thankful, so very very thankful

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Shanda

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These mashed potatoes are soooooooooo good!

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I’m still using my Grandma’s potato masher.

fiesta potholders
martha stewart pot

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The potatoes were a snack for these fine young men. (By the way, I took all these photos last week but didn’t post them yet). Ethan had a week home from college.

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Rich was away on a business trip for five days. I took this picture of the boys for him after their football practice….as you can see, Seth is full of energy STILL!

This morning he was showing me how his shorts didn’t stay up and I said, “Dressing you is like trying to dress a broom stick.” and he said, “That’s because I’m skinny.”

He also said, “When I grow up I’m not going to get married so I can still live with you.” “You don’t have to get married but you could still have your own place,” I replied. “I’ll be your neighvor.” he said. (exactly how he pronounced it)

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WHAT??? All I did was walk out the front door when I discovered this very very cool green insect on the dresser on the porch. Isn’t it amazing?

You can make discoveries at any time and any place. Keep your eyes open.

I want to draw this bug. Wouldn’t it be fun to draw this bug?

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I have a fascination with the Salem Witch Trials but this book was disappointingly difficult to read. It put me to sleep every evening. I finally put it down and read reviews on amazon — gratified to see the majority of them felt the same as I did. I bought this book at Costco and will be returning it.

The Trouble with Magic, by Ruth Chew (my latest read to Sarah book)
Little Women
The Little’s Surprise Party
Young Amelia Earhart
Tales of Peter Rabbit and his Friends
Heidi (full of illustrations)
Art book
Charlie Brown book

I love having books everywhere I turn here.

Sarah reading to Mama.

Seth reading to Mama (with Sarah next to us).

Little Bear books are the best. You know they make me tear up? Heartwarming stories. And then she wrote Hunger Games, can you believe that? (I did read Hunger Games and enjoyed it but got bored with the rest of the series, haven’t seen the movies.)

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Dress up

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Another homegrown pumpkin (we had four)

Kids are the best

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a bunny bee and soft flower petals

(isn’t it so cute?)

To be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions, but not contented with yourself until you have made the best of the them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbor’s except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends and every day of Christ; and to spend as much time as you can with body and with spirit, in God’s out-of-doors–these are the little guide-posts on the foot-path of peace.

Henry Van Dyke.

((David caught a snake.)) Yesterday Michael and Logan walked to our house to visit and said they rescued a snake from the road, it’s tail was run over so they put the hurt snake in the woods. I was so happy with them.

Our cats love sleeping in laundry baskets.

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DAVID!!!! getting so tall and changing daily…..drinking that yummy raw milk does wonders. He’s been on the Rip Stick (see it behind him) a lot lately. He loves to go to football practice with his brothers and while they are on the fields, he is on the parking lot with the rip stick (for 2 hours!). Last night he was hungry and made himself a little pot of rice for a bedtime snack. He’s the best at making rice and has a scientific precise way of making it. He’s also been eating tortilla chips and salsa on a constant basis. It always amuses me to see the kids to through “their favorite snack” stages. I remember when Grace would eat a can of corn every day.

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In a weak moment, I let Parker take a nap next to me.

GLOWING GLOWING GLOWING…….the outdoors is simply dazzling.

“Early in the morning, my song shall rise to Thee.”

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Ethan and Tessa making pasta for dinner.

Is there anything more cozy than being outside and looking at the bright windows of YOUR house, with YOUR family inside???

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Last night Seth looked back at me as he was going downstairs to bed and said, “Mom in the morning I want eggs for breakfast,” and he pointed his finger at me like Gary George, and continued, “Fried. Two.” Then, a thumbs up. I was smiling, “Okay Seth!” So this morning I put a healthy amount of butter in a cast iron pan and fried him up two eggs, served with whole wheat toast.

He said to me, he said to me with his mouth full, “This is a good breakfast, mom.”

home routine and nature sightings

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Shanda

“I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dishwashing. Whenever I get one of those questionaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife. It’s an admirable profession, why apologize for it. You aren’t stupid because you’re a housewife. When you’re stirring the jam you can read Shakespeare.” Tasha Tudor

Living is always at a quicker pace when you’re raising children but lately I’ve been able to enjoy a calmer morning routine. As soon as I get up, I wander to the coffee maker. The teens are getting ready for school and we talk a little before they leave. Rich has already left for work, and he typically kisses me while I am still asleep (this morning it was tenderly on my hand). We have a nice connection to start the day.

