It has been quite awhile since I have blogged, hasn't it? I guess I just needed a break from writing, although I have several things I want to write about. There is never a lack of action around the homestead, and we have been quite busy all season long.
Our flock of ducks has been greatly reduced due to illness, which makes me sad, as my favorite duck "Joe" was one of the victims. I miss that friendly guy. I think his mate has been quite lonely since he's been gone. Out of 13, we have 1 goose and 5 ducks left. It's a bummer.
I have been canning quite a bit this year. I have canned a bunch of medium to hot salsa, pickled peppers, tomato sauce, green beans, and some squash. Some people say you aren't supposed to can squash, but I have canned it for over 20 years and have never had a problem. We seem to do well growing beans, and usually continue to harvest them until first frost. I don't think I am going to work up any apples this year as we have several jars of apples and applesauce left.
Jessie has had a busy summer of work of various kinds, and has been gone quite often. I miss her but I am thankful for the opportunities God provided for extra money. Amber and Josh school all year, so we didn't have any dramatic back to school issues. We did take one week off recently, because I needed a break from correcting work to catch up on some other things. I have revamped Amber and Josh's school schedule to reflect the challenge of high school work. They stay VERY BUSY during the school week with their school work and chores. I have seen some maturing already from this new way of doing things.
We recently got back from the Shindig in North Carolina. I will be writing a post on the excellent teaching Michael Pearl gave on the Science of Addiction, so you can be looking for that. I don't plan to go quite as deep into the scientific detail as he did, but I will cover it enough to get the important points.
Today, we are going to eat my famous chip dip while we listen to football on the Sirius, and later we are going to grill and have a nice meal together. This morning, we had an excellent discussion on our position in Christ and how that alone helps us to overcome temptation and allow us to walk in obedience. Amber shared some insights from Romans 14 she gleaned as she has been studying that book. I love to fellowship with my children and my husband. There is nothing like it!
I could say so much more since it's been so long but I will save some for next time.
Sincerely,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs
Life as the mother of four children and four grandchildren. Homeschooling the two still at home. Things that interest me - reading, herbs and essential oils, gardening, natural chemical-free living, and continually learning how to be a better wife.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Saturday on the Homestead: June 14, 2014
It's been awhile since I've felt like blogging. This spider bite wound has thrown me for a loop and gotten me out of my groove, so to speak. It has been 38! days since I was bitten by a brown recluse. I have an updated photo of the current progress, but I am going to hold off on discussing what we are doing for treatment because I am going to write a blog after it heals completely to hopefully help others who search for information on natural healing when they get bitten.
The wound is on the edge of my back, near my ribcage, and it makes excessive movement awkward and painful, so I have had to cut back on how long I work in the garden or elsewhere at one time. I can honestly say I have never had a wound quite so open and quite so deep before, and I hope to never have one again!
I have really appreciated the time that Jessie, Amber, and Jeff have given me in taking care of my wound for me. I can barely reach it, so if I were left to care for it on my own, it would definitely look a lot worse than it does. Honestly, after 38 days, it can be a little discouraging and wearying at times. There is not constant pain, but there is constant discomfort and occasional pain that can get tiring.
But on to more pleasant subjects! Our garden is doing well. Because some of my planting was delayed, we aren't getting any squash or cucumbers yet as some are, but we have harvested lots of salad greens including kale, swiss chard, endive, spinach, and lettuces. We have chives and parsley, and we have just harvested our garlic that we planted last fall. It has to cure for a few weeks, then we can store some of it in the root cellar. My kind brother-in-law, Alan, who lives on the property with us, has shared several of his squash and cucumbers with us already.
Our baby ducklings arrived at the end of May, along with Amber's two goslings, Precious Jewel and Hester Louise. Hester Louise is the boy, a fact I find highly amusing. The goslings have grown much quicker than the ducklings, towering over them as they spend the day together, but they are quite gentle.
We are having my grandson's 4th birthday party here next weekend. I am always glad for an opportunity for family to get together and celebrate something!
