Preparedness Challenge - week #6

To join the Preparedness Challenge or read all the great posts, go here.

This week seemed to be as hectic as last week! However, I did manage to buy...a Berkey Water system! YAY! I can't wait for it to get here. I got the Blue LED light model. It will be handy during hurricane season and it will filter pond & lake water. I can't tell you how much more secure I feel knowing we have a source for water now in case we need it.

This week I am going to read up on radiation and water. ;)

I am also looking into the Excalibur dehydrator's. I like the idea and want to dehydrate some food, but not sure I really need to purchase an item to do this if I can do it in the oven. Any thoughts to the differences?

I am also still reading my book from PC #3 (I think, lol). I was hoping to finish but didn't.

Food storage is going well as there were lots of excellent sales and  I also bought a Mini FoodSaver sealer system. Not sure if it qualifies for a preparedness item, but it helps keep foods longer in the freezer. I can buy bulk food and split it into smaller packages. It is a money saver to say the least.

B.O.Bag is going well too. I stuck about 4 days of medications for everyone in the house, OTC medicines and some hygeine items. Still need a change of clothes and a few more items.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your day!

White Spinach Pizza

I had a meeting last night and didn't have a lot of time to cook dinner so, we had a white Spinach pizza. This is an easy recipe and oh so yummy. The ingredients are few and it probably takes about 15 minutes to assemble, 10 or so to cook.
Here we go:

1 bag washed fresh spinach
1 jar white alfredo sauce (I use garlic)
1 pizza dough, homemade or the refrigerator kind
2 c. mozzarella cheese
cookie sheet (12 x 19-ish?)

Spray the cookie pan with pam or grease the sheet with a little bit of oil. Roll out and press the pizza dough into the pan. Use about 1/2 of the jar of sauce on the bottom of the pan and spread evenly over the dough. Chop the spinach leaves up into pieces and sprinkle over the top of the pizza. At this point you can add anything else you want. I am adding chopped artichoke (not marinated) tonight! After all toppings are on the pie, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and pop into the oven for about 10 minutes or until the crust is done. (If you choose to put meat on this pizza, please cook it ahead of time to insure the meat is cooked through).

Here it is in the oven!

My whole family loves it when I bake this pizza and we never have leftovers. Quick, delicious and a great "on the go meal".

The finished product! (salad plate, lol)

Barn Hop #10

To join the Homestead Barn Hop and read all the great posts, go here.

This week around our Homestead things are going well. The weather is HOT! We are watering every day already and the veggies are growing very nicely.

Mom was able to mow a little bit today. She waited for Saturday to do the "big mow" for Easter. She is very excited to be able to get back out there. The family came over and we had a casual Easter dinner after church. Lots of relaing was had by all. ;)

Tomato

Watermelon

cuke bloom

Herb garden

Hibiscus

Lavender top

Potatoes! (Yukon Gold & Red Cloud)

Squash Blooms

Strawberries

I started my garden later than I could have and I am really hoping I didn't wait too long. It gets really hot form now until August and I am a little worried that the plants might get too much sun. Is that possible?

I have been thinking about possibly starting a small community garden for me & my friends to work together. What do you think? Have you participated in a community garden? Any suggestions? Thanks for reading.

Some Favorites this week.

I thought I would post some things I read on the internet this week. Easter is a big weekend, but if you have any downtime at all, you might want to check these out. Happy Easter everyone and peace to you and yours.


- Don't forget to go by your local Lowes tomorrow and pick up a baby tree for Earth Day. You can watch their video here. Or just go to their website, details are there too.


- Check out the arrival of Amy's bees. She is so thrilled to have them and they will provides hours of fun to watch and lots of yummy honey. Check it out here.

- Check out what the Barnyard Gals are up to here. Turkeys & chickens everywhere!

- If you like Freebies, then sign up to http://www.shop4freebies.com/. You sign up, they send you an email with a link and you can choose the freebies you want. Easy and FREE.


- If you haven't dyed your eggs yet, check out this post on a natural way to dye them. Very cool if you ask me. http://backyardfarming.blogspot.com/2011/04/pioneer-easter-eggs.html.


- and if you are looking for one last goody to put on your Easter dinner plate, try Jennifer's biscuit recipe here. Yummy!



1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...


Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!