I look out the door to see what morning birds have come to the feeder, which I keep full of sunflower seeds. This morning I saw something interesting but soon realized is was a banana peel that someone threw up into the bushes. It had landed and sat on a branch very much looking like an exotic bird.

I make a cup of coffee and drink it throughout the morning and I realized that I like coffee of all temperatures.

I wake up the three younger kids at around 6:50. I stopped picking out small Sarah’s outfit because after I leave her room she goes ahead and chooses something entirely different.

This morning Seth was sent to school with a puffy eye. He had a bad allergic reaction to the dust at the little league field last night. He looks pretty terrible….and he loves it. It does itch, though. I wrote a quick note to the teacher so she wouldn’t send Seth to the nurse. Seth played very well last night in his game and received the game ball. I didn’t go. It was around 53 degrees and Rich took them by himself.

After the kids have left for the day, I usually blog, or run on the treadmill. We have an “exercise room” in the basement with a treadmill and a TV. If the TV wasn’t down there I wouldn’t darken the door of the exercise room. So this TV that I watch while doing my half hour run is how I have now become a watcher of Investigation Discovery Television…..true crime is quite fascinating. It’s my TV station of choice unless the little kids are at home, of course.

I usually tidy up the house in the mornings….and it’s been a great feeling to have time to clean and have it STAY clean while the kids are at school.

It’s amazing how much a person can get done as they work at a steady but NOT FRANTIC pace…..for so many years I have rushed from one thing to another….but now I have time to settle down do things little by little…and still see a result and have time to read, blog, go for walks, and watch crime tv. LOL

Once or twice a week I go shopping for food, and of course once in a while I might have to take someone to a doctors appointment (this week it was Ethan).

After a morning of errands, cleaning and/or the treadmill, I have a quiet lunch, and then go outside for a while. After I come back inside I might read a book and take a catnap to prepare for our very busy afternoons and evenings…..David gets home first at 2:30, then Seth, Sarah, and Caleb an hour later. Then it’s homework, snacks, dinner preparations, little league, picking up Grace and Ethan from drama rehearsal, and so on……

After the kids go to bed Rich and I generally watch TV in the dark living room while dozing.

Then…..bedtime. love and zzzzzzzzzz

I took these pictures with my phone at Target last week when I freaked out noticing how much taller Dave was then his older sister.

A couple pages from my Nature Journal. Nice, right? Don’t worry, I found these things A.D. (already dead)…….

Before and After dinner for 7 (the other 2 were staying after school and they finished everything up later on that evening). My family loves dorito chip salad.

Rich’s new car!!!! We are going to have so much fun with it.

I’ve had more time this spring to be an even better chicken-keeper! I love visiting my hens throughout the day. I let them out in the mornings along with giving them a nice treat of dried mealworms. Now that I know a fox is around I DO NOT let them out if I’m going to be gone. There are two big waterers in their coop and a large feeder, so if they are stuck inside they still have plenty to eat and drink. There is a nesting box for egg laying purposes.

A cat or two or three usually follows me to the coop. Gentleman Gray was purring like a steady determined motor as I held him. I love pressing my ear to a purring cat!

This is my Father’s world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world:
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
his hand the wonders wrought.

These rest of the photos were all taken with my Nikon camera. I loved catching these two Tufted Titmice together in the bushes next to the feeder.

This House Finch had such a lovely song that it made me stop and peer into the sunny bushes until I saw it…….by the way, I have a bird identification app on my phone that really does help! It’s called the “Merlin Bird ID” and you put your location into the app, tap the size of the bird, the colors, and where you saw it, and it gives you a list with photos and more info on each bird it could be.

Way up in a pine tree, perfectly safe, was a red squirrel making such mean noises at me!!! It scolded and shook its tail and made such a fuss that I stood much longer than I typically would, to watch it. I fell in love with it, truthfully. I get so sad sometimes because all the wild creatures are scared of me and all I want to do is pet them and take many photos of them.

Come to think of it, I would be scared of me, too.

Ferns, ferns, beautiful baby ferns starting to unfurl.

Oh it’s so lovely in the woods in dappled sunshine.

Isn’t this pretty? I focused the camera on our stream in the background, making the wire fence in the foreground blur.

One of my goals this spring and summer is to study the types of trees we have in our woods so I can call them by name……(see quote at end of post)

Again, sadness….because I never SAW the loud woodpecker I heard hammering up in the trees close by. It became scared of me and stopped its work. I sat by the stream for a while, binoculars around my neck and camera in my hands.

