From Mess maker to Homemaker

When your day starts with chores that were promised to be done left undone, and milk spilled everywhere, you should just go back to bed.

Instead I opted to stay up and burn breakfast. Yep, burned it so bad, even the dog whined when I tried to give it to him...

Then my man called on the way to work to say he was coming back home because his car was acting up....he'd need mine. Now, I usually wouldn't mind, but we only go out one day a week. I kindof needed to do stuff today. Milk for the co-op, horse riding lessons, foster boys were scheduled for a visitation with their grandma, groceries, food bank, etc.

And the greenhouse collapsed!

We were hoping if we kept it shoveled that it wouldn't do that. We have gotten so much snow this week. Here's what it looked like a couple of weeks ago out in the field.

This is this weekend:

Here's what we did today:

 You know what they say. "When life gives you snow, make a snowman." (Then a cup of cocoa!)

Hope you enjoyed that little tutorial of our winter thus far. Anyone in Jamaica or Hawaii want to trade places?

One last note, I did get my homework assignment turned in on time. That is a relief. The homework just keeps coming, but I'm staying up with it. The ladies in the class as well as the instructors are awesome ladies of God. It is way too fun!

Have a super rest of your day, Keep looking up!

Tan

First of all, have any of you ever used the Balancing the Sword bible study? What a super study. We are learning so much. He says in the beginning that you can usually get through a book in a year, but we started 3 weeks ago and are in the first chaper of John. I do think we'll start going faster in time, but we've not really read much from Isaiah and the prophets before so we're really digging in. How amazing our Creator is. I am learning along with my kiddos about trinity and also about our salvation. I used to be with the "once saved always saved" group, but then when we were attending the Mennonite church for all those years, they challenged my thinking. So, I'm back on the fence, but researching...and listening to the Holy Spirit.

Also, this marketing class is tough, but doable. I'm getting ready to turn in my first assignment. Although I don't think I will have all the answers as well as most, I do think I can hold my own....and learn SO MUCH! Goodness, what a knowledgable and encouraging group of ladies! If I gain nothing else from this, I think I will love my encouragement. I hope I can encourage others as well.

BTW, some of you have inquired about my chickens....yes, they are in the freezer with the pig. It was not so bad, but it's not something a person wants to do often. We're going to be eating moose awhile as I'm just not ready to boil up one of my girls yet. And the pig is.....well....it's just too fresh, too. ((sigh)) What happened to me lately? I'm such a softie. I mean, I've never enjoyed the killing process, and my husband has protected me from most of it. I only help out once the animal is unrecognizable. But lately, well, they still look like my chickens...

Oh, one more thing. I'd love input on this. I have tons of meat left over from last year. It's a mix of moose and our cow. It's steaks, stew meat, and maybe even a roast or two, I can't remember. Anyway, Gene's moose was much bigger this year, plus we have our pig and the chickens, so I really needed to do something creative with our older meat. Gene suggested just grinding it up. We never seem to have enough burger when it's all said and done. But what I did instead, as  a trial, was to fill up all three crock pots with meat and season them differently. One was taco meat, another was just seasoned meat for stroganoff or soups, etc. The third was not seasoned much, and I put bbq sauce on it and cooked it down. Golly, what a blessing to have that in the freezer. It made 17 stuffed full quart bags of meat. And I have another batch just like it to go. With this batch, I'll do taco meat again, the bbq one again, and a seasoned one, but with onions and bell peppers with it. Sound good? If anyone else has ideas, I'd love to hear them. Having cooked meat in the freezer will be so nice when we have weeks like the one we have coming up:-)

God Bless You, Everyone! Have a super week!

Tan

Oh boy, do I have alot to say today! Guess I shouldn't have been silent all those days between postings

First of all, I can't believe it! I got accepted into the TOS Marketing Class! Oh my goodness, I'm scared to death! I read Nancy Carter's blog post about when she was accepted into the class years ago. What an encouragement to know that she was so scared at first, too! So, the next month will be busy for me. Can I do it? I reckon I'll have to! It is exciting, but I hope I don't let anyone down, including myself.
I Think I Can, I Think I Can, I Think I Can.....