Bees and swarming

Yesterday my friend came out to check on the hive and although they are doing well, the biggest hive split. Basically, this means that the hive let a queen bee hatch and she swarmed (left) and took half of my hive with her. Honey-wise, she cut my supply in half, lol, bee wise; she cut my production staff in half. This is the natural order of things for bees though and they way God intended so I am not too upset.

my hives. the oneon the right split.

Swarming usually happens when there are too many worker bees and their number exceeds the capacity of the hive. So the bees will raise a second queen and she will travel to a new location taking half of the drones and half of the worker bees with her. This usually occurs in the spring or summer months. It can also happen around August in my neck of the woods.

The new location is picked out by "scout" bees that are very good at picking out the new hive location. Important things to the scouts include drafts, accessibility, guard ability, size and location. Sometimes they do not find it before the ‘swarm’ has taken place so they move into unusual places such as the bumper of a car, mailboxes and low hanging branches of trees. Low hanging branches is what I am hoping for since we have a lot of trees on the property. I remember the day they swarmed but wasn't 100% sure that is what they were doing. It was a beautiful sight to see, even if I was losing half of my hive. L All of the bees looked like a swirling, moving mass of black and shiny gold moving through the air and into the tree. Our whole family stood at the picture window, watching them in amazement and appreciating the beauty of it all. The kids remarked they were glad they were in the house and not in the thick of it.

So yesterday when Ray confirmed that the hive had split, I was a little sad, but hopeful at the same time. Maybe a little leisurely walk around the property is in order. If I can find them then we can give them a nice clean box to live and work. J There was some good news in that I have lots of honey. The bees haven’t capped it yet so we have to be a little more patient before pulling any honey. I am sure it will be worth the wait.

Hive Location

Hive location is a very important part of having bees. They need the sun to fly but they also need shade to keep cool during the summer months; not too much rain or wind, the list goes on. My hives sit between 2 pine trees with some bushes around and they get good sun around 10am or so (at this time of year) and they can be seen coming back to the hive well into the early evening. They love morning sun and the sooner they are out of the hive foraging, the better for you.

There are my girls!

The hive doesn’t actually take up too much room so you don’t need a large yard to accommodate it.  Hives can be kept in small yard, on your roof and even on a balcony.  If you have a small yard, you will want your bees to be comfortable, but yourself and neighbors too. Watch them and familiarize yourself with their flight patterns as they may change. You might have to adjust the hive depending on how close your neighbors are. A lot of urban people keep them on their rooftops for space issues but also so the neighbors are not in the direct flight of the bees leaving or returning home.

When they leave the hive they fly up and outwards making a series of spirals. This orients them and imprints an aerial image of the hive for the return trip home. They are pretty full of nectar and pollen when they return though so they usually make a direct shot back to the hive and make their deposits.

Bilburgia (sp?)

They like to be sheltered from the elements and the hive itself will protect them from most types of weather that mother-nature throws at them. You wouldn’t want to put it in a windy spot or put the entrance facing the wind. They are strong fliers but why make it harder on them? Bees regulate the temperature inside the hive (with their wings) but they need some shade too keep cool also. They keep the hive at a steady 95 degrees.

Avoid sunken areas because when the air gets cool, the bees will have to work harder to heat the hive.  Also, bees don’t mind the cold but they dislike any dampness. They usually seal up their hive with something called propolis (a glue like substance). If your hive is near trees or bushes, you need to make sure the branches are trimmed back. If the wind is blowing hard, it could knock a branch on the hive and disturb the bees or a branch could fall on it and do some damage.

If you don’t have a source of natural water nearby you will need to provide one for them.  They can’t swim though so make sure to have something inside the container or pot for them to stand on. You could even throw some small sticks (make sure they float) into a bucket.  As with any ’pet’ you give water to, keep an eye on it and don’t let it run out.

Another important point is to make the hive level. When my bee-man came out and put the hive in, his iPhone has an app for leveling things, lol, easy peasy. We put the hive on bricks and they are good to go. I wish I could have painted the hives before I got the bees, but it is what it is. One more thing, you will need to make sure you have plenty of storage for all the equipment you will be using.

Are you thinking of getting bees? I love, love, love watching mine dance and fly in the late afternoons. Thanks for reading. J  

Barn Hop #9

You can visit the Barn Hop here

This week at our homestead we were pretty busy. I am trying to get something new going and it took up a lot of my time (more on that later), but the garden is going well.

