Winter Temper Tantrum

Yesterday, winter decided to throw a full blown temper tantrum. The wind howled, the snow blew sideways and life in this area kind of shut down while we all hunkered down.

I kind of laughed when I saw friends who posted on Facebook yesterday. It seemed that there was a lot of baking going on. I know I did the same, but my purpose was two fold. I liked the fact that we ended up with chocolate cake, pumpkin pie and banana bread, but I really liked the fact that having the oven going also warmed up the kitchen.

The chickens did not get outside at all yesterday and to feed them I needed to scoop through a snowdrift that was up to my shoulders. This morning when I went out I had to re-shovel that same path. I also wanted them to get out because the sun was actually shining and I knew the wind was going to die down a bit.

I went back to the house to tell my husband that I really needed his help to shovel through a snowdrift that had filled in the trail the girls used to go outside. He first thought I was stretching it when I told him it was just too tall for me to deal with alone.

He did come outside with me, armed with a scoop, and as he rounded the corner of the garage, he just started to laugh. He decided I had not stretched the truth at all. We spent time shoveling a drift; that was as tall as me and did some laughing as we did. I do have to say that shared shoveling is a lot funner and goes a lot faster than doing that job alone!

In the photo I shared, I will tell you that somewhere under that drift was a trail before this last blizzard. I am happy to report, that with help…there is a path once again.

My husband decided it probably looks a bit like the Grand Canyon to the chickens. They were pretty leery about walking through but eventually decided it was worth it.

Life can be like that….when something unfamiliar comes along we are leery and sometimes need to be encouraged by those we trust.

I am praying you are encouraged by those around you. I pray that you are blessed by the people who weather life’s storms with you and that you are a blessing to them as well.

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”
– Ryunosuke Satoro

Blessings In All Things

In the last 6 weeks I have come to gain a great new respect for those who type with one finger. In January I had a joint replaced in my left little finger….yes they can do that! I also had the carpel tunnel issue in my left hand fixed.

I came home from same day surgery with a wrapped hand and a finger that resembled a snowman with all the white gauze that was wrapped around it. I also was cautioned not to sign any legally binding documents for the next 24 hours….I am still not sure where they thought I would be going or what I would be doing once I got home.

I ended up with a removable splint on my finger for 6 weeks. The first few weeks the splint had to be left on, except to shower. I discovered it is indeed very hard to dress with one hand. (sweats are the pants of choice in that case!) It is actually hard to do a lot of things with one hand.

At one point I really wanted to do something normal, like bake something. I thought I would do something easy like make box brownies. It all went great putting the ingredients in the bowl….then I got out the hand mixer and realized I needed a second hand to hold the bowl while I mixed! My husband was more than happy to do that job, he also was delegated to put the batter in the pan and put the pan in the oven.

By the time two weeks rolled around I was totally ready for the stitches to come out. I went to a niece who is a PA to have her do that. This was done under the watchful eye of my 4 year old great-niece. She asked if it hurt and I told her, honestly, that yes….it smarted but it would feel so much better once it was done. I must have passed the test of a 4 year old, as I got a sticker for “doing good” when I left to go home.

I started out this post saying one fingered typers had gained my respect. My husband is one of those typers and I used to kind of laugh about it. I am not laughing anymore….typing without using all your fingers takes a great amount of skill. I could not believe how many errors I made typing that way.

I am grateful I can, once again, use all of my fingers. I am grateful for surgeons with the skill and knowledge to fix things. I am grateful for sweat pants (yes even for that!), I am so blessed with a husband who will hold the bowl and scoop out the batter when I needed the help. And I am blessed with family and friends who prayed me through the healing.

The older I get, the more I come to realize that life’s true blessings are not in things…..but in the people who are in your life and the love in those relationships.

May this week find you blessed with friends and family; and may you come to see the joy and blessing in all things.

“Happiness isn’t about getting what you want all the time.
It’s about loving what you have and being grateful for it.”
Unknown

Dads

Yes….I realize Father’s Day is over and that I missed it by one day. But I kind of feel like we should maybe celebrate dads more than just one day…at least the good ones.

