The old homestead reports - Mar 9 - 15th

**homesteadmamma** · 03-09-2003, 11:30 AM

Well were starting another week - seems like the weeks are flying faster than ever. Guess you notice that more when you get older, I'm not sure. Already were going into our second week of March - spring will be here in 2 weeks, so they say!!!!

The weather has been cold here, extremely cold, with winds that bring our temperatures down to record breaking degrees. Were at - 43 C with wind - time for a change in the weather. I can now fully understand why the pioneers had cabin fever. At least we can get out with our vehicles or stay in and entertain ourselves.

Today will be a day of leisure with quilting and reading and throwing in the baking of muffins for the kids. I'm trying to use up my applesauce so that I have room for when the new apples come. At this time of the year, I'm also trying to empty out my freezer, cleaning it out and then starting fresh when the veggies are ready from the garden. I'm an eternal optimist in that we will have a garden this year, even if we don't get to plant until late.

Tomorrow I plan on doing more decluttering and starting another quilting project. I know, I have umpteen not finished, but I want to get this one done soon.

Hows your day "down on the farm".

**~Sherry~** · 03-09-2003, 11:40 AM

Morning, CJ!

Its been cold here as well... wind chills were down to -40 °F last night! Brrr! Its -4 °F right now with a wind chill of -26 °F. Its a good day to stay in the house!!

Dave should be home today from his parents house... he was coming last night, but decided to wait till morning because of the windchills we were having last night.

I have been playing with my new graphics program all morning, soon I will have to make myself get out of this chair and accomplish something!

LOL

I have dishes and laundry to do today. Also need to vacuum and mop... do a little dusting.
THEN I plan to get some sewing done. I need to catch up on my quilting tutorial blocks and work on some curtains for the house. I also want to make some quilted hot pads for the table... and some potholders.

Other than that its kind of an easy day around here. Tyler is playing with his toys. His new thing is to dump them all out of the toy box everywhere... so mom can pick them up later, lol.
Pooh is playing on the TV, but making messes is way more fun.

How is everyone else??

**mylittle4** · 03-09-2003, 11:53 AM

It is going to be a busy week here! I am trying to make some additional income with ebay selling. Things that I sew since I enjoy it so much. I bought a serger so that I can finish things off nicely. It will be a frugal week on this homestead. I may have to go to town to get fabric and a few minor groceries but other than that I am staying home this week. Saves on the gas and my sanity.

**MJsLady** · 03-09-2003, 01:17 PM

Well here the weather is nice, but I am still unsure what it holds in its hands for us!
This week I want to get the flower seeds in, I may work on the beds today. It is so nice to not have rocks everywhere!
Today will be a slow day, not much chore wise to do.
Just keep the kitchen clean.
I plan to go through my cook books and begin a menu plan for March, we are still using the last of Febs stock for this week.
I may make some more donuts, but fried this time the baked ones did not come out well to me, although the boys liked them.
I also hope to finish reading a couple books I started ages ago then just quit!
I may even play with some hand sewing for my kitchen.

**homesteadmamma** · 03-09-2003, 01:33 PM

Well the muffins are made and I've just finished working on our finances.

This afternoon, its hand quilting on one project and starting another one. I need to get some more material for this one though - I know, any reason to purchase material.

The kids are watching more Little House on the Prairie videos. They sure have been enjoying them and last night I watched one with them also. Sure brought back memories of watching Little House when my older kids were just wee little.

**~Sherry~** · 03-09-2003, 01:40 PM

Melissa... I made some baked donuts the other day and they didn't turn out well either. Wonder if its just us?

I've got the laundry started here... and washed up all of the dishes. Sorted throught Tyler's toys and pulled out the things he has outgrown or doesn't play with anymore. I will list some for sale here... also plan to have a yard sale this spring/summer.

Tyler is napping right now. So I am just going to relax here till he gets up, then work on the vacuuming and mopping.

**MJsLady** · 03-09-2003, 02:31 PM

Sherry must just be us! LOL
DH complained they were greasy, not sure how they could have been but who knows?

**~Sherry~** · 03-09-2003, 03:04 PM

Mine weren't greasy... just sort of flat and hard. LOL
Tyler called then cookies.

**Heather** · 03-09-2003, 04:15 PM

Hi ladies!

Today is very cold here as well, -28, we had a terrible storm here last night but the sun is shining right now which puts everyone in a better mood. (while we shovel the snow!

)

First thing this morning was church and Sunday school for the kids. Came home and started lunch ~ tomato soup and biscuits and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

This afternoon I have been planning my gardens...I do that every year as much to the dismay of my DH I'm adding some more!! I love the planning stages...anything is possible!! I also made some more cookies and put a load of laundry in.

