Saturday, October 11, 2008 - 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.

Friday, October 10, 2008 - Emily's goat story

Friday, October 10, 2008 - A New Homestead Blogger

My daughter is a homestead blogger!

Make her day by checking out her site.

Don't forget to leave her a nice comment.

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/JaimieBesaw/

Thanks,

Candy

Friday, October 10, 2008 - Selling Used Books

Boy, do I ever need some help.

We are moving to Alaska.  That's the good news.

My New York home is overrun with books.  That's the problem.

I have decided to list them on my website http://candyfoote.com/ 

That could take me a while!!!

Well, I have managed to put a few of them on it.

It seems to take quite a bit of time.

I have included shipping and handling in the listed prices.  Not one item is more than $5.00.

Please, please, please check it out!

If you don't see something you are interested in, then check back another day.

It will take me quite awhile to list all of these books.

I really can't take all of these books to Alaska with me.

Thanks,

Candy

Friday, October 10, 2008 - The Answer to our Financial Woes

The "financial" woes of our nation are on the hearts and minds of many in our nation right now. 

I am not surpised in any way by the economic crisis we face. What did Americans think would happen when it has lived on a steady diet of debt and allowed our government for decades to get deeper and deeper into national debt? It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that our nation's economic crisis is due to poor financial management. We can't point a finger at our nation and it's leaders without taking a good look at our own lives. Americans are addicted to debt. YES, I say addicted.  Pretty strong words, ya think? Americans want everything and they want it right now. They want their government programs and don't realize that everything comes with a price tag. They want their new cars, new homes and fancy electronic gadgets and don't think twice about putting down plastic to pay for it.

Then there is the concern over the upcoming election. Most of my loved ones and friends are very concerned about things. They are concered about the moral and social demise of our nation.  They are concerned and rightfully so.

So now what?

I was talking the other day to a good friend. She was expressing her family's reponse to our economic woes....... there was concern in her voice...... she was worried...... her response is to stockpile food and get a gun.

Now I want to say that I think it's great to have a full pantry, anytime of year and under any enconomic state we may find ourselves in.  But, I do not believe our trust should be in what  "we are doing" or "what we can do" or what our "government" plans to do or will do. I believe , whole heartedly that our trust is to be in the Lord. The Word of God tells us that the Lord watches over the sparrow and even the lilly of the field is dressed beautifully!   When times get tough, we need to earnestly place our trust in the ONLY safe harbor of  security  --- the Lord!

" Trust in the Lord with all your heart , and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."  ~~ Proverbs 3: 5 & 6

Too many Americans have forgotten this proverb.

Many have invested heavily in the stock market. My husband was a broker for a few years. He could tell stories about what goes on in the stock market.  It's really just a more polished way of gambling.  I am sorry if that offends some of you.  Many are seeing their retirement funds disintegrate before their very eyes.  In the news the past few days there have been reports of some committing suicide because of their financial woes.

What is happening here?

Friends, let us not dispair! Let us not put our trust in our stocks, our savings account, our food storage or even our guns! 

May I gently encourage you to place your trust in the ONLY SAFE SECURITY we have -- and that is the Lord God!

" It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is His faithfulness."  ~~ Lamentations 3: 22 & 23

Great is His faithfulness! He will not fail us !!   Let us not turn to "man made" answers to our problems. Let us seek His face, humble ourselves and He has promised us that He will heal our land. 

My prayer is that all of us will seek His face, seek a closer walk with Him ..... and trust, trust, trust that He will provide, protect and continue to shield us!

~ gloria ~

Friday, October 10, 2008 - NEWSTART... and disclaimer

I assigned categories for the pieces of health information that I plan to write about.  These categories focus mainly on the acronym NEWSTART.  I have added a couple other categories which really do not relate to the NEWSTART acronym, and may continue to add a category or two as necessary. 

The NEWSTART acronym is described below:

N- Nutrition

E - Exercise

W - Water

S - Sunshine

T - Temperance

A - Air

R - Rest

T - Trust in God

Remembering the different parts of NEWSTART can help one to remind themselves of the areas that can improve one's health.  We hardly ever fall apart because of ONE problem, but rather it is usually a combination of health struggles.  Making changes in one area may show improvement, but it likely is not going to be a lifelong answer to our struggles.  NEWSTART can help us towards a healthier lifestyle.  It isn't about diet to lose weight, or sleeping pills to get our rest, but simply getting back to what we were designed to live by. 

DISCLAIMER:

A disclaimer that I want to add is that some of us have bodies that are far along in disease processes.  Changing late in the game is likely not going to cure us, however, we may see decreased symptoms by making healthy lifestyle changes.  A diabetic may still be a diabetic, but their blood sugar levels  are easier to control.  Also because of sin,  our bodies have become run down after generations of misuse.  That means our children can have problems like allergies or other horrible diseases that are not caused by how they are living, but rather a compilation of problems in our own genetics that we have passed down to them, or problems caused while growing in the womb...not to mention the exposure of so many things that are just considered normal these days... (chemicals, pesticides, immunizations, pollution, etc.) that can adversely affect one even though many others can take those exposures without much of a symptom at all.  So, do be realistic in making changes, they won't cure us overnight and they may not cure us at all.  Some changes may relieve us of some symptoms, but some changes could be detrimental to our specific medical condition.     