Jeff had to work for several hours today; he will be home around noon. My goals are to work for awhile weeding the garden and applying diatomaceous earth to some of my plants with a flour sifter. For garden tips, this one works very well. I also am going to clean out the closet in my living room (again!). Later, Jeff and I will be going to town to get Jessie's gun out of layaway and go on a wee date. Did I mention that I love that we love to date each other? It is highly underrated.
Jessie is still away in Alabama house sitting. Amber and Josh don't have any big projects to do today, so it will be a mostly free day for them. It is a beautiful day to spend outside.
I hope you all have a wonderfully blessed weekend.
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs
The wound is on the edge of my back, near my ribcage, and it makes excessive movement awkward and painful, so I have had to cut back on how long I work in the garden or elsewhere at one time. I can honestly say I have never had a wound quite so open and quite so deep before, and I hope to never have one again!
I have really appreciated the time that Jessie, Amber, and Jeff have given me in taking care of my wound for me. I can barely reach it, so if I were left to care for it on my own, it would definitely look a lot worse than it does. Honestly, after 38 days, it can be a little discouraging and wearying at times. There is not constant pain, but there is constant discomfort and occasional pain that can get tiring.
But on to more pleasant subjects! Our garden is doing well. Because some of my planting was delayed, we aren't getting any squash or cucumbers yet as some are, but we have harvested lots of salad greens including kale, swiss chard, endive, spinach, and lettuces. We have chives and parsley, and we have just harvested our garlic that we planted last fall. It has to cure for a few weeks, then we can store some of it in the root cellar. My kind brother-in-law, Alan, who lives on the property with us, has shared several of his squash and cucumbers with us already.
Our baby ducklings arrived at the end of May, along with Amber's two goslings, Precious Jewel and Hester Louise. Hester Louise is the boy, a fact I find highly amusing. The goslings have grown much quicker than the ducklings, towering over them as they spend the day together, but they are quite gentle.
We are having my grandson's 4th birthday party here next weekend. I am always glad for an opportunity for family to get together and celebrate something!
Jeff had to work for several hours today; he will be home around noon. My goals are to work for awhile weeding the garden and applying diatomaceous earth to some of my plants with a flour sifter. For garden tips, this one works very well. I also am going to clean out the closet in my living room (again!). Later, Jeff and I will be going to town to get Jessie's gun out of layaway and go on a wee date. Did I mention that I love that we love to date each other? It is highly underrated.
Jessie is still away in Alabama house sitting. Amber and Josh don't have any big projects to do today, so it will be a mostly free day for them. It is a beautiful day to spend outside.
I hope you all have a wonderfully blessed weekend.
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Saturday on the Homestead, May 17, 2014
Day 10 of my brown recluse spider bite:
The affected area seems to have gotten a tiny bit smaller, as if healing may have begun. It is still an open sore, which is what forms after the expected blister breaks open. One thing I have learned is that these bites do not go away quickly, be they treated by doctors or at home naturally. Due to our faith in the power of essential oils and herbs to treat this particular ailment, I have elected to not have it treated by a physician. If at any time I felt like what we were doing wasn't working, I would go to the doctor as needed.
The good news is that it IS working; I have no apparent necrosis or infection. For those who doubted that God-provided herbs and oils are never as effective as going to the doctor, I am living proof that they are, if not even better at times. For those interested in our chosen plan of attack, we have been treating it with tea tree oil, lavender oil, oregano oil, and activated charcoal and wrapping me up with an ace bandage to hold another bandage in place. When Jeff is home, he treats it several times a day, and when he is at work, Amber treats it a couple of times a day. This path has been way less traumatic than having a doctor digging out dead flesh several times and taking massive doses of antibiotics and who knows what else.
The not so good part is that I have not been able to get very much done in my garden for the past week and a half, and I haven't been able to finish up tilling and planting my beds. To be honest, this has kept me fighting a dose of depression and feelings of uselessness. My children came to my rescue today and weeded the beds I haven't been able to plant, so at least they are looking better, which makes me feel better. Did I mention I love them and how they help out around here?!
