daybook 8/30/2011

 

FOR TODAY  

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

 

 

 

Outside my window...

clouds and drizzle ~ We need a real drenching shower, but maybe we can accumulate enough with this slow and steady.  Thank you, Lord!

 
I am thinking…

Daybook posts require entirely too much of my time to be called Simple  :-{  [I think it’s just me… Count the pictures, and you’ll have an idea why.]

 

I am thankful to God …

for a beautiful crop of hay ~ and extra helpers to get it under cover during Sunday’s attempted rain showers.  And for a neighborly neighbor, Mr. Jensen (whose barn they stowed three loads into)

  

   

Lora & Janell didn’t know what they were getting into when we invited them home for Sunday dinner!

 

I am praying for...
 
… Amber & her family ~ her dad passed away recently after his battle with cancer. 

… Amber’s friend Kari

… a friend of Conny’s ~ Lilah is a newborn baby with spina bifida

… Hiromi in Japan (near the Fukushima nuclear plant) 

… Ethan and his twin sister.  See Sara’s blog.  Such a sweet testimony of God’s goodness, and such a need for His provision of health.  Recently huge blessings of answers to prayer!  Still looking at a bone marrow transplant.
 
... the Rettigs & the church in Prague

… the sale of my mother-in-law’s home ~ woot woot, someone looked at it recently!  Please let them have it, Lord!

… Grant S.

… Cinnamon ~ her Army hubby is HOME from Afghanistan, her Marine son is IN Afghanistan!

… Amy W., a young wife/mom with cancer

… Sarita & Jeff need visas for their return to Israel

… folks in Joplin, MO, and along the Missouri River ~ so hard hit with tornadoes and flooding this year

… the A Family, on furlough from their field of ministry

… Gina’s family ~ in their loss of Jason as he rescued his own children from drowning

… Lea’s dad ~ in the midst of a serious health crisis

… Kari’s dad ~ had triple by-pass surgery in June 

… Rachel ~ Please pray for her, and follow her blog ~ Finding Joy.  The name says it well.  But she's in major pain right now with an aggravated shoulder injury or something ~ The docs prescribed therapy for now.

… for direction for our church, for our family

 
… Laura
 

… and especially marriages ~ meant to last a lifetime

 

 
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

John 15:7

 

 

From the learning rooms...      

 

The Cattleman’s subjects/books:

 

             

 

                 

 

                                   

                              

  …and many more!
 

From the kitchen...

some beef is stewing in the crock pot ~ not sure if I’ll add BBQ sauce or taco seasoning & salsa ~ What other flavor options are there??  [this is meat from Judge, so it requires more than salt and pepper]

other options from the menu idea list ~ taco soup or salad, chicken packets, calzones, Laura’s taco corn fritters, bbq ribs

Last week’s batch of HOT salsa yielded 27 pints!

  

  

   

If you notice the strange first picture ~ those chunks of tomato/pepper sticking up came from the freezer  : )  I run everything (almost) through my beloved food processor without peeling the tomatoes!

The next batch will hopefully be a bit milder : )

 

I am creating...

not much outside the kitchen or laundry room, unless you count lesson plans  ;-)

 

I am going...

to need a grocery list (which means a menu PLAN) …asap!

 

I am {supposed to be} reading...
 
for a summer Sunday school class ~ Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss ~ Yeah, it’s time to be done with this one!  ;-)
                                         

 
 

 
I am hoping...

our tomato plants keep producing so we can have a third batch of salsa!

 

I am hearing...

“How Great Thou Art” ~ the Cowgirl is plunking away on the piano and the Popper is humming/singing along as she works her math problems ~ Thinking my mom would love it!

  
Around the house...

it’s hay season = a constant need for the vacuum  :p

 

One of my favorite things...

a neat house ~ See next item…

 

Pondering these words...

Keeping a neat house is like threading beads on a string with no knot on it.

an Amish proverb from Amish Values for Your Family by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Carrie is giving away a copy!

 

 

A few plans for the rest of the week: 

 

Kate is working each day at the carousel ~ the Cattleman is her ‘bodyguard’ this week  : )

Today ~ groceries and another appointment for the Popper with the chiropractor

Wednesday eve ~ church

   
Turn the calendar to September?!

 

 

 

Here is are a few pictures for thought... 