Also, I'm thinking I may have to change the name of my blog. Guess what...we're down to almost NO animals. I know, crazy, huh? This is just a season...winter to be exact, and we're tired of chipping ice and frozen eggs. So, the pigs are all gone. We sold the breeders to the guy we get our milk from, and the others are in that place of eternal bliss..AKA, my freezer:-) Well, we're getting ready to smoke the hams and bacon, but the rest will be in our freezer this afternoon. The chickens are going to be joining the pigs (NOT at the breeders, LOL) on Saturday. We didn't get a cow this year. So all we will have left after this weekend will be the horse and our new goat. Oh, and the dogs and the cat. That will be wierd. All that to ask...can I still call this a farm? Or will it be Musings from a Far North....um....property....

One new change around here is the implementation of our household chores checklist. Guess what? The house is staying clean and the chores are all getting done! It is SO nice. The kids are pitching in and it's just been amazing. I look around and see things done and looking nice every day and am amazed sometimes. I think we all just needed some direction and a schedule. Wow, what took so long to figure that out...good grief!

School this year is going very well, too. Again, we have a good schedule and the kids all know exactly what is expected of them. They've stepped up and are doing awesome!

God has been providing for us in an amazing way. I really need not worry about the economy because God has proved his faithfulness over and over. ((Big Sigh)) I've got to give this worry up.
Yesterday, I needed a closet rod, a newspaper, and some snow clothes for the foster boys, among other things. I fretted and got frustrated because the closet rod would cost money, the newspaper seemed like a silly expense for a small school project, and I just wasn't sure if I should buy snow clothes for the boys since I don't know how long they'll be with us. Well, my friend Danielle offered us a closet rod because they just put in closet organizers, and she knew we were building new rooms with closets. Gene came home with a newspaper from work....first time in 17 years of marriage he has EVER done that. And we had a visitation with the fb's grandma yesterday, and she brought a bag of winter clothes for the boys. How do you like that.....And I worry?

I also got to talk with a dear friend yesterday, who I miss SO much. She kindof made a mess of her life for awhile, but she's getting things right with her family and with God. She is such an inspiration, and it was really really good to hear her voice.

Oh, one more thing! Target opened her in Alaska yesterday. I'm not sure how many stores they have, but we have one in Wasilla. Next time we go to town, we just might check it out. How fun to have some place besides WalMart or Fred Meyer to shop!

Enough about me, TTFN!

Tan

I know, I promised a post about why I support Sarah Palin, and also about what God seems to be saying to me these days, but I'm still just not quite ready...So, today I'll tell you about my 15 yo daughter's birthday party that is today.

We are picking some of the girls up on our way home from town, others will be driving themselves here. What, you say? You have a daughter old enough to have friends who drive?? Yeah, I can hardly believe it too. Amazingly enough, it's true. Meg will be getting her permit this next week and Dusty will get his in about 3 weeks! Oh boy, here we go! Here in Alaska, you can get your permit at 14 and drive for 2 years before you get your license.

Anyway, we will be playing some fun games like sucking jello up with a straw, stuffing your mouth with skittles, speedminton, ghost in the graveyard, etc. We are also having Papa Murphy's pizza....(My fave), so I will hang out with them to eat. Then a sleepover and pancakes for breakfast. Spaghetti for lunch, then they will go home and we will all have a nap:-) Sound like fun. I expect lots of giggling and little sleep around here.

No matter how old girls get, they like to giggle, eat junk food and stay up all night.

In the meantime, we will be swapping out bedrooms because the 2 new ones are ready to move into! Can you believe it? Actually, I got my bedroom all ready and the girls will sleep in there tonight. Yup, I'm giving up the room I have waited 5 years for. But just for one night. They get to spend the first night in my new room:-)

Wish us luck, should be a blessed time, really. These girls are all so neat. They are each seeking God in their own way, which is really exciting to see. Maturity seems to come a little later with girls these days, but they are each trying.

That's my story..I"ll try to post pix of my bedroom and the party tomorrow. Have a super weekend!

Tan

Seems I've changed my mind...I was going to post on what I'm learning from my Bible reading these days, but it is too personal to put into words for a little bit. Then I was going to post on my view of Sarah Palin, the reasons I personally support her with all my heart. Being an Alaskan, I would like to say how I've personally been effected by her, and the reasons for my support. I've never felt much of anything from any politician, and I've certainly never felt like I wanted to support one as much as her...but that's not today's post either.