Tonight, we are having spaghetti and homemade sauce that has been cooking in the crockpot all day, along with the Greek salad we love, to go with our family movie night watching Courageous. We love that movie. I hope you all have a marvelous and blessed rest of the weekend.
and Friday night date night with the love of my life.....
Blessings,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs
The affected area seems to have gotten a tiny bit smaller, as if healing may have begun. It is still an open sore, which is what forms after the expected blister breaks open. One thing I have learned is that these bites do not go away quickly, be they treated by doctors or at home naturally. Due to our faith in the power of essential oils and herbs to treat this particular ailment, I have elected to not have it treated by a physician. If at any time I felt like what we were doing wasn't working, I would go to the doctor as needed.
The good news is that it IS working; I have no apparent necrosis or infection. For those who doubted that God-provided herbs and oils are never as effective as going to the doctor, I am living proof that they are, if not even better at times. For those interested in our chosen plan of attack, we have been treating it with tea tree oil, lavender oil, oregano oil, and activated charcoal and wrapping me up with an ace bandage to hold another bandage in place. When Jeff is home, he treats it several times a day, and when he is at work, Amber treats it a couple of times a day. This path has been way less traumatic than having a doctor digging out dead flesh several times and taking massive doses of antibiotics and who knows what else.
The not so good part is that I have not been able to get very much done in my garden for the past week and a half, and I haven't been able to finish up tilling and planting my beds. To be honest, this has kept me fighting a dose of depression and feelings of uselessness. My children came to my rescue today and weeded the beds I haven't been able to plant, so at least they are looking better, which makes me feel better. Did I mention I love them and how they help out around here?!
Tonight, we are having spaghetti and homemade sauce that has been cooking in the crockpot all day, along with the Greek salad we love, to go with our family movie night watching Courageous. We love that movie. I hope you all have a marvelous and blessed rest of the weekend.
and Friday night date night with the love of my life.....
Blessings,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Saturday on the Homestead, May 10, 2014
I woke up Thursday morning with an interesting small bruise on the edge of my back near my ribs. This spot became more and more painful as the day wore on, until I couldn't even sit back on it while sitting down. At some point that day, I began to wonder what in the world was going on, and then I remembered that I had taken a dead spider off my pillow when I made my bed. I hadn't really thought twice about it up to that point.
Turns out, I have been bitten by a brown recluse; one of the more serious spider bites you can have. The worst thing about it so far is the unending severe pain on that side, and the fact that it is in such an awkward place that I can't get comfortable enough to go to sleep. My family has been treating me with clays and essential oils every couple of hours.
I can't really get anything done around the house with the pain being so consuming, which is a bummer. I hope that it heals more quickly than the stories I have read, because I have a lot to do! And I miss taking care of my husband and family already, and it has only been 3 days.
I would appreciate your prayers for healing as we continue to treat this. I probably won't be posting much until I feel better.
Here is a current picture of my bite. I will update as we treat it and see changes. (The black spots are activated charcoal, not rotting skin!)
Blessings,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs
Turns out, I have been bitten by a brown recluse; one of the more serious spider bites you can have. The worst thing about it so far is the unending severe pain on that side, and the fact that it is in such an awkward place that I can't get comfortable enough to go to sleep. My family has been treating me with clays and essential oils every couple of hours.
I can't really get anything done around the house with the pain being so consuming, which is a bummer. I hope that it heals more quickly than the stories I have read, because I have a lot to do! And I miss taking care of my husband and family already, and it has only been 3 days.
I would appreciate your prayers for healing as we continue to treat this. I probably won't be posting much until I feel better.
Here is a current picture of my bite. I will update as we treat it and see changes. (The black spots are activated charcoal, not rotting skin!)
Blessings,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs
Sunday, May 4, 2014
For Married Men Who Love Their Wives
Obviously, from the title, this blog post is for married men. I don't normally target men specifically, but this was on my heart, and whatever God puts on my heart, I blog about. I have previously stated my desire and my heart to strengthen and uphold marriages through exhortation and encouragement. Through God's guiding and encouraging hand, my own marriage is blessed and hopefully His message can help others as well.