Clear across the stream I saw a busy Robin with its beak FULL of soft looking dried grass.

A marsh marigold was getting ready to bloom. My books says this, “One of our loveliest wild flowers is the bright yellow Marsh Marigold, which grows in wet places in the Northeast and Midwest and is known also as Cowslip. A key characteristic is its thick, hollow stalk, up to two feet tall, which carries shiny green and heart-shaped leaves. The many flowers are about one inch across and have five sepals. The pistils are in a whorl and produce many seeds because insects have to climb all around to get at the several nectar glands. It is well worth having in your wild garden. You could cook the leaves for greens–if you must.” Alfred Stefferud, in How to Know the Wildflowers

There is another photo here of it in bloom.

Back at the chicken coop.

I am still trying to positively identify these birds, they are making a nest under the eaves of the chicken coop.

This fish was swimming around guarding a circular nest in the pond.

“When I’m working in the barn or house I often think of all the errors I’ve made in my life. But then I quickly put that behind me and think of water lilies. They will always eradicate unpleasant thoughts. Or goslings are equally comforting in their own way.” ~Tasha Tudor

I transplanted these wild violets from our yard into a flower garden last spring and they came back so healthy and pretty.

I peered around our brick chimney to sneak a picture of a Blue Jay at the feeder.

Arrow Leaved Violet

I love these wild flowers because although violets grow in abundance all over our property, this species is not as plenteous. Deep dark purple blossoms, harry stems, and different shaped leaves make them unique. I took this photo by the rock wall near our mailbox.

The top book was written by Alfred Stefferud in 1950. He was a great Dad, who took along his young daughter as they intently studied the native flowers that grew near them. Here one of the first pages from the book:

We Start An Adventure

This book began on Sunday afternoon when my young daughter Christine and I were hiking on Short Hill just behind our house
It was a springtime rediscovery of things we had missed in winter–the rabbits busy in the bushes, squirrels talking in the trees, Dogwoods trying out their first leaves.
In a damp spot near a runnel we delightedly sniffed the rare smell of Skunk-Cabbage. Farther on we spied Bloodroots, their flowers still clasped in cylinders of leaves. We greeted drifts of Trilliums and Violets as old friends.
But now and then we came across a plant we did not know. One intrigued us because it grew in a clump of ferns, where we thought it should not be. One had leaves like an Oak, only larger. Another was definitely a Violet–but which one? We were disturbed, because this close to home we had found strangers.
I went on looking at trees, which were my particular interest. Christine resumed collecting moss and stones, which were hers. She was humming a verse we had sung that morning in Sunday School, “All nature sings and round me rings, the music of the spheres.”
She stopped: “Wouldn’t it be fun to know the plants that grow in our own backyard and everything about them?”
“Everything:?” I repeated. “Why, everything even here would take a thousand lifetimes with ecology, taxonomy, paleobotany—”
“Now, Dad,” she scoffed. “You’re trying to show off. I don’t know a word you’re saying. I don’t care about that. I’d just like to know the names of flower and who they are.”
“Who?”
“Yes, the same as people. Where they live. What they are. Their families. What they are good for–”
“And why there are so many? Why some are red and others white? But couldn’t you enjoy the flowers as much just seeing them here? What difference if you call a Trillium a Trillium or Wake Robin or any name you make up, like ‘White Lady’?”
“Well, maybe.” She thought a moment. “But I would’t feel then that I really did know them.”
“Hm. Very interesting,” I said. Always a teacher because once a teacher, I continued: “I feel the same. What say we find out a detail or two about every group of wild flowers–enough so we can tell them apart and they become personalities to us?”
Chris liked the idea, and we started at once. In the months that followed we derived great enjoyment from collecting names and facts in our heads and notebooks. We did not collect the flowers themselves; we preferred to let them live. When (often enough) we encountered something we did not know, we consulted a field guide or reference book–which we found to be most enjoyable and useful but sometimes too complex and cryptic in wording…….
Chris and I discovered, as we went along, that our adventure with wild flowers was giving us a deeper appreciation for everyday things….
We added to our store of knowledge, which I think is always a good thing, no matter what the knowledge. We unlocked a treasury of words. We got new insight into the orderliness of nature and of men who work with nature. Our wonder grew at the devices of plants for continuing their species. We had a glimpse of several sciences that closely touch our lives.
We came to feel ourselves part of a vital conservation movement, so important that I call it patriotism-in-action. Most of all we had fun and relaxation, Christine from her 6th grade books and I from other books that easily can be substitutes for living and finding out one’s self. All this from a simple subject, a pleasant adventure just outside our door!

turtles, flowers, dogs, & birds

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Shanda

I’m skipping right over Tuesday and blogging about yesterday because Tuesday’s pictures are on my phone and I don’t feel like retrieving them at the moment…..

