"Keeper of My Gate" I'm so thankful. The waters that had surrounded our home for the past 4 days have just about gone.Our home is not in danger, we live on a little hill. Our cattle are the ones in harms way. Our friends down the road would have lost their home within 12 in.that is where my heart was. This year will be a long one. I just want to thank all who was praying for us and for are area. I will post pics, later Please keep praying for all those people who are in the floods, thank you so much for just caring....................sherry

"Keeper of My Gate"e As the water swells around us, and our friends try to move up on higher ground we all are trying to settle down for the night. The river here at Williams In. is still rising. The flood waters from Brownstown and on up arrived early this morning. We are all safe , some sound. This is twice this year that the river has froced people out. We are lucky. Up north, they need our prayers as many lost all they had. We will be fine, just flooded in. The cattle are our only worry because of the heat they want in the water and could get out or worse tangled up in fence they can't see. I have watched most the day to make sure none cross over the young ones don't know any better. I hope all of you who are in the flooding are doing ok.......sherry

"Keeper of My Gate"

               It has been a day of thanksgiving and prayer. A tornado hit in the outside of town today. Praise God no one was hurt, homes were, but they can be replaced. This time of year here in Indiana is the worse for this type of weather. Please pray for the families. The storm has left a lot of damage in its path. Now it has calmed down, at least the weather for now. These families and others as this goes east needs lifted up.  thanks ............sherry

"Keeper of My Gate"

As it's getting warmer and so far no rain ,yet, things are getting done here on the farm. The gardens are replanted, because ot the rains. The only plants that made it were my peas, go figure.

     as you can see, I've replanted and yes barefooted.LOL My hubby put a elc. fence around my garden because of the deer and the coons.

now if I can keep the birds from clipping my plants. Like I said we have been busy with the garden. I am hoping to put up all our food for this year. Hubby is getting ready to work on a new seller and storage room. The potatoes are coming up ok, so have to have a place to store them. How are your gardens doing? I'll leave you with this pic of our dog putting the cows in place (behind the fence). lol

"Keeper of My Gate"

           On my way home, like most working moms, I was thinking. What things do I need to get done tonight? As my list grew, my joy of getting off work and coming home started to sink.....and fast. Then I thought, if I get home and start throwing everything in it's place, start supper, do the chores I have for me and then breath. I was going to die......even worse, my family would suffer. When hubby saw me he would know that I was stressing out, then so would he. When my daughter got home, she would see me stressed out and she also would be the same. So...I came in, sat down a few minutes to write this( did start a load of wash) and now I am more relaxed.....I'm breathing, smiling and glad to be home again. In our home, I control the mood..even if dad has a bad day, I control the mood in the house , you know what i mean, we as wives and mothers smooth things over. Thats what we do. So moms and wives how's your mood........do you need to smile....give your family a hug.....have a great night. sherry

"Keeper of My Gate"

 A Proverbs 31 Heart Challenge

Managing The Home:  Put new sewing room together

Managing The Kitchen: clean out the frig

Managing The Cleaning: Clean the family room top to bottom

Managing The Out Doors: hoe out the garden

For The Family:  Take better care of myself

For My Marriage: Lift him up in prayer, and write him a note in his lunch box this week.

For My Lord/Faith:  Looking for a new church home, very hard....please pray

For My Friends/Hospitality:  Take the older lady at work a donut, this week..

For My Self: (the Reward)  I like the idea of just getting this done...

This is our second week so go on over to  http://www.homesteadblogger.com/GypsyFarmGirl/ and join

"Keeper of My Gate"

      It's so pretty this time of year with the green coming in and all the redbuds in bloom. The white dog wood showing her color along side the pink flowering almond I have in the yard. The irises are getting ready to bloom and the others right behind. This has to be my favorite time of year.

      Hubby sent off three of our older cows this past Monday, the money will go for a new Bull. For you out there that are small farmers you know how hard it is to make a living on a small farm. Please pray that we find a bull, in our price range, and that it will be good and healthy.  The young chicks are growing just fine. We have a new animal on the farm, coming out of the woods late at night. A bobcat, Indiana has them on the endangered list, so we have to watch. It has been coming to our pond, so far it has left our chickens alone. Our friends in another county wasn't  as lucky, one got into theirs. I'm not sure on the laws, but I know he shot it and got into trouble, even with it killing his livestock., to me, this isn't right. I don't believe in shooting for sport but I do for protection of our own. I think we should have been told before there was a release in our area, some have seen the wolves. I haven't yet......and I really don't want too.

