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Showing posts from August, 2013

Gardening Bales

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I actually think that the crops growing in the bales are producing better and having a better grow rate than the

Strawbales and Raised Beds

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The strawbales are coming along. I have to say I think this might

Pineapple Progress...

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Over the last three(+) years, pineapple plants have been

Mercy Prayer book review

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Book review of The Mercy Prayer Book Description: In the Bible one prayer is prayed more than any other: “Lord, have mercy.” And God never

rebuild, repurpose, reuse...

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Awhile back a tree fell across the chicken coop. No chickens were

Children growing up...

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...can make a mommy feel sad at the years gone by so quickly and so proud of

Straw Bale Gardening

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The hubby picked up the straw bales I requested. They were conditioned and prepped for

Froggy Friends!

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Loving my little garden friends!

Fuzzy Children!

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We always seem to get pics of YaYa...lately it seems I have an abundance of Cassie pics. :)  I love these fuzzy and furry children!  So-stinkin-cute!!!  sleepy Cassie!    camp napping Cassie!    resting Cassie!     playful Cassie!     chewing the toy Cassie!       and a sleepy YaYa!

We Know We Are Homeschoolers...

We Know We Are Homeschoolers... Clothes: 1.  I have to consider if I should get out of my pajamas and put on normal clothes, because a friend is coming over. 2.  My son wants to know if he has to change into normal clothes. 3.  My son puts on a pair of jeans and we discuss he is growing out of them...we may have to buy him new ones. I would be more concerned with such if he were going to public school facilities, but in our environment, he can dress as he pleases. School Supplies: 1.  We buy the normal textbooks for subjects and content (though none are secular). 2.  Our school supply list included items like the following: ax sledgehammer hacksaw permanent markers duct tape rebar poles stakes fencing wire pallets 3.  We also bought paper and pencils. In general: 1.  People not within the same circles of you and your family do not understand the things you discuss. 2.  Family members may not understand what you are doing. 3.  You spend most of your waking ho

Toe Woe!

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The child has had issues for months with one toe...this along with a broken and crushed wrist bone have not made for a successful or fun summer.         He dropped a huge can of spaghetti sauce on his big toe in early March and fractured the toe. The nail fell off a bit later and has regrown back in oddly. In June, he went to camp and the toenail became ingrown and infected. He went to the doctor and had to go back two more times and eventually went to the surgeon about this blooming toe. After a round of antibiotics and a surgical consult, he was deemed to be healing and they doctored a bit on the nail and nailbed and sent us on our way. He went to scout camp for about two weeks and returned with the toe cracked (another scout stepped on his toe - twice) and the toe got infected a second time. We went back to the doctor a second time and my son was placed on another round of antibiotics and half of the toenail cut off. The rest was left intact due to it still be live

Garden transitions...

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I pulled up all the dead stuff out of the raised beds this past weekend. All the weeds were pulled and the soil was turned. I added new pine shavings to one bed and extra soil to another. There are 5 raised beds. Only two were cleared and cleaned and turned. One bed is full of tomatoes that are late season bloomers. This bed was planted with cuttings we had cut back from other tomato plants. Earlier this summer, several tomato plants were producing lots of foliage, but not lots of fruit. I cut them back and they started to produce. So, the cuttings were rooted and then planted into their own bed.   This is when the bed was first started back at the end of June. The tomato plants have zoomed over the sides of this bed. They are going everywhere. I have left them alone to see what they would do...no cutting back or trimming at all. The other day I noticed we have a huge tomato plant. One huge tomato. It may be one, but it makes me happy. :)  I raised the plants in this bed up off the

Getting Prepped for Homeschool Year '13-'14

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Courses and items for this academic year: Charlie has some high school Carnegie units under his belt, between last year and this summer: Physical Science Honors Geography Honors Algebra I Latin I 1/2 unit Intro to Engineering 1/2 unit Communication This year, he will take: Geometry Honors English I Honors Biology I (haven't decided if this will be an Honors course or not yet) Politics and Citizenship Guitar Home Economics Intro to Agriculture This is proof that you can successfully homeschool through Asperger's, multiple learning disabilities, and the across the spectrum.

Cutting Chicken Wings

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For my friend, Amie...    1. spread out the entire wing... 2.  trim it all the way across, not the actual wing muscle feathers, but the fly feathers, spreading out beyond the wing muscle.

veggie noodles!! :)

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I bought this new kitchen gadget, because I have been using a veggie peeler to make veggie noodles...this new gadget is supposed to make the noodles for you. I was skeptical, but after one use, I am sold! (This is the first review I have written, without being asked, and where I bought the product first just because I wanted it.)     It is some type of German product I think...maybe not...who cares? I think it is nifty. For dinner tonight, we had chicken with a homemade cream sauce and goat cheese. I added onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini noodles made from this gadget.                      Dinner was yummy tonight!

A Buff Family - lost and found?

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Back in the fall of last year, we were given 3 Ameraucana chickens and a Buff Orpington. So, we had a fully mixed flock by then. This spring, the two leghorns were added. Today, we went and picked up 4 new Buff pullets who should lay in the next few weeks. The interesting part was the reaction of one of our existing chickens when we got home. My younger son has always commented on how the chickens seem to segregate naturally. The tetra tints stick together. The brown chickens (Amers) stick together. Golden, the original Buff, was accepted by both groups and travelled back and forth between the two. When the four new Buff pullets were put in the pen, the other chickens came and checked them out. The new pecking order was quickly established...then Golden came over and checked them out. You would have thought that Golden was reunited with her missing children. She flocked them up and kept them together. She would call to them. She would run off the other chickens and peck th

floods of grace and blessings

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Today, as I was pulling from my street onto the main road to drive out to run errands, I stopped at the sign and looked both ways. The road was clear and I proceeded to pull into the intersection. Then I saw it (though you may not have) and I felt it (though you may not have). I was stopped, before I could ever get to a good roll. A hand reached down and held us from proceeding forward. We were held back. A green sedan came flying by. It almost seemed close enough to touch. The car had not been there previously and then there it was. The hand receded and the my SUV was allowed to move forward. I am ever thankful for the Hand that reaches down to provide His unyielding protection upon me and mine. I am ever thankful for the unending veil that is extended for cover. I am ever thankful for the extensions, blessings, and grace that are rained down upon us 'til the flood waters must burst forth, perpetually endless through the depths of His existence. And with rain and floods of gra