We spent the entire day at home as I was feeling kind of crappy (allergies? not sure…but I was tired and fuzzy headed).

The kids basically did whatever they wanted to do, within reason of course.

Just another carefree day, the kind we love best.

I went over to take care of my poor chickens. And on the way back from the coop I found a teeny tiny turtle in the grass by the pond!!!!! I put it in the front pocket of my sweatshirt and darned if it didn’t run right back out onto the ground. Baby turtles are FAST.

It was so cute. I took it in the house to show the children. Sarah didn’t want to touch it but I “made” her. (encouraged) She was shaking and giggling nervously. But once she had it “This is my first time touching a turtle!” She didn’t want to let it go. She wanted it for a pet.

The two of us sat by the edge of the pond and watched it enter the water for the very first time. Then we walked around trying to find more turtles, but we didn’t. Maybe we will on another spring day.

There was a line at the nesting box. This photo is of the front of one hen and the back of another. I say “poor” chickens because, as I have mentioned in past posts, there is a fox after them. So they have to stay locked up for now. Mr. Fox has only killed one hen and that was heartbreaking enough. This morning I plan on driving to Agway to purchase a supply of tempting feed and treats for my poor hens, to make their stay in the coop more tolerable.

I do let them out in their fenced in area if I am able to be at home to continually check on them.

Ethan spent the day with his girlfriend, Tessa. She brought her dog to our house, so Parker the Dog had a lovely time yesterday with his bestie, Benji. They got wet, they got muddy, they played their favorite dog games.

Benji received an egg from my pocket, just like Parker, but he was clueless. See the invisible question mark above his head? Parker was already lapping out raw egg from HIS shell which he broke himself with his teeth. Benji’s egg is by his left paw, right where he dropped it.

So Caleb took Benji’s egg to the pathway and broke it for him……yum. Nothing like a raw egg still warm from the chicken (so they say).

Later on, my husband got home and took the boys to Little League practice. (Grace made chili for dinner). I sat on the porch with my book but didn’t read it because my friend Sarah Joy had lots and lots to talk about. I had my camera with me and shot two bird pictures from my chair on the porch as I listened to her chit-chat. Not too bad for spur-of-the-moment photography, with the birds about a mile away (slight exaggeration).

A Flicker sat on the very tippy top of the dead tree in front of the house. I read that they eat on the ground—they eat mainly ants and beetles, using their beak to dig them up. They are such a beautiful bird, one of my favorites. They have polka dots, a nice black “necklace” and a patch of red on the back of their necks.

And then Sarah and I saw a duck.

We went inside after this and she read me 30 pages of a 1904 school Primer (early reader). She snuggled up into my side and I smelled her hair and listened as she read in a sweet voice, laughing together at the funny parts. (we totally get 1904 humor).

banana cream pie

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Shanda

Yesterday after a spaghetti dinner, I asked my husband if he would take me to Agway because we were out of chicken feed. He agreed, and it was a lovely drive together. When we arrived home, he drove the truck close to the coop and unloaded four bags of feed. I got out with him and gathered eggs, there were so many that my pockets were full of them. In fact, one fell out of my pocket as I stepped back in the truck and Parker the Dog ate it. Rich drove us back up to the house and that was that.

Well, this morning I received a text from him. On the way to work he had to make a sudden stop, and when he did, out the corner of his eye he saw something fly from the passenger seat and smash into the dash. And what do you suppose it was? Yep, I had lost another egg out of my pockets and left it behind in the seat to become a missile. It broke and everything. ha ha (sorry honey!)

Another fantastic way to use up an overflow of eggs is homemade pudding.

Vanilla Pudding

In a heavy medium saucepan combine 3/4 cup sugar and 3 T. cornstarch or flour. Stir in 3 cups of milk. Cook and stir over medium heat till bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Gradually stir 1 cup of milk mixture into 4 beaten egg yolks or 2 beaten eggs.

Add egg mixture to milk mixture in saucepan. If using egg yolks, bring to a gentle boil; if using whole eggs, cook till nearly bubbly but do not boil. Reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat Stir in 1 T butter and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Pour pudding through a fine sieve to remove any clumps. Then pour into a cooked pie shell or a bowl; cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap to touch the top and prevent a “skin”. Chill.

