Saturday on the Homestead: March 1, 2014

It has been an interesting week here at Serenity Springs.  Last Saturday, Jessie worked clearing a patch near our blackberry vines, and caught poison ivy, of which she is getting increasingly allergic.  This was unknown to her until she got to Alabama to housesit and babysit, which made for a quite miserable time.  She ended up being taken to a clinic by a kind neighbor for a shot, which only partially knocked it out.  It is still spreading between her fingers, and due to unending red-tape bureaucracy and "protocol", she cannot get the accompanying prescription for pills to help finish healing it.  She will be home tomorrow, and we will take care of her then.

Also upon arriving in Alabama, she discovered that one of the lines to the power steering pump busted and needed replacing.  Another VERY kind neighbor took her under his wing, repaired her truck for free (!), and even pressure washed it when he was done.  It looks better than before!!  I pray God's blessing on this man who gave so generously of his resources.  He is a wonderful example of going the extra mile.  I am also extremely thankful that Jessie is safe.  She has had some interesting mishaps while in Alabama on different trips that could make one wonder.

We are going to make some more progress on our greenhouse today.  Some of it can be quite tedious work, as the boards have to be precisely cut to make sure the windows fit properly.  One of the benefits that we are hoping for that I haven't mentioned yet is some residual heat for the back part of our house.  This is a part of the house that my brother-in-law added on for Jeff's mother to house her chihuahuas.  It has a concrete floor, and can be QUITE cold in the winter.  A couple of the back windows will be enclosed in the greenhouse, so we are hoping for some solar effect to help heat it up.

Joshua, who turned 14 Thursday, has had an extended birthday celebration.  He had a huge meal on his birthday, a trip to pizza buffet last night and on to the store to get his gifts, and chocolate chip pancakes provided by Amber this morning.  He was king for a few days!

I was almost out of turmeric this week, which we use frequently, so I decided to try a new brand.  It is one of the most important herbs you can incorporate into your diet.  We even have a drink that we put it in with ginger, apple cider vinegar, stevia, a pinch of cayenne, water and ice blended up in the blender.  This is an excellent drink for fighting and treating inflammation, preventing disease, and promoting overall good health.  Here is the turmeric I bought.  You can try it HERE! (Affiliate Link)

We are looking into finding a laptop to assist with office chores and schoolwork, and hopefully can find a good deal.  The kids are both taking some classes online, so we need more accessibility to the internet. 

We also had another blessing this week.  Our dear friend, Johnny Hood, fixed my low pressure problem in the kitchen faucet over the phone!  It had gotten down to little more than a drip, and was about to drive us all crazy.  We still have a hot water handle that comes off at various and random times, but at least the water is flowing better again! 

Other than having coffee with my favorite person and also playing Words With Friends with him, we haven't quite gotten motivated yet, but I suspect it won't be long now.  He had such a long work week (60+ hours) that sometimes it is hard to just get up and go on Saturdays.  That's okay, because everyone deserves some relaxation time.

I hope you all have a glorious weekend.

Blessings,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs (Find us on Facebook here)