Good marriages don't just happen, especially in today's world. Daily attention and care and proactive thinking is a MUST for marriages to thrive and succeed. Men, I hope that you take this message to heart, because it can truly revolutionize not only your private, personal world, but also the relationship you have with your wife, and ultimately will bless your children as well.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that media takes extreme advantage of a man's God-given, visually driven nature. Not only the media, but the women who see the media and then adopt the visual presentation of the women they constantly see. In other words, we have lots of vamps and tramps running around, and bare skin abounds.
Men who don't restrict what goes before their eyes are bombarded daily with sights that a married man doesn't need to behold. This can be detrimental to marital expectations for several reasons; one being that the majority of women don't come close to resembling the airbrushed, hyper-sexual women of the world, so you are left feeling dissatisfied with the woman you already have. Secondly, if you are thinking about another woman, you are not thinking about your wife. If you are a Christian man in particular, your wife is the only woman you need to be thinking about and admiring sexually.
Your expectation can be raised by actively viewing and thinking about the seductive images around you. I would credit this with a lot of the extramarital affairs that are happening. After viewing hundreds of attractive images via internet, television, movies, Facebook, Instagram, or perhaps women jogging half-clothed on the side of the road, a man starts to feel dissatisfied with the imperfect woman that he already has, and thus begins the downhill slide to finding someone more enticing to engage, flirt with, and eventually sleep with - if not in reality, at least in thought, which makes you just as culpable of adultery as the act itself.
As a man, when you refuse to discipline your eyes and thoughts away from the tempting images around you, you will become more critical when assessing your wife, and she will normally fall short of the unrealistic expectation in your head. You will then start to pull away emotionally and sexually, and your wife will be left feeling dissatisfied, hurt, and unloved. God created you to be monogamous in every way, visually, mentally, and in real every day life. Something will remain missing in the intimacy of your marriage as long as you allow yourself to roam in any way.
If the issues are not addressed, affairs and/or divorce will ensue. That is why it is of the utmost importance that you realize that you are in a war for your very SOUL and your MARRIAGE. Indulging your flesh is never worth the ultimate consequences, and disciplining your flesh is always worth the blessing of a renewed mind and marriage.
And your mind CAN be renewed if you have been indulging in things you shouldn't. The Bible instructs us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. So when an inappropriate thought pops into your head, replace it with thoughts of your wife or thoughts of God. Speak truth to yourself. Speak scripture to yourself. When you have worked on retraining your mind, it will become easier to be obedient.
One would almost think that affairs and divorce are unavoidable these days, but I absolutely disagree. A person could also think that due to society men don't really have a choice about running around in a perpetual state of lust. With this, I also firmly and resolutely disagree, because scripture tells us differently We are commanded to take every thought captive and make it obedient to His word. That means it CAN and SHOULD be done every minute of every day.
I realize that with any seductive image or live person, a man will have an automatic, physical desire to look further and even to lust. At this point, a man can (and should) choose to bounce his eyes away and refocus his thoughts on something acceptable. He could even immediately call his wife and engage her in conversation.
My husband has stated that he would even go so far as to switch lanes at a gas station or grocery store if he feels that it would be too difficult to focus elsewhere. This is an example of the pro-active measures that should be taken to help you on your journey to renewing your mind and placing hedges around yourself to help avoid temptation.
Duck Dynasty brother Alan uses what he calls the "'notice-dismiss" method. When something passes your vision that you can't help but see because you aren't blind, you immediately and purposefully dismiss it - visually, by looking away, and mentally, by deliberately thinking something Godly. One male pastor stated that he prays for that woman's salvation as well.
As believers, it is important to understand that each of those immodest women have eternal souls, and are probably dressing to get attention either because they are very insecure about themselves, because they have been trained from a young age to believe that her body is what makes her valuable, or are actually an instrument of Satan to get you to stumble.