I decided I would give a quick shout out to the dads in my life. My dad was a great example of what a dad and husband should be like. Once he became a grandpa he excelled at that job also. His grandkids love him dearly. He taught me what men should act like and how men should treat others…with respect and integrity. It never mattered to my dad (and still doesn’t) what someone possesed or what someone looked like….you treated them all with respect.

Because of my dad; I knew what to look for in husband material. My farmer husband was and is a great dad. He attended his son’s events…from cross country races, to band and music concerts, to programs at school and church and everything in between. He taught our sons how to hunt, how to treat others fairly and how to generally grow up to be men of character.

This man I call husband, might not be perfect (okay….he isn’t, but neither am I so it works out well) but he is perfect for me and perfect for our family. He also has jumped into the role of Grandpa and has excelled at it.

We have three sons who have become dads. Our middle son just celebrated his first Father’s Day this year. It has been a blessing watching these three men with their children. They are dads who are “hands on”….They change diapers, take their kids to parks, take them to taekwando lessons, attend programs, take time off work to tend sick kids and so many other “dad” tasks.

They are men who climb 14ers in Colorado, run marathons, fix motorcycles, love fishing and boating and build legos but still have time for those who are important in their lives.

It has been a joy to watch those three boys in the photo turn into men of integrity and men who love their families. I can only hope they realize what they mean to me. I can only hope all those dads in my life know what they mean to me. My life has been richer for knowing these dads. I am thinking I should probably tell them to make sure they know this fact!

My hope is that you have all been blessed knowing at least one good “dad” in your life. If you haven’t…rest assured there are good dads out there…..and if you have sons….you get the chance to raise them to be good dads.

“I believe that what we become
depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments,
when they aren’t trying to teach us.
We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.”
― Umberto Eco

Ordinary to Extraordinary

Clivia

The plant with the beautiful orange flowers was given to me as a starter piece many years ago by my mom-in-law. She got her first piece from her mom and I am not sure how far back this plant really goes. I have given pieces to my children so they can also enjoy them.

I found out it is a Clivia and it blooms once a year around Easter (at least that is how mine seems to bloom). 

This plant always reminds me of our lives….most of the time we just do ordinary, everyday things–plain green leaf kind of things. 

Every so often, we are called to be extraordinary–to bloom with a beauty, a radiance, a daring to be more than what we think we are. A call to be obedient to our Father and step away from the plain green leaf existence of our normal, daily lives.

Listen for that nudge, hear the call and take that first step of obedience and see what extraordinary thing He will do…..even if it only happens once a year.

 

 Faith is taking the first step
even when you can’t see the whole staircase.
– Martin Luther King Jr.

Holy Ground

Last week was spent with family. My dad in law passed away and we spent an entire day waiting with Mom for Dad’s homegoing.

My sister texted me as we sat in that nursing home and told me that I was on “holy ground”. Indeed…..it was holy ground. That sacred space between this world and the next. Waiting for Dad to make his way into the arms of the waiting Father.

Last week was an honor and a privilege. It was a celebration and a heart ache. Those days, where time narrowed and focused on the life of one man….my dad in law. Time stood still….the world and it’s big issues were ignored and love and family time consumed us.

Memories were shared. Many heavy sighs were breathed. Tears and laughter mingled at the same time…. Hearts ached for those of us left behind and rejoiced for Dad who journeyed on ahead.

Memories of a man who loved to sing and play harmonica. Memories of a man who tilled the soil and milked cows…a man who was incredibly proud of his military service and a man who loved a good bag of jelly beans. We remembered a man who loved his wife and his family well.

Dad wasn’t perfect, but he was perfect for our family and for the life he lived. He left many memories for Mom, his children, grandchildren, family and friends and those memories will be passed along to his great grandchildren.

Looking back on that week brings the realization of what really is important. Living honestly, loving well, building relationships with family and friends and understanding that this life is not about us.

We stood in that cemetery on a beautiful morning. We listened to the pastor remind us that our hope is not in this temporary dwelling place…we saw my mom in law receive the American flag ….we heard the shots echo and the lonely sound of taps played in the distance.

We did not say good-bye as we stood on holy ground. We knew this was instead “till we meet again”. We got to see what a legacy really looks like ….faith….family….and how your life is lived in the time you are given.

Thank you Dad for the lessons you taught…not only in how to live life but how to leave this life for the next. You will be missed…till we meet again.

