Sad day today

Well, our son's fish Lazarus (long story about that name) died last night.Joseph is sad as are we all. That fish lived a rather long time! And he was so much fun to watch.

So we are going to (per request of Joseph) bury it today. He did not want to flush it down the toilet but instead bury it. Wondering if I can convince him to bury it in the garden... probably not.We let him go pick out a movie last night so he would have something to do and he picked out a care bear DVD that has about 8 episodes on it about honesty. It was pretty good! HE curled up beside me and we watched it together. I think that was the perfect movie because he had gotten in trouble the other day for lying to us about something.

Bear (our Lab/New Foundland) is around six or so months old now and can easily put his head on the table. His back reached my knees now and I don't really have to reach down to pet his head. Liam (our German Shepherd) is going to be 10 months in July and so is almost full grown. He has gotten bigger too! It is so awesome to see the two of them laying on the living room floor sprawled out or stretched out. I have ALWAYS wanted a GS and a NF! And the Lord sent them to us! :) Now if we could just get the training and all down pat and get that privacy fence up! The other day Joseph had sat down on the floor in front of the couch and next thing we knew both Liam and Bear had their heads in his lap and were snoozing. It was so cute! Joseph had a big smile on his face and was just petting on them.

I have to get some salt dough ornaments done, to fill an order. I also need to get some more crocheted coasters done for us and for us to sell. Bear got one of the two I had managed to do for us and chewed it to bits. He is a high maintenance dog always trying to see if something is edible or not. But it is so much fun watching both of them grow and learn and become more a part of our family as the days progress. My finger is doing better slowly, though DH has said I am not giving it a good chance to heal as I should. But it is no longer taped and it only starts hurting and aching and swelling when I have done too much. So, craft projects here I come! Need to pull out material and start refinishing a chair of ours. The stuffing is starting to show! And also need to start cutting out squares and working with oldest DD (17) to get the quilt done that she wants. Have the material, just need to cut it and start! And not look at it and say oh it's so pretty! and go find more material! ROFL.....

It has been extremely hot here. We have had a heat advisory for the past few days. Our tomatos that are planted are ok, so long as we water daily. Our jalapenos that are potted and the three tomatos that are potted are surviving, the jalapenos are thriving. Lavender and rosemary and green grape,blackberry, roses... those are ok if not thriving with the daily watering. The flame red grape is limping alone. But it got hurt in the frost that we had unexpectedly. We actually have around 8 tomatos on the planted tomatos! Green right now and small.I have stevia and peppermint in the windowsill - put 2 Jiffy pots filled with Jiffy pellets into a gallon zip lock and have stevia in that, did the same with 2 more jiffy pots and stuck peppermint in them. Gotta keep an eye on them and see about watering when needed. Neat little seed starting idea! Someone emailed me with that idea and I thought I would try it!

Ok, off to try and get some stuff done for a change! This heat has made me SO tired and feeling more like sitting and reading and not doing much! Think I might bring out that blue material for Arica's quilt and we'll get started on that. :) I feel like sewing! (uhmmm... hand sewing anyhow! Sewing machines still hate me)