The squash has what looks to be blossoms coming in and the cucumbers look good although the leaves near the bottom look a yellowish. The Moon & Stars watermelon has absolutely taken off. I have never grown watermelon before and it is looking so good and healthy. It must really love where I put it! I am thrilled to see so much progress. The tomato plants are small, but they are thriving so far. The potatoes are another thing I have never tried before and they are doing really well too. I am hoping for a good crop sometime during the summer/early fall. If they do well, I will definitely do those again! Pumpkins are doing well as are all the herbs and the beans. The corn is getting tall and making me proud and the animals have been leaving them alone.

I planted my dill and nasturtiums and have gotten a few little strawberries although it is really getting hot here and this is not the time for them. My big tomato plant (from last year) is still going strong and has 3 tomatoes on it. There are some more blossoms too, lol. I couldn’t be more thrilled because these particular tomatoes are excellent! This plant amazes me because it managed to live through the winter, but kind of died off, but when spring hit, there was new growth! I was astonished!

I have decided to wait until next year to get chickens. Right now I just can't afford it and I don’t have time to commit to them. I am really sad about it but at least I can be content reading about everyone else's chicks and learn from all of you experts. The bees are very busy collecting nectar and doing what they do. That is about it for now. Bee post coming mid week.

Enjoy the Barn Hop and go on over the Homestead Revival to check everyone out.

Preparedness Challenge #5

It has been a very busy week around here so I didn't get as much done as I had hoped. :(


This week I tried to read my 'survival' book but I haven't finished it yet. I did stock up on some groceries that were BOGO free and this week the grocery sale paper is having an awesome sale. I intend to get a lot of items on the BOGO free deal this sale & stock, stock, stock. :)


For the week coming up I am going to get more water! I am making a trip to Sams Club and can stock up on several items from there also.


I will finish the book this week and start on my notes and lists. 


I need to find more space, lol!

What's cooking tonight...

I thought I would try something I haven't done in a while for dinner. It's pretty good and for those of you still in snow and cold not to mention freezing rain, it might be real yummy!

Potato soup with Leeks.

2 pounds red potatoes
4-5 leeks, white and light green only
1 carrot, chopped fine
7 c chicken broth
2 c half n half
1 Tblsp parsley (dried is fine)
2 Tblsp olive oil
2 Tblsp butter
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Heat the oil and butter in a soup pot. Clean the leeks real well and chop them up into about ¼ pieces or so, they will cook down. Chop/mince the garlic & carrots. Throw the garlic and leeks into the oil and butter and cook quickly for about 3 minutes. Throw in the carrots and turn down the heat to cook for another 20 minutes. They will be softened.

While the leeks, carrots & garlic are cooking, chop up your potatoes into bite size pieces, about the same size throughout. That should take about 20 minutes or so. When you are done chopping, throw the potatoes into the pot and add the chicken broth, salt & pepper. Let this cook until the potatoes are cooked through, and then add the half and half. Get out your potato masher and mash everything up or you can take about half of the soup and run it through your food processor. Be careful, it will be hot.

At this point, you can add cheese if you want. When I add cheese, I usually add parmesan or cheddar. Taste for seasoning and add if needed. Serve with cooked crumbled bacon, chopped green onion or a little cheese on top, or all three! Fresh parsley would look pretty too.

Creamy potato soup.

I have to tell you one more thing; save some for the next day because it will be even better then!
Thanks for reading!

County Extension offices

When I need help with my gardening issues, I call (or go to) our county extension office. They have all kinds of classes you can take, such as classes on canning, how to be water wise, composting and rain barrels to name a few. I have taken all of those classes and they are great and very informational. For the Water-wise class they gave us a “mister” hose and showed us how to set them up. For the Compost class they gave is a huge temperature gauge and a plastic bin made from recycled plastic and for the Rain barrel class, you guessed it, they gave us a 55 gallon food grade rain barrel. I have mine sitting out in the open so it catches less rain than if it were under the roof spouts. I don't want the chemicals from the roof to get into my vegetables. It would be ok to use them on an inedible plant but not edibles. The classes fill up quickly so you have to keep your eye on them and get signed up quickly. :)

"Orlando" Tangelo tree

I received two baby Orlando Tangelo trees for Christmas this year and had no idea what to do with them. I called the place that sold them to my niece and they were a little bit of help, but they were trying to deal with customers and didn’t have a lot of time to talk to me on the phone. So when I was at the extension office for a class I talked to one of the Master Gardeners on staff (who happened to know about Citrus too) and she was very helpful. She gave me a lot of free information to read on when to plant them after the frost, fertilizing and when to put them in the ground. They are doing so well now and growing fast! They are near the bees (so is the blueberry bush) so they can pollinate them next spring!