“You live to die….
you die to live.”
Ruth Fondse

The Waiting Time

 

To be honest….there isn’t much in my life that has changed too much with all the confusion in this world. As farmers we kind of roll with the seasons anyway; and this has always been a time of waiting.

We wait for the winter storms to be done. We wait for the earth to dry up enough to till the fields that have been resting since they were harvested last fall. We wait for the warmth of those Spring days…when the sun shines and warms the earth enough for the asparagus shoots to peek through the earth. We wait.

In a way it is a blessing for us that we are used to this waiting season. It makes the staying home a bit easier to do.( It does not make it any easier to think of the hugs I am missing from my kids and grandkids!)

My heart goes out to those whose waiting is very unusual….to those who are laid off or furloughed at this time. To those waiting for a loved one to get over the virus….to those who wonder if they have caught it. The anxiety of wondering how long this will last can be incredibly hard. The not knowing can be the worst.

This past week my sister did a video with Pastor John (the pastor of her church). He has been doing this with various members of his congregation to keep everyone in touch and to make sure they are all doing well.

After I watched this video I was extremely proud of my sister. She is a private person and this was a step of faith that she took, because she realized it might help others during this time. She gave me her permission to share the link for this video.

I hope it inspires you during this waiting time. I hope it eases your mind and calms your soul. I pray it makes you realize you are not alone in any of this. There are others waiting and wondering. There are others with fear.

I pray her testimony blesses you as much as it blessed me….and yes I may be biased (okay I AM biased). May this find you seeing the blessings in the small things like flowers, birds and a good jigsaw puzzle.

May this post find you looking for the good in this time of waiting and finding the treasure hidden in it…the treasure of time to be still. May you know the comfort that this season will pass and may you come to treasure this time of waiting.

The sun is always shining,
you just can’t always see it.
John S.
(my dad)

 

 

 

Fresh Starts

With the New Year well underway I wonder how many people have decided they need a fresh start. Perhaps you are looking for a fresh start with your physical health. That seems to be a big priority at this time of year.

My husband always laughs at the fact that prior to the holidays the ads everywhere; are all about food. They show Christmas cookies that can be made. There are recipes for new side dishes at Thanksgiving and lots of ideas for beverages for the New Year celebrations.

After the holidays are done; all the ads seem to be for gym memberships, weight loss plans, exercise equipment and on and on. I must confess my mind was running along those lines this year.

After all the celebrations, my clothes were feeling a bit snug. I am too tight to buy new clothes for my “fatter” stage. I started pondering on the fact that perhaps I should move a bit more.

There was a simple challenge put out by Young Living for it’s members. They call it #NewMeIn90.  The idea is to intentionally move 30 minutes a day. They want you to make small workable changes that will leave you, not just in better health, but feeling better about life in general.

As I was thinking on this concept a friend, Kim, put out a challenge and a link to a 30 day journey into yoga. She did this on Facebook. I quizzed her by asking if this was something an out of shape (very out of shape) older fat woman could do. (I figured I had best start out the year being honest!) She assured me it was doable.

This week I set out to give it a whirl as I figured it would benefit my balance, flexibility and strength. I am happy to report it was going well…..till I hit Day 6. Day 6 is titled, Ignite.

Adriene, the yoga gal (who shall now be named YG) told us we were going to ignite the fire in our belly. I mumbled under my breath that the last 5 days had already been doing that, as I was starting to discover my long lost core. (I had previously not been sure I even had one anymore.)

Day 6 did not go well. After three, crunch- leg and head lifting type things (that started a roaring bonfire in my belly) I gave up that move. She ended that session with smushing up into a small ball with her knees tucked under her and her forehead on the ground.

I am here to tell you, that last pose was another move that didn’t quite work out properly. When you have extra mass around your middle it gets in the way of smushing and doing the deep breathing that YG kept reminding us to do.

Plans are to finish that 30 day challenge. It might not be done gracefully, but I have Kim holding me accountable and that makes me keep going.

It is good to have someone to hold a person accountable. Maybe that should be my goal this year. Be accountable. Do what I say. Finish what I start. Do what I can with what I am given and realize giving your best is good enough.

