saving the best for last

... because you will see it first :-)



Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1 Peter 2:18-24

photo-blogging

The Artist must always be creating something pretty :-)

Miss MusicBox has enjoyed her anatomy book's chapter on the skeletal system -- and doesn't she color nicely? ;-) {Note to self: I have to get her some better pencils for this!}

The Professor is thinking physical science is a breeze after last year's biology.

This may be the last of the broccoli - it was delicious!

Silly Cowgirl is looking a bit 'green about the gills' here. You'll have to click and enlarge the photo to see the face in this melon :-) That crop is about done for this year as well. Not the bumper crop of last year, but the weather was cool this year for the most part -- and the master gardener Tim has had a few other projects to distract him. So we'll look forward to next year and it's potential great garden!

And no, I don't usually have time to blog on a Sunday, but Tim left me at home today since I have an annoying cough going :p So while it's quiet here, I'm catching up on a few things ;-)

dreaming of a master bath

Thought you all would like to see part of our future master bath :-) Funny how it almost matches what we're looking at for kitchen cabinets. Tim isn't wild about the gray top, but it's what it is and it's neutral enough for me. We even brought home the lovely 'water garden' and towel holder that were part of the display. The mirror is one that Tim framed for me for Christmas a couple years ago -- looks great with this!

salsa!

We like salsa. A lot of salsa. So this is Batch #2 from Thursday. Yesterday's Batch #3 brought us up to ~86 pints of salsa to enjoy over the next 12 months :-) I haven't yet figured out where I'm going to PUT all this extra salsa... maybe under someone's bed??

Today I've cooked up the tomatoes leftover from this week's canning. I think they'll either go in the freezer, or we'll have chili or tomato soup this week. A cold front is supposed to be rolling in this evening, so soup is sounding like a great choice. And I was just at Laura C.'s blog and saw a recipe for 'healthier' homemade corndogs -- and corndog muffins that will be super easy and appealing to some kids I know. (HeavenlyHomemakers.com for those who want to know)

I don't think I've ever served tomato soup here -- I wonder how that will go over?! Great with my non-chili-bean-lovin' boys, I think. If we didn't have leftovers in the frig that Tim will be expecting for supper, I'd make the soup tonight ;-) (I'm not even sure if HE likes tomato soup?! seems like something I should know after all these years, don't ya think?)

free resource

update of the crazy life

This is how we resorted to tweaking/testing the kitchen plan a few weeks ago... sidewalk chalk. It finally rained today, so the driveway should be washed clean again.

It's difficult to show with photos the future Home Place... but the above pic might show the view out our living room next year... (minus the fence posts)
We did work hard again Labor Day to pull more posts from the corral (which you can't see very well below) - and to be honest I spent most of my time there supervising the guys. Tim decided to leave the load-out (poles, etc near tree below) for another day since it shouldn't be in the way for digging the basement and other immediate work. He still needs to move the round bales - hopefully next Saturday if he's not busy in the combine.
The start of harvest will be a good thing since our well and electric meter will likely land behind/beside the house IN our current soybean field. But still there is SO much to figure out, decide, and DO. I am again feeling very overwhelmed and exhausted by it all. (And really Tim is the General Contractor who's making the phone calls and learning what to do and who to do it...) At the same time, it's fun. Saturday found us at an auction in Ames buying a sink/vanity for our Master Bath -- if that isn't fun, what is?!
But the lack of sleep is a definite problem lately. Last week (Tues) we went to Mr. Potential Builder's house to see his handiwork yet again as well as the kitchen cabinetry he could provide, followed by 3 hours (!) at his office with yet more tweaking of the floorplan, window sizes, etc. Getting home again at midnight left us both very bleary-weary. But Mr. Builder also said he could pour fittings in another week or less, so it's time to get digging literally!

Kitchen cabinets will not likely be needed much before New Year's if then, but since at least one company is having a sale now, we'd like to make our decision and order before Oct. 31. Waiting for 3 bids for now - added yet another company when he called them for a window bid. Tim thinks construction folks are hungry for business.

I'm not going to look at my calendar to see what else has happened in the last two weeks besides a birthday for Miss MusicBox. And salsa. Batch #1 is canned = 28 pints. Batch #2 is on the list for this week... maybe Thursday. And we need a third batch this year, we think. "Homemade" is the only brand of salsa that everyone likes here, so it's been an unhappy few months since we ran out of last year's supply. (aren't we just a bit fussy?!) ;-)



P.S. --> And just so you know, I didn't TRY to make the first sentence a hyper-link! really. I'm just not much good at making this blog do what I want when I want... But, oh well! I've got bigger world problems to solve. :-)

Sweet dreams, y'all!

sweet sixteen

We celebrated a birthday this month--
Hard to believe it could really be sixteen years since this girl showed her face.
No driver's license yet, but one of these days we'll get back to the DOT for a learner's permit first. Meanwhile she stays busy enough. Made this delicious fudgy brownie cake for her party - oh so rich and yummy.
The ring was her gift from Tim and me - a purity ring.
Someone told us many years ago to never wish our children older than they already are. Next thing you know, he said, you'll be walking her down the aisle to be someone's wife...

we are doing some *labor* here

The guys have been over at the pasture taking down fence, moving cattle, chopping down nettles, etc. I'm eager to go see what they've accomplished today!


The gals stayed home to do some 'spring' cleaning -- so far they've washed many of the screens and had a rip-roaring water fight. When they dry off a bit they can come in and wash windows before we return the screens. I've been scrubbing the kitchen (!) From the greasy stove to windows to spatterings on the ceiling (how did that get there?!)


Cowgirl made some zucchini cobbler that will be yummy tonight. And I picked up a collection of hot peppers for my one-of-these-day's salsa project -- chopped those up and put them in the freezer. Talked to my sweet mom-in-law today, and she told me I could liquify big zucs and use it in bread, etc. as "milk." :o So there's a new way to 'hide' your abundant zucchini! (I'm buying mine from my wonderful local 'egg lady' who also has a prolific garden and orchard.)



I'm ready to see if the motel pool is open to visitors so I can soak in the hot tub... but instead we need to finish what we've started and get supper going before the Hungry Men come home again.



So much more cleaning that we *could* do! When do YOU call it enough for a day??




Here's a couple of my goofy girls taking a break while the screens dry =)


And here's where I spent a lot of time with toothbrush and Goo Gone and soap and water... The before picture would have been very disgusting, so you'll just have to take my word for the improved appearance ;-)

quote(s) of the day

Status quo, you know, that is Latin for "the mess we're in." -- Ronald Reagan

Only dead fish go with the flow. -- Unknown

...as seen in "Homeschooling with the Trivium" e-newsletter from the Bluedorns

today's smoothie...

included the following ingredients:

banana, cranberry/apple juice, carrots, peaches, nectarine, apple, green pepper, cantaloupe, plain yogurt, acidophilus powder, whey powder, Vita-plex (liquid multi-vitamins), coconut oil
(not listed in order of dominance)


I think that's all - what I remember at the moment anyway.
Do you think we should all be feeling MIGHTY nutrient-dense by now??
I think we were all missing the usual strawberry flavor - that, and they have NO appreciation for the broccoli in the Vita-plex ;-)

Hurrah for my Vita -Mix blender!

pictures from August

From our day at the Fair...
We found a coin dealer who was fun to talk to. I can't read it very well either, but it says something like
Yesterday's Dollar...Today's Dollar... Obama's Dollar
Worth less less less... Getting smaller, smaller, smaller



We came home from church one day and saw this pretty butterfly on the coneflowers...



The Popper started piano lessons this summer =)

corn, corn, corn

Does this really need explaining?

=)