The information at our CE office is amazing. From a little history to native plants; they cover 4H and they actually have classes on parenting and finances.  I love to go there and just browse before a class. The people are real friendly & knowledgeable and the truly want to help. That is hard to find these days.

A nice email...

My mom sent me this today in an email. I thought they were worthy enough to pass on. J Not sure who originated it, they are nice. J Enjoy!

1)Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble; it is a
"steering wheel" that directs us in the right path throughout life.

2) Do you know why a car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the rear view mirror is
so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look
ahead and move on.

3) Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes
years to write.

4) All things in life are temporary.  If things are going well enjoy, they will not
last forever. If going wrong don’t worry, they can't last long either.

5) Old friends are like Gold! New friends are Diamonds! If you get a
Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need
a base of Gold!

6) Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above
and says, "Relax, it's just a bend, not the end!

7) When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD
doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

8) A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than
losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision."

9) When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them; and
sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed
for you.

10) WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES; it takes away today’s
PEACE. Enjoy your Sunday!

Summer pleasures

Barn Hop #8!

It has been hot around the old homestead this week so I am just going to post some pictures of what I will be up to soon. These photos are from last year. Enjoy!

nice sailboat!

the captain

nephew in the pool

little tiny fishes are in that seaweed

niece and her friend

looking up the sail!

the shoreline

my nephew splashing me

at the beach

And that is what I will be looking forwar to this summer! Hoping for yummy veggies to go along with all the fun too.

Go on over to the Homestead Revival and join in the Barn Hop. :)

My Sunday Blessing

1 Chronicles 16:34 - Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Friday night someone snuck into my garden and ripped almost all of my corn plants out of their cozy little homes. When I went out Saturday morning to check on them and pick bugs and water I was heart-broken. All of the little babies looked like they had been snatched out of the dirt and then just tossed casually to the side. There were no holes dug in the ground and nothing looked like it had been eaten, just tossed (*sniff*) like yesterdays trash. Ok, so I am being melodramatic – now. I was mad then.

My mom went to the doctor Thursday to see about her right rotator cuff. She has been having pain and at 86 she does not want surgery, so she asked for an injection of cortisone. The doctor concurred and she got her shot (after confirming with X-rays). Saturday morning (before I discovered my fiasco) she came storming in the house and said “I’m mad!” When I asked her why she said “the doctor told me I would be able to play tennis by today and I can’t. It hurts!” Now if you knew my momma this is unacceptable, lol. So she pouted a while read the newspaper and went outside to “work in the shed.”

My brother was trimming and cutting down dead trees and branches on the property when the chainsaw broke! So he took it apart and laid everything out and it needed a part. Of course, he was mad too, so now we have 3 people stomping around the yard, mumbling under their breath, wondering “why me?” and throwing out a few “stupid this and stupid that’s” around. Ok, that was me, but I digress. Comical as I write it but it wasn’t when it was happening.

My whole point to this little story is that what happened didn’t really matter in the big scheme of things. It is frustrating and hard to see that at the time, but as I walked into the air conditioned house and ate a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I smiled and thanked God for all we have. Even if the garden is torn up, I have food to eat & I can always replant. Mom’s arm hurt her, but she is going strong and healthy as a horse and is able to do things most of her friend’s only dream of doing. (Did I tell you she jumped out of an airplane…on her 62^nd birthday?). And even though the tools broke, they can be fixed and we have them to work with another day. So whenever you are feeling sorry for yourself, think of all the good things you have and give God a little “thank you”. He always comes through just when you need him to & I believe all things happen for a reason. He shows us what we need to do and how we need to act every day. You just have to open your eyes.    

Preparedness Challenge - week #4

This week my brother gave me a book called Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook, by Peggy Layton. (I have not been solicited by the author to review this book. This is only my opinion of what I have read to date). I have to say, this is a really good book so far. I am about half way through and there is a lot of information which is very useful. This book starts out preparing you for short term storage and moves on to storing water, first aid kits, etc. It even has a chapter at the end with recipes for your food supply (if you need them). I like that it starts out with a 72 hour kit, then a 3 month supply and then moves up to a year’s supply, showing how to rotate the food and supplies so you can use the product before the expiration date. It really makes you think a lot about what you would need in a hurry if you have to evacuate your home and also for long term. I like that it covers pets, medication even a contact list for members of the family. She tells you to have a contact person out of your state for family members to all check in with too, which I have never thought of before. This coming week I am going to finish the book and implement some of the food storage ideas in it.

