more pics of our July

Fresh blueberry cream pie (actually baked, but you start with fresh blueberries ~ I didn’t name the recipe) Tim wants me to make it with cherries instead.  Someday when I have fresh tart cherries on hand. 
The Popper preferred the blueberries; Tim favored the creamy custard; so they shared their pieces.

  
  
Tim located a capable but infrequently used tractor at the farm.  That with the bale fork he bought made a good tool for moving the new crop of round bales.  That’s the Computer Geek at the wheel, getting some driving practice.  (Without me along.  woo hoo!)

Evidence we fed the birds earlier this year  : )

While I was out yesterday evening, Miss Music Box gave some bread-making lessons …

  

  

                 

          

(and took numerous photos while they were at it)

The Cowgirl also made potato buns!

Miss Artist couldn’t resist a few pics of today’s treat of bing cherries.  Yum.

     

I was momentarily deterred from making hummus by the price of the bottle of tahini.  However, the little container of sesame seeds was only 50 cents last week ~ very much worth a try!  The internet proved helpful when I found Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice ~ Reeni’s recipe blog has close to a bzillion recipes, including homemade tahini and hummus!  I forgot to toast the sesame seeds first, but they did grind up fine in my coffee grinder (used for flax seed usually).  The kids (who like hummus from the store) decided the homemade was even better  :-)  Score!  Tim might be happier if and when I attempt her recipe for falafel or skillet flatbread.  Yum.  Bring on the gyros!

How can the Popper smile

while Tim is holding her up by her ears?!?

a day in the [crazy] life

 

Yesterday was the last day of Driver’s Education Class for Miss MusicBox and Miss Artist.  woot woot!  We were out the door shortly after 7:30am to get them to Ames for the final 2.5 hours of class with Mr. K. (followed by 2 hours of driving with Mr. B.)

   

The Computer Geek came along at my insistence.  After stopping at Fareway for few groceries, we headed to the DOT’s driver’s license station.  Yikes, there must have been at least five people in line before the doors opened at 8:30, because we were about number twelve arriving at 8:35.  Shortly before 10am, he had his learner’s permit in hand.  Whew.  “Busy place” is an understatement.

 

I had decided we ‘needed’ some fresh blueberries, so we headed off to the Berry Patch by Nevada.  (Note to locals:  several streets south of Campustown are ripped up for repairs :p  so don’t try to go that way.  ahem.)  We eventually arrived at the Berry Patch, where the two Judys proceeded to talk us out of buying the pre-picked berries… You’ll have a bucket full in 20 minutes!  Picking blueberries IS relatively easy, but I had the wrong shoes so my foot is still sore from squatting.  At any rate, almost five pounds of delicious yummy blueberries were now ours!  On to the raspberries.  Here I lost my gumption for digging through the thorny canes quickly, but we still came away with a little more than an pound ~ (almost) enough for a batch of raspberry jam.  (and yes, delicious is the key word ~ We’re talking fresh fruit, Julie G.!)

 

By now it was 11:30am, and we were hot and tired …and without a water bottle!  :-\  The GG said he had his (Huxley store-only) Dairy Queen coupon along, so we drove to Huxley for blizzards.  But no water.  {duh}  Zoomed back to Ames to pick up the girls from their drive time and give them some melted Passed their tests at Driver’s Ed Celebration Blizzards.  We made it home by 1pm… for lunch.  Who’s hungry?!  Just oh-so-thirsty.

 

                 

 

After freezing most of the blueberries and mixing up the raspberry jam (with a few wild black raspberries and some strawberries added), I tried for a quick nap.  Which ended a bit earlier than planned due to an unsolicited and unanswered phone call.   :p   I’m looking forward to getting the August GOP Straw Poll over with, but I suppose the phone calls won’t end until November 7, 2012.

Who would you vote for??

     

 

 

I needed to return to Huxley for the Azure Standard delivery.  I left the older girls at the farm office to clean while I ran that errand.  (I’ll be back.  Ha.)

  

But when I arrived at Jenny’s house about 5pm, she told me the truck would be delayed until at least 6:15pm.  (Jenny now has my phone number : ))   I called a couple other friends and Tim to inform them of the delay.  I decided to wait for the truck.  Jenny learned it might be 7pm before they arrived.  It was nice enough (Joy!) to just sit in my van, but I’d come without a book to read, etc.  I wasn’t hungry enough to get a Subway sandwich (and I had spent too much at DQ earlier!)  I opted to hang out at the local library.  I read the DesMoines Register for an hour, then returned to sit at Jenny’s, listening to Simon Conway on WHO-Radio mourn the end of our manned space program.  At 7, several others arrived and we all stood around the driveway chatting… Jenny offered chairs for the old fogies (me), and I had a good time catching up with Wendy and getting to know Heidi.  Sometime after 7:30 ~ maybe 7:45? ~ the truck actually arrived, and we had our order unloaded in about ten minutes.  About 8pm I left Huxley for home.  Where I found the girls baking potato buns and bread… and no one had eaten supper yet?!  (except Tim who’d gone out with a friend for a Smash Burger)

 

 

I was the first one asleep in the house.  Only wakened briefly by a loud and bright thunderstorm about 2am… And then it was time to rise and shine again…

July photo blog…

 

   The Cowgirl enjoying fresh milk

 

Miss Artist is also a would-be herbalist ~ She found some mullein near home …

       

 

Tim attended a grazing conference in Missourah ~ The second photo is for Conny, if she can recognize the signs  : )

  

 

The Cattleman’s garden has been growing!  He requested some of the zucchini be pickled  :D

We’re still working our way through the goodies from Brasil ~ here’s some very dark chocolate!

