It has been a long time.
My birthday came and went. Marc got me a bar of Greene and Black organic chocolate..mmm...
I have been writing lots at Kettle and Cup and Baking Delights, while still keeping up here and with Apron Strings & Simmering Things.

Not doing so good at that, huh?

In any case, in my wanderings, I have come across The Simple Woman Blog..and love the concept. I felt that way once, that I could achieve that, and I hope I will feel that way again..Simplicity. Like a really good vanilla custard simplicity is elusive and more complex than one would think.
In any case she has this meme and it is good for getting thoughts started...If you would like to participate click here...

FOR TODAY April 29, 2008...

Outside My Window...
The sun is shining and there is a slight breeze.

I am thinking...
of how to wrestle my life back and take joy in the journey despite what is happening now

I am thankful for...
Marc, that the green beans are up and that the cucumbers and okra are following

From the kitchen...
French Country style roast chicken today with garlic roasted baby purple potatoes

I am wearing...
jeans and a red top, with a grey sweater

I am creating...
Memories, stability, and roots..a legacy

I am going...
for coffee with Marc in a few minutes

I am reading...
Lots of blogs right now, but other than Bible, no books.

I am hoping...
We are almost finished with this season we are in

I am hearing...
The kids playing

Around the house...
Messy..but better

One of my favorite things...
Coffee or tea in on my porch

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Love to Know editor training, more organizing..maybe a little spinning

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

For everything there is a season....

Matt spent the afternoon finishing up the tilling...We had rain forcast and I wanted to get the green beans, okra, cilantro, basil, and cucumbers in. I still need to put in the dill, the corn, the squash...
I was able to get them all in the ground so hopefully I am closer to gardening nirvana.

I am going to forgo a fall garden this year in the hopes of preparing for a raised bed, permanent planting next year. I saw one in the new issue of Mother Earth News that I have pegged for my front yard...SOMEDAY.
I realize that all it takes is planning ahead but this year..well there was no way. Besides, I am clinging to a small hope that everything will sell and we will be on a bigger place in the country next year..If not, I will have the garden.
I am kicking around the idea of selling all the goats. I need the money, and I think I have someone that would buy them all. Sigh. I feel that it is going backwards sort of..but maybe I need to step back to step forward.

Always fun when I *discover* a new blog. I found Homestead Herbs quite by accident and spent a few minutes there..hopefully going back for a visit tomorrow as my time was very limited today. Check it out...
Well today we spent another day at the VA. I swear to you, I feel like I should bring a cardtable, some packs of cards, and start a game of Michigan Rummy or something. It is an all day thing and really tiring. I quick prayer request here...The doctors that did a certain test (we call it the tazer test) involving needles, muscles groups, nerve clusters, and electricity...well they seem to have lost part of the test...and want Marc to redo it. It was 4 hours long..and very painful. Hard for me to watch..harder for him to deal with. Please pray it is resolved...and hey, remind God about the disability pay too. I know that He shall supply all my needs...but it is getting tighter here. Not because I am not frugal, dear Lord! But the effects of the sole provider for the house lose his job because of a sudden disability, and then having 4 people move in...bringing the income to Marc's 100.00 a month disability (yes one hundred, they have him at 10 percent ..and he is in a wheel chair...) his unemployment, my blogging income...and...ah...yeah..that is it. Erin and Jon are still not working...the Lord is working in them...
and after all that they have been through I think they need the rest...then of course I ask..once in awhile..but what about me Lord? What about my rest? I don't seem to need it...I get grace! And I am thankful for that.

We have the very first salad from our garden today...Buttercrunch lettuce and green onions with just a light olive oil vinaigrette.

I think Grin is going ot kid tonight..she has some discharge..and is talky. AND CRANKY! I hope so, poor thing, she is huge.
Some of the tomatoes I thought had frozen in the weird frost we have had over the past few weeks on and off (is this really Texas?) seem to be coming back well, and I did not lose too many peppers...Even the eggplant is returning to full health..

I was going to get a picture of the salad but it was gone before I could. :)

We are serious about coffee around here.

I have decided to make this my main personal blog..I am leaving the other ones up...but will maintain this and Apron Strings & Simmering Things
Hopefully I will get a chance to update some things on them shortly. SO the finances, the homestead, the homeschool, the small farm..all of it will be here. Personal blogs...personal blogs.
:)

It is amazing how God works. We have a very long property. And the sewer and gas pipes were brought in from the back for some reason..so all of the pipes from the house have to travel 2 acres to the main lines.
Well we noticed that one of the sewer pipes in the back was backing up. Our plumber told us it was going ot be $$$ but Marc was able to fix it today for less than $100.00 YAY! We praying about the money for the plumber but when the city checked the lines the guy told Marc what to do, and to see if it worked...it did!

