My "Rhonda Rousey" Little Red Hen

What happens here at my little farm is, hens will lay their eggs all in one pile or nest.  After a few days one or more hens will take ownership of the eggs and set on them to hatch them out.  Well, I have had some broody hens in the past, but NONE out do this little red hen.  I'm now calling her Rhonda Rousey after the kickboxer.  Here is why....

This past week, I opened up all the cages to hens and chicks as they were now over a month old.  As I let this little red hen out with her chicks....another hen tried to take them away from her.  As you can see, she is very small. 

She was not going to let that other hen get the best of her and steal her 6 chicks.  They were fighting, rolling around, squawking up a storm...the other hen had Rhonda on her back and she was kicking and scratching....that is when the name Rhonda Rousey came to me.  

Well, Rhonda won and she is off in the barn yard teaching her chicks all about living here on the farm.

As  you can see, they are almost as big as her now.   I love her tenacity and she has earned respect from the other hens.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Africa - Widow's Ministry

Our church is involved in a ministry in Africa.  You can read about it here:  http://dickybirdsnest.blogspot.com/2016/03/a-gift-of-5-goats.html

And here:  http://dickybirdsnest.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-gift-that-is-already-giving.html

Well they had more babies.  They have been providing the widows with resources and a means to provide for themselves.  Praise God.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.

Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This is a simple recipe.  Truthfully, I can't believe I didn't think of this before.

1 box cake mix - I used devil's food
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. grated nutmeg
1 1/2 C Zucchini
1 C Chocolate Chips

Add the wet ingredients according to the box recipe.  I mixed by hand with a whisk.  

Pour into a well sprayed 9 x 13 pan.  Bake according to box directions.

I made this cake for our "2nd Annual Up, Up & Away - Vintage Pop Up" Sale.  I didn't have any powder sugar for the frosting, so on my way in to town, I stopped at the grocery store and asked the bakery if I could buy a container of frosting.  Truthfully, that frosting with that cake was delicious - it was like a Hostess Devil's Food cakes.  I love those!  You would never know there was zucchini in mine. 

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Zucchini Meatless Balls and Ziti

Zucchini meatless balls and Ziti

1 Cup grated zucchini
1 egg
1 large clove garlic minced
1 Cup Panko

Mix together, roll balls in Panko

Put about 2 T olive oil in the pan, heat up on low, add zucchini balls.  Keep shaking the pan to roll them around.

I did add 1 T of butter at the end too.  Fry them until crispy on the outside.  Add some sauce and keep on low while noodles are cooking.  

I'm not a vegetarian, but I had some zucchini to use.  I've been inspired by my daughter Justine's recipes she makes for her husband.  

These are really good.  I wish I would have had some Parmesan cheese to add to the balls and on top - next time.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.   

Linked to:  http://www.thethriftyhome.com/2016/07/344th-penny-pinching-party.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:

http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/2016/07/foodie-friday-and-everything-else.html

It's a Hen's Life

...."not today lady..."

..."I triple dog dare you to take my eggs"

...."oh no she didn't..."

The above hen, Dodie (I named her after my mom), gave me that look when I tried to take away her eggs.  She has been broody, I've since let her set on some eggs...I'm a softy I guess.  

"The only thing that ever sat it's way to success - was a hen."
Sarah Brown

I like that quote, because it is so true.  If you want to be successful in whatever you do - you can't sit around - you have to work at it.    

Recently, I have been rather busy, building upon the foundation of my little businesses.  "It's all a Rave - Vintage Pop Up Sales," Town Hall Trinkets, LLC, Estately Yours, The Hobby Farm and Theme.  Work, which doesn't really feel like work, because I enjoy doing it.

Maybe not "enjoy" 4 estate sales in 1 month.  The first weekend in June was a sale and then I had an idea to do 3 Manic Monday estate sales.  Those sales were from 1 estate that we moved to a different location.  We would go over in the morning, set up tents, pull out whatever we could manage on that day, set it up, try to mark it and sell it from 1-6 pm.  That might have been a bit too much work for 1 sale - rather "manic," but, we did it, rather successfully I might add.  So, Estately Yours, did 4 sales in 1 month.  After a visit to and Xrays at the walk in, I decided that maybe I'm physically unable to do some of these things.  That "manic" has given us a better vision on what sales to say "yes" to and even "no" - which we have.  We made a group decision to take July off and work on our own "estates."  Lisa and I each have barns full of stuff.  We still meet with potential clients and have a sale on the calendar.  

Town Hall Trinkets, LLC, has 4 booths in 4 different cities.  I need to dig for, clean up, fix, inventory, mark and drive to each of these booths at least once per month.

