Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Pet pic's

Wanted to share a few pic's of our pets today.  We have so many of them, pets, someone is always doing something terribly cute and or clever : )


This one is for Grandma Sandy!  Right before they moved to Vegas, we got this recliner from her and I don't know when we acquired the afghan, but am told by Z it also  came from Grandma Sandy.  So here is Howie in the Grandma Sandy chair (that is what we still call it) with the Grandma Sandy afghan (that is what we still call it)!

Here is Levi, looking inquisitive.  You can't tell by looking at him, that the dog is a mess - LOL

Here is a new pic of the puppies.  Sorry it is so dark.  They have a perfectly great create to sleep in, but seem to prefer to pile - up in this kitchen corner where I keep my dish towels!

I can't remember if I posted this one before, but here is the sling I made Howard to carry him in.  There is a fleece lining and he seems to really enjoy it.

Thanks for indulging me.  Blessings, Beth Ann

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Garden blessings

While we were on vacation our garden really took off and we feel totally blessed.  We are striving for a more self sustained life and our garden is a huge step in that direction, not to mention the financial savings as well as the organic benefits.  Once again I urge all to see the movie/documentary 'Food,INC."  So here is a quick look at our progress and most of the kudos goes to my DH.  He never thought he would enjoy gardening, but he works with cars 12+ hours a day.  He finds this most relaxing.  I think he gets if from his grandma Virgy and Grandpa  Bob : )


This is just a side view of our garden on the west side of the house.  We have a couple of smaller patches on the east side.  DH lays awake at night trying to figure out what else he can till up!  Eventually we will find about 10 acres and build a farm on it.  One of the children will take over this homestead.



Look in the upper left corner, my first bottle neck gourd of the year!  I have many crafts planned for these once they are dried.  Last time I grew these our old dog Hershey got into them while we were at church and chewed them up.  I vow to find a better drying location this time!

This wonderful round item is one of many already ripening spaghetti squash we planted.  We love these and they are soooo pricey at the store!  We also planted acorn and butternut squash.

Here is a peek at one of the butternut squash.  Isn't it cute? : )  Unfortunately our pumpkins aren't doing well this year.  I switched seeds and suppliers and am wondering if that is the problem.  Now I am concerned and remembering the great canned pumpkin shortage last fall.

We have 7 tomato plants in all, which is too funny since DH doesn't like to eat them.  However, he LOVES growing them : )  Actually we only planted 4, same as last year but a friend had 3 growing in her compost pile and she just ripped them out and asked if we wanted them.  Heck ya!  So DH lovingly transplanted them into our garden  and they have taken off.  Same friend called last night to tell me that while they were on vacation in NY for two weeks, something ate her tomato plants and she was wondering how ours were and if she would get some.  This is funny since she isn't suppose to eat tomatoes due to her diverticulitis.  Anyway, instead of showing you all 7 plants, this is a peek at the Roma next to our front porch.

Finely, a look at our volunteer sunflower garden.  Twin son E is fascinated by bee's (much as was son Z).  He begs us to let him go out and count the bee's.  Have I mentioned he likes to count?  LOL  When he is inside he will also sit in the living room window (behind bird feeder) and count the bee's from that angle as well.  Bees are our friends and without them, no garden.  So we are always excited to see them and very respectful of them.  Whenever we see a bee we are reminded that it is another blessing from God.

Blessings, Beth Ann

Monday, June 28, 2010

Our trip in pic's


We came back from our week long camping trip yesterday and amid much protesting.  I am guessing that is a good sign.  The weather was near 100 everyday and we only saw rain once for a brief period. 




 Here is a pic of B and her BFF helping to put the canopy up over the picnic table.  The girls loved pounding with the hammer : )



Here is E rolling in the grass and taking a break from catching lightening bugs.


Our new favorite thing to do is play corn hole, course we are to poor to afford it.  So I bought a knock - off , rice hole!  LOL  Here K,E and BFF get into the game.


Here B and E take a break while waiting for smore time. 

We played many board games in the hot part of the afternoon.  Here the twins beat dad at a game of States and Capitals Sequence : )

Being a type A+ personality, I feared I didn't accomplish much with my vacation (I know that is the whole purpose, hence the type A+).  Then I did the thing type A's like to do best, I made a list!  LOL  We went swimming everyday, fished until the worms ran out, and fed the carp popcorn at the marina.  I finished two books, and read a complete third.  I even squeezed in some knitting.