Perhaps the fresh start the New Year gives us is not just about getting into better physical shape. Perhaps, it is about persevering…..taking the next step….doing the next pose and keeping on even when life is hard.

Maybe YG is right….maybe just taking the time to breathe in and breathe out and being still is a great goal. Maybe it gives us the time to hear that still small voice. Maybe it gives us the space to really see what our Creator has laid out before us. Just maybe, it gives us the peace we need to embrace the gifts we have been given….whatever they might be.

Let us take this fresh start and receive it with joy.  Let’s relish the gift of life and delight in the steps along the way. Let’s take our cue from children….they don’t worry about tomorrow….they just live in the space that is now and enjoy that time.

When you dance,
your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor.
It’s to enjoy each step along the way.
-Wayne Dyer

 

 

Tangled

It is already December 13 and the tree is finally up and it actually is totally decorated…..except for the candy canes that will get put on at the last minute. For some reason Christmas decorating at our home seems to take a while to wind up and get started.

I am thinking it is because I kind of hate to take down the fall decorations and give in to the fact that it is the winter season. But…..the day arrived and my husband retrieved the totes that held the tree and all that is needed to make our house festive and lit for the holiday.

As I took the strands of lights out of the freezer bags I had stored them in; my husband started laughing. He thought my balls of light strands resembled something from the movie Christmas Vacation. Since he was right on that thought, I let him share in the joy of untangling those strands of lights.

My Thanksgiving holiday and Christmas holiday seem to tangle all through each other and this year has been no exception. As I was making Christmas cookies I was also finishing up baking out my pumpkins from the garden.

I can probably justify the pumpkin baking as I do make a pumpkin pie for dessert for Christmas dinner. We have some die-hard pumpkin pie lovers at our house that day.

There is something wonderful about the tangling of seasons and holidays. It seems to reflect the tangling of life and the tangling of days. At least my days and my life sometimes resemble that strand of lights that come out of the bag as a ball.

It takes patience to unsnarl that strand of lights. It takes a gentle touch and a sense of calm. There is a lot to be learned when untangling strands of Christmas lights. Things like handling life with patience.  Treating others with a gentle touch.  Remaining calm when faced with situations that look impossible to straighten out.

Let’s take time this holiday season to deal gently with those around us…..you never know what they are dealing with or how snarled their life is. Let’s be patient and calm when the world seems to be going to fast and seems cruel…..let’s untangle those strands and let our lights shine.

 

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a man
by the way he handles these three things:
a rainy holiday,
lost luggage,
and tangled Christmas tree lights.
~Anonymous 52-year-old,
quoted in H. Jackson Brown, Jr.,
Live and Learn and Pass It On, 1991

 

 

 

 

Canning For The Year

This has been a wonderful busy fall season. It is amazing what a difference one year has made. Those of you who know me, know that I spent last fall recovering from a bout of West Nile.  I was so grateful this year to be busy with canning, spending time with family and friends and just celebrating how good life is.

For me one of the great things of life, especially the fall, is the canning season. Years ago my grandma canned every bit of produce she could get her hands on. She instilled in me a love of seeing the produce come out of the garden, journey through the canning/preservation process and end up on the pantry shelves.

Sometimes Fall can feel like an ending to a season. I am not sure why, but canning does not feel like giving up on a past season. Canning feels like preparing for a fresh start. Lining shelves with the summer’s bounty is strangely fulfilling and highly addictive.

What starts out as just doing some batches of peaches, applesauce and pizza sauce turns into a hunt for a new recipe to try….a new way to try preserve the produce.  Canning is kind of like putting Summer in a jar and opening it to enjoy on those cold winter days.

For me…..canning is hope….hope that you are prepared….hope that you are ready for what comes…..and the hope that by the time your jars run out, you also run out of cold winter days.

Seeing the shelves lined with filled jars gives such a feeling of contentment. I may be weird in that thought but I am okay with that. I love going into my pantry and just standing there looking at those filled jars.

I tried a new recipe this year. We had such an abundance of watermelon that we could not keep up eating them. We gave melons away, I juiced a couple melons and they still kept producing. Even the chickens got to eat watermelon!

So this year I made watermelon jelly. It is so pretty in the jars and really tastes like watermelon in a jar!  I am so excited that in the middle of a cold dreary winter day I can open a jar and feel like summer is not so far away.