Other than that..Matt is about to till the garden up one more time. We are still getting odd freezes...so nothing really much in yet. I feel like we are about to turn the corner to something wonderful.

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Which is cool..because I love love love this movie~!

Looking around there are alot of reasons for me to complain about how my house is. It has a long way to go to full restoration. Things are insane with 12 people here now, and cleaning is a joke...I have no time...on and on..
but going through some old pictures today I found this from last Christmas and I was reminded exactly why I do LOVE my house. It is warm and at least the two front parlors are beautiful..it protects my family...and it is mine.

Wow...time flies.
Well, a tono f my tomatoes succumbed to an odd late freeze so I have to start over. I need to get out and plant the rest of my things but my back is still acting up. O.k..not acting up. It hurts like crazy...and sitting and blogging does not help.
It does however, help pay the bills.
I wrote a long article today on preparing strawberry beds. It would be totally awesome if I could put one in this year but there is seriously no way.
We are starting to see some pink evening primroses which are my favorites.
The roses are very budded out, and it looks like they will be gorgeous in a week or two. Grin still has not kidded, I think she is going to explode.
LOL!

We had rather an exciting Easter, although I could have lived without it. Matt noticed at the five p.m. feeding that Buddy was not wanting his grain...he had been laying down in the barn. Matt bounded up the fire escape stairs to knock on my bedroom window and tell me.
I flew off of the bed and headed down the stairs taking them in no particular order..yelled at Erin and Jon to handle dinner, and was out the kitchen door like a whirlwind.
Colic.
I hate colic in horses. It is an evil thing that comes on suddenly, sometimes for no apparent reason and can kill them. Buddy is prone to colicky episodes when he has been under stress...Like from a flood.
So we brought him out into the yard and I hosed him down good with cold water. Took him out front and we took turns walking him until nearly midnight (my, it was cold) and laying hands on him and praying.
He perked up, and began nibbling grass after a couple of hours of it...and finally started passing gas which helped to relieve his gut pain. I wanted to wait for him to poop so I knew he was totally past the episode but by midnight we were too cold, and tired to continue.
He is fine this morning. We made him skip grain for now, and fed the mares int he next pasture. We will observe him today, and if all is well, he will get his grain this evening.

Things have been sunny since the flood. Really, other than the drowned snakes, lizards, and other creatures, and some mud here and there, you would never really know it happened.
Which is sort of the sad thing, because it DID happen. And it will continue to happen. But one of us that live along the creek will think about it while the weather is nice...it won't be until the sky darkens and the wind picks up that we think...uhOH! Floods!

Marc and I are working on an escape plan. We are praying about it, of course, but we are ready to liquidate and move. At one point we wanted to move to North Central Maine, but now, we are just wanting to move, somewhere that we can afford land, and that has a creek/stockpond...somewhere that has a house that will work for us...and where it rains regualry but does not flood. and somewhere away from here..with the over building, incessant permits, and increasing violence. Surely someone will want this house, it is beautiful, and would make a great Bed and Breakfast, just a lousy farm.

So we are in the process of brainstorming..where? How?

Our tenant in one of our investment houses is not paying rent. It is amazing to me how people can just say, hey, I am not paying rent, and then proceed to not pay it. Does she not realize how difficult a time we are having just putting food on the table right now? I wonder why she believes we should pay for her way as well?

The garden was not harmed by the flood, everything is coming along well. I think I may have enough tomatoes to sell some, but we will see.

I began utilizing the eggs, since I can't find a venue to sell them. We have eaten masses of deviled eggs, and egg pasta. The egg pasta is the best I have eaten, consisting merely of 4 cups of flour and enough eggs to make a crumbly looking dough that sticks together when you squeeze it. I found that one day t took 4 eggs and one day it took 5. No matter...still the dough was fantastic, and the pasta was filling.
The coolest thing happened yesterday. I thought I was at the end of what I could take. I think I have been there quite alot but yesterday i felt as if my entire world was exploding and I was struggling just to believe. So many blessings in my life, so many times that the Lord has stepped in, and yet still I struggle at times ..It just does not seem right.
But there I was, crying out...and the Lord provided not only what I needed at the moment, but some handfuls on purpose which included chocolate.
He knows that I am but a worm, and not a man...and chocolate made all the difference. He took care of a need AND a pleasure. Over and above. Exactly what I needed to see.
Isn't God good?