A man who truly desires to not fall into this potential affair-laden (again, either physical or mental) trap will be willing to go to extreme measures to ensure that he doesn't, even if like Joseph of the Bible you have to FLEE. Sometimes this is actually the wisest option. And this, men, is how you can begin to rejuvenate and protect yourself and your marriage from destruction. Because the lust game may be temporarily pleasurable, but it never ends well. Like never.
And if you end up with the person you lusted after and dabbled with, guess what? They are imperfect humans too, and they will age, get wrinkles, warts, moles, gain weight, get gray hair, or be extremely hateful, jealous, money hungry, or angry. Then you will have to move on to your next "perfectly sexy" person, and the cycle will never end, and your soul will never be satisfied. Because sex outside of the sanctity of marriage is just that - an empty, fleeting pleasure that will not leave you satisfied.
If you would never have an actual, physical affair, but you don't mind indulging your flesh by feasting on the tempting images around you, be they real people or digital images, you are still violating the trust your wife should be able to have in you, whether she ever knows about it or not.
Just as a person can say "no, thanks" to something offered to them that he doesn't need or want, you can say a resounding "NO!" to giving in to lust and becoming just another typical perpetually- aroused male, knowing that there is a greater reward to a cleansed mind focused SOLELY on your wife. You will be surprised just how desirable and attractive she becomes when you commit to being a one-woman man, in thought and deed.
This is a message many women want their men to hear. Our hearts cry out for you to desire us only. We don't want to believe the lie that "men will be men." Because we know that it really is a lie, and a very convenient excuse for men to do what they want.
You may not know any men who are obedient in this area, so you may think it simply isn't possible. There are men like this, because we know some, and I am married to one. He wasn't always that way, but he has become obedient to God in that area. It can be done, if you are willing to begin the process of self-discipline, denying your flesh, and placing purposeful hedges around yourself by not allowing yourself access to areas that cause you to stumble.
Know your weaknesses and avoid troublesome habits, places, or people that bring out those weaknesses. If Facebook causes you to stumble, only Facebook around your wife or stop Facebooking. Same strategy applies to everything else that tempts you the most. Jesus told us to be SEVERE in our strategies to rein in our flesh and sin.
You can be the reason your marriage survives rather than fails. The heart and trust of a wife is worth far more than any fleeting pleasure. Start your walk of obedience in these areas today. Your mind will thank you. Your soul will thank you. Your wife will thank you and she will rejoice in a man that has eyes for her only, and will love you unguardedly in return.
Please share this with someone who needs it.
Blessings on you and your marriage,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs
Good marriages don't just happen, especially in today's world. Daily attention and care and proactive thinking is a MUST for marriages to thrive and succeed. Men, I hope that you take this message to heart, because it can truly revolutionize not only your private, personal world, but also the relationship you have with your wife, and ultimately will bless your children as well.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that media takes extreme advantage of a man's God-given, visually driven nature. Not only the media, but the women who see the media and then adopt the visual presentation of the women they constantly see. In other words, we have lots of vamps and tramps running around, and bare skin abounds.
Men who don't restrict what goes before their eyes are bombarded daily with sights that a married man doesn't need to behold. This can be detrimental to marital expectations for several reasons; one being that the majority of women don't come close to resembling the airbrushed, hyper-sexual women of the world, so you are left feeling dissatisfied with the woman you already have. Secondly, if you are thinking about another woman, you are not thinking about your wife. If you are a Christian man in particular, your wife is the only woman you need to be thinking about and admiring sexually.
Your expectation can be raised by actively viewing and thinking about the seductive images around you. I would credit this with a lot of the extramarital affairs that are happening. After viewing hundreds of attractive images via internet, television, movies, Facebook, Instagram, or perhaps women jogging half-clothed on the side of the road, a man starts to feel dissatisfied with the imperfect woman that he already has, and thus begins the downhill slide to finding someone more enticing to engage, flirt with, and eventually sleep with - if not in reality, at least in thought, which makes you just as culpable of adultery as the act itself.
As a man, when you refuse to discipline your eyes and thoughts away from the tempting images around you, you will become more critical when assessing your wife, and she will normally fall short of the unrealistic expectation in your head. You will then start to pull away emotionally and sexually, and your wife will be left feeling dissatisfied, hurt, and unloved. God created you to be monogamous in every way, visually, mentally, and in real every day life. Something will remain missing in the intimacy of your marriage as long as you allow yourself to roam in any way.