I also want to work some more on our water situation. We live on 2 spring fed lakes and have a spring fed pond on our property, but the neighbors around the 2 lakes have boats, jet skis and immaculate yards, therefore we have gas, oil and fertilizer in both lakes. The pond isn’t big enough for boats and we use no fertilizers on our grass, but the muck is thick and there are lily pads everywhere. Does anyone have any suggestions to ‘clean’ those sources of water if we had to? Would boiling it be enough? I will definitely be researching this as well in the coming weeks, but welcome any knowledge on the matter. I have a 55 gallon food grade rain barrel for the garden and want to get a few more. I really want a cistern, but I don’t know much about them, yet.

One of the chapters deals with stockpiling. I haven't gotten to it yet but I think it will be a good chapter to read; which leads me to a question a little off subject. Did you see the TLC show Extreme Couponing that was on TV this week? The “coupon-ers” buy products with their coupons, buying huge quantities of these items and spend very little money or get the items for free. Each of the people profiled had at least a year’s supply of products stockpiled. However, I noticed that the groceries consisted of boxed foods, canned foods and household items, such as razors, deodorant, shampoo, toilet paper, etc. I did not see any fresh foods or vegetables and I find that sad. I love my coupons and LOVE to save a buck; I just wish manufacturers would offer coupons for healthier foods. Even better, grow (and raise) your own, right? Our little garden should provide us with fresh produce but in addition, I would like to find a solution for fresh meat. I am still debating the jump into chickens and I would love a cow for the milk, but I am not sure I could process either for the meat. :}

My list to get prepared keeps getting longer but in the end it will be worth every second spent on it. We will be in a great situation in case something happens and can help out family and friends in a pinch. Of course, we can't forget to thank God for everything we receive and everything we can share with others. We have to trust that he will get us through anything. With God all things are possible. Join in the Homestead Revival Preparedness Challenge today!

Homestead Revival & Cultures

Amy over at Homestead Revival has another cool giveaway. She has been working on her cultures all week and has them just about down pat. Such inspiration! Go check out her blog to see what's bubbling over there. ;) You really can't beat Sourdough.
http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2011/04/six-reasons-to-culture-dairy-products.html

Come back tomorrow and check out the Preparedness Challenge - week #4 too and see what everyone is up to. 

Bees and their honey.

Most beginning beekeepers have one goal in mind when they start beekeeping: producing honey. The delicious golden nectar bees work so hard to make is enjoyed worldwide. J Bees usually make more than they need but the beginner has to learn to judge how much honey to keep in the hive (including winter stores) and how much you can harvest. This is easier said than done. Other decisions that need to be made by the beekeepers are when to remove the honey and how. Last year we removed the little bit of honey I harvested from my hives around November. I only collected seven and a half pounds, but I had some queen and pesticide issues that I feel are all taken care of this year.

Brazillian Pepper comb honey

The how was easy. My bee-man came out and picked the frames he determined would be enough for me but leave plenty for the bees. Then we met at his house where he melted the wax off of the ‘capped’ honey frames. He used this long heated ‘knife’, but it looked kind of like a flat curling iron to me, lol. After the ‘caps’ were off the comb he put the frame vertically into an extractor which spins around very fast and the centrifugal force sprays the honey out of the combs and down into the bucket. Then it goes through the spigot and is strained, and into another smaller bucket where you can strain it one more time as it gets put into bottle and jars. It had to be strained because sometimes there are pieces of wax or there could be a stinger or other bee parts in the honey. It is a neat process to watch and be involved with.

The color of Honey can range from dark amber to an almost clear color. Color will depend on what is blooming at the time they collect the nectar. Some people prefer the lighter honey for the aesthetic qualities. However, the darker honey is said to have a higher proportion of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Honey is used for sore throats & coughs in this house. We also drink a teaspoon of honey with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in some warm water in the mornings (when I can remember). It can also be used as a topical dressing for wounds, burns and other injuries. The daughter of a friend of mine has a disease (Epidermolysis Bullosa) that causes blistering of the skin and has since she was born. The unfortunate thing about this disease is there is no cure. The blisters will pop up somewhere else on her body, but at least for now, the honey helps to ease the pain.