Especially for Felicity ~ our restored 1913 Herschell-Spillman Carousel in Story City, Iowa

 

 

© Pete Tekippe Photography
Date of picture: 1982

 

Photos of Dogs and Jumping Pigs © John Egenes
Date of picture: 2001

 

See more at http://nationalcarousel.org/psp/StoryCity/

 

  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord,

that thou fulfil it.

Colossians 4:17

  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

~ Find more Daybooks at Peggy's ~

 

daybook (8/22) part 2

 

FOR TODAY  

Monday, August 22, 2011

 

 

Wee Willie Winkie
Runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs
In his nightgown.
Rapping at the windows,
Crying through the lock,
"Are the children all in bed?
For it's now eight o'clock.”

 

 

Only now it’s 10:30pm, so I found this lullaby…

 

Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night.
Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night;
Soft and drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loved one's watch am keeping,
All through the night.

Angels watching, all around thee,
All through the night.
Midnight slumber close surround thee,
All through the night.
Soft and drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
I my loved one's watch am keeping,
All through the night.

While the moon, her watch is keeping,
All through the night,
While the weary world is sleeping,
All through the night.
O'er thy spirit gently stealing,
Visions of delight revealing,
Breathes a pure and holy feeling,
All through the night.

by Sir Harold Boulton

 

And this verse also comes to mind from yesterday’s sermon:

At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

Psalm 119:62

 

{Yeah, and I’m getting rambly already… Moving right along!  so I’m not still at the computer at midnight…}

 

From the kitchen...

oatmeal/zucchini cake for tomorrow’s breakfast

tonight - chicken salad

tomorrow night - Italian pasta bake (already in the freezer! :D) 

Oh, and tonight’s elderberry “syrup” which I ran through the Vitamix instead of a sieve  (not the best idea, but I gave my sieve away…)

 

          

 

I am creating...

Well, I worked on my ironing pile twice in the last few days, sooo let’s say

a closet full of clean, pressed clothes  8-)

 

I am going... 

to sleep… soon!

 

I am reading...
 
for a summer Sunday school class ~ Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
                                         

 
 

It’s time to finish the book!

 
I am hoping...

to come up with some good ideas for using the rest of the elderberries which are now in my freezer

 
I am hearing...

Tim and Kayleb discussing projects for this week

 

Around the house...

I also cleaned our ceiling fans!  If I get around to the overdue dusting, I’ll be patting myself on the back really hard…

 

One  Several of my favorite things...

• Homemade salsa. 

              

That is what I want to do this week instead of attempting ‘creative’ non-alcoholic tinctures with elderberries…

 

(I couldn’t even find pictures of my own salsa  :p  Thank you, Google Images…)

 

• A day at the Iowa State Fair with my hubby

 

• Good friends who travel across the country for a visit  : )

 

Pondering these words...

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.  John 15:11

 

A few plans for the rest of the week: 

Tuesday ~ kids to orthodontist and chiropractor, groceries

Kate is working a few days this week and next at the carousel.

 

 

 

Here is a picture for thought... 

 

 

Yah, I enjoy some Packer football  :D

 

 

  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord,

that thou fulfil it.

Colossians 4:17

  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

~ Find more Daybooks at Peggy's ~

 

daybook 8/22/2011

 

FOR TODAY  

Monday, August 22, 2011

 

 

Wee Willie Winkie
Runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs
In his nightgown.
Rapping at the windows,
Crying through the lock,
"Are the children all in bed?
For it's now eight o'clock.”

 

 

Outside my window...

Sunset at 8:05 PM means it’s rather dusky out there.  The Popper just got caught inside by Mama (and instructed to get ready for bed – see above), but most of the others are out helping Dad with something… or picking more elderberries?

No sign of those ‘scattered thunderstorms’ in our neck of the woods  :-\  Tim says there is still moisture down deep, so the field crops are okay… but it sure is crusty and hard on top.  And the gardens and lawns are thirsty.  But I’ll not complain too loudly because we’re not in Texas or Oklahoma where they haven’t seen a decent rain this year.  Nor are we flooded by the Missouri or destroyed by baseball-sized hail.  The consensus at last week’s picnic was that Tim should cut down his hay… then it would rain  (Murphy’s Law)  ;-)

 

I am thinking…

about how many gallons of elderberries my kids have picked just today  :o  Yikes!

 

I am thankful to God …

that I shouldn’t need to order more E-berry this year.

that Kayleb just arrived!  (I’ll have to come back to this later)

 

 

 

I am praying for...

… Amber’s friend Kari ~ please read!
 