If the issues are not addressed, affairs and/or divorce will ensue. That is why it is of the utmost importance that you realize that you are in a war for your very SOUL and your MARRIAGE. Indulging your flesh is never worth the ultimate consequences, and disciplining your flesh is always worth the blessing of a renewed mind and marriage.
And your mind CAN be renewed if you have been indulging in things you shouldn't. The Bible instructs us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. So when an inappropriate thought pops into your head, replace it with thoughts of your wife or thoughts of God. Speak truth to yourself. Speak scripture to yourself. When you have worked on retraining your mind, it will become easier to be obedient.
One would almost think that affairs and divorce are unavoidable these days, but I absolutely disagree. A person could also think that due to society men don't really have a choice about running around in a perpetual state of lust. With this, I also firmly and resolutely disagree, because scripture tells us differently We are commanded to take every thought captive and make it obedient to His word. That means it CAN and SHOULD be done every minute of every day.
I realize that with any seductive image or live person, a man will have an automatic, physical desire to look further and even to lust. At this point, a man can (and should) choose to bounce his eyes away and refocus his thoughts on something acceptable. He could even immediately call his wife and engage her in conversation.
My husband has stated that he would even go so far as to switch lanes at a gas station or grocery store if he feels that it would be too difficult to focus elsewhere. This is an example of the pro-active measures that should be taken to help you on your journey to renewing your mind and placing hedges around yourself to help avoid temptation.
Duck Dynasty brother Alan uses what he calls the "'notice-dismiss" method. When something passes your vision that you can't help but see because you aren't blind, you immediately and purposefully dismiss it - visually, by looking away, and mentally, by deliberately thinking something Godly. One male pastor stated that he prays for that woman's salvation as well.
As believers, it is important to understand that each of those immodest women have eternal souls, and are probably dressing to get attention either because they are very insecure about themselves, because they have been trained from a young age to believe that her body is what makes her valuable, or are actually an instrument of Satan to get you to stumble.
A man who truly desires to not fall into this potential affair-laden (again, either physical or mental) trap will be willing to go to extreme measures to ensure that he doesn't, even if like Joseph of the Bible you have to FLEE. Sometimes this is actually the wisest option. And this, men, is how you can begin to rejuvenate and protect yourself and your marriage from destruction. Because the lust game may be temporarily pleasurable, but it never ends well. Like never.
And if you end up with the person you lusted after and dabbled with, guess what? They are imperfect humans too, and they will age, get wrinkles, warts, moles, gain weight, get gray hair, or be extremely hateful, jealous, money hungry, or angry. Then you will have to move on to your next "perfectly sexy" person, and the cycle will never end, and your soul will never be satisfied. Because sex outside of the sanctity of marriage is just that - an empty, fleeting pleasure that will not leave you satisfied.
If you would never have an actual, physical affair, but you don't mind indulging your flesh by feasting on the tempting images around you, be they real people or digital images, you are still violating the trust your wife should be able to have in you, whether she ever knows about it or not.
Just as a person can say "no, thanks" to something offered to them that he doesn't need or want, you can say a resounding "NO!" to giving in to lust and becoming just another typical perpetually- aroused male, knowing that there is a greater reward to a cleansed mind focused SOLELY on your wife. You will be surprised just how desirable and attractive she becomes when you commit to being a one-woman man, in thought and deed.
This is a message many women want their men to hear. Our hearts cry out for you to desire us only. We don't want to believe the lie that "men will be men." Because we know that it really is a lie, and a very convenient excuse for men to do what they want.
You may not know any men who are obedient in this area, so you may think it simply isn't possible. There are men like this, because we know some, and I am married to one. He wasn't always that way, but he has become obedient to God in that area. It can be done, if you are willing to begin the process of self-discipline, denying your flesh, and placing purposeful hedges around yourself by not allowing yourself access to areas that cause you to stumble.
