Eco Country Dream

I always forget my camera!

Yesterday afternoon, in the most glorious autumn sunshine, we went for a walk up on the Downs. I forgot my camera. I still don't have pictures of JJ. I forget my camera. Sometimes I take my camera. But I forget to use it.

I would like a good camera, as mind does not take very good pictures, but I have told myself, no way, no new camera, unless and until I can remember to take along and use the one I have !

We had a disappointing day yesterday. I was ill with a stomach complaint I suffer from now and again, possibly stress related, and church was not good. There are disappointing attitudes, I shall say no more. Then again, the children were very upset, as news of a birth was passed on to them by someone who, obviously, the family had seen fit to tell. Whereas, having promised the children they would let them know, they didn't bother to tell us. It's a small thing, but children are small things, and I hate how they are being drawn into the disappointment of church fellowships with such hierarchies, that humble folk like us never matter enough to be in on anything. If that sounds bitter - well it is a little.

It's a new day, and although the glorious sun has passed, and we are back to autumnal gloom, I will not let it get me down. But I also will not let my family be treated this way, when I know God has no favourites. Since my husband is equally upset about the situation, I fear another move may on the cards.

Some photos taken in last couple of days

I just took a couple of photos and I had some friends ask me what a gas hob was, we had one fitted this morning.  We had wedding gift vouchers from a store called John Lewis over here which is an upmarket department store in the U.K. We had to get a new gas hob we were able to get a stainless steel one in the sale at the above store.

Below are photos of our cat Bizkit, canning/bottling I have done in the last few weeks. Last but not least socks that my DH bought home for me yesterday - aren't they just too cute :)

I have a beef casserole cooking in the crockpot which should be ready within an hour.  I finish work at 6pm so will go and peel & cook potatoes - so we will have mashed potatoes with our stew.

The weather today has been just delightful and so warm

DH & I are going to have supper and watch Strictly Come Dancing, just basically have a nice relaxing evening.

***I now feel I need to say something****

I need to ask that readers leaving comments on my blog re: Candy at Keeping The Home, need to stop as I will not tolerate this any further. 

Everyone has a free will and a right to express their opinions on the internet as long as both blogs and comments do not offend anyone else.

Tell me, what is the purpose to putting anti blogs against a fellow blogger on the internet? What are you trying to achieve? Don't you also realise that posting/putting up "anti"blogs or anything similar for this matter is upsetting Jesus - has this crossed your mind?

By posting statements/blogs against someone is not only upsetting for that person but upsetting for friends, family and more importantly Our Father...............

If you have something to say then you need to tell the person directly to do other than this is not only very offensive but also childish and it is about time frankly that you guys out there grew up and fast and to think about what you are doing........

I will also add here that I enjoy Candy's blogs and besides which she speaks as she sees fit - not only that this woman speaks her mind and she makes it clear that she is not offending anyone but she is trying her best to reach out to the lost out there and those that do not know the Lord.

Candy like all of us is not perfect but she has a lot to offer all of us and I certainly am learning a lot from her.  Candy also does not spend "all her time" on the computer but posts once maybe twice a day. Candy moderates all her comments of which I am not surprised and quite frankly don't blame her for doing so considering the anti Candy blogs out there.  This very Godly woman is very much within her rights to post the kind of posts she does and has experience.  Ok, this lady may only be in her early 30's but she is a lady who can reach out to younger women and teach them.  Give her a break and get a life.

I will finally say here that I also may not agree with everything that Candy writes but on the whole I do agree with her posts and this lady follows the bible through and through and does her utmost to live a very Godly life (and yes this lady makes mistakes like all of us). She does her utmost to serve her husband and to teach her children the correct way to live - good for her but everything she does is is for the Lord and if you have a problem and/or fail to see that then go to your maker our Father.

I am not going to apologise for the harshness of this post but quite frankly I can not and will not deal with childishness especially in Adults.  Oh and for my comment from my last post you also have no right whatsoever to put up a blog in the manner you are doing and if you fail to see the hurt etc you are causing then perhaps you need to go back to the Word of God and to back off completely.

If any more childish or anti comments are left against Candy or anyone else then these will be deleted straight away without fail.  For goodness sake get a life and grow up.

I also pray that the Lord will bring your destructive ways to your attention and that you pray for forgiveness and move forward from what you are doing -

I have said my piece and that is that!

Anyone have a recipe for pumpkin bread?

****Tomorrow Andrewis coming with me to a special breakfast****

Went to see Nancy Campbell!!

We just got back from hearing Nancy Campbell of Above Rubies speak!

Nancy was very good, her message was wonderful. Gave me much food for thought, which we have been discussing here until late into the night.

Friends Kate and Mark came around, and Mark and Neil were treated to dinner cooked by their two youngest boys, P & B, and our two girls, while Kate and I went out to hear Nancy.

