies.

Now, that is my recipe. It's only won a blue ribbon. L.L.'s is a two time reserve champion. I'll let her post hers on her blog. :-)
Ok...that's all for today.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Brownie Bonanza Results

2007-09-08T21:33:00.001-05:00

Hey there,

We visited the Fair today and dropped by to see the results of the baking contest. Thought I'd let you know...

My brownies got a blue ribbon, as did Musical's. Lovable was awarded a red ribbon. And (drum roll, please) Lioness got not only a blue ribbon, but was named the Junior Baking Reserve Grand Champion. YAY!!! (I'm guessing that if the Grand Champion shows up hot for steroids or something, Lioness will get her crown. ;-) This mint brownie recipe of L.L.'s has now won two baking awards...This current one, and the second place in our church's Brownie Bake Off.

I've said for some time now that my girls will surpass me in the cooking department. I fully expect and promote that. I didn't get started until I was already married--our girls have a head start!
;-)

Well, must run...laundry beckons.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Brownie Bonanza

2007-09-07T13:41:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I've just got a quick minute to tell you what's happening at The Fold today.
Lioness, Lovable, Musical and I are about to head out to the local country fair. (I know...it's strange--a country fair here in the city...well, here in the suburbs...)
We are each entering our brownies in the baking contest. Mine are the classic, fudgy sort...Lioness has developed her very own chocolate mint...Lovable chose a peanut butter chip...Musical whipped up some with white chocolate.
After sampling a nibble of each (!) pan...I feel as if I never care to eat another brownie...ever. YUK!
I can't imagine the judges liking any of these! LOL
Well, we'll see what happens. Maybe next year we ought to diversify a bit. :-)
Anyway, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

The Terrifying Teen Brain

2007-08-21T10:22:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
As if on cue, I received a homeschooling magazine yesterday, with the cover story entitled, "The Myth of the Teen Brain." It was a very interesting read, especially since we've just become parents of a "teen." :-) I'm hoping the link will work, if it doesn't, please copy and paste the URL into your browser and take a look at this article.

http://drrobertepstein.com/pdf/Epstein%20-%20THE%20MYTH%20OF%20THE%20TEEN%20BRAIN%20-%20Scientific%20American%20Mind%20-%204-8-07.pdf

You could also go to http://www.thecaseagainstadolescence.com and click on the link to "The Myth of the Teen Brain."
I thought especially interesting was the study of Inuits in Canada. It showed a link between teen behavior and television viewing.
Ok...gotta run...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Just the Quote, Ma'am

2007-08-20T19:10:00.000-05:00

Tater Tot: "A mer-man teached me how to jump on one foot!"

This exclaimed as we were putting on his pants, and he discovered we had accidentally put both feet through the same leg. :-)

Oh, the Fearsome Fangs!!!

2007-08-20T14:56:00.000-05:00

Just a quick news flash:

"Little Miss H Has Erupted!"

two teeth...both on the bottom middle...happened overnight.

:-)

She's nearly 9 mo...definitely the latest any of our lambies got their first teeth. So far, she hasn't bitten me. :-)

Ok...carry on...

The Ewe

Happy Birthday, Lioness!