Chocolate Pudding

Prepare as above except add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder along with the sugar. Use 2 T. cornstarch or 1/4 cup flour, 2 2/3 cups milk, and 4 eggs yolks (not whole eggs)

RECIPE SOURCE: Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (mine is falling apart, it’s well used)

NOTE: The part about the sieve is not in the original recipe. But, although I am sure no one in my family would even notice a tiny clump or two, I cannot stand little tiny clumps of cooked egg and so far have not perfectly mastered the technique of cooked custard. So I use the sieve just in case. Also, I know I mentioned that I would be sharing recipes that used five or more eggs. But I figured that you will want to double the recipes because homemade pudding is so nutritious and delicious.

Another NOTE: Rich’s favorite is a pie made of vanilla pudding over a sliced banana! I’m also going to try pouring cooled but not too solid yet pudding into a popsicle maker.

*****

David got home while I was finishing up this blog post and he showed me two Barnes and Noble gift cards that he won today at school. The first one was given because he was the student who had read the most books this school year. Then, he won another when his name was taken out of a raffle box. He also told me that he looked swag today. I said, “I do not know what that even means.” And he said, “It means I looked cool.” This was his outfit: jeans, a blue t-shirt, a black jacket with the sleeves rolled up, a bracelet worn on his wrist, neon green socks, and black hyperdunk sneakers.

This is the first I’ve ever heard of him even caring to look swag.

*****

Happy Friday!

father and sons, etc

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Shanda

Rich and Ethan worked together on Sunday morning. But first, they gazed into the waters of the pond, longing to see their beloved fish. They saw three under the dock, two by the pipe, and one near the shore.

I spent the entire day on Saturday worried about Sarah because she was running a fever and complaining of a headache. After her surgery on the 3rd and her procedure on the 10th, everything in me wanted to rush her to the hospital for fear she had an infection, but logic and my husband held me back. Thankfully, on Sunday she woke up fine but pale so we stayed home from church to give her a day of rest. (Rich didn’t want to go without me because he’s going to be away half of this week on a business trip.)

The chicken coop needed its spring clean-out. Rich let Ethan drive the tractor for the first time and the two of them scraped all of the old bedding and hen droppings out of the coop and drove them in the bucket to the vegetable garden.

I watched from the porch as Rich coached Ethan VERY thoroughly in turning the tractor back around. I wondered why so much laughing was happening, and why Rich was so interested in Ethan turning around “just so” when Ethan has been driving for over a year now……

And why on earth Ethan found it all so very funny……and then…..I saw what was happening…….

Rich was instructing Ethan to back over my shoes which I had kicked off while cleaning up my flower beds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good boy, E, for not doing it!

After they got all the old bedding into the garden, Rich rototilled it all into the dirt. I asked him three times NOT to disturb my beloved rhubarb, and he asked me to come over and show him exactly where it was. And what did I see through the window when I was in the house making lunch? Something that very much looked like running over AND digging through the very spot I had showed him NOT to disturb. “Did you dig up my rhubarb?” I asked as soon as I got the chance. “I might have,” he said sorrowfully. I. could.not.believe.it. “Why did you ask me to show you where it was when you were just going to run it over anyway?” I cried. He said, “You are acting like I did it on purpose! I didn’t! I just forgot it was there!”

I cannot tell you how many times over the years that this man has forgotten “something was there” in the garden or lawn and ran it over, mowed it down, or dug it up. And then he wonders why I get upset. After all, it was only an innocent accident!

(You would think he would be more understanding when I ACCIDENTALLY put his clothes in his son’s dresser! )

David went to his favorite “junk” store downtown and bought an army jacket for 15 dollars. He said there was a name on it that the lady picked off with a seam ripper first, because the man didn’t want his name out in public. David had me wash and dry his jacket, although he did enjoy smelling like the store for a day. (aromatherapy)

David was instructed to prune back branches and briars from the edge of the property and guess what he did? Because he is his father’s son, he also cut down one of my favorite white birch trees! And then when I reprimanded him he got offended and hurt that I was upset and bringing it up repeatedly. He thought I had a mean expression on my face and was treating him unlovingly! Am I really expected to hold these men in my arms and soothe them by saying “there, there” when they accidentally destroy all my plants? He spent a bit of time with his friend Michael cleaning up the tree and all the many branches. There is a pile out by the driveway to be burned.