       This weekend is a cleaning weekend, so I will need to go for today. I hope and pray all of you have a good one.    sherry

"Keeper of My Gate"

~ PROVERBS 31 CHALLENGE ~
Jeannie at Honey Milk Heirlooms has started a new meme so if you'd like to join, just click here www.homesteadblogger.com/GypsyFarmGirl/95652/

MANAGING THE HOME:   Work on  the heart of it, make it a restful place to be, a loving home. Keep the living room in order.

MANAGING THE KITCHEN:  I need to stick to my menu, so I can stick to budget. Become a friend to my sink.LOL

  
MANAGING THE CLEANING:  I need to make friends with my bedroom, seems like everything ends up there this will have to go to next weeks list

-  MANAGING THE OUTDOORS:  I need to  replant some of my garden, the birds clipped my plants.

FOR THE FAMILY:  Let each member have a voice, show that I care what they are saying, I'm not always good at that.

FOR MY MARRIAGE:   Never take for granted that he is there.

MY HEALTH:  I have to lose weight, and take better care of myself.

FOR MY GOD/FAITH:  I need to make sure I spend time with Him everyday.

FOR MY FRIENDS: Stay out of the trouble around them. don't pick sides when it doesn't concern me.

FOR MYSELF: Enjoy the afternoon, on the porch with a glass of ice tea.

"Keeper of My Gate" The sun is shining, but the air is cool. We worked on the garden this week, got everything done. Our daughter in law helped us for the first time. She had never been in a garden and is looking forward to canning and freezing the harvest. I can remember when my mother in law took me under her wing and taught me. Now I get to pass that on. That first can of green beans that I canned on my own........just nothing like it. I'm glad that my stroke was light and that I can do this. The Lord is good!! I told my doc I had planting and canning to do so this body just better get moving . Praise God it did. I hope all have a great weekend and I hope to be back on here more soon. but for now I just check in every now and then. God bless.............................sherry

"Keeper of My Gate"

I'm trying to find a fabric source. I need things like cotten linen, diaper fabric. and am having a hard time finding a place. Does anyone order off the net? I could really use some help.....sherry

"Keeper of My Gate"

All that snow we had yesterday is melting fast under the warm sunshine. I will miss the pretty view of the white covered rails, birdhouse and trees, but I welcome the bright sun..I hope you all have a bright day !! sherry

"Keeper of My Gate"

     The house is smelling like ham as the pot roast is cooking and the beans are faint in the air. The sun is shining brighter then normal, due to the glare from the snow......6-8 in. It is pretty. Kaydy went out an played with her brother, who pulled her around by the 4 wheeler. She had a blast. Hubby is gone, he will be behind the wheel of one of those trucks, clearing the road today. So I have the house alone for  a few minutes. Thought I would check in.

     I'm wanting to deep clean today so I can't stay on very long. Just long enough to drink my tea.  I 'm also slow cooking dinner, so I won't have a mess tonight and dinner will be done tomorrow. Next weekend I will start back with my weekend cooking, for the week ahead. I don't do it for a month, because, (for me)  I don't like the taste as well if it has been frozen more then just a few days. Please again, my thoughts, not saying anyones food is bad...LOL.

  Well my house is calling and I want to get done so I can read, MaryJanes book ( for the farmgirl in all of us). So have a great day.    sherry

"Keeper of My Gate"

The robins are here !!!! I have them in the yard.....Spring.......I looked out my window toward my raised beds ,there they were....I also seen a pair of eastern bluebirds, starting thier nest in one of my birdhouses. I love birds, they calm my soul just watching them. I'm cleaning house today but tomorrow this girl is out side, cleaning up the garden and porch . Getting ready to set in the porch swing with my coffee or tea. I can't wait. Have a great day..sherry

"Keeper of My Gate"

    The house smells of bleach and  laundry scents. I love that smell, it makes me feel good all over. It reminds me of our house growing up and mom putting out the clothes on the line and us kids running through. She always seemed to have a pot of beans going in the crock pot and I still do that myself today.