Hot and getting hotter

Well, it's getting warmer here. Bear and Liam really do NOT like how hot it's getting. This will be their first summer, as they were fall/winter puppies. But we know what's coming and I think all of us are dreading it.
I got all my jalapenos and three more heirloom tomatoes into pots yesterday. Planted one jalapeno underneath our fruitless mulberry, hoping it does ok there. The potted strawberry looks like it might be thriving. And the six tomatoes that ARE in the garden look like they are doing good. I want to work some more on softening the hard Texas clay we have in the garden area so I can get the top soil my mom got me mixed in, and plant the squash my MIL gave me. I also want to start the stevia and some other stuff - the stevia and heirloom corn seeds are a gift from a wonderful person that is in one of the homesteading/surival groups I'm in! Such a pleasant and wonderful surprise blessing! I'm wondering if I can get some more pots somewhere (maybe check the dollar tree or dollar general within walking distance of me) and see if I can't get some pots there cheap, and get some potting soil. Stevia can be grown in pots, as can lots of other herbs and such.
We have been leaving the house open for as long as possible with the A/C off. Managed to do that ALL DAY yesterday, until later in the evening, and then we turned the A/C on and closed the house up for just a bit to cool the house down a tad. Opened it up again (partially) overnight. Trying to stave off using the A/C 24/7 for as long as possible. But it's a level orange watch today for air quality and we are already feeling so horrid from allergies. So, I closed the house up earlier today and waited unil it was 79 in here before turning the A/C on for the day. Hoping it does not kick in for a long time yet, with the fans we have going right now. I pulled the drapes so it's kinda dark in here, but... we don't have the no - see - um UV protection window screens in our windows yet. If we did, I'd let the drapes stay open. Use natural lighting.
For our preps and simplifying, we went ahead and bought a camping dish set from Walmart that is the enamel ware style. Four plates, four BIG bowls, and four mugs. It also came with utensils but I think we like ours that we already have better than these. These have plastic handles, and the ones we have already are solid stainless steel and good quality. I want to slowly try to make things as simplistic as possible and as easy to take care of and quick to pack as possible in case of an emergency of any kind. DH and I also went through the HS stuff and are working on a list of stuff that we have, a list of stuff that we need, and a list of stuff that we will DEFINITELY use. Simplifying everything is our goal. Slowly, we''ll go through toys, clothes, material I've stashed, books, kitchen....
Already simpler as of a couple nights ago. our microwave bit the dust. Took it to the curb and yesterday I cleared off and re-arranged the counters. Need to redo the cabinets and counters and clean them out of all the stuff we will not ever, EVER use. I want to do a yard sale as soon as we can, health and weather permitting.

Kids and Corelle

OK, it seems that my kids are not nice to our corelle dishes. We are now officially down to FIVE bowls. We did originally have over 8. DH and I have decided that we need to just go ahead and go country and get enameled metal dishes! Those can only get chipped or dented! :)

It will be nice to change over to these. I had wanted a set anyway! I love the look of them, and we are country folk after all....

We have an air quality alert in effect today so we have the windows closed and the A/C on with the fans going. None of us are feeling that great. But there's still things to be done and we can't just let it go. When we do manage to get land, and animals, it does not matter if we feel a "bit under the weather" or not. We will be resonsible for it all. The gardens, the orchard, the animals.... the land.... the chores.... So, it's a prove we can do it day! I will let the kids take it easy. Oldest seems to have a summer head cold started from allergies. Youngest, our son, is generally not feeling good but can't say exactly what his problems are. Neither are running a fever though. But I don't want to take any chances with them as we've no transportation right now nor do we have insurance. Nor do we know of a good doctor that we would TRUST to take care of our kids and us. So, rest and hydration is what is called for our kids right now.

Have a blessed weekend!
Lenora

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day and enjoying wonderful weather.
Today it is breezy, a bit, and slightly humid. We've all the windows open and the fans going, and sitting here at the computer I'm actually a bit cool! Everyone is taking it easy, and I am not sure I'll have the kids do any work today. Other than helping out with day to day chores and reading .... :)
I would like to point out exactly WHY we celebrate Memorial Day! It is for all the soldiers that have given their lives to fight for our FREEDOM... Our God given freedom that our Christian forefathers put into a document called the Constitution of the United States of America. These soldiers who are still living and those who have given their lives fought for that freedom both on our home turf and on foreign soil for people's right to vote, to live, to follow their religion (be it Christian or other), and to have the right to choose to do so. So, if you can, stop in at a memorial and pay your respects. Or stop in to a nursing home and pay a visit to a vet or if you see a soldier home from war or duty stop and give his or her hand a shake and say a heart felt thank you! Give them a hug if you are so inclined. Let them know that we are praying for them, respect them, and admire them for the choices they made to serve our country and to sacrifice for us.
Ok, now go grill! :)
Lenora

It's raining, it's pouring

Well, isn't this just fun?
It's raining again.
Well, I still need to actually get out in the garden and get the four squash my MIL gave me in, plus the three tomatoes that a good friend gave me, and the three heirloom tomatoes I've still to plant from the six I bought at Walmart, plus the 6 Jalapeno peppers from Walmart too.... Then there's cucumbers, and corn, and watermelons, pumpkins, and other things. Cantaloup, honeydew..... I might not have as big a garden this year as I'd hoped due to health problems and weather ( I just can't stand the heat any more like I could when I was younger.... A heat stroke will do that to a person....) but today it's not so bad with the rain coming down.

