Little Bits

This picture was taken BEFORE I put our flannel sheets on the bed.  Flannel sheets make everything right with the world.

Matt has a bit of a project that he is working on.  He borrowed his Dad's trailer and got some gravel from down by the creek to tidy up the back of the barn.  

This is what it looked this past summer~ (under the junk on the ground lies the remnant of a concrete silo that Matt had to break apart and move.

As you can see, it is a far cry from what it once was! 

Matt has plans to build an 'addition' to this spot, an overhang where he can store equipment out of the weather.  You'll be seeing that soon enough, if I know my man the way I think I do.

Andrew set up a cow museum.  He is obsessed.

 Then Corynn set up a horse museum.  She is not as obsessed about horses as Andrew is about cows, but you wouldn't know it from this picture.

Speaking of obsessed....

Have you ever tried making a galette without parchment paper?   I had big plans for serving a rustic apple galette with a brown butter caramel sauce for some company and then it totally flopped 15 minutes before they arrived.  I quickly tossed the apples in a pan and made apple crisp instead. 

 Maybe a galette will be in my future- but I will have to be smart enough to do the crust right on the pan next time.  (duh.)

We have a no-feet-on-the-table policy in this house.  Corynn must not have got the memo.

One Saturday morning breakfast,  I served cinnamon apple oatmeal.  This led to a discussion on cereal grains and what constitutes them, which led to a whiteboard presentation of grasses and what constitutes them, which led to mono and dicotyledons and what exactly they are which led to the dissection of an apple and a seed 'helicopter'.

Matt's contribution to our home learning. 

On Thanksgiving, the girls asked to have curls in their hair.  Then they asked me to as well.  Here we are, all curlified.  

Yarn Along~ (and a few Handmade gifts)

Christmas-making has begun in full force.  Nothing as motivating to get things started than four voices that chime the countdown each day. 

"Only 21 days left", says they.

"Slow down!  Slow down!"  says I.  

And not slow down to Christmas.  Just slow down to life in general.  What happened to those long, drawn out days of my childhood? The feeling of never ending summertimes?  Empty days?  No one told me that I would lose those when I got older.  (Or if they did, I wasn't listening.)  All of the sudden I am a wife and have four children who enjoy the very same long, drawn out days that I can't seem to find............................

Sorry. 

Back to Christmas. Where was I?  21 days... yes, that was it.

The gift-making has begun in earnest. 

For some time now, my fingers have been fumbling through knitting projects.  I was trying so long to knit that my crocheting went by the wayside.  Then, a friend had a baby and, given my procrastinating nature, I knew I had to get a baby gift started or I never would.  I picked out some yarn from my stash and a crochet hook and I sat down.  When I got back up, VOILA!, a finished product.  Well, let me just say it has been FOR.EVER. since I had a project that could be done in one sitting!  It was joyous!  It was liberating!  And I decided right then and there that any handmade yarny gifts this Christmas would be CROCHETED. 

How fun it has been to realize how quickly I can crochet something up, after so long of knitting so sloooowly. 
 

My most current project is a brightly colored cowl featuring all the 'favorite' colors of the children.  It is a gift but I can't say for who.  ;-)  I am shooting for one similar to this.  I hope to finish it up tonight. 

Meanwhile, I am reading French Kids Eat Everything and getting a culture lesson~ the French, it seems, thinks we Americans are pretty repulsive individuals.  I can't say I disagree with them, in some respects.  It has been interesting to read, though I will say I can relate more to the French than to the author.

A few other recently finished handmade gifts o' yarn:

Baby Pixie hat.  The colors are pastel yellowish green and grey.  I was hoping the colors would be subtle but still boyish- though on the Heidi doll it does look kinda girly.  :-/  (That's it.  I need a newborn to model things!)  I found the button in my button tin and it was absolutely perfect.  It had glimmers of color equal to both shades of yarn when angled just so. 

Adele' is taking her job of holding the doll still VERY SERIOUSLY.  (sweetness.)

Cowboy booties.  If ever I have another 'cowboy', I am definitely making a pair of these to keep!  

 The Super Chunky Cowl wasn't quite as chunky as I thought it would be, but I was just using Lion Brand Homespun (something I had on hand) versus an extra chunky yarn which made a difference. 

Even so, I think the recipient will like it. 

Oh~ and lookie, lookie who has been busy with her own crochet hook!  

(Does my heart proud!)

