Remi and Avalance

My family was asking about the sweet lady who bought Remi and Avalanche from us. If you drop by the blog, please write the email in the header and let us know how things are going for you. 

Mama Bear

Hunting on my land. Placed in front of five painted trees and two trees with "No Hunting" signs on them. Shooting in my yard's direction. Endangering my children. Baiting deer. They're going to get caught. #mamaasbellbear

A bit closer...

Today is a different kind of birthday. 

There is joy and anticipation because I have friends giving birth today. 

There is also sadness because the father and father in law of friends of ours, is on his deathbed. I am thankful I was able to minister to him through comfrey salve and years of prayers. 

I turned 49 this morning. I am celebrating it joyfully with my loved ones while I count my blessings. I am blessed with good health and am not on any prescription medications. I am approaching the day for it but currently do not wear glasses. My teeth are all intact and in good condition. I am physically active working in our home and on our farm. My marriage and family are whole. Our finances are in order, and our home is solid. 

I am abundantly blessed with all I need plus enough to share with others. My God given talents were perfectly tailored to allow me to serve those placed directly in front of me. I feel and see evidence of God's Hand on my life. For decades, I was torn apart and felt lower than every other human being but escaped those chains and found my value in the Gift God gave to me. 

To God be the glory for every single bit of it! I am blessed far, far beyond what I ever imagined could be possible for myself. I would not trade my life for anyone else's. I am His, and He is mine.

Today marks another year closer to realizing what is behind the veil. I am a bit closer to meeting "the One Who loves me more than all others combined" face to face. My mind struggles to comprehend casting off this mortal form and stepping into eternity much like a caged bird would struggle to comprehend the vastness of the great outdoors. 

Birthdays are simply mile markers in this journey that has a glorious ever after ending.

I Corinthians 2:9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"

Unicorn Spit Table

I wanted to do something fun and colorful for where Emily and Hannah sit to do their school every day. I found a thrift store table for $25 and used a coupon to get it for $20. 

After I sanded the table and painted the base color. I used Unicorn Spit gel stains which have a unique and heartwarming beginning. I saved some money by purchasing the white and adding food coloring gel to tint it to the few extra colors which I only needed in small amounts. I also purchased the purple and blue since I knew I'd need more of those and wanted those colors just right. 

It's hard to see the full effect of these gels in this poor picture taken in a hurry on a rainy day. Once the clear coat is added, it gains depth and is very pretty. I painted the edge, underside, and base of the table grey. I paired it with black chairs. 

My girls love their table! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
Psalms 13:6

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 15:57

Happy Sam's Club Online Customer

For weeks, Sam's Club did not have an item I wanted in the store, so I decided to order and have it shipped to the house. That was my first online order with them. 

It arrived today. One of the 5 lb packages of bulk grits tore open en route. Messy! They apologized many times and are replacing the torn package of grits AND my other items to make up for it. 

I am very pleased and thankful for a quick and easy resolution. 

That's how you treat a customer! 

I will order online from Sam's Club again!

Lyme disease IS in Virginia.

Yesterday, I learned of a friend of a friend who suffered greatly and died from untreated Lyme. He was finally tested, but it was too late. 

Two people in my immediate family had the bull's eye rashes and other symptoms. Both were told "Lyme is not in Virginia" despite the fact I found evidence on the CDC's website (published years earlier) that said otherwise. They both went from doctor to doctor to be told the same thing and were given prescriptions that did not work. Both of them heard, "I don't know what it is." by more than one doctor. 

We had to find a Lyme literate doctor online who gave us excellent advice which was followed to the letter and restored their health. Both of them were healed 100% of all symptoms.

LYME IS IN VIRGINIA, and it's becoming more of an issue. I believe the numbers are much, much higher than what is shown on the CDC's website for a few reasons. One, doctors aren't testing for it when they should due to misinformation. Also, the ELISA test is known to be highly inaccurate. In fact, in Virginia, "patients being tested for Lyme disease must be officially informed that a negative test result does not mean they don’t have Lyme disease."

Lyme is all over the country. Listen to the people living with it. I have so many friends who are battling it. ALL of them have had to fight for testing and treatment. Many of them have given up with the traditional medical community because the fight was costing them valuable time. 