Someone posted something in one of the yahoo groups I'm in about washing with just water and just a TINY bit of soap... I want to go ahead and see about making a batch of soap for the first time ever. In the Encyclopedia of Country Living it has information on making soap without using a scale but instead by measuring. As the "old timers" did it! LOL I want to do that. Need to before the big batch of lard I have goes rancid. Should be ok still, but.... I really need to do that! Wonder if DH would let me use one or 2 of our baking pans to let it sit and age in..... I'd line the pans, of course! :) The natural bars we got at the NTIF are just about gone. Lasted a while.... Especially since we have been using them for both our skin and hair. Our hair has never done better! I really do NOT want to go back to shampoo! And my skin has stopped breaking out and the ecsema on my knee is not so bad either. Need to see about giving a good friend of mine a bar or 2 of the bars of natural soaps I plan on making after I use one myself for a bit to make sure the batch comes out good. Might start selling it! There seems to be a big market for natural homemade soaps right now.

I also need to refine my sewing and my stitches and see about starting to make and sell Renfare clothing. From watching how the Renfare fans do their finances, I'm pretty sure that if they need an outfit and don't want to make it themselves they'll buy. DH could easily to wrist gaurds and other things in leather. Pouches, drawstring pouches.... bags.... He'd be good at it!

Liam (our GS) is 8 months now, and stands at his front shoulders 14 inches. Bear ... well, we know he's younger. We got Bear on a Wednesday about three weeks ago now because I felt Liam needed a friend, and no one had posted that poor Bear had been taken on Freecycle. He is starting to lose all the baby teeth he had when we got him, and getting stronger, and his coat is looking better, and he and Liam are doing GREAT together! Guessing he's about 4 months now. He stands at a big 19 inches tall. Wow... He's going to be BIG! But then, he's a labernard so, uhmmm... yeah. Liam tries to make sure he does not get into mischief, so that keeps him busy. And Bear just has the strength now to get up on his hind legs and check out the counters and the table. Gotta break him of that. LOL This morning, the kids and DH were all on our bed watching QUBO (I think it was Veggie Tales) while I was checking out email so Liam decided that he needed to be part of the pack too. He jumped up on the bed and we promptly told him to get down, and he did. He's minding really well now. Bear hasn't figured out he can get on the bed yet, but then I am not sure if he's got the strength in his back legs to do that right now anyhow. That will come though.

We've had to turn on the A/C, but we are keeping the thermostat set at 80. It is working so far, but it gets kinda warm in the hotter part of the day. So far, none of my music students have complained.

Pulled the carpet out of the hallway and the kids and DH and I worked on cleaning the tile that was under the carpet up and the carpet and padding was taken with the trash yesterday. Carpet is SO nasty! There was so much dirt under the carpet and padding.... I'd love to pull ALL of the carpet up and put down tile and throw rugs. It would cut down on the pet smell BIG TIME and it would be healthier for all of us whether we have pets or not.

I still need prayers regarding saving $$ for the city taxes... We still need to manage to find almost $1,000..... UGH. I am just getting so defeated, and I don't like that feeling. God has proven time and time again that He provides for us, no matter what, and there is NO SUCH THING as a verse that God helps those who help themselves.... How can WE do anything BUT THROUGH GOD? Are we less than the sparrows? A relative of mine and I almost got into an argument recently about this very thing, and I got told to not give her any "religious" lectures, because she's so much older than I and have been through so much more..... She does not know half of what we've actually been through because I've not told her all because all of it is not her business. And how can I because for one, it's always "I wish we could get your car fixed so y'all would not have to walk everywhere.... I'd hate for anything to happen to you or your oldest"..... We LIKE walking, and would still walk for the exercise and to save gas and wear and tear on any car that we might have that is working. God goes with us, and I know this for a fact. Eventually, when Bear gets to the point that he CAN walk further (right now we've got to limit his exercise to let his bones become strong enough to hold his weight and grow to HIM) we will take Liam and Bear with us when we can, and when we get a cart we just might go ahead and pile the other 2 younger ones in the cart and take them and DH and the dogs for long walks! The cart would be there for groceries, the kids when they tired, etc. That would be fine and it would be GOOD EXERCISE. Which is something we need. ALL of us.
Ah well...... Ok, off to take a shower and start my day and get more stuff done! For anyone who reads this, have a BLESSED day!

