Pioneer Woman at Heart

The sun was not shining, but I saw that we had one sunflower blooming, and wanted to capture a photograph of it.  My zinnias are up, but I have yet to see butterflies this year.  It's raining again.  I'm not complaining, but how can a person not think about all that investment going do waste.  Such a sad year.   Hubby said a co-worker would give us 2 bushels of corn, and he's brought home 2 large squash.  I am still trying to locate a produce stand with beets and cabbage.  All of our cabbage was drowned this season. We cleaned so much yesterday, I woke up with swollen and irritated eyes.  The fire extinguisher dust is all cleaned up (unless it's hiding in places we have not yet checked), everything was laundered too.  Today, I will be using my Hay Max (thank you Emma for telling me about it).  Yesterday I forgot I bought some.  It's an organic, drug-free, pollen barrier balm.   I'd love to make this myself, b...

Remember my girls writing letters?  My 11 year-old wrote 3 letters, and got 3 back.  She also got some bracelets from one of her Aunt's (a brother/sister celebration held in India, sorry for the bad photo).   I have mailed the last of my postcards for the postcard swap I participated in.  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ We are currently doing an entire inside and outside homestead clean up.  It's long over due, but it's best to get it done this week.  I've been carpet cleaning (cannot wait until we have zero carpet here), dusting, wiping, weeding flower beds, and doing a lot of coughing.  We've washed up bedding for the camper, took a load to recycling, cleaned up the garage, but there is so much more to do.  Including those light fixtures that keep collecting more dust.   My bedroom needs a complete overhaul.  When they cut the tile in the bathroom, dust went everywhere, despite the air purifier.  It may take me two day...

We continue to get rain, but one day we were given a rainbow too. Most of my carrots are underwater, but I managed to pull a few.  They are wide, but short this year.  I'm thankful we will get at least a meal or two from them. We have started the repairs on the barn (that lost it's roofing in one of the storms).  The cement blocks in the base of the wall, on the backside, had been knocked completely loose in one corner.  They removed most of them, and cemented them and tuck pointed them.  Now they are drying, and the roofing starts next.  We've already had rainfall twice (and heavy) since I posted last, so I am praying for no more rain. Before we got blasted with another rainfall, the one prior to the rainbow, I was able to weed most of my flower beds.  The weather was strangely cool, and I spent from about 10am to 4:30pm pulling weeds.  I am still not done (that's how much rain we've had). Ironically, the camper has a propane leak...

We haven't named "her" yet, but she's ours.  We'll be family camping, and just having a good ol' time.  She has a slide out for the table, a toilet, air conditioner, refrigerator, stove that can be moved to outside or inside, and an outside shower.  She sleeps 7-8 (6 adults comfortably).

I am thankful for the teas and the "stress relief" body/bath that my mother gave me.  It arrived at the most opportune time.

Apparently, I need to learn to gut a deer now.  You know we can't go a day around here without something going on. While I was showering, and one daughter was on the treadmill (with headphones on), someone hit a deer right in front of our house.  The driver had gone on, but the deer was left behind (on our property). I had gone to the garden to see if I had anything to pick for my breakfast, and was at the stove when I saw a man walking up to the door.  Evidently, he drove by, and saw the deer moving around in the yard.  He just wanted to alert me, and that the Sheriff was on the way (they have to be the ones to put them down). I did call Hubby, but he didn't answer (tsk tsk), to see if he could get extended family over to utilize the meat.  When the Sheriff arrived, Hubby finally called back, but didn't want to send someone without seeing what damage was done to the deer. Thankfully, the Sheriff had a list, and thankfully someone came for the deer....

I have succumbed to realize that this year is the worst garden year ever (however our first worst).  The second, unexpected, spring frost took half of my carrots, beets, cucumbers, and beans.  We replanted, but almost all of our beets did not come up.  

 "Big boy" (Orion) has been getting loose a lot lately.  This concerns me with the big barn too.  He got caught up inside where the loft caved down, so we are in a much needed hurry to find a way to remove that barn.  Money is extremely tight now, with all the repairs and replacements, so I am praying we can still find someone to take the wood. It's not "Big Boy's" fault either. 