~ The Small Things Yarn Along ~

I DID IT! (And it's for sale!)

Well, an important thing happened to me last night.  I could act all cool and non-nonchalant about it (that WOULD be the professional thing to do...) but that's not really me.  I mean, if I am feeling like this: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  then I am gonna look like this:

 

(Whether I want to or not.)  

(Not, by the way, would be the obvious choice.)

SO- what's got me so enthusiastic, you ask?

Well.  I got a cardboard box delivered to my door last night and in it was....

....drumroll, please....

wall calendars!  With MY photographs in them!  

 

The fact is, while I love photography and would love to have my own photography business some day, having four smallish kiddos does seem to pose a problem for me in this season I am in.  (Can you say...childcare?!)  So I got to thinking...and with the encouragement of quite a few people (even some of you!  Thank you for that!) I decided to try to sell some of the photos I am able to take, even surrounded by children.  

This is Adele's favorite month.

This is Corynn's favorite month.

All this to say.... I have started an Etsy shoppe where I will begin to sell a few of my photographs along with a few other handmade things throughout the year.  One of the prospects I am especially excited about is a yearly wall calendar~ so that is where I began.  The 2014 calendar theme is Blooms and Bugs (You all know how much I love those!) and each picture is taken right here at Hopestead...mostly in my flower circle. Also in the shop are postcard sets...some of you are already familiar with those. ;-)

What does next month hold?!?!

Probably a little something like one of these!

 If you are interested in checking out (or ordering!) the 2014 Bugs and Blooms wall calendar, you can see them here.  Remember- quantities are limited (After all, I didn't want to fork over too much money on an experiment that might totally bomb!)

Postcards can be found here. 

Okay.  I admit it.  I only posted this picture because I love my girls' dimples. 

What the hey.  

Maybe my photos might tickle someones' fancy. And if not...well then, I guess I have all my Christmas shopping done!  ;-)

Miss Giggly (Adele's 5th Birthday)

Adele' was all giggles on her birthday.  She giggled when we sang her awake.  She giggled when she was sung to on the telephone by the grandma's.  She giggled when she got a card in the mail and when our neighbor down the road popped over to give her four quarters and a birthday card.  She giggled when she ate french toast, when she asked to wear one of my necklaces for the day, when she saw her peacock cake and when she was crowned princess by her big sister.

I hope I never forget the sound of that little girl giggle.

 

(To make the crown:  Take a measured piece of lace and brush it with ModPodge.  Let dry.  Repeat two more times.  When hardened, hot glue it in a circle.  We spray painted it because we happened to have gold spray paint and Corynn glued jewels on the top because we happened to have those too but the plain white crown was beautiful too!)

Finances on Friday

  
 Some financial considerations for the week:

I told you last Friday I would think about ways to further reduce our monthly grocery bill this week.  I've been wracking my brain for some ideas on how to stay within our grocery budget now that our food store has dwindled.  It was opportunistic that I did my once-a-month grocery haul this week because while out,  I realized that I spend a lot of money on cheese, canned beans and instant brown rice.     We are a cheese family- big time.  We love it.  And eat it, often.  The canned beans and instant brown rice are basically convenience foods...I get them because they are quick and speedy.  It seems like I should be able to find ways to reduce those costs.

I kept coming back to one that I have been thinking about for a while.  Dried beans.

The problem with dried beans is that I forget about them until it is TOO LATE.  I can't cook them fast enough, let alone soak them.  I read this summer about canning dried beans and think this might be a good solution for me.  If I can get some dried beans canned up and ready for 'instant meals' than I can have the convenience of canned beans at dried bean prices.   I will experiment this month with it and see whether or not it is indeed a money saver.  (It must be.)

A few others ideas:

~ buying cheese in bulk online?  (Something I need to research.)
~ eating less cheese (perish the thought!)
~ buying brown rice in bulk and just cooking it already.  This would require a more thoughtful approach to meals with brown rice.  Discipline?!  Perish that thought too!  ;-)
~ no more canned soup.  Tomato soup, in particular. 
~ make homemade taco seasoning.  (Though I only bought this in bulk, not those little packets so the savings wouldn't be THAT significant.)

Some financial efforts for the week:

* Did the big monthly grocery run.  I made it within cents of $200.00 which was perfect.  Except for the fact that I still have three more weeks of milk to buy and no more money in our envelope! :-)  I may have to adjust the allotted grocery amount to $250.00 until we can start milking Penny. I also anticipate another grocery run before Christmas, as I am hosting 15-20 people for Christmas Eve.

