Amazing!

Instead of being overwhelmed with down sizing the whole house, I am using a pinterest idea of  '100 things'.  Two days ago I finished my 2nd 100 things and today was my 3rd 100 things. This all came from our main living spaces NOT the frightful abyss downstairs.  Tomorrow I will deliver 4 sacks to donate, a small amount went into garbage and garage sale boxes.  This is exciting and so easy to 'feel' the progress! 

I started a different pattern/look for a jean bucket that came from pinterest also.  It's half done so I will post on it later.

Losses

Last night I went to a wedding shower, my uncle is getting remarried after losing his wife 3 years ago.  Most of the women present went to their church including his fiance.  His daughter came and was most supportive and cheerful until one of the women read a short commentary on the couple.  His first wife was mentioned quite a few  times since she had known this lady quite well.  I could see the pain swirling around my cousin across the room and wanted to reach out with comfort but couldn't. It hurt just to watch.  She was OK though and amazing, her mom would be proud.

The following excerpts, used by permission from an article by SNOMAN on Survival News Online, express much of our concern on the subject.

“Child labor laws and state intervention in child-rearing in general have put our children at greater risk than ever. At the age of twelve, Jesus Christ was able to find food and shelter in Jerusalem and carry on an intelligent discussion of complex legal and religious matters with his elders. To be sure, he was exceptional, but Western socialist societies are not using that as a model or target for what a child ought to be; instead of producing kids who can take care of themselves and others by the age of twelve, we’re extending their uselessness into the young twenties and beyond. Adolescence is proof of our social bankruptcy.

When I was a kid, it was a singular shame to have to ask someone to borrow their pocketknife. Nowadays I teach my kids never to lend a pocketknife to another kid, because it’s almost a sure thing they haven’t been taught how to use one. They don’t know how to work, survive, or think, either…

One of the most productive things you can do to bring about long-term change in society (while reaping instant benefits for yourself and your children) is teach children some principles of self-reliance, and teaching life skills is a fun way to accomplish this. They learn not just how to keep themselves alive; they also learn the fundamental concept that they are the first and best provider of their own safety. “Self-reliance” is the theory, and learning life skills puts it into practice.”

One of the problems with teaching our children basic life skills is that we don’t know them ourselves.  We’re trying to take the opportunities God gives us to learn along with our children.  It could save a life someday.

I think the February can be a beautiful month, with 3 days now of warm sun, cold air and frosty nights so far. The mountains have been at their best, so clear you can see the valleys and the sun glints off the snow on the peaks like diamonds.  I wish the camera could capture the beauty I see!  I hear opinions that it feels like spring.  To me it's a promise of spring to come, that here in the PNW after days and weeks of rain and gloom the days are longer and it's time to plan for the garden!

I bottled my kombucha yesterday in to three jars and drank the fourth one right away, very good andwith no added flavor or juice!  It's was mild, I only brewed it 12 days and my house is cold.  So now it's the 3 - 5 day wait for fizz to build up.  Keeping up with brewing will take some juggling because it's so good and buying it is a little expensive ($3.50 for 16oz).  This is one of my  goals  (to learn new skills this year).

I had a great weekend starting with a quiet visit with E and the grandgirls, playing games and watching a movie.  My sister in law called me for an overnight, we had a ball. Lot's of laughs, wine and helping a little with putting her house in order after they put down new floors.  Then back to E's house to watch the girls while she went to an appointment.  We spent a couple hours outside gardening, pulling new weeds from the vegie beds and pulling compost from the bottom of the pile to the top.  I guess V. fell asleep on the floor (she is 3) after a very busy day.  She is the one who stuck with me thru all the weeding.  J helped thru half which is still pretty good.While locking up the chickens, J pointed out the full moon coming up behind the bare trees, another beautiful picture! At 7 yrs, she takes on the responsiblity of the chickens and goats like I haven't seen in a girls new to animals. She is amazing! I was holding V. and noticed the sunkissed cheeks, what a good day! And to my darling daughter, you're smile today is beautiful!

Storm of the Century or not!

It's been one heck of a week!  My daughter's house was broken into Saturday, she and the girls stayed at our house that night. It's very hard to see the pain and anguish of being invaded upon,  to feel again the mind numbing, ugliness that the scum of our society produces.  Her laptop was stolen, one of the biggest losses.  Skype is the link between them and her husband who is in Afghanistan, it's hard enough coping with everday problems and then this.  And the sentimental items, the ones that have NO value.  Irreplacable!

My husband went to nail the door shut until repairs could be done thru a snow storm.  And on Sunday I went to  stay with at our daughter's (at her request), the stay was extended thru Thursday.  The Pacific NW has been hit with snow storms, then ice storms.  At our house we estimate 12 to 14 inches of snow, I understand why the weather stories feel this one is so bad;    most storms are not so big (from Oregon up to Bellingham),  rain is predicted 1 - 3 inches) and with the snow melt we'll have devastating floods.  We made National news!

The granddaughters had so mcuh fun in the snow, they went out multiple times everyday and became quite expert (and eager) at garbing up and peeling off.  V looked like a pink marshmellow in her snowsuit!  We walked, made snow people and threw snow (no packed balls, a 3 yr old doesn't understand) V giggled a lot.  The girls loved to fall over again and again or make angels.  E practiced with sourdough and made some good bread, fresh is the BEST!  The power did go out Wednesday night at 10:30 (time for bed!) and came on 6:30am, the kids never knew!  That's not so bad, some family  had power out much longer and 2 separate times.

My son came and picked up E for a little shopping trip, he installed chains and still slipped around once in while but did a good job driving (better than most out there, driving too fast or hogging the road).  I came home with him,  Thank you!!!

Beau-ti-ful !!!

My favorite kind of day: cold, crisp, blue sky, SUN !!!  When coming home today, from a particular point on the road I can see Mt. Baker - Mt. Rainier - Mt. Pilchuck, Three Sisters and the multitude of mountains surrounding them.  All glowing in the mid afternoon sun and from my kitshen window I see the Olympics in beautiful shadows against the setting sun with a colorful sunset.

I am thinking that one of the goals for this year is to implement 'changes' in how we eat.  We like oatmeal and cream of wheat but I woud like to take it further.  For instance, using brown rice not white.  I love brown rice, it will be the thought put into meals that needs working on because of cooking times, etc.  Instead of listing goals I will create a 'living list' (making the list as changes are incorporated into meals.

Good Food!

I made ham bone and beans today!  Brings back memories of Mom's soup, so good!  I boiled the bone (with plenty of meat left on it) with an onion and garlic for an hour then took it out to cool for shredding. Then I cooked the Anasazi beans, they cook in about 1 hour and originate from the Southwest. Nice, huh!  When the beans were done, I combined them with the meat, broth and a packet of Knorr Vegetable soup mix simmering for 10 minutes. OMG, so good!  My soup is more like a chowder, very thick.

For brunch, I made Bannocks (Scottish pancakes) using sourdough and rolled wheat flakes (I didn't have oatmeal).  The wheat didn't absorb the moisture well and so I will try again with the oatmeal.  Good but could be better!  Both these meals left me full and satisfied for hours with no heartburn that I have been experiencing lately.  Flour, cream of wheat, sugar so far seem to be the culprits.

I have a challenge on Pinterest, getting rid of 100 things.  Five garbage bag liners full, 4 grocery bags and 1 box went to the Goodwill box, Yeah!  Going to work on another 100 items!