Here is a photo of where the lightening traveled through the dryer, from the electrical socket, then ignited the propane that was leaking from line on the hot water heater.  Still, we are thankful it happened.  Otherwise.... The cable/internet guy is here, and has been here for 1 1/2 hours.  Evidently, lightening also fried the cable line at the utility pole by the highway.  It basically "melted" it. We are still trying to get the cable box to work, but we do have the internet now.  I have a long list of to-do's today, including pay bills, and check my bank account.  You don't realize what you use the internet for, until you don't have it. We have a lot more to clean up and repair, but I wanted to post and let you all know we are recovering over all of this.    My nerves are frayed beyond their limit.   It's been a very bad year so far.  We got more rain, so the fate of our garden is yet another disaster (maybe)....

Have you been wondering where I have been the past few days?  Where do I start? I'm at the library right now.  Our cable/internet service was knocked out early Saturday morning.  The service folks have not been over yet to see what the problem is. We had another bad storm early Saturday morning.  At 5:00am, I awoke to heavy rain, loud thunder, and a lot of lightening.  I rushed to the kitchen, unplugged the computer and cable line, and gathered battery powered lights (and flashlights).  My 16 year-old got up and searched for her dog so she could put his thundershirt on.  She was also searching for Mattie.  The last time I posted, Mattie had come home from the vet and was not recovering quickly.  She was stumbling and falling down.  She had gone underneath my bed, and for some reason, my daughter felt an urgency to get her out.  I had told her to just let her rest there.  Later we realized we should have gotten her ...

Awhile ago, I talked to a man who I traded my chicken's paws (he wanted to make broth with the feet) with, for a delicious jar of fermented cabbage.  He was impressed with our lifestyle and said, "It sounds like you have some healthy habits/hobbies."  Honestly, I can't remember if he said habits or hobbies, it's the word "healthy" that made a bell go off in my head.

Although the weather forecast is showing thunderstorms for this coming weekend. I made some fun crafts.  I had a bag of pin backs, so I used scrap fabric and a button to create some fun brooches.  These will be so cute on tote bags or aprons (or anything else for that matter).

One of Hubby's co-workers gifted us a good amount of homegrown English walnuts.  I will be putting the kids to work and cracking these for some delicious recipes. I spent yesterday weeding my herb garden.  The heat index is high, and at 8:30am today, the heat index is at 86°F. The forecast is predicting the heat index will reach about 96° today about 1:00pm. That is too hot (and risky) to be outside at that time.  First the garden is flooded, and now it's getting scorched. (2012) Mattie, another one of our indoor cats, is going to the vet today.  She's developed a growth on her head, and it needs looked at.  She's about 14 years old and still has a lot of spunk. Last night, my son helped me move the metal roofing still hanging from the barn, so my 16 year-old could get the go-kart out.  She had that thing flying all over the property, and with different kids in it for a ride.  She'd stop at the door and honk, asking if anyone else wanted ...

Hubby, in much need of a "night away" decided to take a drive to Marshall, Michigan - Home of the famous Schuler's Restaurant & Pub.  He decided to take two of the kids with us.  This fountain is in the center of the town's round- about.  At night this fountain has colored lights and the water looks absolutely beautiful.  Marshall lodging was sold out, so we had to stay about 25 miles from there, and did not want to drive back just for photos.  Otherwise you'd be viewing them.   Years ago, Hubby and I ate at Schuler's for his birthday.  I remember it costing us about $80.00 for dinner for two, and one bottle of wine.  It is fine dining at it's best. Downtown Marshall has a variety of stores, and many that are in old, historic buildings.  Unfortunately, many of the stores have closed and reopened by other businesses, or remained empty.  It's constantly changing.  However, I did see that my favorite antique store, Am...

Prim recently found a way to escape the temporary fencing we have up for the goats.  With the wet ground, the larger fencing is not complete yet.  I had been out weeding my garden and I looked up to see her in the barn, up on the milking table.  I hollered for my daughter, but she was no where in sight. I put her back in the stall, but when I turned around, she was right behind me.  Twice I did this.  Finally, I picked her up and took her in the house, looking for my daughter.  "Uh, we have a goat problem," I hollered up the stairs. "Huh?" "Uh, I kind of have Prim in my arms." (followed by a room full of laughter)  (I'm hiding and you can't see me!) We had to screw a scrap piece of wood to the 2 x 4, to cover a small rip in the fence.  That girl (Prim) can fit through the smallest space in the fence. This poor fence has been through the mill so to speak.  It's torn and badly worn.  When the larger fence is in place, ...

