Down on the homestead - Nov 6 - 13

**forestdale** · 11-06-2005, 10:17 PM

Hello homesteaders

I'm runnung late again. I've been writing all day as I'm trying to get something sent to the publisher tomorrow.

I'm not doing much else except for some laundry and baking bread.

Speaking of bread, it's good to see so many of you taking on the home baked bread challenge. We also have a stockpiling challenge that a lot of you are involved in. These challenges are a good way for all of us to learn and share our skills. I'm looking forward to seeing the photos of the bread baked.

I hope everyone is well.

Enjoy your week.

**hollyhill** · 11-07-2005, 12:10 AM

What do you write Rhonda?
Unfortunately I will not beable to post a picture of my breads because I don't have a digital camera. So you will have to use your imagination.

The weather was WILD today. Downpours, hail then breaks in the clouds for glorious sun with a backdrop of BLACK clouds! Very dramatic.

Had to do some emergency ditch digging to try and save what is left of our driveway.

A couple with a walnut orchard brought us 20 lbs of free walnuts.

Dd can have these because they are in the shell. Dd is very allergic to peanuts and can not have any pkg.ed nut because they can not be guaranteed peanut free. So any treenut we use has to be cracked by us! Mmmm fresh walnuts are so good. The children have been taking turns cracking them all day (we only have one nutcracker). They have been eating many but the majority will be put in the freezer for cookies and breads Yum. I promised the children pancakes with walnuts in them tomorrow for breakfast. They are heavenly with syrup.

My goodness, it is hailing again!

**forestdale** · 11-07-2005, 12:17 AM

Holly, I'm writing a book about simple living in Australia. I hope everything is ok over there with those storms. Fresh walnuts!! I LOVE all nuts but the only one's I've ever eaten fresh are macadamias and peanuts. Enjoy that lovely gift.

**seatosea** · 11-07-2005, 07:01 AM

Morning!
What a weekend here weather wise...yesterday was nasty, very high winds all day. Our goal for yesterday was installing a new wood burning stove and we only managed to get part of the pipe done, the winds were to strong for DH to be on the big ladder. I processed more squash and have a wonderful stockpile in the freezer. Laundry is all caught up, yippee!

**QuilterMom** · 11-07-2005, 07:28 AM

Enjoy the walnuts, hollyhill! Yum!

We had a busy Sat. - haircuts for all 3 of us, I had to go get new glasses and picking out frames that looked good one me took forever (I know I'll have to wear them in the hospital and I've needed to update my glasses for years), we stopped by the bread outlet, and then what was supposed to be a quick trip to Sam's turned into a fiasco because the computers weren't working properly. After that was a baby shower for us at church and the a/c in the building wouldn't work. They got 2 box fans brought in after the shower started. During the night I ended up violently sick from all the things I ate that should have been refrigerated and kept cool (dip, tuna salad sandwiches, cake with whipped frosting). I have no clue how long they had it all sitting out in the heat before the shower started and then they all wanted to eat last so it sat out for over an hour more once it started. I am just this morning feeling 'normal' again.

Today holds a dr.'s appt. this morning, a stop by Dollar Tree (never quick since I'll have ds with me), and then maybe a stop by the health food store depending on how much energy I have left at that point. Then we'll come home and tackle ds's homeschool lesson for the day and I'll hopefully sit down and tackle thank you notes. Dh ripped out the old lower cabinets remaining in the kitchen yesterday so we're now without a sink and dishwasher - should be fun - NOT! But I'll survive knowing brand new lovely usable cabinets are going in there starting tonight (the old ones were original to the house and just gross, gross, gross inside and out).

Have a wonderful day everyone!

**psjkmom** · 11-07-2005, 09:40 AM

Kim, enjoy your new cabinets. Bet you're excited to see them in place.

Rhonda, I like your new avatar.

We had a nice weekend away. The dc loved swimming in the hotel pool and I found a couple of inexpensive cookbooks at a discount bookstore. Dh was able to watch a few minutes of football on TV, so it was a successful vacation for all of us! With dd nearing 2 years, it's getting easier to travel.

