Have you ever felt a craving for food, but you just could not figure out what you wanted? When I was pregnant with each of my four children, I had this predicament. It was always something different and it always seemed counterintuitive because it was often accompanied by nausea. I remember with my last child, […]
Perspective
I have a very kind and amazing sister-in-law named Kimberly. She has been married to my brother, Clarence, for 37 plus years. Recently I heard a story about their early marriage. They had had a terrible argument (neither can remember what it was about now), but my brother decided to get Kimberly roses as a […]
Broody Chickens and Conspiracy Theories
When we first moved to Tennessee and started homesteading, the first animals we raised were chickens. My father-in-law, wanting to support our endeavor, brought some of his full grown chickens all the may from Maryland to Tennessee. He gave us an older hen, who did not lay anymore but was an excellent brooder. Since she […]
Restoration
What a Nanny Goat Taught Me about Restoration When I read the Bible, I am struck by how God always restores something to a better state than the original condition. Jacob was cheated in his wages seven times by his uncle Laban, but God blessed Jacob and increased his flocks so he left […]
Tomatoes and Foot Washings
With a large garden, I preserve a lot of my harvest, especially tomatoes, by pressure canning. The process is straightforward. One places veggies in a glass canning jar. Then, one makes sure to wipe off the lip of the jar, very well to ensure a good seal. Next, a flat lid with a rubber seal […]
Squash and Wealth Management
Each Spring, I make the same mistake – I plant too much yellow Summer squash. You see, I love sliced squash, well salt and peppered, and fried in butter, but my children have a different opinion of this vegetable. I guess my over planting comes from my Spring-time hankering and the fact that the squash […]
I Heard it Through the Grape Vine
When my family and I first moved to Tennessee, I was thrilled to discover several grape vines on my property. With glee, I looked forward to my little vines producing grapes and I dutifully weeded around them in expectation; however, they did not produce that year. Thinking they needed fertilizer, I told my sons […]
Life Lessons
If you come and visit my family at our homestead, you will quickly notice that my husband loves geese. Now, I don’t have any particular affection for these creatures. I find them, uppity, messy, loud and quite vindictive. If I had my way, and I’ve told them this, I would send them all to freezer […]