Supper is going to be chicken (ours), potatoes from our garden (only a few left! note that in my gardening book to plant more this year!) and mixed veggies, don't know yet about dessert.

**Mom23boys** · 03-09-2003, 09:25 PM

Good evening. We were very busy today on the homestead.

The weather was 68 today.

DH woke up early and I made breakfast for us all. Then we got started on some projects we needed to get done.

We got 2 willow trees planted. I planted some bulbs in my NEW flower garden! I also bought some big barrel pots and DS#1 helped me plant some flowers I bought from WalMart in the 2 of them. I put one on each side of the steps going up to the front porch. They turned out very pretty. I also hung up some hanging baskets and the boys all helped re-paint the front porch. DH and DS#3 mowed the grass. DH and MIL and FIL trimmed some trees. I guess since the weather was nice, we did alot of outside work.

DH BBQ'ed a brisket today.

I am glad we seemed to get so much accomplished.

Hope you all have a great week.

**QuilterMom** · 03-10-2003, 07:41 AM

I'm hoping it'll cool off enough here to turn the a/c off. It's been in the 90's already. I'm having frightful visions of the electric bill in my head!

We got a lot of rain last night - thank goodness. We definitely need it, especially with our reclaimed water supply so low.

Yesterday I trimmed up our adonidia palms a bit. They practically look bald now, but I got the majority of the dead fronds off of them. They are not very cold hardy so they didn't take the unusually cold winter very well. I'm still working on reviving one of our ixoras, but I think it might have kicked the bucket for good.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that our mamey crotons are blooming/budding again - I thought they might be goners as well.

I don't have a lot planned for today other than one load of laundry, which I will hang to dry. We will do ds's homeschool lesson in a bit and we may do some baking today. I really should sit back down with this Wee Learn preschool curriculum and continue to jot down notes from all the units. I am very impressed with it and want to use many of the ideas with ds starting this fall.

**homesteadmamma** · 03-10-2003, 07:24 PM

Well today went as follows:

- I did an hour and a half hand quilting on my challenge quilt, making that 9 1/2 hours so far. I love hand quilting, finding it so relaxing.

- After than I did another row of leaves on my quilted tablecloth. Only 2 more rows to go. Then I'll quilt it by machine.

- Assigned the kids their homeschooling work and this afternoon we studied the rain forests.

- When dh came home, we talked about finances, budgets, etc.

Supper was hot ham sandwiches, something quick. I just was too tired to make anything else.

How was your day?

**homesteadmamma** · 03-12-2003, 06:01 PM

Its now the middle of the week and today is a much better day than yesterday. I finally took the van and went for a long drive yesterday, by myself and of course ended up at a quilting store. There I fondled material and actually purchased some fat quarters for the St. Patrick's day contest.

When I came home, I sorta moped!!! Must be the long winter were having.

Today, I finished another row on the quilted tablecloth, did another hour on hand quilting, washed 2 loads of clothes and hung them up, folded clothes and thats about it.

I'm so anxious to get outside and get some gardening started. We still have a ways to go yet before that happens, but I'm continuing to look at gardening catalogues.

How is everyone else doing?

**Mom23boys** · 03-12-2003, 06:28 PM

Seems like a long week.

Today, I had to go in to the dr. to get some medicine to help clear up my poison ivy I got from Sunday. FIL pulled up a dead tree that had it on it and I knew it had been growing there and said I wouldn't help, but somehow I got it anyway and so did FIL. I just hate itching!!

Came home from work to cook and start laundry. We are having baked chicken and noodles.

It has been sprinkling all day on and off. I wish it would come a good rain to help the new trees we planted. Our yard is starting to look great with the new flower gardens. I should have planted them along time ago.

I just have to work 2 more days and then we are all out for spring break. I plan on doing alot of decluttering and rearranging around here.

Hope your week is going great!

**QuilterMom** · 03-13-2003, 01:32 PM

Busy week here with helping the missionary family from our church get ready to go to Antigua. I went to several businesses this morning (10 in all) to inquire about donations. Several seem promising so I am very excited! One in particular seemed very enthusiastic about helping (and we're talking some big ticket/costly items for donation) so I am especially thrilled and prayerful about that one.

No plans for the rest of today except to gather up recyclables (sp?) for tomorrow (newspaper, plastic) and get the bins out by the street, do my daily Bible study, and work some more on homeschool lessons for next year (gathering ideas from the preschool curriculum that's being sent to Antigua).

Tomorrow I need to bake - I hope it cools off some or the kitchen will be HOT! I will probably have to turn the a/c on so I can bake. Ugh! I found a Hawaiian cookbook that we didn't already have at a garage sale this past weekend so I am anxious to try some recipes from it plus ds wants me to make up some pancakes and french toast for the freezer (have to check and see how much bread I have for the french toast).