    Mom was/is a hard working woman. She raised 5 kids, while holding down a full time job. She never made us feel left out , as far as love went. She always gave all of us .50 to get us penny candy, down at the small store a few miles away. Back then she could get all she needed each week and it was put on a tab. George, the owner, always let mom pay her bill on her paydays, back then you knew each family like they were your own. I miss that.   Over in the corner was the pop machine, with the crate next to it to put your bottles in, when you were through. For our $.50 we could get a pop, chips and a few 1 cent candies, go out on the porch and drink and eat while mom shopped. The good ole days !!! I just have her on my heart today so guess I'll get offf and give my mom a call just to remind her of the good times we have had........if your mom is on your mind today give her a call, we are never to old to need our moms.......sherrry

"Keeper of the Gate"

This a message that Ellie Lofaro, had on her tape. I thought it was very funny, thought you might enjoy it too........

A friend of mine told me a great story related to the huge land mine of being discriminating and discerning about family entertainment. A father of three teenagers had a family rule that they could not attend “R” rated movies. His teens wanted to see a particular popular movie that had just been released in local theaters. It was rated “R.”

The teens interviewed friends and even some members of their church to find out what was offensive or questionable in the movie. They made a list of pros and cons about the movie in order to convince their dad that they should be allowed to see it.

        The cons? It contained only three curse words, the only violence was a building exploding (and that’s on TV all the time), and you actually did not “see” the couple in the movie having physical relations; it was just implied--- off camera, of course.

        The pros? It was a very popular movie—a true blockbuster! Everyone was seeing it.

It contained a good story and a good plot. It had some great adventure and suspense. There were some brilliant special effects. The stars were some of the most talented actors in Hollywood. It probably would be nominated for several awards. Many of the members of their Christian church had seen the movie and said it “wasn’t too bad.” If they could see the movie then they would not feel like “rejects” when their peers discussed it.

Since there were more pros than cons, the teens had asked their father to reconsider his position just this ONE time and let them have permission to go see it. The father looked at the list and thought for a few minutes. He told them he could see they put  considerable time and thought into their request. He asked if he could have a day to think about things before making his decision.

The three teenagers were thrilled. They were sure that they “had him” because their arguments were so convincing. There was no way Dad could turn them down. They happily agreed to let him have a day to think about their request. The next evening, the father called his three teenagers, who were smiling smugly, into the living room. There, on the coffee table, he had placed a plate of brownies. His kids were puzzled. The father told them he had thought about their request and had decided that if they would each eat a brownie, then he would let them go to the movie. But---just like the movie, the brownie had pros and cons.

        The pros? They were made with the finest chocolate and other premium quality ingredients. They had the added delight of yummy chocolate chips in them. The brownies were moist and fresh with wonderful, smooth, creamy, luscious chocolate frosting on top.

He had made these fantastic brownies using an award winning recipe. And best of all, the brownies had been lovingly made by the hands of their own dear father.

        The cons? The brownies had only one. He had included a special ingredient. The brownies also contained just a little bit of dog poop. But he had mixed it in well and they probably would not even be able to taste the dog poop. He baked the brownies at 350 degrees, so any bacteria or germs had probably been destroyed.

Therefore, if any of his children could stand to eat the special brownies which included  “just a little bit of crap” and not be affected by it—then he was confident they would also be able to see the movie with “just a little bit of smut” and not be affected.

Of course, none of them would eat the brownies and the smug smiles left their faces as they filed out of the room. Now when his teenagers ask permission to do something that involves questionable content, the father just asks, “Would you like me to whip up a batch of my special brownies?” There are never any takers.

         Parenting…it’s not just a job…it’s an adventure. May God be our guide

"Keeper of the Gate." Don’t you just love that saying. We as woman God has entrusted to be wives and mothers, we are Keepers of the Gate. God has trusted us to watch what comes into our home. We are "Keepers of our Gate". I have given this thought this week after hearing Ellie Lofaro, speak. If you haven’t heard her, please, take the time to listen to Focus on the Family, to the broadcast "Timeless truth of Christ 1 & 2. The 29^th, 30^th show. She will make you laugh for sure.

Now back to what God let me take from her. She didn’t say a lot on the subject of the gate, but God told my heart much more. Over time I think I have let to many things, come through, me and keeping my gate. Last month, I decided to take a room at a time and make it my own, with love and kindness. I will at the same time take control of the "Gate". With spring coming and new things blooming, so will our home. The tv. has become to much of the center and it’s time to trim back it’s branches. I don’t want to get rid of all tv, My hubby loves his " Daniel Boone" and I like my "how clean is your house" so , we will trim back. The sound of soft music, or just the birds outside will be the theme for spring.