How about we talk about my bedroom? See, our house is unfinished and my hubby and I have been sleeping on the couch (well, a futon) for the past 5 years! The house is almost finished, and the 2 final bedrooms are nearing completion. Like, we primered one this morning and will primer the other in an hour or so. I have the paint and hope to put a coat on this evening and finish in the morning. Maybe, just maybe, hubby will approve carpet and we can get the carpet stretcher this weekend and finish it up. I'm sure we won't be doing trim or closet doors for a bit, but oh well! IT IS A BEDROOM!

It will be such a special room, full of sentimental items. I'm going to hang our wedding invitations and some other memoribilia above the headboard. The wallpaper border is handed down from my grandma who passed away a couple of years ago, and the bed is from my parents. The matress on the bed feels like you're sleeping on a cloud! I don't know, maybe I'll miss the old futon...NOT!

Anyway, the room will be painted by tomorrow and we'll hopefully sleep in it by the end of the weekend! I'll be sure to post pictures as soon as we are moved in.

Hope all is well with you all...I'll be more in the mood for politics tomorrow maybe.

Keep looking up,

Tan

Trying again...Finished writing this and it erased.

I have been asked to write a post about our on-demand hot water heater. It is an Aquastar by Bosch and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:

Eternal hot water. It never runs out. There are 7 of us and on Saturday evenings, we all shower. And the dishwasher runs and runs, and the hot water just keeps on coming:-)

It only heats the water as you need it so there is no wasted electricity keeping water hot that you don't need.

It gets hot immediately.

Cons:

You really can't run hot water in 2 rooms at one time. It is doable, but noone has any water pressure because the machine isn't made to put out that much hot water. We don't mind that at all...after showers, I run the dishwasher right before bed, and all is well.

The other thing that can be bad is that you MUST have the vented cap on the end of the outdoor vent. Our first winter, (we live in Alaska, remember), we didn't cap the vent and when the wind was screaming and it was 30 below, the tank froze and busted. That was 3 years ago, and my handy hubby fixed it and we've been in business every since. Of course, we invested in the cap that would close when the wind blows!

As far as cost, you can get them for anywhere from $500-$2000. We have the inexpensive one, propane with an electric igniter. We use 100 gallons of propane every 4 months, which runs the cookstove and hot water. There are 7 of us, and my stove and hot water are both running quite often.

There you go, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
As an added bonus, I'm also attaching a picture of our first killing frost on the Raspberry leaves. It is so pretty. The first frost was 2 weeks late, which is fine since we didn't have any summer up here. Winter can just take its time coming.

Hope all is well with you all, my friends. Keep looking up!

Tan

I really don't have much to say, I just wanted to add some picture to my blog since it seems so blank. Here are some pictures of the wildflowers in the wildflower garden, and of the view of the field from my house. Most people dont' think green when they think of Alaska. It can be beautiful.

I've been busy trying to absorb all the daylight I could while we had it. Well, really just absorbing rain drops, but at least it was light out while it rained:-) We had one of the coldest summers in history up here...only 2 days above 70 degrees. That is really rediculous and scary for me because of the lack of light. I'm bringing in as many of my plants and things as I can to help things look more like sunshine inside.

I'm not going to try to catch up all in one post because that would be more like a book. I'll just start from today. Isn't God awesome? I have a new bible study book called Balancing the Sword that is so fabulous. I love it because it doesn't tell me what to think, it directs me to compare scripture to scripture and gather what God thinks. I was a little apprehensive because I lacked confidence to be able to think my way thorough all this without commentaries, but God is so very faithful. I'm learning so much about His Word. I'm going to start going through it during our bible time in the mornings with the kiddos today. I'm so excited to see what we learn and discuss.

We have 2 new foster kids. They are both boys and have found a mighty special place in our hearts. Today is fs2's birthday. Should be a fun celebration. He turns 3. It's been a very long time since I planned a bday party for a 3yo. It is so fun!