* Took some holiday clothes to the consignment shop.

* I finished a Christmas gift: a crocheted cowl  (*used stash yarn that was given to me.  = FREE!)

* I cut my own hair.

* Made a homemade birthday cake and dinner for our birthday girl.

* I hung all cleaned pants, sweaters and towels to dry by woodstove.

* Just like last week, I got ANOTHER notice in the mail saying I still owed on a bill I had already paid in full months ago.  I kid you not.  This time it was for $144.35~ so it was not only the principle of the thing (like last weeks') but the finances of the thing as well.  I *knew* I had paid it in full already (another over-the-phone payment) so I called them and because I had proof of the conversation, etc. they took the charge off.  What is this?  An epidemic of businesses trying to squeak more money from me than I owe them?  sheesh.  Lesson: Always check your bills to see if you ACTUALLY owe them.  And when you pay something off in full- write the date down and the name of the person you spoke to, if you spoke directly to anyone about it. Generally, if it is a large bill I am paying off, I like to call and pay over the phone just for this reason.

* Finished making some photo calendars to try to sell.  Used a free shipping code to get them shipped for free. 

* Completely reorganized and cleaned one of our food storage nooks after a mouse got into a bag of flour.  Thankfully, it was a a five pound bag of flour instead of 25 or 50 pound bag.  But I was still mad.  Everything in that nook is either in rubbermaid or glass now, except a few pasta and rice boxes.  (I ran out of containers on hand.)  I need to find something for them soon.  Why bother wasting money on food for MICE?  I hate mice.

* Completely reorganized and cleaned the upstairs cubby where I have rubbermaid bins of sheets and blankets and a bin of dress up clothes.  The lids were not put on and I found mice had chewed up several things in the dress up box.  I hate mice.  Everything except one down comforter are in CLOSED tubs now.  Not sure what I should do with the comforter...

* Set a bunch of mouse traps.  I HATE MICE.

* I spent hours re-doing our budget and making a list of all non-budgeted items bought this month in preparation for a budget meeting.  A BUDGET MEETING?!?  Yes.  A budget meeting.  Matt and I agreed to have a meeting on the last day of every month so he and I are both on the same page with where the money goes and how fast.  Unlike traditional budget meetings, however, there will be candles and daquiris and he may or may not get lucky at the end.  :-D

* I listened to this while finishing up the cowl (above): 


 
Favorite quotes from it:

"Materialism (or consumerism) is not a function of an amount of wealth.  It is a disease of the heart."

"If you give me your  tax returns, your checkbook, your credit statements and so forth, I can pretty well write you the story of your life.  I can certainly see what your goals are, your values are, your priorities are... because your checkbook reveals it."

"All money decisions are symptomatic of spiritual condition.  They are.  No exception.  And if you believe that God owns it all, as I do, then every financial decision you make is a record of your stewardship."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

How about you?  How are you doing on your financial goals?  

Any one shopping the Black Friday deals today?

 

Thanksgiving Proclamation

    Thanksgiving Proclamation
President George Washington
City of New York, October 3, 1789
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best. 

A Whole Hand

L

 

There is a birthday girl in the house today!  Adele' is now five years old.  Her giggles haven't stopped since she woke up. 

I can't look at the top picture without my voice cracking and my eyes welling.  It has been ever so long since I felt the warm melting of a newborn on my skin.  sigh There is nothing like that.  Such a sweet moment that was and it happens to be my most favorite picture of all time.  

Five years of sweet curling ups, hugs, kisses, twirling around, skipping and most of all, giggling.  I'm so happy she is five.  I am so happy she is mine.

So today, when the weatherman says to STAY OFF THE ROADS because of sleet and freezing rain and snow squalls; a day I am prone to worry, fret, and fear over my Mister and his work travels, I have the wonderful distraction of baking and decorating a requested birthday cake (a PEACOCK!) and a preparing a requested birthday feast (SAUSAGE,EGGS, FRENCH TOAST), wrapping the few piddly things I have for my girl and most especially, wrapping this new five year old in the family up in hugs.