2007-08-16T22:26:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
Ok, so, Lioness' birthday was actually nearly a month ago, but I am having a hard time getting to sleep...so I decided I'd tell you about L.L's Big Day.
Indeed, L.L. has turned 13. So far, the walls have not caved in. ;-) For the last couple years, we've heard tales of doom and gloom about The Day You Discover a TEENAGER in Your Home. LOL Obviously, we still have plenty of time left in the "teen years" (lol) but I refuse to roll over on my back and believe that my daughter has lost her mind for the next 7 years. No, I'm going to claim that she has been given a "spirit of power, a spirit of love and a sound mind." :-) (I know you're rolling your eyes at me, lol.)
Anyway, L.L. had wanted us to have a "Tea" for her new friends here in the Big City. So, we pulled out the hand crocheted table topper that my mother had done years ago, several China pieces that seldom see the light of day (yes, I *know* I ought to use them...just haven't gotten into the habit yet), and all the cookbooks, looking for dainty appetizers.
We took a trip to Hobby Lobby and Old Time Pottery to buy up a bunch of lacy doo dads and a punch bowl. Gotta have a punch bowl!!
Lovable worked our "tablescape" for us--she's got quite an eye for flower arranging.
Musical perfected her punch serving technique.
We all scurried around scrubbing this and that, shining the other.
The day of the Tea, The Ram took Tater out to The Farm to pick corn. They had a great time--found a tiny frog sitting on the leaf of a squash plant...and a rotten raccoon carcass at the end of a corn row. I'm told the stench was nearly overpowering. LOL
Anyway, back at The Fold, our guests arrived and snacked. The girls all played (I believe I counted 19 girls here!?) We Mamas chatted like crazy and sipped punch. (It was too hot outside--no one wanted tea, unless it was iced.)
We had requested on the invitations that no one bring gifts--it somehow seemed to me that gifts might "cheapen" a party like that, and could cause awkward moments...so, we asked each family to bring a recipe written out for L.L. to put into her scrapbook. Those are very special recipes to her. :-)
I gave her a "recipe journal" that we had found a couple months ago. It is blank, but I am systematically writing in it. I tell about a particular recipe--where I found it, etc--then write out the recipe. I have learned that handwritten recipes, all spattered and worn, are a real treasure.
Anyway, it was a beautiful day and I believe Lioness felt honored. Sure hope so. :-) If the walls start giving way, I'll try to shoot out a blog post to let you know what's going on. ;-)
Well, (yawn), the old brain's shutting down. Better haul myself into bed before I fall asleep here at the keyboard.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

The (Little) King and I

2007-08-15T18:19:00.000-05:00

I've only got a minute...but I didn't want to forget this...

"We can't go to the beach...
'Cuz we're stuck...
In a hole...
In the middle of a desert island."

These are the lyrics that Tater Tot is singing, Bob Dylan style, while he strums the little child's guitar we found in the garage.

Also, this morning,

Tater: "Morgan, why don't you like the crust?"
Morgan: (nothing but silence)
Tater: "ANSWER IN MY HOUSE!!!!" yelled in King of Siam style

I could hardly believe he was being so rude! I fussed at him for being ugly to our guest. As he hugged me around the legs he sobbed, "But we DO have ants in our house!!!"

OOPS!!!!LOL

Email me if you don't get that. ;-)
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Longing for 'Laska

2007-08-14T07:09:00.000-05:00

Hello, FOTE's,
I'm a heat wimp. We're expecting another day with temps in the 100's, heat index around 110. ACK!!! I don't handle this well. I get testy. I hibernate. Ok, I'm just griping now--ignore me...
Hey! Guess what! We bought a DEhumidifier for our basement last weekend. I am astounded at how much water is in the air down there! We're emptying the tank on that thing (maybe a couple gallons?) every few hours. It's kind of unsettling to know we've been breathing that. LOL Of course, in the winter, we do all we can to put moisture *into* the air. Guess we're like cats--always on the wrong side of the door. :-)
The Amazing Miss H still has no teeth. She's 8 mo. She does like veggies and fruits, though. She just gums them to a pulp, lol. She has learned to clap her hands and we all enjoy watching that. Her mohawk (!) is growing out, so her hair is beginning to lie down...a bit. She's cruising around furniture and anything that will sit still long enough, including siblings. A couple of times she has stood, no hands, for a microsecond before falling down and hopping off. (She doesn't crawl--she hops like a frog.)
Tater spends his days foraging for food and transforming into "Scott the Dog." You never know when Scott will show up. At church Sunday, I turned around to discover Tater was gone and Scott was there. The Ram told Scott that if he (Scott) wanted to walk with him (The Ram) he (Scott) was going to have to walk on his hind legs.
Lovable is working on a new quilt. She's on the square-cutting-out phase.
Musical is really starting to read a lot. In family devotions last night, she impressed us all by reading the word "acknowledging." :-)
Lioness is tending a couple pots of turnips and broccoli on the back deck. She is collecting the worms that get on them for her Daddy. Ram plans on using the worm carcasses to create a spray to put on the plants to scare off any new worms. We're hoping the new ones "smell death."
Ok, well, the Lambs are beginning to rouse for the day. I need to gear up to "run herd."
Y'all keep your wool dry, (cool?)
The Ewe

Lost Teeth, Pulling Up, Update

2007-07-19T15:15:00.000-05:00

Really quick update...