I didn’t get pictures of Grace’s first driving lesson. She drove my car (with her Dad in the passenger seat and Ethan in the back) from the top driveway to the lower driveway. Sarah and I leaned over the porch railing clutching our hearts and watching, running from railing to railing to keep an eye on her. When Grace got out, Sarah yelled “Good job, Grace! You only made two mistakes!” She was very proud of her sister. Ethan got out of the back with a look on his face that said, “Did you see that mom it was scary.” Grace had a bounce in her step and thought she did well. “Although I don’t think Dad realized at first that when he yelled at me to do something it would make me do it faster.” (like brake?)

Grace read her book all over the place. On couch, on porch, on patio, on swing. She was reading a Janette Oke book, remember those?

I began planting spring bulbs. I saw worms! I accidentally cut one in two, as a matter of fact.

Rich took me to admire the freshly cleaned chicken coop.

Caleb was coaching his friend Logan across the stream. Logan was yelling nervously, “Caleb! I’m on a wobbly rock!” Once he was safely to the other side, I heard Coach Caleb inform him that it had taken entirely too long.

I sat on the back of the truck and watched the birds come to the feeder which I hung in the bushes by the driveway. They were chirping and peeping and fluttering all over the place. It was quite dizzying. As soon as one took a seed, it flew to a branch to eat it while another bird quickly took it’s place at the feeder to do the same, and over and over they took turns.

There was a male cardinal moving about in the leaves underneath. I did so want a photo– but they all looked like this:

FINALLY, after much patience on my part, the cardinal went into an open space:

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The neatest thing happened while I was watching. All of a sudden, another cardinal way off in the distance called, and this one IMMEDIATELY without hesitation flew away to see what it wanted. I wish my kids were like that. 😉

cream cheese sheet cake

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Shanda

cake

eggs contain the highest quality protein you can buy
egg yolks are one of the few foods that are a naturally good source of Vitamin D

~ thinkegg.com

I thought I would start a category here on the blog of recipes which use five or more eggs. This will make a good resource for anyone out there who has a flock of chickens and is trying to use up eggs. I’ve been keeping hens for years now and last spring I went a little overboard with ordering new chicks. We have a flock of 20+ hens which each industriously lay one egg a day. These fresh, beautiful eggs are like little treasures and I love to use them up in the kitchen. (I’m wanna be just like Bubba in Forrest Gump, only I’ll be spouting off egg facts and recipes instead of shrimp…..”goals”….) 🙂

**********

I made this cake last night for the first time and it was delicious. I like sheet cakes as they are thinner than a typical cake, and more like a soft bar cookie easy to eat “out of hand”.

This is a good recipe to use if you are going to a potluck, as it makes 30 servings.

Cream Cheese Sheet Cake

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
2- 1/4 cup sugar
6 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups cake flour

frosting:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour; stir until well blended.

Pour into a greased 15 in by 10 in by 1 inch baking pan. Bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For frosting, in a small sauce pan, combine sugar and milk; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook for 3 minutes (do not stir). Stir in butter and chocolate chips until melted. Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Stir, then frost the top of the cake.

happenings

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Shanda

LOVE

JOY

PEACE

forbearance

kindness

goodness

faithfulness

gentleness

self control

against such things there is no law.

Good evening, my friends.

Today is a wonderful day. I am finally feeling more like myself. Thank the Lord for doctors and modern medicine. After I got the kids out the door for school, my oldest son Jacob got up and showered. When he came downstairs he told me that he didn’t have to go to college today so I mentioned that I was going to go shopping in about an hour. I had some photos to pick up and some things I needed to get. He right away showed his willingness to go along with me without even being asked…he said, “Oh, than I can show you those legos at the mall that I wanted to get the boys for Christmas.” It made me smile that he wanted to go with me.

He drove me after I said I would give him gas money. Gas money is very important to 18 year old young men. He talked to me the whole time we were together. And if he wasn’t talking, he was singing along to his music. He and his girlfriend share a spotify music account now, isn’t that romantic? They also did community service together yesterday by picking up litter along some of the main roads in our area.

Jacob LOVES music. He has quite a varied collection, from classical to Christian metal.

We went to several stores, including Starbucks and Five Guys (burgers) for lunch. Then he drove us to his school so that we could pay for his next semester. He walked me around and showed me the library. He loves his classes, his professors, and the campus. I’m so thankful for the way he is adjusting and becoming independent. The place he works for originally hired him for the Holidays, but recently asked him to stay on full-time. He loves his job and the people he has met.