I am fed up with the medical professionals who are standing in the way of effective and timely treatment. 

Please educate yourself about Lyme, and its co-infections.

CDC report warns Lyme disease is slowly spreading throughout and beyond the East Coast

Show Me Da Money!

Ever wanted to learn how to can your own foods? Go for it!

My job as wife and mother is to feed my family as healthily as I can as economically as I can. For about 20 years now, I shop in November for the best deals on turkeys and purchase as many as I can afford. I usually average about 20 turkeys. This year, combining discounts, I was able to get my quota of turkeys for .34 a pound. I purchased 26 turkeys this year.

I roast them, de-bone them, and then cube and pressure can the meat in my pressure canner. The skin and bones go into US Navy sized pots, and I make dozens of quarts of rich stock and pressure can that. The scraps of meat and vegetables at the bottom of the stock pot go into freezer bags to feed my dogs. The bones go to our hogs who gobble them up. It's rare I can purchase food that inexpensively and make it do so much.

Having meats, soups, seasoned and plain beans, baked beans, and roasts I made myself for my children to eat is my favorite form of "convenience food." I know exactly what is in each jar. I like canning over freezing because once the work is done, it can sit on the shelf for years and not cost me anything extra to store. They can open it and eat it straight from the jar (which they often do) or reheat it quickly. My husband and children love taking them to work for lunches. Co-workers usually get a few jars too. They also make great gifts that are always well received.

If you have not learned how to can but have been wanting to, take the leap and do it. Canning is easier than you think and not as risky as some people would lead you to believe. I taught myself in my 20s by following USDA standards.  I had no one to ask for help as I learned. I figured it out. I passed the skill down to all of my older children. My youngest two children are still learning. If we can do it, you can too! 

Family Fun

This was left under some things I had to move around

by this mischievous child.

I put a dollar store rat and spider in her tent later.

Look for the Silver Linings

I don't like the time change, less daylight, cold weather, bulky clothes, etc during this time of year. 

However, I do appreciate the extra moments we have together as a family.

There is always, always, always something to be thankful for. -unknown

Miracle

Miracle, who has a story and a desperate mother's prayer behind her name, chose Brandon as her human. She use to follow him all over the yard like a dog. 

Then when he moved out, she chose Joshua to be her person. My big, strong adult son is so tender and considerate of what I call his "old lady cat." She is about 17 years old, just a little younger than Joshua.

She lived outdoors serving our family as a barn yard mouser for 15 years. She did a great job and often also caught rabbits, snakes, and lots of moles and voles. We started keeping her indoors in the winter once we noticed she was slowing down. She mostly stays indoors and sleeps a lot now. She goes to the door and meows when she wants to be let outside to use the bathroom. We think she also teleports because no one is sure just how she gets back indoors. 

She's a feisty gal. There's been several times a dog or livestock has been giving me trouble which would bring Miracle running with her claws out to take care of business. I've seen her chase pit bulls, rottweilers, Great Danes, and Great Pyrenees out of our yard. She's also fostered litters of orphaned kittens including a kitten one of our other cats stole from a neighbor's cat's litter. In fact, couple of months ago, she took in a litter of orphaned kittens for a neighbor. I fed them, and she kept them clean and warm.

I am not big on having cats in my house, but it looks like there is an exception to every rule. She's served us well and has earned an easy retirement.

My Grandbeebees

Brandon's Italian honey bees are eating spilled honey.
These little bees are pretty chill.
I did get a good "cussin" from the bottom right bee for getting my camera lens too close for its comfort.

I am looking forward to adding bees to our farm next year.

Daddy's Dangerous Tree Removal

Clint cut down four trees for Brandon. This is the dead oak tree before he cut it down.  

Brandon used his chain saw to help cut them up into firewood. Joshua helped too. I cut a little, kept an eye on everyone's safety, used hand signals to communicate with Clint, and helped load the wood. We will use the wood for heating our home and the branches will go along the property line to create a natural barrier. Caleb grabbed some of the oak for woodworking. 

This tricky tree was leaning towards Brandon's house, so he wanted it down before it got any taller. 

It was not a fun tree to take down. Clint put a cable on it to make it fall so that it missed landing on Brandon's deck. It behaved and landed exactly as Clint predicted.