Let's see...last Sat, Lil Miss H pulled up on her own. It was on the couch. She did it to better reach the contents of Mama's purse. Most household items are moving up the walls. (email if you don't "get" that ;-)
Last Sun, both Musical and Lovable lost teeth. No, the Tooth Fairy has not yet visited, as I... I mean *she* has to repair her tutu. I...I mean, she, has only a few bits left to fix, then she will take her "midnight ride." Musical asks each night, with a twinkling eye, "Is she coming tonight?" I answer, "She will come when you least expect it." LOL I love this job.
Well, I need to go so I can...umm...do some...errr...ummm..SEWING...so I need to fly...er...run.
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

Have a Glorious 4th!

2007-07-03T20:11:00.000-05:00

I was lying down with Tater Tot tonight, trying to help him relax and go to sleep. All of a sudden, we heard a loud BANG! T.T. said, "Is that a thunderstorm?" I said, "No. That was fireworks." T.T. coiled himself to sprrrrrringggg out of bed. It wasn't even dark outside, so I knew he wouldn't be able to see anything...(Plus, eek! I'd just gotten him to bed. If he hopped up then, no telling how long it would be to wind him down again!)
I knew I needed to rephrase my answer..."It wasn't fireworks really, just a firecracker." He relaxed back on the bed. "Oh," he said nonchalantly, "Is that why they don't eat them? Because there's fire?"

Oooooh!!! Aaaahhhh!!! OOooohhh!

Ahem. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry, and away from open fire...
The Ewe

Yummy to the Tummy!

2007-06-30T21:37:00.001-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
We just finished off a batch of an old family recipe. Growing up, one of the biggest delights was Mama and Daddy whipping up a canister of banana ice cream. MMMMMmmm! Mama always liked her ice cream *icy* not *creamy*. LOL So, I grew up thinking that expensive gourmet stuff was GROSS!! It wasn't cold enough...too soft. :-) So, really, I guess what Mama made was more ice milk than ice cream. Whatever it was, it was GOOD!
Anyway, today I noticed the bananas I bought last week were getting overripe. I knew it'd been a long time since we made ice cream (the youngest children didn't even remember!)...and we had all the ingredients, including the bagged ice and rock salt...I knew where the ice cream freezer was...soooo....
The rest is history. It was all slurped up in a hurry, except for about 2 cups of the stuff that we put in a storage box and slid into the freezer. I imagine it will incite rioting in the future. LOL
The recipe is one Mama got from the Farm Bureau, I believe. She used it since she first got married. I'll include it below, with my modifications:

'Nanner Cream'

2 qts milk
3 cups sugar (I just had a bit over 2 cups...it tasted fine, I thought)
4 eggs, well beaten (I only had 3, so that's what I used)
can of evaporated milk (Mama called it 'Milnot')
2 t vanilla extract
1 t salt

Mix all up in medium sized saucepan. Cook on medium, stirring constantly until mixture steams, about 20 minutes. Cool in fridge. Mash (or process) 2-3 bananas and add to mixture. Freeze in freezer.

Now, Mama never did the "cool in fridge" part--took too long. LOL I do that part, because usually I have to do things in stages anyway.
The 4th of July is coming up, so this might be a fun way to celebrate. :-)
Gotta run...

Y'all keep your wool dry (and un-sticky!)
The Ewe

I Ain't Skeered (or) Naughty and Nice

2007-06-22T12:52:00.000-05:00

Just a quick funny:

Tater Tot, waxing eloquent:

"It's naughty to spit on people...Nice people don't skeer babies...So do I not."

:-)

Immodest Garden?