On Wednesday, we had the worst storm we have had since we've lived here.  The winds were absolutely terrible.  Our electrical service district, along with one other, were the worst hit in the area. I texted my mother and she was also about to head under her house for this storm. It was was that bad.  

 A few days ago, two of the girls (my 16 year-old and 11 year-old) made a batch of homemade root beer, while I was canning jam.   Yesterday, we cooled off with delicious homemade root beer floats. I used our goat's milk (and homemade vanilla extract) for the hand churned ice cream too.  Yum!  However, the humidity was so thick I had to take a photo from inside the house (lens was steaming up again).  We ended up bringing our ice cream maker inside, and attaching the electric motor.  At least we had the hand crank, just in case the power went out.  We are still having thunderstorms here.  I just checked today's forecast - no rain!  Yay!  Let's hope it's correct.  Everything needs to dry up, so a good wind would be nice, and I need to get laundry out today.  I am so thankful for a break in the weather.  I just hope the humidity has let up too. Garden goodies are still coming in, despite the weather.  I...

My cucumbers and peppers are sitting in water.  We continue to get rain, and some times in sparatic, heavy downpours. 

This was a very interesting moment.  This vulture was sitting like this for a long time, just looking around (with it's wings out).   It was a very dreary, rainy (again) day, so the sky is pretty dark too. It's rained every day now.  I continue to battle mud, sweat and giant weeds.  I found Queen Anne's Lace growing in my garden, so two flower heads are now in my freezer awaiting more, for some sweet jelly.   You may enjoy my post a few years ago, for the Queen Anne's Lace Jelly (click on it to read it).

Hubby and I located a son/father business, who basically raise animals for 4-H and so forth.  However, we were given their business card, because they sell a natural feed for both chickens and goats.  He picks up the feed about a little over an hour from here, and sells it to folks from his house.

This is simply for your entertainment, and the fact I do not have one bit of homesteading news or updates to share.  I will be busy today in the kitchen, but you'll probably hear about that soon enough.  The only really funny news is that Hubby has gone rain barrel crazy.   He's taken "preparedness" to a new level. He bought a 4th rain barrel, and after he planted a few rose bushes last night in the wet weather, he came inside saying he wants yet another one.  And to think for years I've been asking for just one.  The man has gone wild with these.  We now can save 205 gallons of rain water, and that amount's about to go up.  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ When the kids all move out . . . . . .I won't find my 9 x 13 glass baking dish "put away" on top of my washing machine (really? eyes rolling, sigh....). Here's another eye-squinting, nose-wrinkling confusion moment.  I had just put jam in the canning pot, and had walked to my utility room (whic...

I needed Italian dressing for a steak marinade and did not have any on hand.  I checked my cupboards and made this from scratch.  If you are interested in the recipe, I got it from

It's rained here almost every day for a week now.  Yesterday, was my first chance to weed the garden.  I was only out there for about 1 hour, and Hubby called.  He had to work late.   This meant, stop weeding, go pick up our youngest who was at a sleepover, come home change clothes, go to the store, come home, make dinner, and change clothes and go back out.  Phew!  Did I just put that all in one sentence?  I think I stayed out there until 8pm. I woke up to fog, which is much thicker now since I took the first (top) photo.  It rained again last night.  My hair is like a Brillo pad, and my body aches like nothing I've felt before.  Or maybe I have, and have forgotten what it felt like.  You know, like child birth pain?  You feel the pain, then afterwards forget?  I wonder if we suffer garden work like that. Most of the family has been picking wild black raspberries, and I've been canning jam - 15 jars so far...

Here is a photo of the clothes dryer (drying rack, whatever you want to call it), that my Mom and cousin picked up for me.  They happened to be in the right place and the right time.   The price tag reads $58.95. They paid $30.00.  You can tell it's handmade (most likely by Amish), and is about 6 feet tall when put up to it's highest setting. I love the fact they put these rods at the very bottom for support.  All of my smaller ones (metal and wood) start to wobble side to side after months of use.