What does that mean?  If you have a medical condition or your children are sick, please read for guidance of where to go for information, not to substitute for medical treatment.  Making changes without your medical doctor's knowledge can cause big problems.  Medications you may be on may become too strong when making changes to a healthier lifestyle and without some guidance from your doctor on how to wean from your medications, you may end up sicker trying to live healthier than when you just lived "as is" with your medications.  Also, if you are ever feeling concerned or overwhelmed with a situation, do not try to do it on your own, just because it is healthier.  Our gut feelings are there for us to seek help.  And sometimes we do not notice something going terribly wrong because we are untrained in knowing what to look for. 

Now, I do not want this to deter you from trying natural remedies or lifestyle changes.  Just when you do it, make wise choices and if under medical care, take it to your doctor to explain what you are wanting to try.  Some doctors are not supportive of healthy lifestyle/home remedies... in that case, find one who is and one who knows what you are talking about because not all doctors know what home remedies even are as many are not trained in that area or they have seen disasterous cases from one trying to cure themselves on their own.  Often a person will misdiagnose a problem and the "cure" they are using will never work, but only cause the problem to continue without restraint. 

 Many medical missionaries treat others with home remedies and teach unschooled mothers and fathers in treatments where medical facilities are too far away or too expensive.  These treatments are taught and used all over the world and have improved lives.  Why we don't use them here in America boggles my mind.  With medical care so expensive and drug treatments sometimes noneffective or the side effects so damaging, we need to go back to some simple ways of healing. 

In summary, I do not feel anyone should be afraid of remedies or lifestyle changes.  Many changes are as simple as not eating cheetos and eating a whole grain cracker instead.  Some home remedies you can practice even while on medications and see increased results above what just the medication alone will do.  As your skill improves, you will feel more confident.  As time goes by, you will understand how our bodies work and see why something will or will not work in a situation.   Be wise in your decisions; pray and ask for guidance. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Thursday, October 9, 2008 - A New Blog for a New Purpose...

Thursday, October 9, 2008 - I shoulda, but I didn't

do anything with the last of the tomatoes today.  We picked them and pulled the vines a few days ago.  Hubby has mowed the garden and is working on the tiller to get it all worked up for the winter.  Anyway, the tomatoes were top on the list for today, but I seemed to find enough other things to do all day.  I really wanted some more canned and now that I have them, I can't seem to make myself get to them. Why is that?  They are not real nice, most very small and some have bad spots, so I think I will make juice out of what I can salvage now.  It will NEED to be done tomorrow as we will be gone all day Saturday.

We will be going to an exotic sale Saturday, it is held near here 3 times a year.  We always enjoy it, you just never know what might be there.  We do not plan to buy much.........famous last words, I know.  The only thing we are really looking for is a couple of doves.  We got a really neat big cage this spring and have not gotten anything to put in it.  Usually things sell really cheap at the fall sale as folks are thinning out before winter, so it is a good time to buy if there is something we need. We don't have anything to take to sell this time either.  We are going to take the last puppy we saved from Sophie's litter and see if we can give her away.  We intended to keep her, but just do not need one more dog to feed.  She would make someone a good farm dog and we want her to go to a good home!

I spent the afternoon redoing the fence in one of the goat pens.  I only started out to take out a gate and replace it with a cattle panel.  Well, all of it was in need of some fixin up, so ended up changing out the walk in gate and redoing all of the T-posts.  I also started to enlarge their pen on the other side, got a couple of panels up, but decided to wait to move the rest of the fence............this old lady was getting tired!

We got the last freezer cleaned out this week.  Well, it wasn't defrosted like it should have been, so I should say straightened out.  It was sad to throw out all that needed thrown out, but it had to be done.  Some things weren't marked or dated and some were just old.  There is a bunch of misc. meat that I will thaw out and give the dogs along. We are doing a much better job now, always marking and dating before putting anything in the freezer.  I am much more aware of the importance of keeping up with that job recently.  One of the freezers is empty for the winter and all cleaned out, so we have it turned off now.  Hubby stocked up on ground beef yesterday before he went to Farmers Market. 

Market was very quiet yesterday, it is winding down for the year.  I am glad the one I have here is over, I enjoy baking, but the pressure every Friday gets tiring. 

Yesterday was  our Grandson's 15th birthday, Happy Birthday Bodhi.

Today was another perfect fall day here, I wish I could order about 2-3 months more of them so I could get everything done outside I want to and need to get done!

I am tired and ready to head to bed.............Good night to all.

Country Blessings,

Marilyn~at Heritage Hill Homestead

Thursday, October 9, 2008 - Funny Stuff My Kids Have Said

I am going to try to remember as many as possible, but my kids have said some really funny stuff over the years. 

One time we were in Altoona, and we got behind a car with one of those Penn State paw print magnets on the back.  Cameron was about 2 at the time, and he yelled, "Look!  A clue!"

One Sunday, Dave was getting ready to take the kids to Sunday School and he put Emily in his truck and buckled her in.  When he shut the door, the window on the side of his cap shattered.  Cameron looked down at all the glass and then looked and Dave and said, "That sucks."

Here is a conversation I overheard toward the end of last month:  Emily said, "Cameron, when is my birthday?"  Cameron said, "I think it's in Secember.  Hey, TODAY is Secember!"  She said, "Is TODAY my birthday or is it on the 26th like yours?"  He answered, "I'm not sure, but I think it's on a weekend."  By the way, her birthday is in December...

One night, Dave was trying to do something and I overheard him saying, "Damn!"  Cameron said, "D-A-M"

The other day, I packed Cameron's lunch and I gave him an apple, a pudding cup and a sandwich.  Dave asked him if he ate his lunch and he said, "I forgot to eat my sandwich and my apple."

Ok, apparently, I need to think about this some more.  I can't remember any more.  I'm sure more will come to me later, so I'll do another post...

Thursday, October 9, 2008 - ***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!