2007-06-22T08:34:00.001-05:00

Hello F.O.T.E.s,
We're busy, busy, busy around here, but I wanted to share something with you before I forgot...
Remember we visited the GrandRams last week (or was that 2 weeks ago??)? Anyway, GrandRaMama and GrandRam have a nifty little garden. The lambies look forward each visit to seeing how the different plants have grown.
Last visit, I was sitting in the house w/ Lil Miss H, when Musical came tearing in through the door. She was so excited!!
"Mama! GrandRaMama has *BIKINIS* growing in her garden!!!"

:-)

Yum, yum! I *love* bikini bread. Hardly tastes like a vegetable at all...

Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Anybody for a Snow Cup?

2007-06-19T15:56:00.001-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I've just gotta take a minute to brag on my Lambies. Lioness, Lovable and Musical...and Tater Tot (to the best of his ability) are running a shaved ice stand in our driveway. GrandRam built them a big ol' sign out of dry erase board and they have a utility table set up. They've been freezing ice for days, lol.
We told them at the beginning they would have to pay for their overhead, namely, the sign GrandRam built for them. The Ram, though, offered them a D.B.A. grant (similar to the Small Business Administration, but meaning DADDY Business Administration...akin to the 401Dad)
They have paid us now for the sign (we'll send you the check, GrandRam ;-) and are now in the black. They are handing out flyers announcing the Grand Opening this Sat., complete with giveaways, games and free popcorn. :-)
Something funny happened yesterday--a neighborhood boy came by wanting a Snow Cup, but all he had was a $20 bill. Lioness didn't have change for that--the Snow Cups only cost 50 cents, lol. So, the kid asked if she'd just take the $20 and give him a Snow Cup! She told him, "No, that would be IMMORAL!!!"
:-)
I advised her that, in the interest of good P.R., it would be best to just give him a Snow Cup. She did and he promised to "tell all his friends." Yay!
Well, gotta run. Need to go check on the lil entrepreneurs. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry...and EAT SNOW CUPS!!!
The Ewe

Don't Tell Him I Laughed...

2007-06-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
You know, it really irritates me to be so caught off guard by one of my children, that I laugh at something I'm going to have to discipline them for...so, note that the child in the following anecdote *was* corrected for a bad attitude and actions, and further note that I did *not* laugh at what I'm about to tell you until after said correction *and* out of sight of the offending child. Whew...with that disclaimer out of the way, lol ;-) ...
Last week, Tater Tot was having a bad morning. With The Ram out of town our schedule was off and T.T. hadn't gotten enough sleep. So, he was being just a lil stinker and having a hard time getting along with people. So, I led him back to the bedroom to help him reset his attitude. I started by saying, "T.T., you were acting ugly in there..."
Without a trace of a smile on his scowling face and glaring through narrowed eyes, he stated coldly...
"I *wasn't acting*!!"
Sigh...I must admit, there are days I'm not just acting, too. :-) My attitude needs adjusting sometimes. May the Good Lord help us all not just *act* like we should act, but also *be* like we should be. And by the way, Tater came to me later, hugged my neck and apologized for his earlier behavior. He really is a sweet kid.
Now, don't y'all act up... ;-)
AND...

Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

On the Shoulders of Giants

2007-06-17T07:08:00.000-05:00

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, today is Father's Day. I got to visit both my daddy and father-in-law last week--what a blessing!
On the way back home d-r-i-v-i-n-g (a)looooong, we listened to a preacher on the radio, delivering his Father's Day sermon. He was talking about honoring our dads and though we always hope to reach higher than our forebears, we are, indeed, "standing on the shoulders of giants." I started thinking about what great men The Ram and I each have for fathers. They are very, very different, and those differences are the very things that make each of them great. Truly, The Ram and I were both so blessed to have grown up under the care of our respective fathers. I cherish them both.
From the GrandRam's moral courage and respected leadership skills to EweDaddy's compassion and his penchant for quiet sweetness--I definitely know The Ram and I stand on the shoulders of Giants.
Let us all find ways today to encourage our dads. :-)
and also,
Y'all keep your wool dry!!
The Ewe