Also with keeping my gate, she had brought up, how sometimes, we as believers( this is my take, please don’t take it toward you) box ourselves in. That by closing out all the outside world, some have become judges, I’m not saying you.... this is me writing about me.....I do think as for me I sometimes do judge before I have a chance to get to know someone. I think in my trying to keep us away from things I have also not went out and taught others, on Gods love. If I only have people who know God in my live then how do I help unbelievers learn of his love. I think I have become that snob, that I never wanted to be.....no.. I’m not saying let people who are unbelievers, come into my home and take control. I’m saying meet with people, talk with people in a loving and gentle way. When I go to heaven and God stands before me, and says Sherry that woman who wore the tight shirt and short skirt, did she see that you were mine, and had a word for her, or did you walk by with a turned up nose, as she walked into her death........that maybe just a friendly hello would have opened an everlasting door for her? I will think more as I pass someone, or work with someone from now on.... with the love of Christ minding my Gate with me, blessings always..Sherry

                I saw a movie a while back, and for some reason, this part keeps coming to mind, so here goes, I’m not sure how it was said, but in part there was a woman who bought a house, and as she started cleaning this house, she said, something like this,"In Italy, to make a house a home, you should take one room at a time, treat it gently, with kindness and love and make that room your own, and when you are through , with each room, that house has become your home." I know this is not word, for word, but to me it speaks volumes. I have been attacking my home like a wild woman, to get it clean, organized , move this, move that. Well this house, has become a chore..I know this is sounding funny to some, but I am in charge of the house, and under Gods rule I am to make it a " home", one that our family would want to speed time in, one that, a stranger who walked through my door, would find warmth and comfort. So as I thought about this new year, I’m throwing out, my way of attacking my home, I will take one room at a time and make it mine, take my time, put it together with the things that I feel that the family would love, and remove things that I don’t feel warmth from. Yes, this will take longer, but in the end I will have a home not just a clean house.

                  My first room, to take into my hands and my heart will be the kitchen, I will take one thing at a time and make it mine. My kitchen is normally straightened, but ever sense we move here, it hasn’t felt like a home, a home like my grandmother had, warm, steadfast, I always felt warmth there, that is what I want here. So this is my new plan.......for the year......one room at a time. Sherry

 On our blogs it says (link) what does that mean? and is there a way to see more of who has posted a blog? My page only shows 5 is that all that comes up on everyones? or can I change it to see more? Still learning as you can see. lol have a great day...sherry

I was making bread, and for some reason, it feels so heavy, HELP what am I doing wrong the flavor is very good..but it isn't light , like bread should been. Anyone got a recipe I could try, maybe I need a change.......thanks to anyone who has a plan....sherry

I’ve been asked about my food bill so thought I would post my list and my meal plan, because they go together..  This is set up with my menu plan (cards) I use every month. I don’t want to bore anyone. So here goes......As I tried to work out menus and learned that having them in my home management binder, didn’t work for me. I went to this idea, recipe cards

Then when I’m ready to cook on Saturday, I get out which ones I’m using that week and cook up any thing I need for the week. I tried cooking once a month and for me I can’t, if I ‘m having lasagna I will make two and freeze one, but only sometimes. Example: I will cook up 5 lbs of hamburger, drained, put them in sandwich bags for the amount I will need, 4 chicken breasts will be boiled, 2 kept whole, 2 shredded , broth kept, in sealed jars to use later for soup, or noodle broth. I will make potato salad for mine and hubbies lunch. While I have the oven on, I will make, meatloaf, bake 4 chicken breasts, in foil with BBQ sauce. A pan of lasagna, and a persimmon pudding. The crockpot will be cooking my beans.

Like I said this works for me.....from the cards, I made out my list, I use the same cards every month, just move them around, I can change the veg, bread ect, but the list stays the same. They don't get bored with the plan because I change it.

I use this list as my main one , the (*) I buy as needed, sometimes I will get over stocked so I don’t need them monthly. I will buy the things on my list, if they are on sell anytime during the month. As you can see by my list I don’t buy a lot of meat, we raise cattle, and we have feeder pigs. I put up a garden, and have canned or frozen, veg, and fruits. This garden season I plan on growing all our food needs for the year. God willing. We planted blackberries, strawberries, rhubarb and have persimmon, cherry, black walnut, hickory nut and apple trees. I would tell anyone to grow their own, fruit. I have saved so much, making my own pies, puddings and bread. So there is always something to snack on, without chips or boughten snacks. Spices I grow or get from family that grow them. Like I said this list works for me and my food plan. maybe it will help someone else.. sherry