I taught B how to knit and well, not easy since she is left handed and I am not : )  I finished another panel on the sweater I am knitting for B and knit half a pair of fingerless arm warmers.  Oh, I also downloaded Chuzzle on my cell phone and became the world champion . . . of my Minnie Winnie that is : ) 

So when you put it that way, a great vacation, great food, great time with family, much was accomplished!  On the day we left, while K and I were drinking our morning coffee outside, E crashed open the door and came outside.  He stood on the astro turf and said in a pitiful voice, " we have to leave today".  Then he turned around and went back inside.  Guess you had to be there, it was too funny and cute.  Then they all trouped down to the lake for one more chance to swim and get even more sunburned..

We returned home to a sunny day, overflowing garden, 8 puppies and a flooded basement.

Yes, I said 8 puppies.  There were 9, but the runt had to stay with it's mother who is being fostered by a friend of ours.  That's right, Z was at it again while we were gone.  Him, his girlfriend and some folks from church were helping one of our church members move into a new house, and Z noticed that next door there was an emaciated dog.  When he went over to check it out he discovered the pups and just couldn't leave them there.  He asked the owner and explained he worked for the local vet and would get care for them.  They let him have them.  They are about 5 weeks old and appear to be of all things American bull dog and Chiwahwaha mix.  The poor little things were grossly bloated with both ring and tape worms : (  The next day Z went back with our friend who also does animal fostering, and retrieved the mother dog.  The runt was doing poorly, so we are hoping a little more nursing will help her.  Apparently we get them back when they are deemed healthy.  The twins were thrilled with this turn of events, and it looks like the pups are also : )

So that's our vacation in a nut shell and we know we are so blessed, Beth Ann



Thursday, June 17, 2010

Hanging out at home

Hey there, just hanging out at home and trying to recuperate from my sinus and back issues before we leave for camping this Sunday. We will take off on Fathers day, after church. Not much else here, just some hazy, lazy days of summer. Since I was feeling a bit better, I trekked around the yard this morning and snapped some pic's to share.

This is Tina, B's cat. She thinks we are here to serve her and she is mean spirited. Tina, not B! LOL She is peering in our screened in deck through some Ivory type thing that DH thinks is cute creeping up our deck. She will sit there and meow until someone picks her up and gives her a ride past all the big mean doggies sleeping on the deck.

These are the first tiny tomatoes from DH's prized plants. He hates to eat them, but he loves to grow them!


Sorry this is so dark, but it is so cute : ) Here is Z's dog Zoey and my mini doxin Howard, sleeping on the sofa. I am glad that with so many handicapped animals, that they get on well together.



Here is another random pet pic to distract you - LOL This is Z's rabbit, Di Vinci. He has happy ears today!



OK, this is a weird and awkward pic of my bird feeder outside the living room window. Notice all the sunflowers from the fallen seed. TN isn't called the volunteer state for nothing!


Another of hubby's tomato plants. We have 4, different varieties, and reap about 10lb. off of each plant. Our friends love visiting and picking their own before they leave.




Here is Tina again, she truly believes she is queen of the back porch.





A close up of our sunny friends : )




A view of our bird feeding area, facing our kitchen window.



A glimpse of our garden and the fence we put in this year, next to our second drive way. Dig those crazy curling luffa squash plants! I will be making sponges and soap with those. I will hand them out at Christmas with my hand knitted wash cloths.
Well thanks for taking the nickle tour and ya'll come back now, ya hear!
Blessings, Beth Ann










Sunday, June 13, 2010

Knots,knods & bobs


Still here, just been laid up most the week with a bad back. Stupid 5Th lumbar : ( Visited the chiro twice (my wallet cried) and now waiting for the inflammation to go down. Progress is being made however, as I am now able to sit up and knit (missed it soooo much). Finished a couple large projects and am now just doing small stuff for inventory for craft shows.
I did also get son into chiro this week with me for his fibro (think he will reimburse me on his payday?). No flair ups this week, just same ole, same old pain and 19 months and holding for his chronic migraine. We are trying a more natural approach with his sleeping (triptathan from chiro) and ordered the d-rebose from chiro as well, for his energy level. Lets keep Z in our prayers.
Been very hot here, but nothing new. Our garden is taking off big time. I don't know if DH is getting better with is hoe (keep mind out of gutter please), if it's the seaweed fertilizer or the organic shredded coconut shell mulch. Will post pic's when I am up to going outside in heat with my back and snapping and downloading : )
The only other newsworthy item worth mentioning is that we made our own butter today from cream, for school. Gotta love C for Cow. We spread it on bread, sooooo creamy and smooth, and added some cinnamon sugar for a great afternoon snack. Love having my kids home with me, I feel so blessed!
Blessings, Beth Ann