Watermelon Jelly
Yield: Makes five half pints

Ingredients: 
5 cups white sugar
5 tablespoons powdered pectin
6 cups pureed watermelon (remove any seeds prior to pureeing)
1/2 cup bottled lemon juice

Instructions:
Whisk together sugar and powdered pectin until they are fully integrated. Combine watermelon puree, sugar/pectin and lemon juice in a large, non-reactive pot.
Bring to a boil and let cook until the temperature of the nascent jelly reaches 220 degrees. This can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes, depending on the width of your pot, the heat of your stove and even the weather you’re having. Check set using saucer test before removing it from the heat, to ensure that it will set.
Remove from the heat and pour into prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and screw on bands. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
When time is up, remove from canner and let jars cool. When they’re cool enough to handle, remove rings and test seals. You can eat immediately or store unopened jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
Notes:
*This jelly can take up to one week to set. Please give it time.

I found this recipe on Pinterest and here is the link:
https://foodinjars.com/recipe/watermelon-jelly-recipe/
My notes: 
I used the low sugar pectin so it would set up better. Also, make sure to boil till you reach the correct temp as this also helps with setting this jelly.
Do NOT omit the lemon juice or use fresh lemon juice.
this is needed to properly acidify the watermelon for safe canning.
I wait 24 hours before removing the rings.

 

I love having full shelves, but I also love to gift some of the bounty to my children and others. It is fun “shopping” my shelves and filling boxes to send home with them.

I love the fact that, for me, those jars speak of faithfulness. The faithfulness of my Creator in providing for every need. They are more than just food….they are a visual reminder.  Those jars are a way to connect with those that I love and a connection to those who have gone before.

Food is our common ground,
a universal experience.
James Beard 
Read more: http://www.searchquotes.com/search/Food_Preservation/#ixzz63Pz248Hn

Days That Are Keepers

Some days just start out good and just keep rolling along that way. The weather today is beautiful….sunny, dry and the tinge of fall in the air.

It is really a perfect day to turn 62. Yep…I just told you my age because I really don’t care!  I know they say a lady never tells her age, but this lady does, because to me…it is just a number.

On my way to town this morning the sky was so pretty. The clouds against the blue of the sky and the sun shining through. The sight of it made me  a bit late for meeting one of my sisters. I just had to stop and take a picture because beauty like that does not last all day.

My sister took me to Le Meilleur this morning for the most amazing pastry. It was a cinnamon roll made from a croissant. Our tea was the perfect beverage to go with it.

Le Meilleur is a small bakery in our small town. Unfortunately it is moving to the south of us; to the town where my sister lives.

I am glad it is not going far as I would miss this fun meeting place! The fact they have delicious pastries is a huge bonus as well.

 

 

The day just kept getting better. Once I returned home a package arrived in the mail for me.

I had totally forgotten that I had put my name in a drawing at the Veteran’s Booth at the Clay County Fair a few weeks ago.

Today, I found they had drawn my name and I had won a beautiful stitched American flag!  I was thrilled and it was even better that it arrived on my birthday.  I have not yet mentioned to my husband that I just may need a flagpole to fly this flag.

I did have to take some ribbing from my husband this morning. I showed him a birthday wish a friend had sent on Facebook. The post included fireworks. My husband commented that of course there were fireworks. With that many candles any cake would blow up!

He also reminded me I am now eligible for Social Security.  I reminded him that I had finally caught up with his age! (I am also kind of hoping I am like a fine wine and just getting better with age.)  That may or may not be true, but I kind of like the logic.

One thing I have learned in my 62 years is to make sure to live while you are alive. Maybe I have learned more than one thing….I also know that it is good to find joy in a  sky filled with beautiful clouds and streaming sunlight.

I know that each day is a gift because I am not assured of the next. I have learned that life is good…if you let it be…attitude counts for a lot and there are good people everywhere.

I pray that when I am all done with my birthdays and have reached the end of my days…that I am greeted with the phrase, “well done…good and faithful servant.” And I pray that when my friends and family think of me….it brings a huge grin to their face and maybe leaves them wondering….just a bit.

 

And in the end,
it’s not the years in your life that count.
It’s the life in your years.
-Abraham Lincoln