Philly Farmgirl: a Jewish Mama's homestead in the city
Canning Question
If the canning recipe calls for 5 quarts of tomatoes how do I know how many pounds that would be? I'm fairly new to this canning thing & am making tomato soup to can for the first time this year.
Thanks for your help.
~Anissa
Fall is in the Air!
10:48 AM, Thursday, September 18, 2008 .. Posted in Random Ramblings .. 4 comments .. Link
I LOVE FALL!!!
My blog needs updated!
I am in the process of updating my blog and I hope to write on a more regular basis.
I hope that all of my dear friends are well and blessed!
Fall Planting
6:22 PM, Monday, September 15, 2008 .. Posted in Organic Gardening .. 1 comments .. Link
I planted a few herb seeds this afternoon. Just a few things that will appreciate the cooler weather this Fall and Winter.
Clary Sage
Lovage
Salad Burnet
Sorrel
Parsley
Calendula
I still have some other things I'd like to plant:
Borage
Nasturtium
Viola
Sweet Peas
maybe some bulbs- Daffodil, Grape Hyacinth, Tulip...
Update on Us
I wanted to come and let you all know that we are in Linden TN currently. We have been staying with friends till a home we saw will be available. At that time we will be living in Lobelville TN near the Russell Creek Mennonites and Amish. It is a nice small town as is Linden. We have gone to a few of the state parks and stayed overnight in our RV, its a lovely place to see and live.
Magnolia is due to kid Sept 20th and I am waiting as these are our first purebred Mini Nubians. I brought 4 goats here with me to TN and Reuben my 2nd gen buck took First Place in the MDGA Virtual show online this past week, so I am well pleased with my goats.
Prayers appreciated and I can be reached by email at faithfulacres@yahoo.com
Blessings
Linda
Rough Couple of Weeks
1:50 PM, Wednesday, September 10, 2008 .. Posted in Random Ramblings .. 0 comments .. Link
Today I finally feel like we have a bit of normalcy once again in our lives. Now, NORMAL around here might not be so normal elsewhere
, but it is much, much more peaceful here than it has been in days.
First, we had a tummy virus that refused to vacate. When that went away, and I was thinking things were back on track...last Thursday's drama came along.
On Saturday evening, all suffering a bit from cabin fever, we went over to "the new house" to check on the garden. The garden was doing well, lots of seeds sprouting.
Carl decided to repair a spot in the living room floor that was rotten from previous water damage. After he pulled back the carpeting and cut out the section of rotten wood, he began sneezing and coughing...and by Saturday night, he was s-i-c-k with flu-like symptoms.
He was sick from Saturday until yesterday. He did go back to work this morning, though he probably would have benefitted from another day's rest. But, I'm not sure what's worse in this case- him being at work not feeling well; or him being at home making himself sick because he isn't at work!
After all of this, I'd really like a nice, peaceful rest of the week 
.
The garden is doing great so far! We have squash, cucumbers, beets, lettuce, and carrots (I think) all sprouting. This "community garden" in our front yard is going to be interesting 
... we had 3 little helpers and one very enthusiastic "big helper" who planted lots and LOTS of seeds last week! I do believe that "intensive planting" might be the method they used ! I was too tired from the tummy bug to care WHAT they did 
. Nevertheless, they had a blast, and we will hopefully have a nice harvest in the coming days.
Here's to quiet, cool, Autumn days!
C
Grateful for the Grace...
From my Gratitude Journal last week.
Thursday, September 4, 2008...
I started out the morning pondering the words of this quote from Holy Experience today:
To be a saint is to be fueled by gratitude,
nothing more, nothing less.
~Ronald Rolheiser
The morning gave a lovely sugggestion that Autumn is indeed
coming. Remembering my own sweeping up the cinders of
they day last evening, I decided it was definitely a "Morning Holiday"
day. Nevermind that this is just the first week of school!
Out we went, Mom with cup of tea and notebook, pencil and yet another
booklist. Girls with blankets, a baby doll and an odd assortment
of other necessities. After a bit of Nature Study and a few
hours of delighted play; not to mention a few moments peace with
a cup of tea for Mom, the day was starting out much, much
better than yesterday's frustrations, complaints, and "stuff".
Then, as I prepared lunch, with the back door open wide to
monitor the voices of 3 sisters just outside, the phone rang.
When I glanced at the screen and noted the number- the local
hospital, my heart sank. Not pausing to think the worst, I answered.
Husbands voice, which in itself was a relief, "I just called to let
you know I'm OK; but I'm at the E.R."...
I caught my breath and waited for the news. A trip to the E. R.
means someone isn't OK...and it was him...
"Working 20 feet up in a lift, grinder with a cutting wheel, blade broke, throwing grinder into face, both lips cut, not sure how badly, waiting for the doctor now."
As I hung up the phone and sank into a chair, floods of gratitude filled
my heart. Yes, he is injured, needs stitches, and will have quite a
scar to show for this injury.
Yes, he will undoubtedly miss a few days much needed work.
But, those things are so, so minor compared to what could have happened up there in that lift. Just a few inches higher and it could have meant losing his sight, a few inches lower and perhaps he would have lost his life.
I sat for a few moments and gave thanks for the grace he was shown this morning. The Grace that his family also received.