… same Amber & her family ~ her dad passed away recently after his battle with cancer. 

… Hiromi in Japan (near the Fukushima nuclear plant) lost her beloved boyfriend recently.  He died in his sleep.  Thankfully he is with his Savior.  Praying his family will see their own need of Jesus Christ.  Hiromi’s family runs a Christian campground, so they are busy in the midst of grief.  Tomo’s family is not saved and not very receptive to Hiromi.

… Ethan and his twin sister.  See Sara’s blog.  Such a sweet testimony of God’s goodness, and such a need for His provision of health.  Recently huge blessings of answers to prayer!  Still looking at a bone marrow transplant.

… another friend of Conny’s ~ Lilah is a newborn baby with spina bifida

… Angela & Jared and family ~ one of their newborn twins was called to heaven on July 2.  Such heartache, but God is faithful.  The family has known much of God’s grace amidst their tears.   Read more here.

… 6mo Ruby (friends of friends in Wisc) ~ suffered a very serious head injury in June

... the Rettigs & the growing church in Prague

… the sale of my mother-in-law’s home ~ woot woot, someone looked at it recently!  Please let them have it, Lord!   : )

… Grant S.

… people who live and work in Japan

… Cinnamon ~ her Army hubby is HOME from Afghanistan, her Marine son is IN Afghanistan!

… Amy W., a young wife/mom with cancer

… Sarita & Jeff need visas for their return to Israel- Praise that Jeff got accepted at the University!

… folks in Joplin, MO, and along the Missouri River ~ so hard hit with tornadoes and flooding this year

… the A Family, on furlough from their field of ministry

… Gina’s family ~ in their loss of Jason as he rescued his own children from drowning

… Lea’s dad ~ in the midst of a serious health crisis

… Kari’s dad ~ had triple by-pass surgery in June 

… Rachel ~ Please pray for her, and follow her blog ~ Finding Joy.  The name says it well.  But she's in major pain right now with an aggravated shoulder injury or something ~ The docs prescribed therapy for now.

 
… Laura
 

… and especially marriages ~ meant to last a lifetime

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Lest you think that I spend all day on my knees in intercession, I’m telling you here that I don’t!  At some point I guess I’ve learned to pray “on the hoof” ~ so as God brings to mind any of these people during the day or night, I usually ask Him to provide their need… But I am not a Prayer Warrior.  Those are a special group of people that I am incredibly thankful for – and I stand in awe of their faithfulness!

 

From the learning rooms… 

Here’s a sample of the Cowgirl’s list of subjects since I saw her doing a science experiment today  : )  [the one with baking soda added to red cabbage juice with vinegar… capturing the carbon dioxide in a balloon… learning the meaning of a chemical reaction.  Do you know that one?]   She was also very absorbed in her literature book… I believe I also saw her reading the story “Miss Hinch” which happens to be near the end of the book…  ahem

 

          

   
 

And, btw, we have older editions of both the General Science and literature books ~  the Cowgirl is child #4 here, ya know  ;-)

 

From the kitchen...

I am creating...

I am going... 

I am reading...
 
for a summer Sunday school class ~ Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
                                         

 
 

     

 
I am hoping...
 
I am hearing...

Around the house...

One of my favorite things...

Pondering these words...

A few plans for the rest of the week: 

 

Here is a picture for thought... 

 

 

 

 

  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord,

that thou fulfil it.

Colossians 4:17

  ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

~ Find more Daybooks at Peggy's ~

 

a family field trip

 

Thursday, August 11, 2011

First stop for the student driver:  Ma & Pa’s Kettle, Cameron, MO, for a bit of home-style cooking…

Dad took over the driver’s seat to get us to the Truman Presidential Library in Independence…

           

 

                   

 

Then it’s on to Springfield for a little miniature golf…

       

  

…where Dad repeatedly rescued a ball from the water…

  

At this hole, we discovered the secret was to purposely go INto the water:

                 

Did you find the ball in each picture?

 

We made it to the hotel by 8pm… in time to watch the GOP Presidential Candidate Debate.  The younger kids went swimming with Miss Artist …until the pizza arrived  : )

 

Friday, August 12, 2011

Friday morning we enjoyed breakfast with lots of friendly folks at the hotel, Tim shopped for groceries for our picnic lunch, and we headed on out to the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield… where we turned around and went back up the road to a neighboring piece of ground… Where it must be legal to carry and fire a gun.  And sleep overnight in a tent.  Go figure.