Meg's 15th birthday is in a couple of weeks. Yep, I'm old enough to have a 15 year old. I dont' feel that old...when did that happen anyway? Her party is this weekend and it is going to be so fun for her. I dearly adore my daughter and am so thankful to have her around. We are having a sleepover with several of her friends and lots of games, food, and movies. Should be a great time! I even really like Meg's friends. What a blessing to have a daughter who wants to serve the Lord, and who has friends who want to do the same.

Dusty and Cam are also doing awesome. Dusty has been working this summer and has saved to buy himself a truck. We are getting it today. It was cheap and is a fixer, but he's got 2 years to get it all fixed up before he'll be driving on his own. Boy, does he have big plans! Cam is a little bummed because fishing is about done for awhile. Things will start freezing up soon and we'll have to stay off the water until December sometime. He and Gene are hoping to take the boat out this weekend for the last time before we put it up for the winter. He still talks about the ocean trip we took. I'm so glad that worked out.

On the homesteading front, lots of new news. The addition is coming along. My bedroom is mudded and we'll  hopefully texture tomorrow, primer on Wednesday and paint Thursday and Friday. Lay the carpet this weekend and move in??? That would be so awesome! The other bedroom will need to follow that schedule as we will only rent a carpet stretcher once. Guess we'll be busy! It will be so nice to have more space. 2 bedrooms for 7 people is just crazy! I'm tired of the couch.
Guess it froze last night, so the garden is officially finished. I'll pick the rest of the peas to give to the horse and chickens. The pigs and chickens will be butchered in a couple of weeks. Oh, I almost forgot, Gene is getting a goat! He's always wanted one...we will pick it up this week.

Guess I did try to catch up some. That's what 's new around here. Enjoy the pix of the garden! I didn't do much for lack of sunshine but we do have green beans and carrots coming out our ears, more lettuce that we could possibly eat, and peas to beat the band. Can't complain...

God Bless you, my online friends!

Tan

HI JEANNIE

Okay all you lower 48'ers. You're being a bit selfish and I'm asking you to share a little of the warmth with us Alaskans, please. We've only been to 70 degrees a couple of times...and unfortunately, May and June are typically our nicest months. I hope this doesn't mean that we don't get any summer. Please, Please...share! :-) See, we get way too much winter to have a year without summer. I don't think we could bear it if we can't get stocked up on our vitamin d. Then there's the problem with the garden...see, it won't grow without sunshine....even if we do have 24 hour daylight. When the daylight is behind clouds, it really doesn't help:-(

Okay, enough on that subject...All is well here. I do have a question or two to pose to you-all.

1. I would like to use less ziploc bags and more containers. But, I don't want the made in China cheap plastic containers, and I have very little money to spend. I've been saving jars from spaghetti sauce and other sauces. Have any of you ever wrapped a sandwich in waxed paper? Does it stay fresh? I do reuse bread bags from when I buy bread. I'm just looking for some cheap and creative alternatives.

2. Do any of you work from home? What do you do? I really don't want a sales job, but I'd love to do just about anything else. I waitress at a local cafe and have off and on for several years, when I'm needed. They are getting ready to relocate and it would be at least an hour drive for me. So, that won't work much longer. I love waitressing, but I have noticed such a decline in the number of customers..I assume because of the economy. I'm not making near the money I used to anyway. I do have a couple of side things that help. I am a raw milk coordinator for the area. What that means is that I pick up everyone's milk and earn mine for free. I also sell extra eggs so my chickens can pretty much pay for themselves. I also have a small vitamin business, but I have such a hard time selling. I know how much the vitamins help me and I love to talk about it....but only if people show an interest. I also tell people how to find things for cheap or free so they dont' need me, really. LOL
I need to work for another year and a half at least. My husband has just switched careers and is now an apprentice. He will get out of his apprenticeship program and get almost an $8 raise a year from November. We just have to hang on that long. I'd love to revamp the Alaska Railroad apprenticeship program to something that's more workable...but they don't ask me:-)
I would love to hear what you do to help your budget. I have cut back in every way possible, so just saving won't do it. Really, Gene's wage is way low...we qualify for lots of public assistance but I'd rather work. Any suggestions would be fabulous! There are tons of work at home ideas online, but I don't have the time or money to weed through the scams. I just want to know of things that are tried and true.

THANKS for the input!

Tan