I tried out my new cast iron skillet this morning with less than stellar results. Will it become more non-stick with use? Pancakes aren't supposed to be black are they?

I'm going to muster up my courage and try my hand at bread baking today. Wish me luck everyone!

OK, ds and dd are silent. They are 3 and almost 2. Not a good sign. Better sign off. Have a great day!

**homesteadmamma** · 11-07-2005, 10:33 AM

Good morning everyone. I had a marvelous weekend, quilting and watching movies with dh and the kids. Although I did get laundry done on Sat. and bread baked. It was such a relaxing weekend.

Were in for a huge storm late tonight and tomorrow, 10-20 cms. of snow, freezing rain and high winds. UGH!!!

Today I have to:

~get the kids up and started with their school work
~pay a couple things by phone
~bake cookies and muffins
~fold clothes (if they are dry)
~clean the po tonight
~continue working on dgs's Christmas quilt

Hope everyone has a nice Mon.

**forestdale** · 11-07-2005, 02:11 PM

Good morning all.

It's very early here - just coming up to 5am. It looks like it's going to be a sunny day but I think there are showers forecast. It's warm at around 28C.

It's writing and baking for me today. If it doesn't rain I'll wash one load of clothes. I also need to wipe down the front of the kitchen cupboards and clean the bathroom. Those chore will be squeezed in sometime during the day.

Thanks Emily. It's from a new pattern I drew called Saturday is baking day. Here is an excellent link for cast iron cookware and how to use it. I hope it helps. http://whatscookingamerica.net/Infor...stIronPans.htm

Have a great day, ladies.

**DaisyLady** · 11-07-2005, 05:16 PM

Hi all, I just wrote a long message only to get a "can't find server" error message when I posted it.

I'll summarize cause I don't think I have the energy to type it all again.

Bad weather over the weekend and last night. Some power was out but not ours. Thankfully.

Got free food from the leftovers at the church's Turkey dinner on Saturday night. The kids volunteered and got to bring it home. We have been eating like kings!

Worked today and then took Josh to one of his specialists. Lots of driving time for a very short appointment. Not complaining as I knit about an inch on a sock while waiting.

Turkey noodle casserole for dinner tonight then crocheting in front of the tv.

Have a good night all!

**Mom23boys** · 11-07-2005, 06:15 PM

Hello to all!

What a day! I have felt miserable all day. There must be something in the air. My head hurts. My nose is running and I am sneezing my head off. I get dizzy from the pressure in my head. I am sure it is just allergies. When Dakota got off the bus, he said he felt bad all day too. He even went to the office and had a low grade fever so they didn't call. When we got home, Richard was home and he said he wasn't feeling well either. So instead of me cooking something for dinner, DH volunteered.

Dakota was suppose to have football practice tonight, but I told him not to worry about it and that we would miss it. He is asleep on the couch. I will let him sleep.

**Strawberry** · 11-07-2005, 11:57 PM

Hi everyone

Dh has had a rough few days. Yesterday was scarey and I thought I might have to take him into the hospital. He's not as bad today.

I've tried to work on some cross stitch ornaments and I did bake bread today.

Hoping for a more productive day tomorrow.

Good night

**Valerie in WA** · 11-08-2005, 12:33 AM

Hello all! I just worked three 12-hr shifts. I don't really do anything homestead-y when I'm at work. In fact I use up a lot of resources (sterility is valued in a hospital, wouldn't ya know?) and make a lot of trash (sealed for your protection), but there is an upside, which I talk about here: http://www.frugalvillage.com/forums/...335#post491335

Today was my 'recovery' day after working. I caught up on email and spent a bit of time with the girls. I also found a new therapist for Rachel. She's a nurse, not a psychiatrist, and she has experience with both OCD and with children. I just hope she knows how to relate to a 6yo. The psychiatrist we had in the spring (which is when this all started) seemed sometimes to be awkward with dd - I don't think she'd been much around early-elementary-aged children. Anyway, this new therapist is very close to home, only three miles, and is also a Christian. I am praying that she will be able to help us. I hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable, because honestly, it does make me uncomfortable, but I think it's good for me to be open about it.