Know your weaknesses and avoid troublesome habits, places, or people that bring out those weaknesses. If Facebook causes you to stumble, only Facebook around your wife or stop Facebooking. Same strategy applies to everything else that tempts you the most. Jesus told us to be SEVERE in our strategies to rein in our flesh and sin.
You can be the reason your marriage survives rather than fails. The heart and trust of a wife is worth far more than any fleeting pleasure. Start your walk of obedience in these areas today. Your mind will thank you. Your soul will thank you. Your wife will thank you and she will rejoice in a man that has eyes for her only, and will love you unguardedly in return.
Please share this with someone who needs it.
Blessings on you and your marriage,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Saturday on the Homestead: April 26, 2014
Good morning! I find it utterly amazing that this is the last Saturday in April! My oldest daughter is going to turn 23 in a little over a week! I think someone sped up the rotation of the Earth, as time seems to just fly by these days. Gone are the days wishing time away like I did when I was younger. Every moment is precious now, and I want to use them all wisely.
Jeff had to work very early today, so we stayed the night at my mother's house last night. This has a two-fold blessing: one, I am available to help my sister with my parents or the house, and two, Jeff is only 10-15 minutes from work instead of 45. We have some errands to run when he gets off work, including a Lowe's run for some sealant for our greenhouse roof. As often is the case, we may stop for a wee date while we are out. We do cherish our time together. He is a hard-working man, and he deserves a wife who gives him undivided attention and care.
Our goals for the weekend once we get home are to get some more of the garden hand-tilled and planted. I did manage to get a few tomato plants in before it rained a couple of days ago. I am determined to make do with what we have started from seed this year, not spending any extra on store bought plants. Hopefully this will show us any adjustments we need to make in our seed starting next year.
We have 21 two-week-old chicks that we incubated and hatched ourselves. They are cute little fluff balls, but I am ready for them to be out of my living room. We have 25 meat chickens in the extra part of our chicken coop, and this along with the still-cool nights have kept the chicks in the house for now. It is a means to an end, so I tolerate it for now. Jessie does a superb job taking care of them, which helps.
Once I have the greenhouse completely painted and caulked (I may have been avoiding it for the last week or so because of all the bees), we are going to tackle our cellar. It has a dirt floor, a partial wall of shelves, and not much else but a bunch of junk. My goal is to clean it all out, have Josh haul gravel to cover the floor, install shop lighting, and eventually put an access stair into the house. That part will have to come later when we have more time. I am looking forward to it being more clean and organized and less creepy.
I have some pictures of my garden to post, but my laptop is not cooperating for some reason. I guess I will share them another time.
We plan on having a family-filled, hard-working weekend, and I hope you all do too!
Blessings,
Debbie
Jeff had to work very early today, so we stayed the night at my mother's house last night. This has a two-fold blessing: one, I am available to help my sister with my parents or the house, and two, Jeff is only 10-15 minutes from work instead of 45. We have some errands to run when he gets off work, including a Lowe's run for some sealant for our greenhouse roof. As often is the case, we may stop for a wee date while we are out. We do cherish our time together. He is a hard-working man, and he deserves a wife who gives him undivided attention and care.
Our goals for the weekend once we get home are to get some more of the garden hand-tilled and planted. I did manage to get a few tomato plants in before it rained a couple of days ago. I am determined to make do with what we have started from seed this year, not spending any extra on store bought plants. Hopefully this will show us any adjustments we need to make in our seed starting next year.
We have 21 two-week-old chicks that we incubated and hatched ourselves. They are cute little fluff balls, but I am ready for them to be out of my living room. We have 25 meat chickens in the extra part of our chicken coop, and this along with the still-cool nights have kept the chicks in the house for now. It is a means to an end, so I tolerate it for now. Jessie does a superb job taking care of them, which helps.
Once I have the greenhouse completely painted and caulked (I may have been avoiding it for the last week or so because of all the bees), we are going to tackle our cellar. It has a dirt floor, a partial wall of shelves, and not much else but a bunch of junk. My goal is to clean it all out, have Josh haul gravel to cover the floor, install shop lighting, and eventually put an access stair into the house. That part will have to come later when we have more time. I am looking forward to it being more clean and organized and less creepy.