"It's all a Rave - Vintage Pop Up Sales" my little idea 3 summers ago - has developed into some super cool events.  This week I am hosting "2nd Annual Up, Up & Away - Vintage Pop Up Sale" - held in conjunction with the balloon rally and glow in Wausau.

The Hobby Farm, is the classes I teach.  I have "Jacky's Craft Camp" planned the week of July 18-22.  I was asked to teach a private "painting" class this summer and will meet with those ladies.  I also met with 2 brides this month.  They were looking for ideas and props for their upcoming weddings.

Theme, is a periodical sale location that hosts monthly events.  This has been the venue for the last 2 pop ups.  Theme is one of my 4 booths.  We have a 3 day sale there once a month.  

I say all of this, to state, I might have a coop full of hens that sit, but I'm not doing any setting this summer.

"How do you do it 'all' Jacky?"  (numerous people)  My answer, "with the Lord's help" (smile).  All I can say is that I don't know - it doesn't seem like work to me.  If you love what you do or is it do what you love, either way, it's not work. 

Work is a young working mother, running kids to camps, day care, school, lessons, sporting events, making suppers, laundry, keeping the house picked up...whew...I did that...that is WORK.  

This, what I do now...is easy...physically not so much any more...but, easy.  Thanks family and friends for all your support.  I couldn't be where I am without you.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Kindness Matters - Thank you David Kroll

We met with my childhood friend and her parents yesterday.  They want us to help them with a downsizing living estate sale.  Anyway, on the way over to her house, I was reminiscing on our childhood.  Many memories came to mind, but one stuck out, actually I've thought on it many times over my life.  Here goes...

It's 1983, our junior prom.  My friend Barb Draeger and I were the only girls in our friend group who didn't have a date for the prom.  We were on the prom committee, helped decorate and such and therefore, we were asked to serve the punch.  As I have mentioned before, I grew up in a home were we really didn't have a lot of money, however we had an abundance of LOVE.  Somehow, my mom found me this pretty white dress.  It had a square neck with a wide eyelet lace trim, empire waist and flowing tea length skirt.  She helped me curl my long hair and pull up part in a little bun.  I remember how pretty I felt.   When we arrived at the prom, the chaperoning teachers gave us very specific instructions to make sure no one "spiked" the punch.  Oh, some of the "jocks" tried, but Barb and I were very diligent.....why us?  Was it not bad enough that we didn't have dates, but then had to guard the punch?!?  I do remember that Bonnie Hellrood's dad donated a beautiful swan ice sculpture for the punch.  I never seen something like that - it was so pretty.  I think it might have been the first prom in who knows how long that the punch was NOT spiked....Barb and I have that anyway...(smile).

My friend, Ann Podolske, went to the prom with David Kroll.  David came up to me and asked me to dance.  As we danced, David said "I just didn't want you to look back at your life and say...I never danced at my junior prom."  What insight - truly.  I've shared this story with my daughters when they were teens.  They both thought how sweet it was of him to think of me.  It was.  Thank you David for that.  

You see, kindness really does matter.  Even the little things we do for others can have the greatest impact on their life.  Kindness is a choice...choose it!  

(Ann and I)  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin

Five on Friday - Lessons from Weeding

As I write this post this morning, Five on Friday - Lessons from Weeding...I am scratching...a few of my "lessons.."

We have a rather large vegetable garden and the weeds caught up with me.  So I spent many hours this week weeding.  As I was doing this, I was thinking about why we should weed...lessons.

1.  It is best to pull out weeds when they are little.  Yes, you might pull up a few tender plants in the mix, but you won't have to deal with large weeds choking out your growing plants.  Same could be said of things in our lives, it's best to stop a bad habit, end a relationship, tackle a task - whatever it is, before "it" chokes us out and we don't want to deal with it.  

2.  It is easier to weed early in the morning or evening while the sun isn't as hot.  If you choose to weed in the afternoon, be prepared for sunburn and sweat.  I guess, if you want to rid your life of some "weeds" you might sweat a bit and even get burned.

3.  Use bug spray while weeding.  I didn't see any bugs, but boy do I have the bites on my legs.  Those little "no see em's" as my mom called them.  Yes, you might get a  bite or two from some "no see em's" when weeding in your life.  You can stop that from putting on your "bug spray (prayer)" guarding yourself from hurt.  

4.  Once the weeds are pulled away from the plant, you can see how nice the plant looks, "I didn't know the beans looked that good" kinda thing.  Once you pull out unwanted things in your life, you might be surprised how you feel "I didn't know I could do that on my own" (smile).

5.  Once free from the weeds your plant can grow...bloom...weed free.  I think you get the picture here.

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Linked to:

http://lovemademyhome.blogspot.com/2016/07/five-on-friday.html