Getting in shape

Well, on March 16th we rescued a 6 month old German Shepherd puppy. We named him Liam, as that means protector. :)
He needs/wants LONG walks, more than once a day. He can jump the fence, so we are working on trying to get a privacy fence up. Found the reed fences, that are six foot tall and 16 foot long. They are less than $30 at Home Depot! So, we are going to try and get 2 panels a month and get the fence up as quickly as we can. It will make things safer for us as well as for Liam, and I'll be happier with that privacy.
But I have lost over THREE pounds in the walks that we've been taking, and we went with our neighbor today in her van for a LONG walk that took over half an hour this morning. He was panting by the time we got back to her van, and has slept for a bit on our tile floor I think in an effort to get cool. Then just a few minutes ago he stretched and made a growly yawn as he woke up. LOL
I LOVE watching Liam spread out on our floor, or walk around the house. Or when he's walking beside me. I have always always wanted to have a german shepherd, and now I do! But oh wow, he is definitely a handful. More so because we did not get him from when he was a really young puppy, but at 6 monthes, and he has been abused and neglected. We are reading Cesar's Way and trying to implement what he is teaching. And it is working, slowly. If only we have a HEALTHY dog pack nearby that was also well trained etc.
I am new to blogging... Should be interesting to see where this takes me! :)

What I didn't know before Liam

Wow... On the 16th of March we adopted a 6 month old German Shepherd male puppy. We decided to name him Liam, because that means protector, and ...that is what I wanted and had been praying for.

He is definitely protective of all of us! And of little children.

But he jumps fences, doesn't like it if dogs in another yard start barking at someone (he seems to feel that they are going to go after the person they are barking at), and though house trained he is rather wild and untrained. He was chained, ignored, and possibly abused. He is attention STARVED and loves to try to make room for himself in our bed at night to sleep with us. (no, 2 adults AND a rather large puppy in a full sized bed does NOT work well!!) He does not know how to walk on a leash, but is starting to not try and take me for a drag when I walk him. He seems to be absolutely petrified of ONE of my students, and definitely needs socialization with other humans AND dogs.

So...I'm waiting for Cesar Milan's Cesar's Way book to arrive from finding it on Amazon at a price that I could barely afford and meanwhile trying to initiate some of the stuff that was suggested to me by some wonderful ladies in the Homeschoolers Flying in Christ. :)

Still don't have a thermostat to replace the broken one in the '95 Escort station wagon, nor do we have it inspected, so...still walking! Which means can't trek to the bank, but can trek to Walmart or go further (almost 2 miles one way) to Kroger or Auto Zone or CVS....Not bad. Gets ya in shape! But we did manage to get 2 metal T bar posts for FREE ('cept labor) to replace the wood posts we have for clothesline posts, will use the wood posts to make our back porch. Planted 2 grapes (1 red, 1 green) today, still need to plant our blackberry. Started 18 rutabegas, 18 radishes (both purple top....LOL) in a seed tray, and our inside plants are doing great. Seems that the pineapple sage likes where I put it, so do the chives, and the other stuff...But will have to plant the lavender my MIL gave me SOON, and will need to change where I have the plants in the kitchen window when we have the back porch up.

And yes...Having a German Shepherd puppy in the house and HERE makes me feel TONS safer!!

Now to go walk and get some tamales...All of us in this house (except our picky boy) want TAMALES!!! :)

Have a very blessed Saturday!