The chickens get bowls of old leftovers and they love it. It looks sickening to us humans, though. I always have to laugh when I hand a bowl over to a child and say “run this down to the chickens” and they do, while gagging.

Just beyond the hens, in that spot that looks like briars, is a small little pond nestled down a bank. I love that little pond, and so do the chickens. They make their way down and drink from it. Beyond that (the building you see) is our garage.

Holiday FIESTAWARE display!

precious children coming home off the bus

Dear teachers, your students notice everything you do. The other day I told Sarah she would make a good teacher someday and after sitting there thinking about it she said, “No I don’t think so. It’s such hard work! And I don’t know how to make a star!”

Tis the season for gingerbread men. She brought another one home today. It’s a paper plate painted brown, with a circle at the top of it for a head and oval arms and legs decorated with glitter. Only it looks more like a brown turtle then a gingerbread man.

Saturday morning these guys went to a wrestling practice.

Grace brought her rabbit inside for a little while and we had such a time watching funny Gentleman Gray visit with him from the top of the cage.

I put a small box inside of her cage yesterday and she had a great time chewing it up into a bed.

beauty in an apple core

beauty outside the door

Going back to the aloe vera plant. Just a few months ago the planter contained one big “mama” plant that was so big that it was tipping the whole planter over unless I balanced it against the wall. The appearance was beginning to bother me so I cut it right off and threw it away. It has been a delight to see so many baby plants grow up in it’s place. I hope to divide it soon and share with friends. I’m sure there is a parable in there somewhere.

Tonight I am picking my dear friend Hannah up from the airport and I cannot wait.

animals, brownies, & liberty fabric

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Shanda

Ideally, my blog posts should be nicely organized by single topics. But I have all these pictures that I’m anxious to share, plus a brownie recipe, so we will have a post devoted to three topics today:

Animals
Brownies
Liberty Fabric

It would be a crime NOT to have chickens on this property. Every morning, I let them out of their coop and the entire flock spends the day making rounds to all their favorite places; the pond, the nice dry leaves under the trees, soft dirt in order to take dust baths, under the wild berry bushes, the bank behind the house.

Whenever the urge to lay an egg happens to a hen, she makes her way back to the coop for a nesting box or the garbage barrel. Sometimes there are a few eggs in the box when a chicken arrives, and I find them kicked out later on…..at least I imagine that must be how they end up on the floor amongst the wood shavings?

I’m happy to gather the eggs in my shirt, some of them still warm, and bring them back to the kitchen like treasures.

Gentleman Gray took an all-day nap in the sock basket. He dreamed he was back in his litter, curled up with his brothers and sisters.

Sherlock the big and handsome bright orange cat, sleeps on my bed all day.

Ethan with his dog. Or shall I say Dog with his Ethan?

Emily our neighbor friend, with her big beautiful boy dog, Benji. Benji comes for playdates with Parker.

The day after playdates always leaves Parker and me kinda tired. So we took naps on the couch yesterday when everyone was back to school. (they had the day off on Wednesday).

So, what to do with all those delightful eggs? The #1 thing to do is make a big batch of brownies.

2 cups vegetable oil
3 1/2 cups sugar
4 tsp vanilla
8 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Blend oil, sugar and vanilla, then add eggs and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into a greased 11 by 13 inch pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. All brownies are best slightly under baked.

I first fell in love with Liberty Fabrics after seeing the blog Posie Gets Cozy. The lady on that blog (Alicia) has made so many beautiful things with that fabric line and I only dreamed of doing the same. Alas, that dream has still not come to fruition, because I did not MAKE Sarah’s little blouse, I bought it on super-duper clearance and I was so happy to do so!

It’s thin and light and perfect for her because she gets too hot at school sometimes. It makes a nice layering piece and it’s so pretty.

Yes, I have a lot of fun with my little girl. Rich teases me.

We think the kitten is saying “help me”.

an old house….covered in vines

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Shanda

Grace and Ethan are home sick today and Jacob doesn’t have school.

I woke up feeling optimistic and cheerful for the first time in a long time, praise the Lord!

We watched a little bit of the movie “Newsies” and a little bit of a Harry Potter movie.

I love seeing all the books within the Harry Potter movies….today it made me want to go to the library.

So I did! After I made my three oldest (who are now 16, 17, and 18 years old) a batch of pancakes and fried eggs, that is.

I paid a typical five dollar fine at the library and left with a nice heavy bag of books.

Then I hopped in my car and drove to the thrifty thrift shop downtown.

It’s gorgeous weather this week, by the way. Today is balmy.