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Nothing new, and that's a good thing : )


Been a pretty slow week here, praise the good Lord. Mostly fighting colds, coughs and snot. Oh, and more snot. Did I mention snot?
Twin dd brought me these 'stolen' flowers to cheer me up. The grow everywhere down here, except my yard - LOL But they do grow in the yard across the street, with the empty house for sale .. . .
Oldest son is holding his own, but we have agreed that he will not take antidepressants for his chronic pain and it seems to be all his neurologist per scribes. I want to try a supplement called D-Rebose with him. It is all natural and I found it while researching a Fibromialgia clinic in Atlanta, closest one to us. I will either have to get it on-line, or see if I can find it in the 'boro as it is not in the 'bury : )
Well we have had the bunny for three weeks now and he seems to love it here, except for the part where we had the vet shave his bum. It is so hot here right now that ds had to hook a fan up to bunny cage to keep him from heat stroke. Bunny loves it! I keep catching him laying in front of the fan and his ears blowing, much like a dog with his head out a car window! LOL
We have also taken in another boarder, a way word dwarf hamster who was on his way to the great outdoors = litterly. No one mentioned he was . . . ill tempered when we took him. Let me put it to you this way, his name was chip and now we want to call him things like vicious Vinnie or malicious Mike. Oldest son seems to think he has discovered a cause for this 2 oz. mutant to be so unhappy. Upon closer inspection (while using sturdy work gloves) it seems he has some type of skin rash. So son bathed him in some special skin shampoo from the clinic and the now newly dubed misunderstood Mike seemed mildly more up beat. Yes I know, only at our house.
That's it for now. Keep counting your blessings, Beth Ann

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Spelt


I made spelt muffins for the kids today, for breakfast. They were awesome! I have been using spelt flour for awhile now, but this was a recipe from a new cook book: "The fibromyalgia cookbook: by Shelley Ann Smith. I have also had friends inquire as to why spelt, when son can't seem to handle wheat. Here is what the same cookbook had to say in a product description: "Spelt flour is more than just a nutritious product. The whole-grain flour is the answer for those people who want to eat good, tasty whole-grain products. Spelt is organic, unbleached, and is the grain with most of the bran removed, and nothing added. Spelt contains special carbohydrates that stimulate the body's immune system. One of the most beneficial differences between spelt and wheat is the fact that many wheat - and gluten - sensitive individuals have been able to include spelt - based foods in their diets. It's higher in B - vitamins and fiber than ordinary bread wheat's and has higher amounts of both simple and complex carbohydrates, proteins, and several amino acids."
All I know is that my son can tolerate spelt flour and brown rice flour. Spelt seems best for baking, with the exception to making tortillas. Rice flour is thinner, thus making better tortillas. I sub spelt in any recipe calling for white or wheat flour, no troubles. Added bonus, everyone else besides son seem to enjoy it as well. Been using it so long I am sure the twins don't know there is another choice : ) With that said, here is the recipe:
Spelt Muffins
2 1/4 cups spelt four
1 TBS. baking powder (I use aluminum free)
1 1/4 cups skim milk (I used 3/4 c. water and 3/4 c. organic half n' half)
3, eggs beaten (yard eggs are best)
1/4 c. honey (use local to your area)
1 TBS. extra virgin olive oil (press your own . . . Just joking )
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I used dried cranberries instead)
Preheat oven to 375
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, except nuts or fruit. Mix until smooth and well combined. Gently stir in fruit or nuts. Fill a 12 count muffin tin, either papered or well greased (I use my oil spritzer), 3/4 full. Bake 375 for 17 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool at least 5 minutes before removing from pan and cooling on rack.
yield: 12 muffins
Blessings, Beth Ann