 

        

We tried to position ourselves for a good view… The shaded hill was unfortunately off-limits to observers.

         

  

       

           

I have lots of pictures of the folks standing in front of us  ;-)

The Cattleman wished he’d brought along his binoculars.  Earplugs would have been useful too.  The Computer Geek toted his fold-up chair for me.  We also had an umbrella and sunscreen, which I didn’t get around to using.  {duh}  But it was great!  …and has me wishing we could do Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Gettysburg with their 150th anniversary celebrations…

The actual battle at Wilson’s Creek (‘Ten Oaks’ according to the Confederates) took place on August 10, 1861, from about 5am to 11am… slightly down the creek from where these reenactment photos were taken.

   

  

When the wagon appears on the field, the battle must be over… Time to pick up the wounded and haul them back to camp.

  

 

         

One of my goals in visiting southern Missourah was to meet my blogger friend Conny!  I’m feeling very “arrived” now in the blogger world ~ ha ha!  Our families had a good but quick visit getting acquainted after the battle.  Conny’s family had the exciting position next to a cannon ~ even louder!

Miriam thought it was a great show!  : )

After meeting Conny & family, visiting with a volunteer soldier from South Dakota (who still had gunpowder on and in his mouth from biting the bullet!), and making a few purchases… we said good-bye to our new real-life friends and moved on to the actual battlefield for a picnic lunch. 

  

There were lots of these butterflies around the park!

 

  

  

The strudel bites were a great success ~ We did have sandwiches first  ;-)  Deli meats and cheeses on a croissant ~ Yum.  Isn’t my hubby a great provider?!

 

We took a tour through the Visitor Center and the Civil War Museum before taking the driving tour through the actual battlefield. 

This is the Ray House ~ While his family took shelter in the cellar, Postmaster John Ray watched the battle from his front porch.  The house served as a Confederate field hospital that day.  But they also served wounded Union soldiers ~ Brigadier General Lyon’s body was laid here before the Union’s Major Sturgis claimed it and had it carried into Springfield for it’s first burial.  (According to the park guide, he was buried twice in Springfield before being relocated to his home state of Connecticut.)

  

      

 

The five-mile automobile tour road (red line on map) enters at the top left corner and goes to the right around the ‘circle.’  The Ray House is at stop #2.  Bloody Hill is stop #7, where most of the fighting took place.  There are trails to hike at several of the stops ~ We opted to follow the trail at Bloody Hill to see General Lyon’s marker.

   

      

       

      

      

 

Photo credit:  Miss Music Box took most of the pictures while we walked the trail at Bloody Hill, so I added a watermark for her.  : )

While we all might have liked to have returned to the hotel for a swim and another good night’s sleep, it was time to begin our return journey home.

Miss Music Box had spied several roadside markets selling peaches on Thursday, so it was our goal to find one again on our way home.  We reached Gordon’s Orchard Farm Market just south of Osceola, MO, about 6:15pm.  It looked pretty quiet, but a car was still parked outside.  The hours on the door stated they closed at 6:00pm.  The owners came out the door as Tim met them to ask if Kate could please buy some peaches?  Sure.  Five minutes later we left with a half-peck of peaches and a watermelon ~ and an invitation to come back soon.

       

Yum.  Oh my.  I picked the prettiest of the peaches for the picture above.  They really weren’t huge or overly good-looking.  But they were certainly fresh-from-the-tree delicious!  The last of them went into the pie.  All gone.  :-\

 

 

Back to last Friday…  As we headed toward Kansas City, we decided it was supper time.  We needed something fairly quick… and decided the kids should experience a real drive-in restaurant like Sonic!  And we stopped at the Sonic in Peculiar, Missouri, no less.

Except we decided we needed to get out of the van and sit at their outside tables : )  Sorry, no pics of us enjoying our loaded burgers, hot dogs, fruit slushies, and more!

 

{insert all sorts of fun pics from the Sonic website… deleted since I had an upload error… and it didn’t even solve the problem}

 

Just in case you’re curious about how the City of Peculiar got it’s name, here you go:

In pre-Civil War times the pioneer settlers decided their drowsy, maple-shaded hamlet ought to have a name. After several sessions in the general store they narrowed the choice to three names, but couldn’t settle on any one.

All three names were sent to the post office for consideration. All three were in use elsewhere. They decided to appeal directly to the postmaster general, agreeing to let him make the final decision. ‘We don’t care what name you give us,’ they said, ‘so long as it is sort of peculiar.’