I went out and tried to relay the news to children without alarming them.
"Daddy was injured at work, and has to have stitches in his mouth.
He will be home soon."
Later the second call came, "Stitches in both upper and lower lip, lower lip
lacerated all the way through to the gum. Waiting for prescriptions and will
be home soon."
After lunch, we settled down to focus on our lessons, and were just beginning the first chapter of The Treasure Seekers when Dad came in the door.
Holding his release papers from the hospital over the lower half of his face,
he stood there for a minute. I asked if he was going to let us see, and he did.
Still bleeding slightly from the injury, the cleaning out, and the stitching up;
swollen and very painful do his mouth and chin look.
There will definitely be scars, but healing will come, and once again
those lips will share the grace and the good news of
the gospel with those he works alongside.
In times like these, I am oh, so tempted to ask "Why?".
"Why can't he have an easier, less dangerous job?"
"Why did he complete his ministry training, to not even be on staff in church now?
"Why not a pastoral role, something safe?"
But, as quickly as those thought come, I know why...
Because he is indeed a light shining in the darkness. And he
does at every opportunity share the good news with those who
so desperately need something good. He has earned the right to be heard by working alongside those who also have a difficult job, who get injured, who suffer when they miss a day's work; those who need the Light in him to show them the way out of darkness.
Though this life seems very difficult at times, and I cringe at the sound of the phone ringing in moments like this morning;
the Grace to see us through, the Grace that sees all, that protects, that heals... the Grace of God is with us.
Grateful for the Grace,
C
Frugal Christmas Gift Idea
7:20 AM, Wednesday, September 10, 2008 .. Posted in Family Fun .. 0 comments .. Link
Chas asked for Christmas gift ideas on the Front Porch, and I found this really cool idea this morning-
JOURNAL JARS . The link is for a child's journal jar, but there is also a journal jar for adults on the same site. This will not only make a nice, frugal gift for my girls; but it will be a great homeschool tool as well.
The adult journal jars would be nice to give to friends and family, and maybe to make "just for you"!
Blessings,
Catherine
Glorious Weather
10:55 AM, Thursday, September 4, 2008 .. Posted in Homeschool .. 1 comments .. Link
I love, love, love those first cool days of Autumn, and this is the second gloriously cool morning we have had!
I had to remind myself of Charlotte Mason's habit of declaring a "holiday" on those really lovely weather days, because this is, after all our first "official" week of school.....but, how could I resist 3 pairs of blue eyes begging to go outside and play this morning?
So, out we went, Mom with a cup of tea and her notebook (still finishing up those curriculum and lesson plans- which will change time and time again as the year goes by); and girls with quilts and other things to create their little home with.
Nature study showed itself quickly- a tiny walking stick that hopped onto one little lady's leg. Then, the hunt was on for other creatures- damsel flies, butterflies, and other things were enjoying the Autumn morning as well.
The other books can wait until afternoon, after all- Living is a wonderful way to learn!
Off to have more tea and read my own books on the porch...
Catherine
OH.....we planted the Fall garden at the new house yesterday! So exciting, I'll tell you about it later...my tea kettle is calling!
The 100 Species Challenge
3:01 PM, Wednesday, September 3, 2008 .. Posted in Homeschool .. 0 comments .. Link
We are going to participate in the 100-Species Challenge as part of our Nature Study this year. The rules and other necessary information are below. It would be great fun if some of you would join us!
Blessings,
Catherine
The 100-Species Challenge
1. Participants should include a copy of these rules and a link to this entry in their initial blog post about the challenge. I will make a sidebar list of anyone who notifies me that they are participating in the Challenge.
2. Participants should keep a list of all plant species they can name, either by common or scientific name, that are living within walking distance of the participant's home. The list should be numbered, and should appear in every blog entry about the challenge, or in a sidebar.
3. Participants are encouraged to give detailed information about the plants they can name in the first post in which that plant appears. My format will be as follows: the numbered list, with plants making their first appearance on the list in bold; each plant making its first appearance will then have a photograph taken by me, where possible, a list of information I already knew about the plant, and a list of information I learned subsequent to starting this challenge, and a list of information I'd like to know. (See below for an example.) This format is not obligatory, however, and participants can adapt this portion of the challenge to their needs and desires.
4. Participants are encouraged to make it possible for visitors to their blog to find easily all 100-Species-Challenge blog posts. This can be done either by tagging these posts, by ending every post on the challenge with a link to your previous post on the challenge, or by some method which surpasses my technological ability and creativity.
5. Participants may post pictures of plants they are unable to identify, or are unable to identify with precision. They should not include these plants in the numbered list until they are able to identify it with relative precision. Each participant shall determine the level of precision that is acceptable to her; however, being able to distinguish between plants that have different common names should be a bare minimum.
6. Different varieties of the same species shall not count as different entries (e.g., Celebrity Tomato and Roma Tomato should not be separate entries); however, different species which share a common name be separate if the participant is able to distinguish between them (e.g., camillia japonica and camillia sassanqua if the participant can distinguish the two--"camillia" if not).
7. Participants may take as long as they like to complete the challenge. You can make it as quick or as detailed a project as you like. I'm planning to blog a minimum of two plants per week, complete with pictures and descriptions as below, which could take me up to a year. But you can do it in whatever level of detail you like.
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