Finances on Friday

 My financial thoughts for this week:

ACK!  We are at the end of the month for groceries and I am beginning to believe that I *can't* keep my food budget within $200.00 a month!  This is our 3rd or 4th month of once-a-month (except dairy) grocery shopping and now I am beginning to see that perhaps I was able to do it so well because I had such a nice reserve of food stocked up.  Now that I am about four months into this once-a-month, bare-bones experiment, I can see our reserve has dwindled substantially and replacing it will be impossible with my food budget as it stands.  I am not sure what to do about that. 

In addition, I really want to start eating salads for lunch every day which means buying some more fresh produce.  I kinda fell off the losing weight bandwagon and would like to hop back on that wagon train before real damage is done.  I wish I were the kind of girl who dealt with stress by not eating.  Instead, I am the kind of girl who, when stressed and depressed, wants/craves/yearns for mozzerella sticks, soda, ice cream and chips.  As a before dinner snack.  So yes, time to buckle down and resume that weight loss goal.  20 more pounds to go.  Storebought lettuce it is.

It will be interesting seeing how this will play out.  I am going to have to figure out a few things if I can make this work.  I am going to spend this week thinking of any other ways I can save substantially on my (already miniscule) food bill. Next week I will let you know what I come up with (if anything.)

My financial efforts this week:

* picked up four bushels of gorgeous Crispin apples. These apples are good keepers and will hopefully provide us with fresh apples for eating and baking through until February or so.  They were $7.00 a bushel.  (A ridiculously low price.)

* paid all the bills on time and overpaid on the window financing.  (It was free financing for a year but if you don't get it within the year, you get walloped.  I have every intention of paying it off within 4 months.)  Note: I would strongly discourage a person from using the 'free financing' option if they do not have enough money to cover it all in the case of an emergency.

* Noticed a discrepancy on a bill I had paid over the phone last month, which said I still owed money when I had paid it in full.  I was so upset to see it I almost just paid it to be rid of it once and for all.It was only $10.00.  But it was the principle of the thing, ya know?  Instead, I called them and it was resolved and the fee was taken off.

* I submitted a review at TOS in order to be considered for a position on the review team...which would allow me the opportunity to review products in exchange for them.  And then I had to do it over again.  And again.  Because I did them wrong.  (Sorry for those of you who had that stinkin' review pop up a bazillion times in your reader!)  I wouldn't pick me if I were them.  (I just found out~ THEY DID!  HURRAH!)

* I didn't order a pizza one night when I really, really wanted to. 

* gratefully received a gorgeous armful of delicious kale which we snarfed in the form of kale chips.  YUM.

* Matt sold the barn beams to the guy interested in them and, thanks to his research beforehand at the going rate of barn beams, made a lot more money than the $50.00 we were originally anticipating.  I only lament burning so much of the barn cleanup last year!  Matt says we probably could have gotten about $10,000 from it had we known.  (I will choose to be thankful for the dollars we got instead of the dollars we burned.)  Lesson:  If an old barn falls down on your property, look online to find a buyer of old barn beams and SELL them, don't burn them.  The end.

* Matt and I didn't go out on a date this week like I had hoped we could.  Instead, I fed the children and put them to bed on a night he was coming home later than usual and we had an at-home date.  He brought home two $8.00 dinners for us and we watched a Netflix.  Much cheaper than a real date and that particular day was a seriously depressing day for me, so I needed that *little* splurge.

*  Matt sold a load of logs to the log company.

* Looked through the Medi-Share and Samaritan Ministries health care options and signed up.  Not looking forward to the monthly payment (which until this point could be used elsewhere) but whatcha gonna do?  I am secretly excited to have some sort of option in case of a real emergency though.  No insurance is fine if you never need care!  ;-)

* made crocheted scarf for a Christmas present using supplies I already had on hand.

* was overwhelmed and flabbergasted when the mailman delivered 'God's Peace' by way of Washington.  (And still am.  Thank you, friend.)

* harvested all the carrots from the garden.  (Only thing left is collards!)

* I signed up to do a craft show with my sister the first weekend in December.  Now, I need to figure out what I can make with supplies I already have on hand within that short period of time!  ACK!

* I helped Corynn make a birthday crown for Adele' and her doll using all supplies we had on hand.  (It is DARLING.  I'll show you next week!)

* Began working on a 2014 photo calendar called "Blooms and Bugs" which I will be trying to sell (if I can get them done in time, that is!)

And while this doesn't necessarily have to do with money, it DOES have to do with de-cluttering, which is another aspect of stewardship in my book. 

* I organized the Spare Oom yet again, taking four garbage bags full of stuff out (to donate and to junk).