(Ethan just told me he wanted meat. Jacob is starting a hamburger for him. Grace is sleeping.)

I found a dollhouse!

Take a look:

This was where it was discovered. I took a picture so I could text Mom and ask her if I should buy it.

“Yes” was her reply.

The best part of all is that it’s a Madeline house. “In an old house in Paris, covered in vines…..”

weekend reading.

I’ve been getting walnuts in the shell for the family, I pour them into a big fiesta bowl, so when I saw this giant walnut dish while out thrifting, I snatched it up. It opens. The kids will love it.

Isn’t it marvelous?

*******

random photos

***

I’ve been amused by a couple of Kingfishers. They’ve been so noisy that I wonder if they’re battling over territory?

***

And this tiny bird’s nest.

There is typically a sense of expectation during every walk outdoors. But the other evening it was almost completely dark so I wasn’t too expectant about seeing anything (at all). I went outside to shut in the chickens and the night was so warm and soothing that I took a short walk around. I stood down by the stream to listen to it and happened to look UP….right at this bird’s nest, which I could barely make out. I turned on my flashlight to see it and the next day I took my camera down. So small and sweet that I laughed. Even in the dark God can show us things.

(It’s quite high up, I’m hoping one of my climbers will be able to collect it for me)

***

This is where I sit when it’s time for the afternoon bus to come with my young ones.

Happy Friday!

go easy

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Shanda

David’s little kitty, whose name is Gentleman Gray, isn’t allowed to go outside very often.

But when he does, he returns as soon as possible with an old dead mouse.

The mouse was caught by one of Gentleman Gray’s housemates….he himself hasn’t caught any of them, he doesn’t have the opportunity, so he just enjoys playing with them.

Typically, I take the mouse by the ice cold tip of it’s tail and fling it right back outside into the bushes as far as I can fling. But the other day I let him have it for a few minutes because his antics were making me laugh.

He has several very nice fabric mice filled with catnip, but there’s just nothing like sinking your teeth into a real live dead one.

The poor thing had such adorable ears.

If the children or I find one of our cats in the act of killing a mouse we ALWAYS save the mouse’s life.

My husband on the other hand……..is thrilled with every dead mouse he sees.

There have been a few times when I threw a dead mouse outside (without him seeing me do it) only to have him bring it right back in! What an amazing sense of smell cats must have.

*****

Sarah was so so sick last night. She must have thrown up seven times in the matter of just a few hours. She was distraught, pale, crying…it was terrible. What a mercy that her body finally settled down and she was able to eat some animal crackers and keep them down at around 9:30-10. But then Caleb got sick, and then David. Pepto- Bismol was the key to helping their tummies. They all made it through the night quietly so we had some sleep. Today they have been on the couches all day long but able to eat more and more, starting with crackers in the morning and ending at 5:00pm with all three eating bowls of cooked broccoli! If you can crave broccoli at a time like this I would say things aren’t so bad.

God has surprised me several times today with unexpected blessings. One was a phone call from the kid’s doctor, wanting to apologize to me for being very distracted at the last appointment I went to, he even mentioned CHRISTIANITY, LOVE, CHRIST, and the HOLY SPIRIT in the conversation (!!) and other blessing was having Michael come to visit Jacob just in time to go pick up Ethan from school after practice.

Yet another time was much earlier in the day, when I went to drop off lunch money at the school. The office lady asked how I was and as I spoke to her she could tell I was stressed out. As I left she encouraged me by simply saying, “go easy.” Those two little words became my mantra of the day. Go easy on myself, go easy on my day, go easy with my family, go easy on the housework, etc……..

I visited my hens. I gave them fresh water and food.

And then some of them followed me. I was about to take a very easy and short walk, close to home.

I saw a chipmunk on a rock in the stream. It froze when it saw me and then as quick as lightening, vanished under some old sticks and leaves.

I wasn’t going anywhere in particular….so I wandered down to Ethan’s fort that he made this summer.

It’s an interesting feeling to be all alone, looking at your son’s hard work. Imagining him building it, seeing his thoughts and ideas on how to make it work. I stood under the roof. I saw the clippers and a garden tool.

I admired the way he put together the low walls.

And when I turned around, I saw that one of my hens had crossed the stream to follow me to the fort! It was an unexpected laugh.

We talked for a few minutes and then she went back home. It was a good thing because I really don’t want a lonely lost hen in the forest.

I would love to know what this shrub or sapling is. The stem is green but there is brown stiff paper-like bark sticking out around it. It’s so pretty and orderly.