I have some pictures of my garden to post, but my laptop is not cooperating for some reason. I guess I will share them another time.
We plan on having a family-filled, hard-working weekend, and I hope you all do too!
Blessings,
Debbie
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Practical and frugal uses for two common "weeds"
In my quest to become more natural and at the same time more frugal, I have been making a homemade plantain tincture for a facial astringent for several years now. This is the first year to try and make enough to last until next spring. Other than the apple cider vinegar to steep the plantain leaves in, the cleaner is free! Not only free, but extraordinarily effective and just as importantly, TOXIN FREE!
If you want to save money and also become more natural and eliminate some poisons from your lifestyle, you can make this too. It isn't difficult at all. It is best to use raw apple cider vinegar, like the Bragg's brand from the organic section at Kroger, but I have used and still use regular store bought ACV as well. If you make your own ACV, it is best not to use it for tinctures because the acidity isn't stable or guaranteed with each batch.
This is what plantain looks like:
I use a quart jar, wash and cut the leaves at least in half before putting them in the jar so the medicinal properties can be released more readily. Then cover with apple cider vinegar. This time, I actually added a little tincture grade vodka to top the jars off, which just aids in getting all of the good stuff out of the leaves. Most commercial astringents also have alcohol in them.
Shake daily, and let sit at least a few weeks, up to about 6 weeks. Strain, and store in a bottle or jar of your choice. It can be kind of strong, so last year I started diluting it with water by half. We use with both cotton balls and homemade facial cloths.
The second tincture I have been making this spring, inspired by my daughter, is soaking dandelion flowers and leaves in vinegar, along with dried basil, for our salads. We switched from commercial salad dressings to using olive oil and vinegar most of the time, along with homemade healthy ranch.
I have three jars of dandelions soaking so far, but I wish I had remembered to start sooner, so I would have gotten more flowers before they seeded out. Our vinegar will have even more healthy benefits with the added nutrients from the dandelions! No man made supplement or product can compare to using what you can find in nature provided by God.
Other the being healthier, one of the best things about these two tinctures are that they are practically free to make. The money saved can be put towards something else that we need that I can't or don't yet make myself.
Try it! You can do it too!!
Blessings,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs (facebook)
If you want to save money and also become more natural and eliminate some poisons from your lifestyle, you can make this too. It isn't difficult at all. It is best to use raw apple cider vinegar, like the Bragg's brand from the organic section at Kroger, but I have used and still use regular store bought ACV as well. If you make your own ACV, it is best not to use it for tinctures because the acidity isn't stable or guaranteed with each batch.
This is what plantain looks like:
I use a quart jar, wash and cut the leaves at least in half before putting them in the jar so the medicinal properties can be released more readily. Then cover with apple cider vinegar. This time, I actually added a little tincture grade vodka to top the jars off, which just aids in getting all of the good stuff out of the leaves. Most commercial astringents also have alcohol in them.
Shake daily, and let sit at least a few weeks, up to about 6 weeks. Strain, and store in a bottle or jar of your choice. It can be kind of strong, so last year I started diluting it with water by half. We use with both cotton balls and homemade facial cloths.
The second tincture I have been making this spring, inspired by my daughter, is soaking dandelion flowers and leaves in vinegar, along with dried basil, for our salads. We switched from commercial salad dressings to using olive oil and vinegar most of the time, along with homemade healthy ranch.
I have three jars of dandelions soaking so far, but I wish I had remembered to start sooner, so I would have gotten more flowers before they seeded out. Our vinegar will have even more healthy benefits with the added nutrients from the dandelions! No man made supplement or product can compare to using what you can find in nature provided by God.
Other the being healthier, one of the best things about these two tinctures are that they are practically free to make. The money saved can be put towards something else that we need that I can't or don't yet make myself.
Try it! You can do it too!!
Blessings,
Debbie, Home at Serenity Springs (facebook)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)