I must say the experience was, for us, slightly spoiled by a long period of enforced 'worship' in the style of the church which hosted the event. I personally don't think this was wise. I was not comfortable with the style of worship, and would think twice about going to see any speaker at this church again. It was a very protracted time, and not very beneficial, at least for me.

However, Nancy more than made up for it.  What a remarkable lady - they are so far from home here in the wet and windy UK, and travelling around - they were delayed in their trip from Gloucester - but what an inspirational lady! 

We came back to find the house relatively peaceful, everyone had eaten pizza and pasta a la kids, and enjoyed themselves playing board games afterwards, and Neil and Mark seemed quite relaxed! So time for bed now, just looked at the time and it's very late!

Horses ....

There always seems to be a dilemma!

Finally having got H sorted out - must take some photos of her on JJ they are the best! - we now have a problem with the pony she has just left behind and who is supposed to be Boo's new ride. His COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder - asthma to you and me) has taken a turn for the worse, and he is not a happy person, he is struggling to breathe a lot of the time .. so sad, he is such a little hero, he has been so good for H ... poor Boo is not having much luck.

We had sold her little pony, who is actually the only one we own, the rest are on loan, at the weekend, but they have changed their minds, so she has had separation anxiety for no good reason, and now this.

Poor kid. Still. God is in control of all ... our failing economy, our troubled world, even down to the coughing of a little girl's pony. So it will be OK. We just need to be still and know .....

So - Can anyone explain this Bail Out Package to me?!

What I'm not understanding is - how does it help (be it in the US or here in the UK) to allow banks and financial institutions to mess up royally, and then say, OK, no worries, we'll just clean up the mess and life will go on as normal, the tax payer will foot the bill.

Is that not like, generations to come of poor, everyday, working folk, paying for the greedy whizz kids to gamble with impunity?

People seem to have such short memories. What happens when this is all cleared up, and a new generation of bankers and such, who cannot remember today (like the generation we have now, who did not remember the 1930s) decide to do it all again? If they are even interested in a lesson from history, it will just tell them, go ahead, gamble, get rich, every man for himself. The governments will catch you if you fall.

I don't get it. Anyone care to explain? (Please be polite!)

Window update, and the art of decluttering, or why my back hurts.

Whew. I have had quite the day today, let me tell you. For some reason I have this urge to purge -- and I'm not referring to an eating disorder. I have been decluttering and re-organizing everything in sight! And not a moment too soon, either. I know that Mrs. Michelle Duggar once said that she didn't really get organized until her fourth of fifth baby came along. I understand why!

I am not naturally an organized person, exactly, but having five small children living in a limited space has really brought the necessity for organization to the glaringly obvious forefront. My brain can't handle the stress and strain of all this *stuff*. Once during a previous decluttering spell, my husband complained that I was getting rid of too much, but I gently explained to him that this *stuff* was challenging my mental health, and he relented. This time around, I know he was feeling the strain too, and so he was actually eager and enthusiastic about my efforts to streamline our belongings. Actually, I am not sure "streamline" does my efforts justice. I think I'll go back to the word, "purge".

Here is a photo of the clothing of four of my five children (not including the clothing that is still on the line outside, or in the hamper. I will deal with that as I process it). I went into their rooms, and threw every single item of clothing into laundry baskets, and then dumped it all on the couches in the living room. This is not including the clothing that I organized yesterday -- the non-current sizes that are being saved for children to grow into (although you can see some of that on the coffee table, all boxed up and ready to go back into storage). This is just the current stuff that they have been wearing, or throwing directly onto the floor, or whatever. I think it is pretty impressive.


Probably even more impressive in person.

So, I actually got that all organized, and here is the photo of all the clothes that are ready to go to the charity store (as well as a few toys that made their way into the outbox):


Anyhow. The above photo is not nearly as amazing as a current one would be (which I would post here, except it is now dark and I don't like using the flash, and plus I just can't be bothered). Because now I have seriously culled the kids' toys, every last one. That little room is now, literally, half full of stuff. I mean, it is full half way to the ceiling. Seriously. So yes, I am awesome. Thank you.

In other news, I finished my window makeover yesterday. It is hard to get a good photo of a window with the curtains open because (at least with my stupid camera) the light coming in makes for a dark photo. I'll tell you what I did: I washed the window and the screen, took down, laundered and rehung the curtain, and made some braided, rag rug style tie-backs. Nothing fancy, but that's the way we like things around here.


Yeah, it works. I dig it.

So what did YOU do today?

****Help needed pls regarding Canning****

Hi, I have just made some Christmas mincemeat, which basically uses currants, raisins, apples, other fruits and brandy and have already packed the mixture into mason type jars.  I need to probably use the hot water bath method for canning but dont know what to do.  I will be using a tall saucepan which can only take three jars at a time.  To sterilise the jars I put a tea towel in the bottom of the pan and will probably need to keep the tea towel in pan for hot water bath.

What do I do for this method and any ideas on recommended time for canning please??