The uses for honey seem to be endless. Honey can be used for beauty treatments also. (I may do a recipe/post on that next). Does the color of honey matter to you? What is your favorite flavor?

Homestead Revival giveaway!

You have to check this out. Amy at Homestead Revival is having a Water container giveaway from USA Emergency Supply! It is a 5 gallon container with a pump and looks so easy to use and set up. She does the Preparedness Challenge on Saturdays and if you have been reading along you know you need this. So check it out and enter the contest. :)

Here is the link.
http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2011/04/give-away-water-barrel-and-pump.html#comment-form

Have a stupendous day!
Bobbi

To bee or not to bee...

As you may know, I have two bee hives. I rent the hives from my friend as I learn all about how to take care of them on my own. I go to the monthly bee association meetings too and they are very helpful. (Find one and join if you are at all interested in this hobby). If you are thinking of taking care of bees and their hives take the time to learn all you can from reading and find an experienced bee keeper to talk to and pick their brain.

credit: bee topography

Here are 7 basic tips for getting started in bee keeping.

1) Start with new equipment of standard design and dimension. Used equipment  has the potential to create problems that a beginner is not prepared to recognize or handle. The wood may not be of good quality, there could be existing disease, etc.

2) Do not experiment during the first year or two. I am renting the hives because I want to learn and have someone in the know there helping me know what I need to and do it correctly. I learn better from watching rather than reading a book. (However, every book I have read on the subject has been fascinating so far). Even with help, my first year was a little rough.

3) Don't run out and buy every piece of clothing available for bee keeping. You may be able to wear long pants and long sleeves and the hat with a veil. My 'bee-man' has worn shorts. I am more careful. ;)

4) Start with Italian bees. They are standard in the US and pretty common. They are also more docile.

5) Start with 2 colonies if you can. You can compare the hives and see what is going on if one is having issues. If things go well, you could double the honey too. ;)

6) Start early in the season. I started in March as the weather is good here that time of year. You can find out your 'season' by checking with hive inspectors or local beekeepers. I am in Florida and have a long season.

7) Know that your hives will not produce much honey the first year. I lost my queen soon after I got my hive and that alone threw off the production for my year. At the end of the season, however, I was able to get some honey and it was delicious!!

My Orange Blossom "comb" honey

There are so many things to know and learn. There are many books at the library on the subject so check them out. Bees need our help! They need people to take care of them and help them thrive again. Their numbers have declined drastically over the last few decades. They pollinate our crops and provide healthy food that humans have been eating for centuries. They are worth saving. :)

Please make sure you are not allergic to bees before starting this adventure!



Just ramblings...

Matthew 10:13

If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.

I am not a professional writer, I barely remember high school English, but I love to 'share'. So what is a girl to do? You start a blog, of course. I started this blog as an outlet for my friends and family to keep up with what I am up to. :) Also, I am between jobs and even though I have been looking, the reality of it is, there are no jobs out there right now. So in the mean time, I enjoy spending time with my mom, have a small vegetable & herb garden and am even throwing around the idea of starting my own business.

I wrote an "About" page (feel free to read it), but what you don't know is that I grew up on this property with my brother and sisters. My mom used to swim in the lake and have picnics on this property when she was little, before the house was built. We all learned to swim in the lake and our children too. Her father bought it a very long time ago. We are not exactly sure when, but probably we estimate it at almost 100 years ago. When she married my dad, my grandfather gave it to them for a wedding present and dad built the house. We have enjoyed this place through 4 generations (so far). It is a wonderful piece of heaven. Mom's most favorite joy is to mow the acreage. She just loves to get out on her 'big red' mower and mow anything she can. (ok, this mower is not red, but the one she traded this one for is bigger and red, lol).

mom mowing, lol

Yep, that is her! If she isn't mowing, she is out picking up branches and "tree stuff" that has fallen, so she doesn't run it over when she does get out to mow. She is 86, by the way. Anyway, we love it here and are SO blessed to be able to enjoy the land and have lots of time with each other. I love listening to the stories she has to tell. I love it when she talks about growing up in this town and imagining what it must have been like back then. I am truly blessed to have this time with her.

the lake

I hope you continue to read my blog as I will be posting a myriad of different topics. I like to take pictures, cook & bake and talk a lot about my friends and family, so you may see an occasional picture or recipe posted. Thanks for reading.

partial view of the pond (front of property)