We are thankful for the wood, and Brandon is thankful to have the trees gone. He has a few very tall pine trees in his backyard that have to be cleared before he can repair the shed that came with his place. 

More Herbaling

 

It's been a privilege and a joy for me to spend a good portion of my day today making herbal medicine for friends and family. 

I am mailing jars of my comfrey salve to family and many friends. I am taking some to neighbors tomorrow. 

I love crafting and gifting medicine for those I care about. Doing so lifts my spirits and lets me share some of God's amazing love.

"There will be so much more evil in the world that the love of most believers will grow cold"

Warning Against Falling Away

We have many things to tell you about this. But it is hard to explain because you have stopped trying to understand.  You have had enough time that by now you should be teachers. But you need someone to teach you again the first lessons of God’s teaching. You still need the teaching that is like milk. You are not ready for solid food. Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby and is not able to understand much about living right. But solid food is for people who have grown up. From their experience they have learned to see the difference between good and evil. Hebrews 5: 11-14

During that time many believers will lose their faith. They will turn against each other and hate each other.  Many false prophets will come and cause many people to believe things that are wrong.  There will be so much more evil in the world that the love of most believers will grow cold.  But the one who remains faithful to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:10-13 

Today's Christians show more enthusiasm for their sports team or their pets than they do studying the Word of the Most High. Our churches are teaching watered down milk to Christians, who are called to example God's love to others, but they don't even know the differences between agape, philia, storge, and eros. The Bible warns us that in the last days, "the love of most believers will grow cold." It's easy to understand how that can happen when you see how little the church knows. Note it says "of MOST believers." That's the majority.

We are seeing more and more of the evil in our society. It's making itself visible from the venom spewed online to the hate fueled attacks all over the world. The thing about rising evil is that it gives us more opportunities to example a greater love, but we have to know what that is in order to example it. We have to strengthen our minds and spirits so our flesh does not win the battle as we respond to the evil around us. We need to grow closer to the One who created us.

To prepare for what is happening around us and for what is to come, I encourage you to study the Word of God, and study it hard so you will not be part of the many who are easily deceived and fall away. 

Whatever excuses you are making, lay them aside and pick up your Bible today. Now is the time to "armor up." Don't give up eternal reward for temporary pleasures. 

Set yourself up to succeed in studying God's Word on a deeper level. Make appointments in your calendar, set alarms in your phone, and/or download and listen to lessons as you commute, do household chores, or work out. Set goals, discipline, and reward yourself. Make it enjoyable: have your favorite snack, play music in the back ground, buy highlighters and notebooks, diffuse essential oils, etc. Find out what keeps you on track, and do those things. 

If you stumble, don't negative self talk yourself into defeat. Simply drop the many excuses, and start again. 

We Christians also need to strengthen our bonds with one another. That means we have to quit the excuses and give our time to others instead of self serving pursuits. We also need to encourage, build up, and show support for one another. Now is the time to prepare for battle. 

I don't want my love to grow cold at a time when the world needs an example of God's love more than ever. 

Premature Baby Awareness Month

My husband was born over a month premature in 1969. I was told he stayed in the hospital for almost two months. 

He had a "rare blood disorder" that caused doctors to say he'd likely die, but it miraculously disappeared after the church held a prayer vigil. He was so small when he came home, he fit in a shoe box. My mother in law said he was an ugly baby. 

When he was released by doctors, the billing department told my MIL she had to pay the bill in full before she could take him home. She tried to work out a payment plan, but they told her again she had to pay it in full. She said, "OK. I guess you'll have to keep him since I can't do that. I'll pay a little each week and come to visit him." It's amazing how fast they worked out the payment plan after that.

 He's 6', healthy, strong, and at nearly 50 years old, just spent two full days cutting down trees and then cutting them up into firewood. The third day, he worked a 10 work day and then cut firewood again for three hours. 

God is good, and I am very thankful for the gift of my "premature baby" husband! 

Clint and I still chuckle over his mother's creative way of handling the billing department. 

Herbaling

Expanding my knowledge of medicinal herbs and edible wild plants is one pursuit I wish I could dedicate more time towards. 

I did get to make some elderberry syrup which I take for the antiviral properties.

Daddy's Helper

Bethany rewiring the trailer lights

Clint and our middles refurbished our old trailer late September right before our camping trip.