Keeping Busy....

Guess what we have been doing?  Making hay....still more to go....

Early spring, hot and dry - our hay production is down by half.  Other neighbor farmers say the same.

Dolly helping....

Blessings from Wisconsin!

July - Interesting Facts

July - 7th month and the hotest of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Birthstone:  Ruby
Flower:  Water Lily

Special Days:

1.  Canada Day
2.  I forgot Day
3.  Disobedience Day
4.  Independence Day
5.  Work a Holics Day
6.  National Fried Chicken Day
7.  National Chocolate Day
8.  Video Games Day
9.  National Sugar Cookie Day
10.  Teddy Bear Picnic Day
11.  Cheer Up The Lonely Day
12.  National Pecan Pie Day
13.  Embrace Your Geekness Day
14.  Pandemonium Day
15.  National Ice Cream Day
16.  Cow Appreciation Day
17.  National Peach Day
18.  National Caviar Day
19.  National Raspberry Cake Day
20.  Ugly Truck Day
21.  Junk Food Day
22.  Parent's Day
23.  National Hot Dog Day
24.  Cousins Day
25.  Treading the Needle Day
26.  All or Nothing Day
27.  Summer Olympics
28.  National Chocolate Milk Day
29.  National Lasagna Day
30.  National Cheese Cake Day
31.  Mutt's Day

"Knee high by the 4th of July" (corn)

"Hot July brings cooling showers, apricots and gilly flowers"  Sara Coleridge

"A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay
 A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon
 A swarm of bees in July is not worth a fly"

Enjoy July!

Blessings from Wisconsin.

Frog Pictures

I was walking the horses over to a different pasture when I spotted this frog.  I ran back to the house to get my camera - he was busy trying to hide from us...

Blessings from Wisconsin.

Concerts in the Clouds - Rib Mountain State Park

Rib Mountain State Park has an amphitheater where they host summer concerts - "Concerts in the Clouds."  This past Saturday night we saw The Canon Ball Band.  This was a blue grass style show.  It was free (with a state park sticker), the Marathon County Dairy Board had free ice cream cones too.  We had a lot of fun.

That is the city of Wausau, Wisconsin down there...

Little kids were dancing...I wanted to, but I'm too big (on the outside anyway). 

Anna sitting on a rock. 

My grandparents were from Kentucky and my grandpa Kincaid played this type of music (only it was old gospel songs) all the time.  I liked it.

The next concert is July 21 with Galynne Goodwill a blue/soul singer.  Can't wait.

Blessings from Wisconsin.

Strawberry - Jam and Sauce

 Strawberry & nectarine jam.  The nectarines were a seasonal sale item at the grocery store - they were cheap and delicious.

Strawberry sauce. 

Strawberry Nectarine Jam:

5 C diced/sliced fruit
1 pkg. surejell
1 Tbs. lemon juice
7 C sugar

Wash and prepare fruit.  I sliced the strawberries rather than mash them.  Put in a kettle add lemon juice and sure jell.  Bring to a rolling boil, dump in sugar, bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 min.  Put into clean jars.  Hot water bath for no more than 10 min. till lids are sealed.

I always spoon off the foam...you can eat it too...

I don't know why my mom did this...but, I do too.  When jars are still warm put on your counter upside down.  This moves the fruit chunks evenly too.

Strawberry Freezer Sauce:

sliced strawberries
1 pkg of jello
sugar to taste

Wash and cut up strawberries.  Add one package of jello, this keeps your sauce thicker and really red.  Add sugar to taste.  This is also one of my mom's ideas.  Once you do this freezer sauce this way, with the jello, you won't do it any other way.

Seal in bags.  It will be so good on a cold January evening.

Blessings from Wisconsin.

Find Your Ministry

Finding a ministry....what does that mean?  Why would I want a ministry?  Where do I start?  What could I do that would make an impact for Jesus?

For years, I have fulfilled my desire to "be used" by volunteering at school and through 4-H.  My ministry has been being the best mom I could be.  Now that my girls are young adults and my roles are changing...I've wanted to find a new ministry.

I really like what Faye at The Blessed Hearth http://theblessedhearth.blogspot.com/ does.  She has a Keepers of the Home ministry.  Taken right from scripture about the older women teaching the younger.   They meet and she shares with them "how to" do things that are really almost a lost art.  Cooking, canning, crafts and advice (from scripture) are all apart of the day.  They usually eat too and leave with a project.  Almost like a 4-H meeting for adults.  I wish she lived closer (she is in Canada) so I could go too.

I've been raised in a church with a "holiness standard."  If you want to hold a leadership position, you must adhere to this standard.  I'm not knocking it...every organization has a standard or code of ethics leaders must follow.  However, because I choose not to follow or fail in an outward display of this standard - I feel I can't be used there.

You know, God created each of us with strengths and weaknesses in our personality.  He created us with both so we can use both.  You might feel like you can't do something perfect and this is holding you back on being used....stop that!  No one is perfect and He wants to use us even with our imperfections. 

Find something you can do and enjoy doing and use that to glorify Him.  Share your faith in the process - this is really what a ministry is. 

I've been praying for a new way that I can be used.  For now, it is still 4-H and I enjoy it - but I desire more.  I want to find a way I can use my love of farm life, crafting and scripture together.  I would like to start a Keepers of Home type meeting here someday.  Thanks Faye for the inspiration!

Blessings from Wisconsin.

"Lazy Days or Dog Days of Summer"

So, this is officially the last week day of summer vacation for
Anna.  She was blessed with a fulltime job at the 4-H office as a summer vista.  She will help organize and run the summer clubs and activities.  She starts college in the fall with a major in recreational therapy.  This vista position will look great on her resume'.  Anyway, she went to Appleton yesterday with most of the senior class (only 10), was up late watching movies with them, up early doing the chores and now @9:30 a.m....taking a nap with Dolly.

Dolly LOVES Anna.
Blessings from Wisconsin.