Pioneer Woman at Heart

  It's a happy month for me.   Don't get me wrong, as things can go haywire on any given moment, but good things are happening. Back in 2015, I posted about some writing adventures.   At that time, it was 11 years ago. You can read about them (it's a short post) HERE .  It feels like I put writing to the pasture long before that year, but.... I used to freelance many years prior to that, but put it all aside to raise the kids, and run the household (one was in about 4-5 school sports and activities  - softball, basketball, you name it!).  They were all active in something - school plays, band, sports, etc.  In other words, we were a very active family, so I put my writing on hold.  It wasn't on purpose.  It just happened. Well, back when I had surgery last December, I decided to enter a poetry contest that was local.  I did not win the top prize, but my poem is printed in a book (have yet to pick it up).  Not long after th...

....from the gratitude journal  Five things that made me happy (yesterday): 1. music, it's pretty boring without it 2. Romeo, he's such a good dog and offers his love  3. Getting things organized.  Makes me feel awesome. 4. Leftovers - soup beans were so good and I didn't have to cook, so I got a bit more done 5. Slippers.  They keep my tootsies warm while indoors. ....from the wine tasting journal  Tried a new Pinot.  Expensive, but not that great as far as taste.  I use wine label removers to remove the label and then it goes in my wine tasting journal. .....from the inspirational quote journal “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ―  Maya Angelou Nothing has gone into my "book reading journal" just yet.  I need to finish that book first.

Everything that could go wrong in the last 24 hours has.  I just can't make this stuff up, and I won't dump it on all of you with boredom.  It more likely would make your jaw drop. I put on my big girl panties and only concentrated on what I could, which wasn't a lot.   Due to Hubby's schedule and major overtime, he has not yet repaired the truck ignition.  We can jump it, but you can't shut it off until you are back home, so a trip to town was not possible, and putting a call out to the kids failed with kid #1, sent a text to #2 - hooray!  A ride. At this point, I'm thinking I need to go to school to learn about auto mechanics. On top of that Tiger is now throwing up all over because he keeps eating Aurora's food and I have no way to separate them in the house.  I cannot, I repeat cannot wait for warmer temps to put Aurora back outside. The one thing I could do, was put new ink in the printer and print my seed list.   On top o...

November 1st sparked the start of National Novel Writing Month, and I am back to it this year.  Last year I didn't get to participate, but this year I am fired up.  Of course it helps to know that I need to submit a contest short story piece, but that will only entail 8,000 words.  NaNoWriMo requires 50,000 words in 30 days. Baking continues . . .  English muffins for some breakfast sandwiches.  A sausage/potato/kale frittata as well. All of my regular chores are still in action too, so I'm hoping to keep a balance somehow.   And of course our Staywell health insurance program has a bonus day on Nov.1st to obtain 15,000 steps (to earn 50 points).  So exercise was not left out either. Garden work continues, although cold.  I'm yanking green bean plants, weeds, and a few last tomato plants/stakes.  If there is a will, there is a way. . . and I call it quits when I can't feel my fingers any more.  The days are gett...

The "mason jar" challenge: I have a cousin, who lives in CA, who has been in TV commercials and even been included as a character in her friend's published novel.  She is now a life coach.

Although I don't have a photo of the soup, we recently enjoyed some crusty baked bread with some homemade potato leek soup.  Our leeks did not do well, but we found an organic source this fall. Leeks provide cardiovascular support, and we love the soup.   Homemade bread baking has resumed. Two chairs now have a fresh coat of paint on them.  One more job off the to-do list.  Although , the wicker sofa remains to be pa inted.  We had a few days in t he lower 70's .

Today's weather is not as cold as yesterday.  I'm going to put a few fol ding la wn chairs back on t he front porch.  I hear Than ksgiving day will be warm enough to sit there and relax a bit. Hubby plans on working all day Thanksgiving day.  Not at his full- time job, but here.  We have a lot of bru sh to take care of yet.  Mos t likely I'll be working in the kit chen in outdoor work clothes, joining him when I can as well.   I'm typing like a mad woman, to get caught back up with National Novel Writing Month.

I filled my new dehydrator with organic dandelion greens.  I still want to put more in the freezer, but I will be utilizing the dried greens too.  They dried faster than i n the old dehydrator too. The dried greens will be used for dog food, to make tea, to add to any dish we eat, to make dandelion vinegar, and other herbal mixtures.  I won't have to buy dandelion tea any more now.  Oh, I can use the dandelion for poultices too.

In case inquiring minds want to know... I think I finally caught up on the laundry.  I may have one load yet to finish today.  During my next trip however, whoever is home will get laundry chores. Yesterday, I had to make a mad dash to the rain barrel to try and save my flowers and herbs.  The younger two did not do their chores as asked, and my porch pots are either dead, dying or look terrible.  They just about let my organic herbs die too.  I desperately worked away, watering and removing dead leaves.  I just realized that my water trough flower bed of sunflower seeds, has no sunflowers this year.  Those must of died in the masses of rain too.   I had picked up some more green beans on the recent road trip, and blanched and froze those (adding 5 more quart bags to the freezer).  I do need more. 

I recently mentioned our Queen Anne's Lace Jelly , and thought I'd share my Nature Journal.  

While the snow came down yesterday, I put my crocheting down to log in some writing hours. I managed to send off my contest entry, revise one short article, and brain storm for three or four more new ones.

(organic tofu soaking in organic vegetable broth) Over the years, I've kept track of new foods we've tried.  It looks like the only thing I journaled for 2014, was millet.  I'm sure there were a few other new foods. Our vegetarian daughter, asked for us to buy tofu for her.  I've never tried it, so we bought organic tofu when it went on sale.

The wind always makes the house feel colder, but the wood stove was going good and strong when I got up this morning. I abandoned all chores (aside from animals) and retreated to my room to write yesterday.  I started out pretty well, but found myself wandering to the kitchen desk, and fiddling around on the internet. "Mom?! What are you doing?  Get back in your room and write something," said Oldest Daughter. "I will, I just have to find something."

How cold is it? Cold enough to freeze eggs in the coop overnight.  Not just one, but three.

Are you ready to talk over coffee today?  Mom gifted me this recent mug in a bag of odds and ends she sent home with our 17 year-old last week.

(this morning's sunrise) We got buckets and buckets of rain yesterday.  Just when a shower would end, another one started.  It was the perfect day to ignore housework, sit on the porch and write.  Just don't tell Hubby. 

This morning's sunrise was nice and bright.  No fog today.  I woke up with no energy.  How is that possible?  A good night's sleep, and I just want to go back to bed.  But I can't. Work must be done. 

Although very tired from preserving all day, I managed to get photos of my "Southern Fried Cabbage" and Squash cornbread.   Although the recipe calls for "mashed squash" I do make it with grated zucchini too.

I'm learning a lot this summer.  Did you know that my homestead is growing oodles of noodles? "Honey?  Did you know that dandelion stems can be cooked as "noodles" in a recipe?" I asked with excitement. "Honey, I love you," replied Hubby grinning from ear to ear, and shaking his head side to side.   I know what he was really thinking - that woman is crazy! I had no idea you could eat the stems.

The Farmer's Almanac was right on target yesterday.  It snowed most of the day, but melted away by dinner time. It's a good thing I was home too.  I went outside for something and heard Misty (another lamancha goat) crying out in the goat fence.  I was confused, because the barn door had not been opened for them to be out yet.