Tomorrow, I have what is for me a 'full'calendar. We are going to bake our challening loaf of bread, er... um... I mean the bread Rhonda encouraged us to make.

I need to do some laundry and I'd like to work some more on Rebecca's quilt. We see the therapist at 3pm. Dh will meet us there, and after we will vote in the general election, then go out to dinner as a family. We do so about once a month, as we all enjoy it. Usually we go to a wonderful Mexican place. I have to keep my 4yo from eating the 'kids' salsa' (mild) with a spoon. They both love it.

I also have a couple of phone calls to make (routine dr appts to set up) and the new grocery flyers will come in the mail. Those are good for a small thrill.

Tina, I'm sorry to hear that your dh was not well yesterday. Please give yourself leeway to be 'unproductive' on such days. Taking care of, worrying about, and loving another person are always more valuable than baking or cleaning or repairing things.

Michelle, I'm sorry you guys are down. I will pray that you'll soon feel better.

Chriss, gotta love free food!

Rhonda, I, too, noticed and like your new avitar. I would love to read your book. Is it the same sort of things we discuss here in the Village?

CJ, I'm glad to hear you had a great weekend. Times of rest are important, are they not? (Tina, are you listening?)

Emily, that why I don't use cast iron! LOL. I was raised on teflon and don't know any other way. Though I do keep the temperatures down to avoid the airborne hazards.

Kim - ACK!! You said 'health food store.' I went to mine today and bought a pound of organic stew meat for $9 and it's still in my car!!

... ... ... okay, it's still rock hard and is now safely tucked in my freezer. Phew! Thanks Kim for the reminder. I'm following your kitchen remodel with interest (did I already tell you this?) because we're going to do ours nexts spring or summer.

Seatosea, you're reminding me that I should get my pumpkins in the freezer too.

Holli, we tend to get wild weather in November too. Isn't God awesome for providing your family with those wonderful walnuts! Thanking him with you!

Hope everyone stays well or gets well and has a great day!

**QuilterMom** · 11-08-2005, 07:50 AM

Quick drive-by post from me this morning. We're off in a bit to see Charlotte's Web at the performing arts center here. A homeschool e-list I belong to buys tickets as a group, but I don't really know any of the ladies except the lady in charge and another lady we used to go to church with. It'll be interesting to see if anyone we know is there. After that I really should stop by Target and try to do some Christmas shopping for dh (I'm sooooooo close to being finished) and make my own list for him (I know what I want just not what specifically I want). Need to make a quick zip through the baby section and do some comparison pricing as well. All that will depend on my energy level though.

Tonight we might make a TRU run to do exchanges and stop back by the health food store. Yesterday's trip was wasted because the shelves were bare of everything I wanted to buy (all sale items). They are supposed to get a truck in today.

I also got ordered by the dr. to stay off my feet as much as possible because I'm having some circulation issues. That should be easy right now - NOT! Aughhhhhhhhhh! I hope to get everything taken care of that I need to by Thanksgiving and then just stay at home!

**Emerald_Mommy** · 11-08-2005, 11:37 AM

Hello fellow Homesteaders!

Today I have to do my weekly grocery shopping. I'm hoping to find something good for the stockpile challenge, otherwise I'll just save that money for next week.

This afternoon we're going to vote (off term elections) and head out to some friends where they're making us supper. Philip will probably be playing Axis & Allies with his friend and I'll probably play some other type of board game with the lady of the house

I want to try and see my sister & brother in law tonight too, before they head back to NC tomorrow morning. Not sure how I'm going to make that happen but we'll see.

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday!

**homesteadmamma** · 11-08-2005, 12:10 PM

Valerie, before I begin, your post about your dd doesn't make me uncomfortable in the least. It's wonderful your sharing about her. With 3 kids who all have special needs, I know how difficult it is at times to talk about it.

I just finished cutting the boy's hair and trimming dd's bangs. That's done now until spring. I'll need to do dh tonight once he is home.

In about an hour we leave to take dd to her music lessons. While were there, I'll make a drop at the library and I also need to pick up some light bulbs for the post office.

Once I'm home, I want to get some more quilting done and hopefully make the cookies I should have made yesterday.

Tina, huge

Hope everyone has a great Tues.