Eggs!

Yesterday we brought home six chickens that friends of ours gifted us with - two roosters and four hens. This afternoon while I was helping OBT reassemble the 10' X 10' kennel, I went and peeked in the chicken coop. Two tan eggs smiled back at me. I whooped for joy - eggs! Fresh eggs! Our hens are laying on their first day here. OBT and I paused to thank the Lord for His goodness in blessing us again with good friends and good eggs.

Dry as a bone

Burnout. Why has it taken me so long to figure this out? Why does it creep up on me and then rear its ugly head every now and then? Why haven't I learned how to conquer and prepare for it yet? It dawned on me today that the stress of the season has resulted in a feeling of burnout once more. The usual daily doings coupled with the added 'tis the season preparations have brought me to the brink once more. I admit it.

Now how to counteract and return to my other self? First I am clinging to the One who can save me when I cannot save myself. I cry out to Him for strength to get through my day quite frequently of late. His faithfulness sees me through. Why wasn't I leaning heavily on him before and donning His armor to prepare for this fight? Where has my mind been? Not close enough to Him. Time to draw nigh again.

Next week we are taking a break from school. That should help, but until then, Lord, give me what I need - even it is burnout that brings me back to You.

What we read - November 2009

Over the River: A Turkey's Tale by Derek Anderson, based on the song by Lydia Maria Child

A fun picture book twisting the tale by having a turkey family go to Grandmother's house while being chased by a hunter and dog on a quest for their own Thanksgiving dinner. We read both this book and the original poem/song.

Toot & Puddle: Wish you were here by Holly Hobbie

The creator of Toot & Puddle is also responsible for the American Greetings namesake character, Holly Hobbie. In this book three young pig friends share an adventure to another country. Two from home and one traveling and sending back postcards to update them on his experience. A humorous tale of adventure overseas and caring.

A Father's Song by Janet Lawler

A lovely picture book about a father and son's shared day and the love and devotion the father has for his son.

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz

This book, based on the author's boyhood memories, details a World War II experience of a hard time when there was little money for food and a father brings home a map. Opening a new world to his son full of new places, this Caldecott Honor book is a winner at our house.

If I Were Your Father and If I Were Your Mother by Margaret Park Bridges

The children's hands-down favorites this time. These fun books tell what a son and daughter respectively would do if they were the parent.

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

A revisited favorite and one that I never tire of. Simple, poetic, classic - wonderful.

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

How to grow and make vegetable soup with colorful, vibrant pictures in the author's own style. The children liked the fact that most of the items in the book are labeled so they did not have to guess or wonder what things are.

All About Turkeys by Jim Arnosky

In honor of Thanksgiving, this book came home to help us learn more about the traditional November bird. We all learned something from this book, and Arnosky's illustrations are true-to-life and fantastic. A truely talented man who has apparently also produced I'm a Turkey, both book and song which sounds like something that would be perfect for next November if not before.

A Kitten's Tale by Eric Rohmann

Four kittens have never seen snow. Three are worried; one is excited. As they journey through the seasons, their anticipation and concern grows.

Cynthia Coppersmith's Violet Goes to the Country by Melanie Cecka, presented by Jan Karon

Read about a cat and her owner who go visiting family in the country. Based on the author character Cynthia Coppersmith in Karon's Mitford series, this book shows us that people love in different ways.

Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

Sam, an avid reader mouse, lives in a library and decides to write his own books. Then his books are discovered, and everyone wants to know who Sam is.

We are thankful

The Thankful Song - by Sarah

Be thankful for the house and blessings in it.
Be thankful for us and our history.
Be thankful for Jesus who came this day.

Thank the Lord for Jesus.
Thank the Lord for goats and dog's protection.
Thank the Lord for learning things I've learned all section.
Thank the Lord for our house, the things in it.

Thank the Lord for pianos and books with good things in it about You.
Thank the Lord for dolls and scarves for them too.
Thank the Lord for summer, spring, winter, fall too.
Thank the Lord for magazines, ones we look at, so good.
Thank the Lord for numbers like one, two, and three.

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Thanksgiving Song - by Leora

Thank you, God, for the blackberries that grow in our yard,
for the birds that sing to You.

Thank you, God, for my Grandma and Grandpa.
Thank you, God, for the cards they gave
and for everything that You are in Your worthiness.

Thank you, God, for the things we have done for you.
Thank you, God, for the blessings You give to us.
Thank you, God, for the things we have and the clothes we wear.

Thank you, God, for what we have in our home made of bricks.
Thank you, God, for everything we have for the computer, for the crafts.
Thank you, God, for everything You give us.

Thank you, God, for school, for our mother who teaches us of You above.
We love You, and we always give thanks to Thee
only if our minds love the Lord, if we praise Him
though we don't sometimes do it.

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most high:" - Psalm 92:1

Lions and tigers and snakes! Oh, my!

Our family drove down to TN and were sitting on the front porch enjoying the fresh air when Sarah told me that she had seen a snake. Now unlike some women, I find snakes interesting. My Dad was a country boy, and it must have rubbed off on me at an early age as I have always enjoyed God's creation. I asked her where it was, and she showed me - under the border around the strawberries and butterfly bush in front of the sunroom. Well, I lifted one of the brick, and lo and behold, there he was. A little, long light gray fellow with dark spots all along him. After getting a look at him, I replaced the brick and let him be. Then LP came and wanted to see too. He thought that he had found him (I was watching carefully. While I find snakes interesting and beautiful, I do not want myself or anyone else to get bit) so I came over, and he showed me a bit of snake sticking out from under one of the bricks. I let him know that he had found the snake and then lifted that brick so that LP could get a better look at him. Then I suggested that we leave him alone as he was resting there, and we did not want to further disturb him. So we did.

Growing greens

Last night we ate greens. Turnip greens with diced turnips. Our first homegrown batch, and they were good. Everyone, even the children, enjoyed them. When we planted our first attempt, we hardly knew what we were doing. Since then we have learned that greens work better in patches than in rows. OBT did know that a good frost will help take the bitterness out of the leaves. We have had more than one of those by now. The turnips were small, but we made the decision to pull the plants anyway. The decision was not so much out of impatience as out of readiness to sample them.

I have cooked greens a few times before and so started with a little water and some salt pork. As the greens cooked down, I stirred and added a bit more water for the little turnips to boil in. After testing them with a fork for tenderness, it was time to turn the heat off. Then to the table they went.

While there were not a lot, there was enough for our family of five, and even enough for us to have more than one serving. I think that everyone had seconds. Next time we will do things differently. Next time we will plant more, but this time we tasted and saw that the Lord is good. He blessed our crop and blessed us with the ability to enjoy that small harvest. We thank His holy name.

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth