Happy Ewe

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!!!

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!

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

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

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

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!

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