 

More from the garden ~ Yum, cabbage!

                   

 

Um, the girls found the new Fareway store (which has a BAKERY) while driving with Mr. B.…  You can imagine the cream-filled donuts and apple fritters filling these boxes…

My kitchen window garden…

 

… and more produce from outside ~ cucumbers and green beans!  Yes!

 

Yesterday (Sunday) we took a side trip to Cedar Rapids to meet up with the Rettigs for church services and lunch ~ Yay for a summer goal met and enjoyed!

Today, they are baling our pathetic (because it’s been rained on every day) second hay crop… And it is still H>O>T> out there!

daybook 7/4/2011

 

FOR TODAY  

Monday, July 4, 2011

~ * ~ Independence Day ~ * ~

Saturday’s s’mores 

 

Outside my window...

It’s getting hot already ~ Tim is working on the woodpile with his chainsaw ~ Kitti is still grazing while Crocket and Valerie have laid down for a rest ~ White moths are in the garden … not a good sign  ~ Now there are three children working in the garden … much better!

 

I am thinking…

about the 200-some new pictures I just downloaded from the camera card… Someone has been using my camera! 

I am thankful to God …

for good times with good friends ~ new and old.

that His grace is sufficient.  Oh how thankful I am for that.

 

I am praying for...

… Angela & Jared and family ~ one of their newborn twins was called to heaven this weekend.  Such heartache, but God is faithful.  And for that, I am so thankful.

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

... the Rettigs and the church in Prague ~ currently on furlough for this summer ~ I’m hoping we can see them! :-)

… the sale of my mother-in-law’s home

… Amber’s dad

… Grant S.

… people who live and work in Japan

… Cinnamon ~ her Army hubby is coming home soon from Afghanistan, her Marine son is home from Japan but headed for Afghanistan!

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

… Sarita & Jeff need visas for their return to Israel

… Michelle B., recovering still from her gall bladder surgery  :-\   ~ also headed for France next week  :-)

… 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 ~ such a blessing to see them again!

… 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 recently

 

… Laura

 

… and especially marriages ~ meant to last a lifetime

 

From the learning rooms...

We seem to be in Holiday Mode  :p  But tomorrow at 8am, two girls will get their first taste of Driver’s Education Class.  :-)

 

From the kitchen... 

Lotsa leftovers ~ graduation BBQ beef; brats/burgers/dogs from the grill, calico beans.  Oh, and pizza crusts waiting for toppings ~ probably should eat those today!  I managed to leave the oven off last Thursday-Friday while we had heat index of 105-110F.  Saturday I had it on but off again before 10:30am.

 

I am creating...

hmmmm?

 

I am going...

to listen to the home school conference CDs while I whittle away at the ironing … later, but today surely.  Maybe after a nap?

 

I am reading...

for a summer Sunday school class ~ Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

                                         

 

Ta da!  I persevered (okay, avoided the kitchen and stayed barefoot all day)  and finished this book… 

   ~!~ yAy Me ~!~

 

So I got this one off the shelf again…

Getting closer to back-on-schedule for our Bible reading too.  I will have lots of time to read this week… if I can stay awake while I wait for the driver’s ed girls.

 

I am hoping...

my girls do better than what I remember from my driver’s ed classmates who hadn’t driven much before…  They are out with Tim right now for a concentrated time of instruction.

 

I am hearing...

the dehumidifier

Around the house...

We’ve just been enjoying ourselves with friends. 

Thursday we had the A Family here (see waterballoon pics). 

  

Saturday more friends came over (instead of today). 

 

The Computer Geek’s friend developed some sort of game that combines checkers with chess.  Don’t ask me to explain it! ;-)

 

One of my favorite things...

cooling off with water balloons  :D

  

   

  

        R preferred just to watch  ~ 

But they all enjoyed a freeze pop!

     

 

Pondering these words...

The book of 1 Timothy tells women to “adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control” (2:9). How do you do that when it seems like immodesty is everywhere? Let me suggest seven choices.

1. Live your life to please God and bring Him glory.
   
2. Say, “Lord, my body belongs to You.”
   
3. Decide to be modest because it pleases God.
   
4. Resolve to be morally pure.
   
5. Commit to never dress in a way that would tempt men to lust.
   
6. Stand against the culture when it’s contrary to the Word of God.
   
7. Be humble and open to the input of others.

Modesty isn’t necessarily about a list of acceptable clothes. It comes from a commitment to Christ and a commitment to purity…

~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Seeking Him

 

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Hopefully we’ll get a spot this week with the chiropractor.  (How’s Wednesday, Vickie?)

Tim will be off to a grazing conference for a few days.

 

Here is a are a few of the 200 pictures 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 ~